Salvation
Biblical answers to specific questions in this topic — with references to Holy Scripture and deep context.
91 reply in this topic
-
Can a person forgive sins the way Jesus did?
Jesus forgave sins in the Gospel, and this angered the Pharisees: “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But He also gave the disciples a certain form of forgiveness—in the context of the church community. These are different levels of forgiveness, not the same act.
Read the answer -
What do the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3–12 mean?
The Beatitudes are not a list of conditions for entering heaven. They are a portrait of the heart of a citizen of the Kingdom: poor in spirit, meek, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure. Jesus describes not actions, but a condition — and promises that God responds to such a person with fullness.
Read the answer -
How does chapter 5 of the Gospel of Matthew begin—and why does it matter?
Matthew chapter 5 opens the Sermon on the Mount — the greatest sermon in human history. Jesus goes up the mountain, sits down — a sign of teaching authority — and begins to speak about the heart of a citizen of the Kingdom. From the very first words, He changes every expectation.
Read the answer -
Why does the Bible say that Abel’s blood “cries out” to God from the ground?
“The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground” (Gen. 4:10) is one of the most poetic and theologically rich expressions in the Old Testament. It testifies that the blood of the innocent does not remain silent. God hears the victim—even when people remain silent.
Read the answer -
Why is perfect obedience to God's Law necessary for eternal life—and how can a sinner be saved?
God does not lower the standard of the Law because of human weakness—He gives Someone who fulfilled that standard in our place. The perfect obedience required by the Law was accomplished by Christ for us—and this righteousness is credited by faith.
Read the answer -
Does Ellen White teach that to be saved one must completely stop sinning?
In White’s writings there are strong calls to holiness, and some phrases may seem to go beyond grace. But they should be understood correctly in the context of her whole system: salvation is a gift, and holiness is the fruit, not the condition for receiving that gift.
Read the answer -
Do Ellen White's words about justification by faith and the heavenly judgment contradict each other?
“The character of Christ takes the place of your character”—and at the same time there is the description of the heavenly judgment. Is that a contradiction? No—if we understand that justification in Christ is the foundation of the judgment, not something the judgment cancels. The judgment confirms the believer’s justification; it does not call it into question.
Read the answer
