How does one truly change if one isn’t a Christian?
If one is not a Christian, the situation is vastly different: there is no reason for optimism. Without Christ in us, there is no real hope. Genuine lasting change is highly unlikely. We might overcome an addiction, but then replace it with another. I remember observing an AA meeting many years ago. While the folks there had for the most part stopped drinking, the cigarette smoke was chokingly thick. Were the people better off? In one sense, most likely yes, but in another sense, not really.
Worse, we will be separated from God, in hell for all eternity. For a non-Christian, the first step to real change is to come to faith in Christ, to admit and confess that one has and does sin, that one cannot save one’s self, that a Savior is needed, and that Savior is found only in Jesus Christ, that He willingly chose to die on the cross for our sins, to die in our place. Every Christian starts there, myself included.
The good news is that God does love us, He truly loves us, so much so that even while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8), so that through Christ, we could be saved.
On the other hand, if we want to successfully save ourselves, 100% sinless perfection is God’s standard. As the scriptures make very clear, there isn’t a one of us—except for Jesus, the Son of God—who has or ever will achieve it. All of us have sinned, all of us fall short. None of us are righteous. It isn’t that we don’t sometimes do what is right, it is that none of us reaches the 100% standard. Eternal separation from God in hell is the result.
When we come to faith in Christ, when we accept His gift of salvation (we cannot earn our salvation), and His death for our sins, the Holy Spirit comes and lives inside us and He then begins changing us. We also must admit that what the Bible calls sin is indeed sin, and with the Spirit’s help, stop. That is what makes the difference when seeking to change, and why success becomes possible (the big theological word for that process is “sanctification”). We also learn that if the Holy Spirit doesn’t reside inside us, we are not truly saved. More than anything it can be said that true Christianity is a relationship, not a religion.
As a well-known Christian song puts it: In Christ alone, my hope is found. In Him real change is possible. Please accept Him today, confess your sin, repent, ask Him to live inside you.
Extra-Biblical Books? Part 3C: The Gnostic Gospels
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/22/2026
Extra-Biblical Books? Part 3B: The Gnostic Gospels
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/19/2026
Extra-Biblical Books? Part 3A: The Gnostic Gospels
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/17/2026
Extra-Biblical Books? Part 2C: The Apocrypha
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/15/2026
Extra-Biblical Books? Part 2B: The Apocrypha
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/12/2026
Extra-Biblical Books? Part 2A: The Apocrypha
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/10/2026
Extra-Biblical Books? Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/8/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Some Observatoins, Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/5/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Some Observations: Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/3/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 22
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/1/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 21
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/29/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 20
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/27/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 19
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/22/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 18
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/20/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 17
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/18/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 16
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/15/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 15
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/13/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 14
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/11/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 13
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/8/2026
Whom Do WE Listen To? Part 12
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/6/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 11
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/4/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 10
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/4/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 9
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/29/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 8
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/27/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 7
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/24/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 6
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/22/2026
Whom Do We Listen to? Part 5
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/20/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 4
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/17/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 3
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/16/2026
Whom Do We Listen To? Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/15/2026
Who Do We Listen To? Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/9/2026
A Delicious Irony
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/6/2026
A Sign of God's Judgment? Part 8
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/2/2026
A Sign of God's Judgment? Part 7
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/1/2026
A Sign of God's Judgment? Part 6
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/30/2026
A Sign of God's Judgment? Part 5
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/27/2026
A Sign of God's Judgment? Part 4
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/25/2026
A Sign of God's Judgment? Part 3
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/23/2026
A Sign of God's Judgment? Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/20/2026
A Sign of God's Judgment? Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/18/2026
Blessing without Repentance? Part 4
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/16/2026
Blessings without Repentance? Part 3
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/12/2026
Blessings without Repentance? Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/10/2026
Blessings without Repentance? Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/6/2026
Biblical Ignorance within the Church
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/4/2026
The Foolishness of Christ
Dr. James W. Walraven
2/27/2026
Abiding in Death: Are You? Am I?
Dr. James W. Walraven
2/3/2026
Who Is Jesus? Part 8
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/29/2026
Who Is Jesus? Part 7
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/26/2026
Who Is Jesus? Part 6
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/22/2026
Who Is Jesus? Part 5
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/19/2026
Who Is Jesus? Part 4
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/16/2026
Who Is Jesus? Part 3
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/13/2026
Who Is Jesus? Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/10/2026
Who Is Jesus? Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/6/2026
God's Faithfulness in Judgment, Part 5: Hope
Dr. James W. Walraven
12/18/2025
God’s Faithfulness in Judgment, Part 4: The Church
Dr. James W. Walraven
12/12/2025
God's Faithfulness in Judgment, Part 3c: Religious Leaders
Dr. James W. Walraven
12/10/2025
God’s Faithfulness in Judgment, Part 3b: Religious Leaders
Dr. James W. Walraven
12/8/2025
God’s Faithfulness in Judgment, Part 3a: Religious Leadership
Dr. James W. Walraven
12/4/2025
God’s Faithfulness in Judgment, Part 2: The Political Right
Dr. James W. Walraven
11/12/2025
God’s Faithfulness in Judgment, Part 1: The New York City Election
Dr. James W. Walraven
11/10/2025
The Return of Idol Worship and the Occult, Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
10/30/2025
The Return of Idol Worship and the Occult, Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
10/27/2025
A Thought Provoking Film, Part 4
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/28/2025
A Thought Provoking Film, Part 3
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/25/2025
A Thought Provoking Film, part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/24/2025
A Thought Provoking Film, Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/21/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible Part 14c: Conclusion
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/15/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible Part 14b: Conclusion
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/14/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 14a: Conclusion
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/11/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 13c: Who Is Allah?
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/10/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 13b: Who Is Allah?
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/9/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 13a: Who Is Allah?
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/8/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 12: Allah’s promised Paradise?
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/7/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 11b: Muhammad’s Intercession
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/3/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 11a: Muhammad’s Intercession
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/2/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 10: Islamic Paradise
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/1/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 9: The Hellfire
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/30/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 8: The Siraat
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/27/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 7b: Judgment Day
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/26/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible: Part 7a: Judgment Day
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/25/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 6b: Revisiting Eesa
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/24/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 6a: Revisiting the Mahdi
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/23/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 5f: The Last Major Signs
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/20/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 5e: The Last Major Signs
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/19/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 5d: Major Signs: Yajooj and Majooj
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/18/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 5c: Major Signs: Eesa’s Return
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/17/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 5b: Major Signs: the Mahdi
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/16/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 5a: Major Signs: The Dajjal
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/13/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 4b: Who Is Eesa (Islam's Jesus)?
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/11/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 4a: Who Is Eesa (also spelled Isa, Issa)?
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/9/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 3: Who Is the Mahdi?
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/6/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 2b: Minor Signs
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/4/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. the Bible, Part 2a: Minor Signs
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/2/2025
The End Times: Islam vs. Christianity, Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/28/2025
The Antichrist?
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/22/2025
The Book of Jude, Part 8
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/29/2025
The Book of Jude, Part 7
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/25/2025
The Book of Jude, Part 6
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/14/2025
The Book of Jude, Part 5
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/12/2025
The Book of Jude, Part 4
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/10/2025
The Book of Jude, Part 3
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/7/2025
"Victory over the Darkness," and "The Bondage Breaker"
Dr. James W. Walraven
2/26/2025
The Book of Jude, Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
2/19/2025
The Book of Jude, Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
2/17/2025
Christianity Today: A Disgraced Publication?
Dr. James W. Walraven
2/11/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 17
Dr. James W. Walraven
2/7/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 16
Dr. James W. Walraven
2/3/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 15
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/31/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 14
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/29/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 13
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/27/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 12
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/24/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 11
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/22/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 10
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/20/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 9
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/17/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 8
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/15/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 7
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/13/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 6
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/10/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 5
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/8/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 4
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/6/2025
How Are We Doing, Part 3
Dr. James W. Walraven
1/2/2025
How Are We Doing? Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
12/30/2024
How Are We Doing? Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
12/28/2024
Who Am I? Part 4
Dr. James W. Walraven
10/25/2024
Who Am I? Part 3
Dr. James W. Walraven
10/23/2024
Who Am I? Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
10/18/2024
Who Am I? Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
10/15/2024
The Bible and...: Part 12: Conclusion
Dr. James W. Walraven
9/3/2024
The Bible and...: Part 11b: The Occult
Dr. James W. Walraven
8/30/2024
The Bible and...: Part 11: The Occult
Dr. James W. Walraven
8/28/2024
The Bible and...: Part 10e: Politics
Dr. James W. Walraven
8/24/2024
The Bible and...: Part 10d: Politics
Dr. James W. Walraven
8/19/2024
The Bible and...: Part 10c: Politics
Dr. James W. Walraven
8/16/2024
The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, Part 6
Dr. James W. Walraven
8/14/2024
The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, Part 5
Dr. James W. Walraven
8/8/2024
The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, Part 4
Dr. James W. Walraven
8/6/2024
The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, Part 3
Dr. James W. Walraven
8/2/2024
The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/31/2024
The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/29/2024
The Bible and...: Part 10b: Politics
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/26/2024
The Bible and...: Part 10a: Politics
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/23/2024
The Bible and...: Part 9b: Philosophy
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/20/2024
Thoughts on the Trump Assassination Attempt
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/16/2024
The Bible and...: Part 9a: Philosophy
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/13/2024
The Bible and...: Part 8: Our Experiences
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/8/2024
The Bible and...: Part 7f: Sin and Self-Love
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/5/2024
The Bible and...: Part 7e: Self-Love and Sin: Pride
Dr. James W. Walraven
7/1/2024
The Bible and...: Part 7d: Self-Love and Sin: Pride
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/28/2024
The Bible and...: Part 7c: Self-Love and Sin: Pride
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/25/2024
The Bible and...: Part 7b: Self-Love and Sin
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/21/2024
The Bible and...: Part 7a: Self-Love and Sin
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/17/2024
The Bible and...: Part 6j: Tradition: The Christian Year
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/14/2024
The Bible and...: Part 6i Tradition: The Christian Year
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/12/2024
The Bible and... Part6h: Tradition: The Christian Year
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/10/2024
The Bible and...: Part 6g: Tradition: The Christian Year
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/7/2024
The Bible and...: Part 6f: Tradition: The Christian Year
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/6/2024
The Bible and...: Part 6e: Tradition: The Christian Year
Dr. James W. Walraven
6/3/2024
The Bible and...: Part 6d: Tradition
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/31/2024
The Bible and...: Part 6c: Tradition
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/28/2024
The Bible and...: Part 6b: Tradition
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/24/2024
The Bible and...: Part 6a: Tradition
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/22/2024
The Bible and...: Part 5j: Theology
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/17/2024
The Bible and...: Part 5i: Theology: Christian Hedonism
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/15/2024
The Bible and...! Part 5h: Theology: Christian Hedonism
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/7/2024
The Bible and...: Part 5g: Theology: Christian Hedonism
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/3/2024
The Bible and...: Part 5f: Theology: Christian Hedonism
Dr. James W. Walraven
5/1/2024
The Bible and...: Part 5e: Theology: Christian Hedonism
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/29/2024
The Bible and...: Part 5d: Theology
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/26/2024
The Bible and...: Part 5c: Theology
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/24/2024
A Fundraising Letter from "Multnomah University"
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/23/2024
The Bible and...: Part 5b: Theology
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/20/2024
The Bible and...: Part 5a: Theology
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/17/2024
The Bible and...: Part 4d: Pastors
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/15/2024
The Bible and...: Part 4c: Pastors
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/12/2024
The Bible and...: Part 4b: Pastors
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/9/2024
The Bible and...: Part 4a: Pastors
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/5/2024
The Bible and...: Part 3: Our Preconceptions
Dr. James W. Walraven
4/2/2024
The Bible and...: Part 2: Other Holy Books
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/28/2024
The Bible and...: Part 1: Introduction
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/26/2024
Biblically Valuable or Biblically Worthless?
Dr. James W. Walraven
2/17/2024
"Jessup North": Yet Another New Low
Dr. James W. Walraven
2/13/2024
The Dishonesty Continues: Jessup and the "New" Multnomah
Dr. James W. Walraven
2/2/2024
Newly Discovered Sayings of Jesus? Part 3
Dr. James W. Walraven
9/25/2023
Newly Discovered Sayings of Jesus? Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
9/21/2023
Newly Discovered Sayings of Jesus? Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
9/18/2023
So the Warfare Continues
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/22/2023
Sam Smith, Kim Petras, and the Grammy Awards, Part 4
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/15/2023
Sam Smith, Kim Petras, and the Grammy Awards, Part 3
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/13/2023
Sam Smith, Kim Petras, and the Grammy Awards, Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/10/2023
Sam Smith, Kim Petras, and the Grammy Awards, Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
3/8/2023
Be It Resolved? Part 8
Dr. James Walraven
2/20/2023
Be It Resolved? Part 7
Dr. James Walraven
2/17/2023
Be It Resolved? Part 6
Dr. James Walraven
2/15/2023
Be It Resolved? Part 5
Dr. James Walraven
2/13/2023
Be It Resolved? Part 4
Dr. James Walraven
2/10/2023
Be It Resolved? Part 3
Dr. James Walraven
2/8/2023
Be It Resolved? Part 2
Dr. James Walraven
2/6/2023
Be It Resolved? Part 1
Dr. James Walraven
2/3/2023
The Lie of Evolution, Part 2
Dr. James Walraven
1/30/2023
The Lie of Evolution, Part 1
Dr. James Walraven
1/27/2023
Be It Resolved? Part 3
Dr. James Walraven
1/27/2023
What Is Heresy? Part 5
Dr. James W. Walraven
11/21/2022
What Is Heresy? Part 4
Dr. James W. Walraven
11/18/2022
What Is Heresy? Part 3
Dr. James W. Walraven
11/16/2022
What Is Heresy? Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
11/14/2022
Kirkland: "Calvinism: None Dare Call It Heresy," Epilogue
Dr. James W. Walraven
11/11/2022
Kirkland: "Calvinism: None Dare Call It Heresy," Text, Part 10
Dr. James W. Walraven
11/9/2022
Kirkland: "Calvinism: None Dare Call It Heresy," Text, Part 9
Dr. James W. Walraven
11/7/2022
Kirkland: "Calvinism: None Dare Call It Heresy," Text, Part 8
Dr. James W. Walraven
11/4/2022
Kirkland: "Calvinism: None Dare Call It Heresy," Text, Part 7
Dr. James W. Walraven
11/2/2022
Kirkland: "Calvinism: None Dare Call It Heresy," Text, Part 6
Dr. James W. Walraven
10/31/2022
Kirkland: "Calvinism: None Dare Call It Heresy," Text, Part 5
Dr. James W. Walraven
10/28/2022
Kirkland: "Calvinism: None Dare Call It Heresy," Text, Part 4
Dr. James W. Walraven
10/26/2022
Kirkland: "Calvinism: None Dare Call It Heresy," Text, Part 3
Dr. James W. Walraven
10/24/2022
Kirkland: "Calvinism: None Dare Call It Heresy," Text, Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
10/21/2022
Kirkland: "Calvinism: None Dare Call It Heresy," Text, Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
10/19/2022
Kirkland: "Calvinism: None Dare Call It Heresy," Intro. Part 4
Dr. James W. Walraven
10/17/2022
Kirkland: "Calvinism: None Dare Call It Heresy," Intro. Part 3
Dr. James W. Walraven
10/14/2022
Kirkland: "Calvinism: None Dare Call It Heresy," Intro. Part 2
Dr. James W. Walraven
10/12/2022
Kirkland: "Calvinism: None Dare Call It Heresy," Intro. Part 1
Dr. James W. Walraven
10/3/2022
Spiritual Warfare
Dr. James W. Walraven
9/16/2020
