The Shorter Topical Studies on this site go over things topically (tracing a subject rather than sticking with a specific part of scripture), and tend to trace topics much narrower in overall scope than those covered in the Longer Topical Studies, which is why they end up shorter.
List of shorter topical studies
As Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, salvation most assuredly does come by grace through faith (and not by works). However, this does not mean that all Christians will end up with the same level of reward in eternity. Quite to the contrary, the Bible is very clear that those who render more distinguished service with what they have been given in this life will be rewarded in proportion to their true commitment to the Lord. The goal of this page is to briefly put forward some of the scriptural evidence for this concept.
In this lesson we will examine the spiritual nature of animals. Animals posses spirits and personalities, but do not have “the image of God” as mankind does; thus animals do not possess moral free will. This is the fundamental difference between animals and mankind, for while humans are sinful and in need of salvation, animals are not morally accountable and therefore cannot be spiritually redeemed in the same way as humans. However, animal behavior was negatively altered by the Fall. When Jesus returns and the Millennium commences, animals will be “redeemed” from some of the physical consequences of the Fall (seen most clearly in the removal of violence and hostility from among animals). But that is still a different thing entirely from spiritual redemption in a moral sense.
Although animals have spirits, this does not mean it is wrong to kill and eat them. After the flood, animals were given to humanity for food. Under the Law, animal sacrifice was instituted by God, so a moral argument against the killing and eating of animals cannot be made. This does not mean we are allowed to be cruel to animals. The Bible commands us to respect life. We should not forget that God loves all His creatures, for He feeds and cares for even the birds (Matthew 10:29). Given the known presence of animal life in both the garden of Eden and in the coming Millennium, the two “paradises” we know the most about, it is likely that animals will be present in the New Heavens and New Earth (i.e., the final paradise) as well.