Nat Crawford - Executive Coach, Speaker, Leader

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:14 " For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband..." At first glance it appears this verse implies as long as a spouse is saved, an unbelieving spouse will experience salvation as well. Is this correct? First, sanctified is the Greek transliterated  hagiazo . Here in 1 Corinthians it means " to separate from profane things and dedicate to God." This is very different than being saved. The believer has been set apart from the wickedness of the unbeliever, and the unbeliever is set apart from the total influence of sin in the world. The work of the Holy Spirit is alive in the life of the believer thus impacting the life of the unbeliever. Pastor and theologian John MacArthur stated, " You become set apart unto God and holy when you believe in Christ...but just having been in a home or living in a home where somebody is a Christian, has...

In light of some recent tragedies, I have heard this discussion come up again. This is a sad debate, but one that rages on.  So, can a Christian lose their salvation? Some Christians argue that believers can lose their salvation and they must be born again and again and again. . Remember the words Jesus to Nicodemus in John 3:7 “…you must be born again.” It was not that you must be born again…and again…and again. Some use Matthew 10:22 “ You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.” Others quote John 15:6 , “ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. ” There are other verses as well.  Let’s look at the Luke 13:27 “ and He will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from; depart from Me, all you evildoers .’ ” What these verses are referring to are the false convert and not at true Chr...

First, let me apologize for my tardiness! I recently was on a missions trip for two weeks and starting my final undergrad class. But I am glad to be blogging again! Today, I want to keep it brief. It is the Easter season. This is the time we remember the triumphant work of Jesus Christ. Christ took on Himself the sin of humanity. The sinless lamb was slain. But that is not where it ends. After three days in the grave He rose and exited the tomb. That is what I want to address today.  How do we know Jesus' resurrection is legit? An important starting point is that scholars, both Christian and non-Christian agree that Jesus was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. "When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him . And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in ...

           Jesus Christ taught and did many things during His life. But did He teach social justice?  What do we mean by social justice?  Social justice is giving each person what is rightfully theirs.  Most people would put say “It is helping those in need get the things they need.” Social justice is a hot topic both in the political and Christian realms.  Depending on who is talking, you may hear the terms redistribution of wealth, socialism, entitlement and communism.  I will not attempt to deal with whether food, clothing, shelter and healthcare are entitlements or whether or not it is the government’s role to fulfill these shortfalls. I will focus on the teachings of Christ in regards to the poor, the sick and taxes. In the synoptic gospels, there are over ten recurring records of teaching on the poor and over twenty on healing. The book of John contains similar passages. Clearly, Jesus had an opinion on ...