One question that the authors of Why be Plain? tackle in the first chapter is one that probably every Old Order Amish person has pondered: Is keeping the ordnung really required to gain entrance into heaven—as is claimed by Amish leaders? The answer must be yes or no. In their fictitious conversation at the beginning of Chapter 1, cousins Dan and Steve conclude that the answer is no. Therefore, there is no reason, they decide, not to own a car or smart phone.

I recently was given a copy of Why be Plain? by some dear ex-Amish friends who told me that it was mailed to them by their still-Amish relatives. The Old Order Amish authors, Larry S. Weaver and Terry B. Zimmerman, are clearly concerned that Old Order Amish people, and especially Amish youth, are being deceived regarding Amish faith and lifestyle, resulting in their abandoning both to join more liberal churches, or worse, embrace “the world.” The fact that they’ve written a book to address their concern reveals that the problem they are addressing is widespread and likely increasing.

Dear reader: Below is an expansion of Jesus’ Parable of the Treasure in the Field and the Introduction to a short book I wrote some years ago titled, Forever Rich: Seven Spiritual Secrets to Ultimate Financial Fulfillment. If you enjoy the Introduction, the eight chapters that follow it can be read for free here: https://www.davidservant.com/books/forever-rich-book/.  I hope you enjoy them all! — David

Possessing “assurance of salvation” should be the norm for Christian believers. Surely God does not want His children to be wondering if they actually are His children!

Conversely, surely God does not want those who are not His children to be deceived into thinking that they are His children.

You’ve probably heard the theological term, “original sin.” It is defined as “the innate tendency of all humans to sin, a condition inherited from Adam as a consequence of the Fall.” It is an attractive idea in one sense, because it allows us to put some of the blame for our sin on Adam.

It’s fun to think about the fact that Jesus created everything in the natural world that He used at a later time—during His earthly ministry—as teaching tools. That means it is possible, for example, that the primary reason He originally created the “birds of the air” and “lilies of the field” (Matt. 6:25-33) was to teach folks like me and you (who are paying attention) that God will take care of us.

It is certainly wise to be suspicious of oft-repeated “Christian” doctrinal statements that utilize phrases that can’t be found anywhere in the Bible. Since the Bible consists of thousands of doctrinal phrases within its 783,000 words, it is certainly reasonable to think that all biblical doctrine could be expressed using actual phrases that are found somewhere within the Bible.

You may have heard that, some months back, California law regarding shoplifting was changed. Now, stealing merchandise worth $950 or less is just a misdemeanor rather than a felony. The result is that law enforcement generally doesn’t bother to investigate any shoplifting cases in which less than $950 in merchandise is stolen, and if there are charges, prosecutors dismiss them. As you might guess, shoplifting is on the rise in California.

Most Christians are familiar with Paul’s famous words in Romans 6:23: “The wages of sin is death.” They would seem to mean that disobedience to God earns the punishment of death. Although Paul’s declaration might explain why we all eventually die, it does raise some questions about the relationship between sin and death. For example, is physical death the only punishment for sin? If we have been forgiven of our sins, why do we still die? And once we are believers, can we sin without fear of death? I hope to answer those questions in this article. Let’s start by laying a foundation about the three kinds of death that are mentioned in Scripture.

Perhaps you’ve heard the story of the British woman whose neighbor commented on her garden, “My, what a lovely flower garden God has given you!” She replied, “I don’t mean to sound boastful, but you should have seen this flower garden when God had it all by Himself!”

That funny little story is actually an illustration of a big theological issue that challenges us all. We all know that God is working to accomplish His will, but we also know that human beings have a part to play in many outcomes both temporal and eternal. In the case of the British gardener, she knew that only God can turn a seed into a beautiful flowering plant. That being said, she also realized that, unless she strategically planted flower seeds, kept them watered, and periodically pulled weeds, the outcome would be an ugly mess. She knew what God was responsible for and what she was responsible for. In the end, both could rightfully take some credit for the outcome—although God’s contribution was certainly much more impressive than hers!

Christians often struggle trying to find the dividing line between divine and human responsibility. What is our job and what is God’s job? None of us wants to make a wrong assumption, but still, opinions vary. Although we are all reading from the same Bible, many theological debates revolve around this issue, and two words often surface within those debates. They are grace and works—two words that stand in contrast.

How do they differ?