Theology | AGW MINISTRIES

God Does Everything for His Own Glory

May 14, 2016May 13, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

If you were to get down to the nitty-gritty motivations behind all that God does, I believe you would discover God does everything ultimately for himself, for his glory. I know it seems counterintuitive when talking about a loving God who died in the place of all sinners, but the Bible makes it very clear that all God does he ultimately does for his own glory.

According the Bible, God Does Everything for His Own Glory

God created everything through himself and for himself (Colossians 1:16). He created the world to declare his glory (Psalm 19:1-4). He formed and made man with the same intent (Isaiah 43:7). He condemns all who dishonor his name (Exodus 20:7), but he also rescues man to bring honor to his name (Jeremiah 14:7, Psalm 25:11). He rescued the Israelites for the sake of his name so he would not be profaned among the nations (Ezekiel 20:9). He parted the waters for them to gain for himself everlasting renown (Isaiah 63:12-14, Psalm 106:8). He placed Pharaoh in leadership to create for himself the opportunity to display his power and so his name would be proclaimed in all the earth (Exodus 9:16).

Why Did Everyone Want to Kill Jesus?

May 11, 2016May 10, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

On the surface, it seems everyone had their own reason for wanting to kill Jesus. The Jewish leaders wanted to kill Jesus because he was rebuking them, leading the crowds away from them, and breaking their traditions. The Jewish people wanted to kill Jesus because he was claiming he was the Son of God. And the Romans wanted to kill Jesus because he was creating riots amongst the Jews. So it seems everyone had their own reason for wanting to kill Jesus.

With a closer look, however, at the reasons the Bible gives on why everyone wanted to kill Jesus, we will find something surprising. The thing that really infuriated people in Jesus’ time on earth is the same thing that infuriates people during our time on earth: a commitment to truth, specifically the truth about Jesus Christ’s deity.

Should You Be Baptized More than Once?

May 28, 2018March 25, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

There are many questions regarding Christian baptism, but perhaps one of the most asked questions is, “Should you be baptized more than once in life?” To answer this questions, it helps to know what water baptism is truly symbolizing?

Does God Force Us to Love Him?

February 20, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

When we read the Bible and witness the absolute and supreme power of God, often times it can makes us wonder, “Does God force us to love him?”

God Does Not Force Us to Love Him Because God Is a Person

God is sovereign in all that does. Whatever he wants to happen will happen (Psalm 115:3). With that said, God is a person, not a robot. A person has feelings, emotions, and desires. A person can be full of joy and hurt. God is very different than us in his personhood because he is not a human person (although Jesus is fully God and fully man), but he is a person nonetheless.

What Does Hyssop Represent in the Bible?

January 22, 2016January 21, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

hyssop bible meaning represent psalm 51_7 — Key Bible Verse: Psalm 51:7,“Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

Psalm 51 is David’s prayer of repentance after he sins with Bathsheba. Within this prayer, David expresses his supreme confidence in the the faithfulness of God to forgive. However, when we come to Psalm 51:7, David mentions a plant called “hyssop.” It seems like an odd request to ask God to use a hyssop plant to wipe away David’s sin. So it raises a question worth asking, “What does the hyssop represent in the Bible?”

Part 2: How to Overcome Sexual Sin

January 7, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

How to Overcome Sexual Sin?

If you’re anything like me, when you make a mistake, the first thing you do is try to make it right. Maybe you did this as a kid. You hurt one of your friends or younger siblings, and rather than let them get you in trouble, you offered them a deal, “Don’t tell mom. Here, punch me back, pay me back.” And then once they took their retribution, you made sure to over embellish how bad it actually hurt to ensure you would be dept free.

Psalm 51 does not start that way. If you do anything other than pray to God after you sin sexually, you are relying on something other than the power of God for your freedom. If you try and make it right by doing something good because you are seeking to make up for something you did bad, you are relying on your works rather than God’s grace.

David doesn’t make promises to God or try to cut a deal to pay for his sexual sin. Instead he turns to God in prayer.

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.

Sin Is Progressive

October 11, 2018December 30, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

Sin is progressive by nature. Unrepentant sin always gets worse and worse. Sin, left to its progressive nature, therefore, eventually leads to death (Romans 6:23). But God does not want this. In fact, one of the reasons God lets people get worse is because he desires for them to get better.

Why Does God Allow Satan to Tempt Us?

September 4, 2018December 11, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

Bible Verses: James 4:4-10

With just a quick read of Scripture, there’s no doubt that God not only allows Satan to live, but God allows Satan to tempt us. But why does God allow Satan to tempt us? Or maybe an even better question is why did God allow Satan to tempt Jesus?

Why Does God Allow Satan to Tempt Us? For God’s Glory

It’s a good place to start by noting that any question that starts with “Why does God . . . ?” can always be answered “For his own glory and our good.” Everything God does ultimately is rooted in his sovereign plan of glorifying himself and loving people.

What is Sin?

August 17, 2018November 29, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

. . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. -Romans 3:23

What is sin? The literal translation of the word “sin” means to “miss the mark,” used to describe an arrow missing the intended target. To understand how we miss when we sin, we must first know what we were supposed to be aiming at.

What is Sin? Sin is Concealing Rather than Revealing the Glory of God

Man was made for the glory of God (Isaiah 43:7). The glory of God is the visible manifestation of the invisible qualities of God. Therefore, man was meant to expose, bear the image of, and reveal more of the beauty of God.

Romans 3:23 states, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” You’d think this verse would say “all have sinned and fall short of obedience” but sin is not merely a lack of obedience. Sin is missing the mark of glorifying God.