Identity | AGW MINISTRIES

Part 4: How to Overcome Sexual Sin

January 20, 2016January 16, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.”-Psalm 51:5-6

Our external sins are an expression of our internal condition. God has made humans with the tendency to sexualize their feelings. Intercourse, at its purest form, is the love of a husband and wife sexualized. The love and commitment they have in their hearts towards one another was designed by God to be expressed physically through the joining of one flesh.

Does the Bible Say Being Gay Is a Choice?

January 5, 2016January 5, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

Does the Bible say being gay is a choice? All sin is a choice. Therefore, one way to answer “Does the Bible say being gay is a choice?” is to decide if being gay is a sin according to the Bible.

4 Christian Ways to Change Your Life

May 29, 2016January 2, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

Everyone has something in their life they want to change. Whether it’s a New Year’s resolution, an addictive sin pattern, or just an annoying habit you are finally fed up with, the Bible states that change is possible. But it’s not easy. And certain changes can only be done through the power of Jesus Christ. Therefore, here are four Christ-centered, Christian ways to change your life.

Change Your Identity Through Christ to Change Your Life

The primary Christian way to change your life is to change your identity through the grace of Jesus Christ. At the core of Christian doctrine is the idea that who you are will determine what you will do. The world opposes this idea and states that to change yourself, you just need to change your actions. But again, Christianity states that to change your actions, your identity needs to change first. Jesus explains it this ways:

What Does the Bible Say About Selfies?

October 24, 2016December 26, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

What does the Bible say about selfies? Nothing, of course, since the idea of taking a picture of yourself and posting it to social media was obviously a foreign concept when the Bible was written. But the Bible does talk a lot about the motivations of the heart, and what makes “selfies” good or bad depends on the inner intent.

The Bible Says Self-Exaltation Is Sin/Bad. Is Your Motive in Posting Selfies Self-Exaltation?

A “selfie”, which is taking a picture of yourself, is not bad. Why we do what we do with that picture will determine if God is pleased or displeased with our actions. Most often, selfies are rooted in self-exaltation.

Our Purpose Is to Glorify God

December 24, 2015October 5, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

Bible Verses:

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.-Genesis 1:27

Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.-Isaiah 43:7

“What is our purpose?” is perhaps the most asked question in the human heart. To answer “What is our purpose?” perhaps it would help to ask a few more questions.

Why do people want to be at the center of the story, to be famous, to have more followers on their social media platforms? Why is there even a need for words like “selfies”? Even the recluse is often a loner not because he hates the attention of people but because he wants it so bad it has paralyzed him, making him so fearful of rejection he would rather avoid everyone all together.

The Christian knows in their spirit this desire is wrong, even if they don’t know why it is wrong. Aside from the fact that there are plane verses all over the Bible condemning all forms of idolatry, including the idolatry of people, I think there is one main reason the Christian feels the guilt of self-exaltation. It has to do with our purpose and God’s glory.

(1 Timothy 2:9-10) Is it Sinful for Women to Dress Nice?

October 4, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

When you read the above passage, it feels at first that women should all resemble Mennonites or Amish women if they want to remain true to Scripture. No jeans, makeup, nice clothes, attention to your hairstyle.

No normal women (or man!) likes this idea. Women don’t want to be “plain Jane” and men don’t want women to look like they just rolled out of bed. Internally, when passages are read like the one above, Christians either pass it off as “one of those outdated parts of Scripture” and go on wearing what they want, or they just ignore 1 Timothy 2:9-10 and feel guilty about it.

Perhaps there’s a better way.

Who Should Be the Spiritual Leader in the Home?

January 3, 2016October 1, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

Key Scriptures for this Article: Genesis 2:15-18, 1 Timothy 2:12-14 — Bible Verses: Genesis 2:15-18, 1 Timothy 2:12-14

In a day and age where we are told as children that we can be whatever we want if we just try our hardest, to be told God has ordained men to be the spiritual leaders, not women, in the home and church is seen as a crime.

Regardless, the Bible makes clear that Christian men and women are equal and yet are to play different roles in their homes and churches, which is theologically described as complementarianism.

Why Is Gay Marriage Wrong in the Bible?

December 15, 2015September 23, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

Bible Verses: Romans 1:25-26

We know that the Bible clearly condemns homosexuality (Romans 1:26-28, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11), but why? Why is homosexuality, and therefore gay marriage, wrong in the Bible?

Why is Gay Marriage Wrong in the Bible: Gay Marriage Does Not Reveal God’s Character

Foundationally, it is important to note that all of God’s commands in the Bible are a reflection of his character. God commands what he has commanded for the same reason he has created everything in its original state before the fall – to glorify himself. To glorify means to exalt, to make known, to cast a light on, to make visible, or to reveal. Just as God made people in his image (Genesis 1:27), he thus made them for his glory (Isaiah 43:7), as bearing the image of God and glorifying God are the same.