Many people have heard the phrase, "All sins are equal in God's eyes." But is that actually what the Bible teaches?

In this episode of Actual Answers, Matt Hazelwood examines one of the most common misconceptions in Christianity. While James 2:10 teaches that every sin makes us guilty before a holy God, the rest of Scripture reveals that not all sins are equally serious or receive the same judgment.

We'll look at what Jesus Himself taught about "greater sin," why greater knowledge brings greater accountability, how final judgment differs in severity, and why these truths are perfectly consistent with the gospel.

Whether you've wondered about this question yourself or have been challenged by someone else, this episode will help you understand the biblical answer with clarity and confidence.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• What James 2:10 actually means.
• Why every sin makes us guilty before God.
• How Jesus taught that some sins are greater than others.
• Why Scripture teaches different degrees of punishment.
• How to reconcile these truths without contradiction.

Scripture Referenced:

• James 2:10
• John 19:11
• Luke 12:47–48
• Matthew 11:20–24
• 1 John 5:16–17

If you have a question you'd like answered on a future episode, email us at questions@actualanswerspodcast.com.

If this episode helped you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who is seeking biblical answers to life's toughest questions.

Actual Answers with Matt Hazelwood — Defending the Christian faith with truth, reason, and Scripture.

Can all religions be true? Is it arrogant to claim that Christianity alone is true? What if someone is sincere but believes something different? These are some of the most common objections Christians face today, and they all hinge on one foundational question: can opposite truth claims both be true?

In this episode, we examine one of the most basic—but often overlooked—principles of rational thought: the Law of Non-Contradiction. This self-evident law states that opposite ideas cannot both be true at the same time and in the same sense. Without it, reason, science, history, and even everyday conversation become impossible.

We'll look at why truth must correspond to reality, why falsehood is the opposite of truth, and why religious pluralism ultimately collapses under the weight of contradictory claims. If one religion teaches there is one God while another teaches many gods, both cannot be true. If Jesus is God, as Christianity teaches, and not God, as other religions claim, both views cannot simultaneously correspond to reality.

The episode also addresses several common objections:

• "Isn't this view too narrow?"
• "What about sincere people in other religions?"
• "What about those who have never heard the Gospel?"
• "Don't all religions worship the same God?"

Along the way, we ground the discussion in both sound philosophy and biblical teaching, showing that Christianity does not ask people to abandon reason but instead provides the only worldview capable of making sense of truth itself.

Whether you're a believer wanting to defend your faith or a skeptic honestly wrestling with truth, this episode lays an essential philosophical foundation for evaluating every worldview—including Christianity.

Key Scriptures: Romans 1:18–23, Proverbs 14:12, James 2:19, John 14:6, John 8:24, John 3:18, Acts 4:12, 1 Timothy 2:5, Romans 3:10–23.

Recommended Reading:

• I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, Chapter 2
• Norman Geisler, The Big Book of Christian Apologetics ("Pluralism, Religious," "Logic," and "First Principles")
• Norman Geisler, Christian Apologetics (2nd ed.), Chapter 8

Does truth actually exist? Can we know it? Or is everything just a matter of perspective?

Before anyone can meaningfully ask whether Christianity is true, we must first answer a more foundational question: What is truth?

This episode lays the philosophical foundation for the Christian faith by exploring the nature of truth itself. If truth does not exist, cannot be known, or is merely relative, then every worldview—including Christianity—collapses. But if truth exists and can be known, then we have a firm foundation for discovering what is actually true about God, reality, and ourselves.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Does truth exist? Why every attempt to deny truth ultimately affirms it.
• What is truth? Why truth is best understood as that which corresponds to reality.
• Can truth be known? Why genuine knowledge of reality is possible.
• Is truth absolute? Why contradictory truth claims cannot all be true at the same time and in the same sense.
• How should Christians answer objections to truth? Practical responses to some of the most common challenges raised against objective truth.

The episode also examines and answers the major worldviews that challenge objective truth, including:

• Denialism — "Truth doesn't exist."
• Agnosticism — "Truth cannot be known."
• Skepticism — "We should doubt all truth claims."
• Postmodernism — "There is no objective truth."
• Relativism — "All truth is relative."
• Perspectivism — "Truth depends upon one's perspective."

Drawing from Scripture, philosophy, and careful logic, this episode demonstrates that these competing worldviews ultimately undermine themselves, while the biblical view of truth remains intellectually coherent and practically unavoidable.

If Christianity is true, then truth must first exist, be knowable, and be absolute. This episode begins building that foundation.

Key Scriptures: 1 Peter 3:15; Jude 3; Titus 1:9; 1 Corinthians 10:5; Proverbs 26:4–5; Deuteronomy 18:22; Genesis 42:16; Acts 24; 2 Timothy 2:13.

Recommended Resources

• Geisler, Norman L., and Frank Turek. I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2004. Chapter 1.
• Geisler, Norman L. The Big Book of Christian Apologetics. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012. See "Truth, Nature of" (p. 56), "Hume, David" (p. 251), and "Kant, Immanuel" (p. 291).
• Geisler, Norman L., and Ronald M. Brooks. When Skeptics Ask. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1990. Chapter 12.
• Geisler, Norman L. Christian Apologetics. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1976. Chapters 1–7.

Questions or topic suggestions?
Email: questions@actualanswerspodcast.com

Christianity doesn't fear questions—it provides actual answers.

Did Jesus of Nazareth actually exist, or is He simply a legendary figure invented by early Christians?

In this episode of Actual Answers, we examine the historical evidence using the same standards historians apply to every figure from the ancient world. We explore the testimony of Jewish and Roman historians, the earliest Christian documents, the remarkable creed preserved in 1 Corinthians 15, and the conclusions of modern scholars—including agnostics and atheists.

The question isn't whether Jesus existed—that is one of the least disputed facts in ancient history. The real question is what His existence means.

Whether you're a believer, skeptic, or somewhere in between, this episode will help you understand why the historical case for Jesus is far stronger than many realize.

Topics Covered:

• Why virtually all historians agree Jesus existed
• Non-Christian historical sources (Josephus, Tacitus, Pliny, and others)
• Why the New Testament should be treated as historical evidence
• The earliest Christian creed in 1 Corinthians 15
• What modern skeptical scholars say about Jesus' existence
• Why the real question isn't whether Jesus existed, but who He was

Books

• Bart D. Ehrman — Did Jesus Exist? The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth
• F. F. Bruce — The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?
• Craig L. Blomberg — The Historical Reliability of the Gospels
• Richard Bauckham — Jesus and the Eyewitnesses
• Gary R. Habermas & Michael R. Licona — The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus
• Wayne Grudem — Systematic Theology (for the person and work of Christ)

Ancient Sources Discussed

• Josephus — Antiquities of the Jews
• Tacitus — Annals
• Pliny the Younger — Letters
• Suetonius — The Twelve Caesars
• Lucian of Samosata — The Death of Peregrine
• Mara bar Serapion — Letter to His Son

Scripture

• Luke 1:1–4
• 1 Corinthians 15:3–8
• John 20:30–31

Few teachings of Jesus have produced more fear, confusion, and speculation than "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit." Is it suicide? Murder? Adultery? Denying Christ? A particular phrase spoken in anger? Or is it something a Christian can accidentally commit?

In this episode, we go directly to the biblical text and carefully examine what Jesus actually said, what the Pharisees were doing, and why this sin is uniquely described as unforgivable. Along the way, we'll explore the major views Christians have held throughout church history and consider the relationship between blasphemy, hardness of heart, repentance, and the convicting work of the Holy Spirit.

Most importantly, we'll answer the question that troubles so many consciences: How do I know if I've committed it?

Christianity doesn't fear questions—it provides actual answers. Join us as we seek one from Scripture.

Recommended Reading:
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Zondervan Academic). See especially Chapter 24, "The Doctrine of Man," for his discussion of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and the unforgivable sin on pages 637–639.

Who made God?

It's one of the most common objections raised against Christianity—and one of the most misunderstood. In this episode, Matt Hazelwood addresses the question directly and explains why it contains a hidden assumption that Christians have never believed.

Is God a created being? If not, what does it mean for God to be eternal, self-existent, and uncreated? And why is asking "Who made God?" similar to asking "Who is the bachelor married to?" or "Where is the square circle?"

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why the question "Who made God?" misunderstands the Christian definition of God
• The difference between a difficult question and a self-contradictory one
• What the Bible teaches about God's eternal nature
• Why a created God would not be God at all
• How to answer this objection clearly, simply, and biblically

Whether you're a skeptic, a believer wrestling with the question yourself, or someone looking to better defend the Christian faith, this episode will help you think more clearly about one of the oldest questions in theology.

Key Scriptures:

• Exodus 3:14
• Psalm 90:2

Recommended Resources:

Who Made God? And Answers To Over 100 Tough Questions of Faith, Ravi Zacharias and Norman Geisler, 23–24.

What is apologetics, and why does it matter?

In this inaugural episode of Actual Answers, Matt Hazelwood introduces the biblical discipline of Christian apologetics and explains why every believer should care about defending the faith. What does the Bible teach about giving reasons for Christianity? How do we respond to objections from atheism, scientism, relativism, naturalism, and other competing worldviews? And what role does apologetics play in evangelism?

Drawing from Scripture, theology, logic, and real-world examples, this episode explores how apologetics defends the faith, destroys arguments raised against the knowledge of God, and equips Christians to engage a skeptical culture with truth, gentleness, and confidence.

Whether you're a believer seeking answers, a skeptic asking questions, or a Christian wanting to strengthen your witness, this episode lays the foundation for everything that follows.

Because truth matters, questions matter, and Christianity has actual answers.