When Religion Becomes Obsolete, Christ Does Not

By Russ Lackey | Mark Mattes

01/20/26

19mins

When Religion Becomes Obsolete, Christ Does Not

American religion did not become optional because the gospel failed. It became optional because religion slowly redefined itself around usefulness.

Bradley Gray

01/19/26

Behold the Lamb

The Passover wasn’t just Israel’s story; it’s ours.

Psalm 12, Part 2: The Saint Fails, The Word Purifies

Steven Paulson

01/16/26

Psalm 12, Part 2: The Saint Fails, The Word Purifies

God makes us pure saints by planting us back in the earth we imagined we needed to escape.

All Articles

Donavon Riley

08/21/21

Luther versus Erasmus: Bound to be Free (Part 4)

When explaining that sinners were saved by grace alone Erasmus would not go so far as to say that the reception of God’s grace erased human responsibility.

Sam Leanza Ortiz

08/20/21

Bernard of Clairvaux: Theologian of Love

This spiritual giant of the Middle Ages is worth considering on this anniversary of his death.

Kelsi Klembara

08/19/21

Can Body Positivity Overcome Our Bodies of Death?

As the body positivity movement has gained traction, we must also be aware of some of its pitfalls

Bob Hiller

08/14/21

Epistle: Ephesians 5:22-33 (Pentecost 13: Series B)

Is this text about marriage or Jesus? The answer should be obvious by now: Yes!

Donavon Riley

08/13/21

Luther versus Erasmus: Bound to be Free (Part 3)

Erasmus laid out his argument for a theology of grace and free will in much the same way modern Protestants have done since the Enlightenment.

Martin Luther |

Haroldo Camacho

08/12/21

The Eighth Beatitude: The Persecution of the Gospel

As long as the church teaches the gospel, it will suffer persecution.

Bradley Gray

08/11/21

Gentle and Lowly: A Reflection on the Love that Will Not Let Us Go

For sinners who cannot seem to get out of their own way, Dane brings to bear the gospel of Christ’s heart, which aerates one’s spiritual lungs with undiluted grace.

Uwe Siemon-Netto

08/10/21

A Q&A for "Urchin at War"

Urchin at War is now available from 1517 Publishing

Uwe Siemon-Netto

08/06/21

Theology 101, Under Bombs

I am cognizant of the powerful lessons for life I owe to those nights in the air-raid shelter.

Donavon Riley

08/03/21

Luther versus Erasmus: Bound to Be Free (Part 2)

Luther's response to Erasmus was not meant to be a polite contribution to an academic duel.

John Bombaro

07/31/21

Racism Nullified: 1 Peter 2:2-10 on Human Relations

Here is the foundational cure for the evils of racism in human society, faith in Christ as definitive for racial identification.

Scott Davis

07/31/21

The Gospel and the Boy Who Cried Wolf

It isn’t that God struggles to believe our repeated cries of “wolf.” Rather, we struggle to believe God when he repeatedly comes to us with forgiveness and mercy on his lips.

1517 is a Christian non-profit (501(c)3) multi-media organization. Our mission is to declare and defend the Good News that we are forgiven and free on account of the death and resurrection of Jesus alone.

1517 grants permission for our free online resources to be printed, photocopied, and otherwise used freely for private and church use. We require that authorship and source (1517.org) are referenced and maintained. These resources may not be sold or included in any publications for sale.

Articles

Podcasts

Scripture

Books

Events

Music

Videos

Courses

All Articles