Bible Questions with Andrew Farley

We often hear we need to follow Jesus, but this is not the most accurate way to portray our relationship with Him. The term “follow” insinuates an external following of Jesus rather than an internal leading of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17; Galatians 5:19-23). For the believer, relating to Jesus is about living from one’s spiritual union with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17) and being led internally...

Many teach the importance of a second blessing from God or the need for a special anointing. However, this is inconsistent with the Gospel. When we believe in Jesus, we are given everything we need for life and godliness including the fullness of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:3-4; Ephesians 1:3, 13-14).

Some wrongly claim that Christians no longer commit sins. However, Scripture is clear that Christians can and do still sin. Our confidence should not be in the illusion of sinless performance but in the forgiveness and righteousness we’ve been given freely by God’s grace.

Some teach that Romans 7 is a description of Paul’s struggle as a believer. From there, they conclude that any true and consistent victory over sin on this side of heaven is unlikely. However, context makes it clear that Paul was referring to his attempts at keeping the Law before his conversion. In Romans 7, Paul is describing the normal Law-centered life, but not the normal Christ-centered life.

We believers say “no” to sin by recognizing sinful thoughts do not come from us and that sin has no power over us (Romans 6:11-12). When sinful thoughts or temptations come our way, we can make the conscious decision to count ourselves dead to sin and alive to God. In this way, we express our genuine self (the new self) and we express Jesus at the same time.

There are many false teachings that go against the gospel of grace (Acts 20:24).  In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, we’re told to combat these false teachings by taking every thought captive. We’re invited to make every thought obedient to Christ. This means we make the conscious decision to reject lies and embrace the truth of God’s grace. This keeps the finished work of Christ in focus in our attitudes a...

While the idea that Christians have a sinful nature is rampant throughout Christian teaching, the Bible does not actually teach this concept. Instead, it teaches we believers have a brand new, righteous self through the resurrection of Christ (2 Peter 1:4; Colossians 3:1; Romans 6:18). Even though we still sin, we are not sinful by nature at our core anymore. We have been born again, and we are no...

While some associate the flesh with the nature of the Christian, Scripture teaches the flesh is a way of walking and thinking independently of Christ. It is not us, but it is an attitude present within us at times. While believers no longer live by the flesh (Romans 8:5, 9), we can still walk by the flesh at times (Galatians 5:19-23).

The flesh is the old sinful attitudes and mindsets to which we were enslaved before we believed in Jesus. When we believed, we were taken out of the flesh and placed into the Spirit (Romans 8:9). Still, we believers “walk by the flesh” when we choose to think and act in the old way rather than allowing God’s Spirit to inspire us.

Popular religious teaching suggests that believers need to take up their cross daily in order to follow Jesus. While it’s true that Jesus taught the importance of denying oneself and taking up their cross (Matthew 16:24-26), He was not speaking of an ongoing act after salvation. He was inviting people to follow Him into His death so that they might be raised to newness of life and be saved (Galati...

Some say believers need to “die to self.” However, the phrase “die to self” does not appear anywhere in the New Testament. Instead, Scripture teaches that our old self has already died – past tense – and we have been raised with Christ as new selves in Him (Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:1). Think about it: You don’t need to “die to self” if you’re the new self!

Christians are always referred to as saints in Scripture, not sinners. We believers are not sinners, but saints who sometimes sin. We have been set apart (sanctified – made into saints) by Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 10:10).

Some teach that Christians need to deny themselves as if their “self” is bad. But in Matthew 16:24-26, Jesus is not speaking of an ongoing denial of self. He is talking about a one-time decision to deny our old self (in Adam) and become a new self (in Christ). Now that you are the new self, you should not deny your new self, your new heart, or your new desires. You should instead count yourself de...

Scripture is clear that believers (as people) were sanctified – past tense – the moment we were saved (1 Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 10:10). This means we have been fully set apart for God. Our behavior, on the other hand, is being sanctified (set apart) as we learn and grow in our understanding of God’s grace (1 Peter 1:15). We must separate who we are (sanctified children of God) from how we perfo...

Two different Greek words are used in Scripture to describe the spirit and the soul. The spirit (Gk. pneuma) speaks of the innermost part of the person, the part that is one with the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:17) and new at salvation (Ezekiel 36:26-27). In contrast, the soul (Gk. psuché) is the psychology (mind, will, and emotions) of a person.

Some point to 1 Timothy 1:15 to make the argument that Christians are called “sinners” in the New Testament. However, Paul only referred to himself as a sinner in the 1 Timothy passage because of his history of persecuting the church (Galatians 1:13). He was referring to his condition before salvation. We believers are not sinners by nature anymore. We are saints who sometime sin.

Some teach that a believer has a wicked heart (Jeremiah 17:9). However, this is not Scriptural. A Christian has a new, righteous and obedient heart (Ezekiel 36:26-27; Hebrews 8:10; Romans 6:17). Jeremiah 17:9 describes an unbeliever before the born-again experience. In contrast, every believer has a new heart, a new spirit, and God’s Spirit.

We often hear we need to become more like Christ. But this isn’t the best way to think of our Christian journey. When we believe in Jesus, we are made like Jesus at the core (1 John 4:17), even though our performance (attitudes and actions) do change over time (Romans 12:2).

Righteousness, in a Biblical context, is to be right with God at the core of your being. It means that on a scale of 1-10, you’re an 11! No human is righteous through their own efforts (Romans 3:19-20). But through Christ, we have been imputed and imparted the very righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:21; Romans 4:25; Romans 6:18).

When we believe in Jesus, we become slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:18). This means we are connected to Christ and partake of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4). In short, we are allergic to sin and addicted to Jesus (Romans 6:11). God has the market cornered on fulfillment, and only bearing the fruit of His Spirit will satisfy us now.

Some believe an overemphasis on God’s grace will somehow lead to more sinning in the Christian life. But Titus 2:11-12 says the opposite: Grace is what encourages godly living. So, we need more grace, not less, if we want to overcome temptation. Being afraid of too much grace is like being afraid of too much victory over sin (Romans 6:14).

Many have tried to create a friction between the concepts of grace and obedience. However, grace and obedience are related and beautifully compatible. Romans 6:17 states that we believers have become “obedient from the heart.” By grace, we have been gifted with a new, righteous heart that is obedient to God. This is why we can afford to live under grace and watch as God grows us up as obedient chi...

While many promote the importance of the so-called “spiritual disciplines”, the phrase is not found in the Bible. Instead, Scripture teaches the importance of a relationship with God that flows naturally out of grace (Titus 2:11-14). So, we can choose to pray, read the Bible, etc. because we desire to, not because we have to do them.

The New Covenant began at the death of Christ (Luke 22:20; Hebrews 9:16). This means Jesus lived and ministered under the Old Covenant (Galatians 4:4). This is why some of Jesus’ teachings expose the true spirit of the Old Testament law. 

The Bible teaches the new covenant is a promise that God made to Himself to save completely all who believe in Jesus (Hebrews 6:13-18). It is the promise of total forgiveness for all sins (Hebrews 8:12); a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26-27; Hebrews 8:10); freedom from the Old Covenant law (Hebrews 10:10; Galatians 5:1); and adoption as God’s children (1 John 3:1; Hebrews 8:11; Galatians 4:6). It is the...