Show Notes
How can you tell whether your faith is real or only a facade? Studying Romans 2:17–29, Dr. John Neufeld honours the privileges God gave Israel, then shows how religion can hide hypocrisy. Outward symbols like circumcision, baptism, or a wedding ring mean nothing without the reality they signify. Genuine faith is a heart transformed by the Holy Spirit. The Heart of the Gospel: This 25-message series on Romans 1–4 presents us with Christianity 101. It is the basics of our faith, teaching us how we can know for certain that sins are forgiven and what it is to live by faith.
More from Back to the Bible Canada with Dr. John Neufeld
Will God judge fairly those who never heard His law? Working through Romans 2:12–16, Dr. John Neufeld shows that God is perfectly impartial: everyone who sins is condemned, whether judged by Scripture, by creation, or by the law written on the heart and conscience. Hearing God’s Word only raises our accountability, and the right place to start is admitting we have no hope on our own. The Heart of the Gospel: This 25-message series on Romans 1–4 presents us with Christianity 101. It is the basics of our faith, teaching us how we can know for certain that sins are forgiven and what it is to live by faith.
If salvation is by faith, why does Paul say God judges by works? From Romans 2:6–11, Dr. John Neufeld shows that we are judged by our works but saved from judgment by faith in Christ. He contrasts the marks of those who are self-seeking and reject the truth with those bound for heaven, who patiently seek God’s glory, honour, and immortality. The Heart of the Gospel: This 25-message series on Romans 1–4 presents us with Christianity 101. It is the basics of our faith, teaching us how we can know for certain that sins are forgiven and what it is to live by faith.
Are you a good person? Paul has something to say to you. Looking at Romans 2:1–5, Dr. John Neufeld shows that those who judge others are just as guilty and condemn themselves. Don't look down on God’s kindness, forbearance, and patience; the fact that God's wrath has not yet come on you is not His approval but an invitation to repentance before the day of wrath. The Heart of the Gospel: This 25-message series on Romans 1–4 presents us with Christianity 101. It is the basics of our faith, teaching us how we can know for certain that sins are forgiven and what it is to live by faith.
What happens when we ignore the elephant in the room: God Himself? Studying Romans 1:24–32, Dr. John Neufeld examines the three times “God gave them up”: to sexual impurity, to dishonourable passions contrary to the Creator’s design, and to a debased mind. As it was in Paul's day, this is a counter-cultural expression about God's original design and authority over our bodies. At the heart of these issues is idolatry and failing to worship God — a great evil for which we need a Saviour. The Heart of the Gospel: This 25-message series on Romans 1–4 presents us with Christianity 101. It is the basics of our faith, teaching us how we can know for certain that sins are forgiven and what it is to live by faith.
With all our progress, is the human situation getting worse? Working through Romans 1:21–25, Dr. John Neufeld shows how failing to give God glory and thanks leads to futile thinking and idolatry, with gods remade in our own image. He explains what it means that God “gave them up”: a judgment that exposes how evil our hearts really are. Yet in this bad news comes the hope of the Gospel. The Heart of the Gospel: This 25-message series on Romans 1–4 presents us with Christianity 101. It is the basics of our faith, teaching us how we can know for certain that sins are forgiven and what it is to live by faith.