Elias Ayala

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) This is a question that has divided many Christians. Some suggest that salvation can be lost, and multiple scriptures are used to demonstrate this fact; especially those found in the book of Hebrews which often appear under the moniker of the “Warning Passages”. These passages are found in: (2:1-4, 3:7-4:13, 5:11-6:12, 10:19-39, 12:13-29). There are other passages that are often appealed to but the warning passages in Hebrews typically are used to demonstrate the possibility of a believer losing his or her salvation. Others … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) Heresy is a word that is too often thrown around in the church today, and it most definitely has pejorative connotation. The negative thing is that views that are typically categorized as “non-essentials” are raised up to the category of being essential, and hence, when folks deviate from these non-essentials that have been erringly deemed essential doctrine, the term heresy is thrown about. This of course is a misuse and abuse of the term as it does not properly delineate the important difference between … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) This particular question is in some way a re-hashing of the philosophical problem of evil. The argument basically tries to demonstrate that the existence of evil and suffering are inconsistent with the existence of an all-loving and all-powerful God. This form of the argument is potent if successful since if the concept of God is logically incoherent than it follows that such a conception of God is false. It is important for the Christian apologist to be able to demonstrate that there is in … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) This is indeed a very controversial question. However, believers committed to a Christian world and life view that is grounded in scripture cannot afford to side-step these issues for the sake of comfort. It is very uncomfortable to talk about these issues, and indeed, sharing our thoughts from a biblical perspective can often lead to hot-headed arguments and disagreements. However, Jesus and the apostles were often embroiled in controversy over the hot-button topics of their day, and so we should be willing to do … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) The love of God is greatly misunderstood by many both within the church and from without. A common descriptor of the God of the Bible is that he is “All-Loving”, and while this is true, there needs to be proper biblical distinctions put in place. In 1 John 4:8 we are told that “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” However, a wider reading of scripture with regards to the attributes of God will quickly teach us that … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) It is standard fair within apologetics for skeptics to attack the reliability of the Bible, more specifically the New Testament. This makes sense given that the New Testament records the central facts of the Christian faith (i.e. the Resurrection of Jesus). This means that within apologetics, the Christian must be able to defend the integrity of the Bible as God’s Word, as well as be able to demonstrate to the unbeliever’s irrational skepticism that the New Testament is indeed a reliable and accurate record … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) The question of the existence of the soul is an important one. Indeed, a central debate between the Christian theist and the materialistic physicalist is whether “consciousness is a brain state or a mental, immaterial state reflective of an immaterial soul?” If it can be demonstrated that man is not simply composed of physical material, but rather is a body soul composite, the evidence for man’s immaterial consciousness or soul would be a good foundation upon which one can infer the existence of God, … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) When answering the question “Is God a Person”, it is important that we define our terms. What is a “person?” And what differentiates between something that is personal and impersonal? When speaking of God, we need to clarify that unlike many philosophical and religious views of eastern thought, God is personal, he is relational. On Christianity, God is not an impersonal force but an active being who engages in relationship with his creation. When we speak of “personhood” we are pointing to things like … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) Imagine God revealed that everybody knows that He exists and is without excuse for believing in him. If God himself told you this, would you believe it? Any professing Christian would not hesitate to believe this if God Himself revealed it to them, right? Of course, if God knows all things then He would be in a position to know that all men have a knowledge of Him as God. Now suppose God revealed to you that all men know him and are without … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) It is often suggested by the skeptic, that only if they could see a miracle, then they would believe in God. The implication is that there needs to be some sort of empirical verification of God in order for one to be justified in believing in God. At first glance, this seems like a reasonable request. However, when one reflects upon the biblical data, we find very quickly throughout the Old Testament that the observing of miracles is not that which transforms the heart. … Read More »