Speaking of God intervening ... Do miracles happen in today's world and is that Gods doing ? How do we know when he is intervening ? ( did I already ask this I don't remember and went back in emails and didn't see anything I am sorry if I have )
Can you lose your salvation? I know you mentioned it a little bit at the end of your email but I know people who said they are Christ followers and gave their lives to Christ and now today they are definitely not living it. They have completely turned and have rejected Jesus. How can one fake that? If you really gave your life to Christ wouldn't it be hard to walk away? I have tried and it doesn't work. Wouldn't you see change in them ? I thought I did when I was around them...
Do babies who die after they are born go to be with Jesus? ( I know it seems like a stupid question but I am being serious.) What about aborted babies?
Is faith suppose to be private? I know we are suppose to go tell people the gospe,l but what about our relationship with Jesus? Are we suppose to tell people about it? Talk about it? I tell friends what I am learning, but that's it .. it doesn't get much deeper than that.
What does the catholic faith believe? So Catholics believe in salvation? .. I have been so confused about this for such a long time. I have met people who are catholic who beileve exactly what I beileve and then others who are rule-followers and get saved by doing good works ... it's so confusing.
Board index ‹ Assorted Bible Questions
Re: Why should I stick with my faith?
by jimwalton » Thu Jul 20, 2017 9:04 am
“Do miracles happen in today’s world, and is that God’s doing?” Yes, they do. People are healed, and there are stories from some parts of the world even of people being raised from the dead. People tell of prayers being answered in miraculous ways, and of the miracle of lives being completely changed by the Spirit of God.
“How do we know when God is intervening?” As believers who follow God, have a relationship with Him, and who know Him personally, you learn to become aware of His presence, recognize how He works, and perceive His hand at work. It’s not an objective thing, but something we learn to see through time with God. It’s like a husband and wife. She can tell when he is nervous when other people can’t. He can tell when she is happy or worried when other people may not recognize it. They can finish each other’s sentences; they know what each other is thinking and feeling. It all comes from the relationship and from time spent. So also with God. The better you know Him, you’ll learn to recognize His hand at work when you see it.
“Can you lose your salvation?” I believe in eternal security: You can’t lose your salvation. But I also believe that 2 Timothy 2.12 (and other places) lets us know that if we deliberately and defiantly renounce God, He will not bring us to heaven against our wills. It’s a love relationship, not a forced one. So a person may sin and wander, and these things are displeasing to God and grieve Him, but you can’t lose your salvation. You can give it away, though, I believe. Many people go through times in their lives when they question, and rebel, and wander. God will hold you in His hand and gently bring you back to him. But people who defy God and disown him, I believe, possibly were never saved in the first place, because who could ever turn their back on the greatest gift of all?
Some of the theology behind eternal security:
1. God is powerful and faithful, both willing and able to keep his promises.
2. We cannot earn a place in heaven. Salvation is a gift, and is often described as adoption.
3. God, in love, has made us his children. The family relationship must be a lasting one, lasting forever. Perfect parents don’t get rid of their children. Children may wander, but God never stops being the father.
4. God goes out of his way to express his love to his children, and to know their privilege and security as being members of his family (Romans 8.16).
Some verses that say you can’t lose your salvation.
Romans 8.29-30, 38-39; 14.4; 6.6-11
1 Peter 1.3-5
Philippians 1.6
Hebrews 7.25
John 10.27-30; 14.9; 6.37
2 Timothy 1.12
John 3.3-7 - Spiritual birth, like physical birth, can’t be undone
Ephesians 1.13; 4.30. We are sealed: guaranteed and protected
Luke 8.18 - People who fell away were only deceiving themselves
Hebrews 6.11; 10.22; 2 Peter 1.10 - Eternal security is implied by the teaching that we can be assured of our salvation.
Any reference to eternal life. “Eternal” means it never ends
To be fair, there are places in the Bible where it sounds like you can lose your salvation.
Matt. 24.3-14 - Why would such a warning be necessary if falling away were impossible?
Colossians 1.21-23a
1 Cor. 10.12
Hebrews 2.1; 3.12-14; 6.4-6, 11-12; 10.26-27
1 Corinthians 9.27 - Disqualified?
Acts 5.1-11 - Ananias and Sapphire
1 Tim. 1.19-20
2 Tim. 2.16-18; 4.10
2 Peter 2.1-2
Matthew 7.17-23 - Not everyone who says “Lord” will go to heaven
Mark 13.13 - Salvation is based on your own endurance
Mark 4.16-19 - Some start to grow but don’t survive
Ezekiel 18.24 - It’s possible to use what you had
John 15.6 - A branch, once connected to the vine, doesn’t produce fruit and is cut off and burned
So why do I believe in eternal security when it looks like there’s an even split.
John 10.27-30 and Hebrews 6.4-6. John uses the strongest Greek negative, as if there’s no way it could ever happen. There is a strong and definite rejection of the possibility. But Hebrews 6 is also strong. The key to the Hebrews text is in verse 9: They will NOT fall away; they could, but they won’t. Genuine believers will not fall away; God will make certain that if their faith was genuine, they will be held in God’s hand.
Then what is the point of the warnings? They are the means God uses to keep us in the fold. It’s like a parent warning a child that if he runs into the street he might be killed. They could build a fence, but if they teach the child self-restraint and discipline, the child is both free and safe.
The bottom line is that a true Christian cannot lose his salvation. Salvation is permanent; nothing can separate us from the love of God. On the other hand, the Bible is clear that our security is never meant as an excuse for laziness and sin.
“Do babies who die after they are born go to be with Jesus (even aborted babies)?” Yes. In the Bible there are hints that babies who die go to heaven, because they were incapable of rational, moral decisions, and God doesn't hold people accountable for decisions when they are completely incapable of decisions.
Dt. 1.37-40: God's people are being judged for their rebellion, but the young ones who didn't have the mental capacity to make a reasoned and moral decision like that don't get judged.
Number 14.29 speaks of a kind of "age of accountability," just as Dt. 1.37-40 did.
Isa. 7.15. People can be too young mentally to know enough to reject the wrong and choose the right.
"Is faith supposed to be private?” No. That doesn’t mean it’s all we talk about, because that would annoy people. But it’s not private—we’re supposed to talk about it freely, share our relationship with Christ with others, and tell our friends what we’re learning, as you said. Here are some verses.
Deut. 6.4-9: Talk about it in all kinds of places
Matt 28.19-20: Be active in making disciples of other people. Form relationships of influence, and share your faith.
Mark 8.38, 2 Tim. 1.8; 2.15: Don’t be ashamed for others to know about your relationship with God.
“What does the Catholic faith believe?” They believe in God, Jesus, and the Spirit, as Protestants do. They believe the Bible is the Word of God, that Jesus died for our sins, and that salvation comes through Christ’s death on the cross. So they are Christians, for sure, just as Protestants are. There are some Catholics where one can hardly tell the difference between them and Protestants except they like more formal worship. But there are lots of other things in Catholicism that are radically different from what Protestants believe.
1. Protestants believe that we are saved by faith alone. Jesus has done everything; we believe and receive it by faith. Catholics, however, believe that Jesus started the process of salvation by his death on the cross, but they must complete it by good works. In other words, some of salvation depends on them. Many Catholics, therefore, place works over faith. Protestants think the inclusion of works for salvation is heresy.
2. Protestants believe the Bible is our only authority for what we believe. Catholics believe that the Bible and church tradition have equal authority and that both are necessary to know truth. Catholics place God, Scripture, tradition, and the declarations of the Church (the pope) on an equal level. This kind of thinking horrifies many Protestants.
3. Catholics believe, therefore, that the Church is infallible. Protestants believe the Church is reforming and correcting itself in deeper and more accurate understanding as it goes through history.
4. Catholics believe in purgatory (the belief that those who die in the Lord may not be fully ready to enter heaven, and that there is more work to do to purge their sins), Protestants do not.
5. Catholics venerate relics—the physical remains of Christ and his life, or of a saint. They venerate pieces of the cross, clothing of the saints, items these people owned. Protestants think this is nonsense.
6. Indulgences. Catholics pray for the dead, and buy indulgences to reduce the period of time in Purgatory. Protestants think this is nonsense.
7. The lighting of candles. Catholics light candles before statues of saints or at shrines to obtain some favor. Protestants think this accomplishes nothing but a moment of quite.
8. Mary. Catholics believe Mary was always a virgin and was sinless, though she was human, not divine. Some also see her as helping Jesus redeem humanity. Protestants think this is heresy.
9. The invocation of saints. Catholics believe in the spiritual solidarity of believers on earth, the saints in heaven, and the souls in purgatory. Catholics pray for the saints to intercede to God on their behalf. Protestants think this is nonsense.
10. Catholics baptize babies (as do some Protestant denominations), and that baptism is believed to save their souls. Most Protestant groups don’t believe that baptism saves you.
11. Catholics believe that when popes make official declarations, they are as infallible as the Bible itself, and their word is equal to Scripture. Protestants believe this is heresy.
12. Communion. When Catholics take communion, they believe they are swallowing the actual body of Christ, and when the priest drinks the wine he is drinking the actual blood of Christ. Protestants believe the communion elements are symbolic, not the real body and blood of Jesus.
13. Catholics believe the Catholic Church is the only true church, and that there is no salvation outside of Catholicism. Frankly, though, many Protestants feel that the Catholic church is apostate and heretical, and that Catholics won’t go to heaven. Catholics also believe that taking communion is another way of finishing the work Christ did on the Christ. What Jesus did on the cross was fine, but it only went so far, and we have to make it complete.
14. Magisterium. Catholics believe they are the only ones qualified to interpret the Bible.
15. Mass. Going the church (mass) is a sacrifice. Christ is being re-offered—killed again and again. Protestants believe Christ was offered once for all (HEb. 9.26-28).
16. Catholics have 15 books in their Bible (called the Apocrypha) that are not in Protestant Bibles. They were added officially in 1546. Protestants don’t recognize those books as having any Scriptural authority.
17. Catholics believe that anointing the dead at death (last rites) takes away their sins. Protestants think this is nonsense, if not heretical.
“How do we know when God is intervening?” As believers who follow God, have a relationship with Him, and who know Him personally, you learn to become aware of His presence, recognize how He works, and perceive His hand at work. It’s not an objective thing, but something we learn to see through time with God. It’s like a husband and wife. She can tell when he is nervous when other people can’t. He can tell when she is happy or worried when other people may not recognize it. They can finish each other’s sentences; they know what each other is thinking and feeling. It all comes from the relationship and from time spent. So also with God. The better you know Him, you’ll learn to recognize His hand at work when you see it.
“Can you lose your salvation?” I believe in eternal security: You can’t lose your salvation. But I also believe that 2 Timothy 2.12 (and other places) lets us know that if we deliberately and defiantly renounce God, He will not bring us to heaven against our wills. It’s a love relationship, not a forced one. So a person may sin and wander, and these things are displeasing to God and grieve Him, but you can’t lose your salvation. You can give it away, though, I believe. Many people go through times in their lives when they question, and rebel, and wander. God will hold you in His hand and gently bring you back to him. But people who defy God and disown him, I believe, possibly were never saved in the first place, because who could ever turn their back on the greatest gift of all?
Some of the theology behind eternal security:
1. God is powerful and faithful, both willing and able to keep his promises.
2. We cannot earn a place in heaven. Salvation is a gift, and is often described as adoption.
3. God, in love, has made us his children. The family relationship must be a lasting one, lasting forever. Perfect parents don’t get rid of their children. Children may wander, but God never stops being the father.
4. God goes out of his way to express his love to his children, and to know their privilege and security as being members of his family (Romans 8.16).
Some verses that say you can’t lose your salvation.
Romans 8.29-30, 38-39; 14.4; 6.6-11
1 Peter 1.3-5
Philippians 1.6
Hebrews 7.25
John 10.27-30; 14.9; 6.37
2 Timothy 1.12
John 3.3-7 - Spiritual birth, like physical birth, can’t be undone
Ephesians 1.13; 4.30. We are sealed: guaranteed and protected
Luke 8.18 - People who fell away were only deceiving themselves
Hebrews 6.11; 10.22; 2 Peter 1.10 - Eternal security is implied by the teaching that we can be assured of our salvation.
Any reference to eternal life. “Eternal” means it never ends
To be fair, there are places in the Bible where it sounds like you can lose your salvation.
Matt. 24.3-14 - Why would such a warning be necessary if falling away were impossible?
Colossians 1.21-23a
1 Cor. 10.12
Hebrews 2.1; 3.12-14; 6.4-6, 11-12; 10.26-27
1 Corinthians 9.27 - Disqualified?
Acts 5.1-11 - Ananias and Sapphire
1 Tim. 1.19-20
2 Tim. 2.16-18; 4.10
2 Peter 2.1-2
Matthew 7.17-23 - Not everyone who says “Lord” will go to heaven
Mark 13.13 - Salvation is based on your own endurance
Mark 4.16-19 - Some start to grow but don’t survive
Ezekiel 18.24 - It’s possible to use what you had
John 15.6 - A branch, once connected to the vine, doesn’t produce fruit and is cut off and burned
So why do I believe in eternal security when it looks like there’s an even split.
John 10.27-30 and Hebrews 6.4-6. John uses the strongest Greek negative, as if there’s no way it could ever happen. There is a strong and definite rejection of the possibility. But Hebrews 6 is also strong. The key to the Hebrews text is in verse 9: They will NOT fall away; they could, but they won’t. Genuine believers will not fall away; God will make certain that if their faith was genuine, they will be held in God’s hand.
Then what is the point of the warnings? They are the means God uses to keep us in the fold. It’s like a parent warning a child that if he runs into the street he might be killed. They could build a fence, but if they teach the child self-restraint and discipline, the child is both free and safe.
The bottom line is that a true Christian cannot lose his salvation. Salvation is permanent; nothing can separate us from the love of God. On the other hand, the Bible is clear that our security is never meant as an excuse for laziness and sin.
“Do babies who die after they are born go to be with Jesus (even aborted babies)?” Yes. In the Bible there are hints that babies who die go to heaven, because they were incapable of rational, moral decisions, and God doesn't hold people accountable for decisions when they are completely incapable of decisions.
Dt. 1.37-40: God's people are being judged for their rebellion, but the young ones who didn't have the mental capacity to make a reasoned and moral decision like that don't get judged.
Number 14.29 speaks of a kind of "age of accountability," just as Dt. 1.37-40 did.
Isa. 7.15. People can be too young mentally to know enough to reject the wrong and choose the right.
"Is faith supposed to be private?” No. That doesn’t mean it’s all we talk about, because that would annoy people. But it’s not private—we’re supposed to talk about it freely, share our relationship with Christ with others, and tell our friends what we’re learning, as you said. Here are some verses.
Deut. 6.4-9: Talk about it in all kinds of places
Matt 28.19-20: Be active in making disciples of other people. Form relationships of influence, and share your faith.
Mark 8.38, 2 Tim. 1.8; 2.15: Don’t be ashamed for others to know about your relationship with God.
“What does the Catholic faith believe?” They believe in God, Jesus, and the Spirit, as Protestants do. They believe the Bible is the Word of God, that Jesus died for our sins, and that salvation comes through Christ’s death on the cross. So they are Christians, for sure, just as Protestants are. There are some Catholics where one can hardly tell the difference between them and Protestants except they like more formal worship. But there are lots of other things in Catholicism that are radically different from what Protestants believe.
1. Protestants believe that we are saved by faith alone. Jesus has done everything; we believe and receive it by faith. Catholics, however, believe that Jesus started the process of salvation by his death on the cross, but they must complete it by good works. In other words, some of salvation depends on them. Many Catholics, therefore, place works over faith. Protestants think the inclusion of works for salvation is heresy.
2. Protestants believe the Bible is our only authority for what we believe. Catholics believe that the Bible and church tradition have equal authority and that both are necessary to know truth. Catholics place God, Scripture, tradition, and the declarations of the Church (the pope) on an equal level. This kind of thinking horrifies many Protestants.
3. Catholics believe, therefore, that the Church is infallible. Protestants believe the Church is reforming and correcting itself in deeper and more accurate understanding as it goes through history.
4. Catholics believe in purgatory (the belief that those who die in the Lord may not be fully ready to enter heaven, and that there is more work to do to purge their sins), Protestants do not.
5. Catholics venerate relics—the physical remains of Christ and his life, or of a saint. They venerate pieces of the cross, clothing of the saints, items these people owned. Protestants think this is nonsense.
6. Indulgences. Catholics pray for the dead, and buy indulgences to reduce the period of time in Purgatory. Protestants think this is nonsense.
7. The lighting of candles. Catholics light candles before statues of saints or at shrines to obtain some favor. Protestants think this accomplishes nothing but a moment of quite.
8. Mary. Catholics believe Mary was always a virgin and was sinless, though she was human, not divine. Some also see her as helping Jesus redeem humanity. Protestants think this is heresy.
9. The invocation of saints. Catholics believe in the spiritual solidarity of believers on earth, the saints in heaven, and the souls in purgatory. Catholics pray for the saints to intercede to God on their behalf. Protestants think this is nonsense.
10. Catholics baptize babies (as do some Protestant denominations), and that baptism is believed to save their souls. Most Protestant groups don’t believe that baptism saves you.
11. Catholics believe that when popes make official declarations, they are as infallible as the Bible itself, and their word is equal to Scripture. Protestants believe this is heresy.
12. Communion. When Catholics take communion, they believe they are swallowing the actual body of Christ, and when the priest drinks the wine he is drinking the actual blood of Christ. Protestants believe the communion elements are symbolic, not the real body and blood of Jesus.
13. Catholics believe the Catholic Church is the only true church, and that there is no salvation outside of Catholicism. Frankly, though, many Protestants feel that the Catholic church is apostate and heretical, and that Catholics won’t go to heaven. Catholics also believe that taking communion is another way of finishing the work Christ did on the Christ. What Jesus did on the cross was fine, but it only went so far, and we have to make it complete.
14. Magisterium. Catholics believe they are the only ones qualified to interpret the Bible.
15. Mass. Going the church (mass) is a sacrifice. Christ is being re-offered—killed again and again. Protestants believe Christ was offered once for all (HEb. 9.26-28).
16. Catholics have 15 books in their Bible (called the Apocrypha) that are not in Protestant Bibles. They were added officially in 1546. Protestants don’t recognize those books as having any Scriptural authority.
17. Catholics believe that anointing the dead at death (last rites) takes away their sins. Protestants think this is nonsense, if not heretical.
- jimwalton
- Site Admin
- Posts: 9104
- Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2012 2:28 pm
Re: Why should I stick with my faith?
by Nic J » Fri Jul 21, 2017 10:16 pm
Sometimes I wonder with the questions I ask ... I don't know where they come from!
So people going to heaven and back—is that considered a miracle? Do people ever go to hell and come back? That's someone being dead and then coming back to life? Miracle?
Why does God love us—just because he created us? Why would he want to since we are so sinful?
Does God love everyone—even if they don't follow him?
Do we go to God or does God reveal himself to us (to be saved and hear the gospel)? It would be a little unfair if he picked out only certain people he wanted with him. He wants everyone in heaven with him,right?
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? What's that gonna look like in heaven? The Bible talks about Jesus sitting next the father. Is that supposed to be taken literally?
Hey, just so you know, ever since I started asking you questions about the faith I was raised in—I don't want to run away from it as much as I did a few months ago when I started asking all these questions. You are helping a lot. Thank you for your patience with me and my questions.
So people going to heaven and back—is that considered a miracle? Do people ever go to hell and come back? That's someone being dead and then coming back to life? Miracle?
Why does God love us—just because he created us? Why would he want to since we are so sinful?
Does God love everyone—even if they don't follow him?
Do we go to God or does God reveal himself to us (to be saved and hear the gospel)? It would be a little unfair if he picked out only certain people he wanted with him. He wants everyone in heaven with him,right?
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? What's that gonna look like in heaven? The Bible talks about Jesus sitting next the father. Is that supposed to be taken literally?
Hey, just so you know, ever since I started asking you questions about the faith I was raised in—I don't want to run away from it as much as I did a few months ago when I started asking all these questions. You are helping a lot. Thank you for your patience with me and my questions.
- Nic J
Re: Why should I stick with my faith?
by jimwalton » Fri Jul 21, 2017 11:35 pm
You sure have asked a lot of questions! But that’s a good thing—it shows you’re a thinking person and that you care about what you believe.
“People going to heaven and back—is that considered a miracle?” I’m not sure what you mean by this. Who went to heaven and came back? Once I know more specifically what you’re talking about I can answer meaningfully. I don’t just want to beat out and answer that’s off-target of what you’re asking.
“Do people ever go to hell and come back?” The Bible has no record of such a thing—no examples, no teaching, no suggestion even that anyone in hell ever came back. I’d give a pretty confident “no” on this question, but if there’s something specific that you’re referring to, let me know and I can answer again.
“Why does God love us? Why would he want to since we are so sinful?” Love is God’s nature. He loves us all. There’s no particular why. In a way it’s like asking why you love your parents. Um, I would guess because they’re your parents, and there really isn’t another reason. Sure, behind that is that they have raised you, loved you, have taken care of you, and want your best, but you just love them because you love them. Why does God love us? We’re human, and He created humans to be in relationship with Him, and love is His nature, and he doesn’t really need another reason. He certainly doesn’t just love us because we’ve earned it or deserve it; He surely doesn’t just love us only if we love him. The Bible says (as I’m sure you know) that God loves us all (John 3.16), and that He loved us even when we were sinners in rebellion against Him (Rom. 5.8).
When a parent gives birth to a child, they love that child just because it’s their own. My daughter adopted a 9-year-old child from China. We loved him the minute he walked off the plane. It’s because we chose to, and it’s because he was now a member of our family. There was no particular “why.” We chose to. God is love; He wants us in His family, and He chooses to love us without a particular “why.”
“Do we go to God or does God reveal Himself to us (to be saved and hear the gospel)?” It’s “B”: He reveals Himself to us. The initiative is all with God. We wouldn’t know diddly, and we could never know much of anything about Him, and we would never be motivated to “go to God” if He didn’t draw us to Himself. According to the Bible, God is continually revealing Himself to us, continually drawing us in His direction, and continually tugging on our hearts.
“It would be a little unfair if he picked out only certain people He wanted with Him.” That’s right, and it’s not true. As you said, He wants everyone in heaven with Him (2 Pet. 3.9). When the Bible talks about election (God choosing people), He is choosing people not only to be with Him but also to invite as many other people to come as possible. Invite everybody! Bring as many as you can! Christians aren’t elected because they’re special and others aren’t, or because God wants them and not the others, or because God loves some but not others. Christians are elected to be messengers and inviters: “You, I have chosen YOU to be the one to bring Ally, Emmy, Ethan, Sophia and as many others as you can.” That’s what the choosing is about.
“The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—what’s that gonna look like in heaven?” Our best view of that is Revelation 4. It’s all imagery, but it’s all we have to go by. I’m quite convinced John couldn’t find words to describe what he was seeing, and he did the best he could by using poetic images and word pictures.
“The Bible talks about Jesus sitting next to the Father—is that supposed to be taken literally?” No. It’s a word picture of Jesus’ equality with God and Him being king just like God is king. But I do think we’ll see Jesus like He looked after the resurrection. But he’ll obviously one with the presence on the throne with the emerald rainbow around it. There are just no words for it.
And thanks for your last paragraph. I’m glad I’ve been helpful. I like all your questions. As I said, it shows you’re thinking and you care. That’s such a good thing. You know, if I remember right back to some of your first emails, you said a friend of yours directed you to me. Feel free, if you have friends who have questions too, to tell them to email me, too. I just want to help people find and know the truth. I’m glad you don’t want to run away from it as much as you did a few months ago—really glad. As I’ve mentioned, knowing God and having a relationship with Him is the most valuable part of life.
“People going to heaven and back—is that considered a miracle?” I’m not sure what you mean by this. Who went to heaven and came back? Once I know more specifically what you’re talking about I can answer meaningfully. I don’t just want to beat out and answer that’s off-target of what you’re asking.
“Do people ever go to hell and come back?” The Bible has no record of such a thing—no examples, no teaching, no suggestion even that anyone in hell ever came back. I’d give a pretty confident “no” on this question, but if there’s something specific that you’re referring to, let me know and I can answer again.
“Why does God love us? Why would he want to since we are so sinful?” Love is God’s nature. He loves us all. There’s no particular why. In a way it’s like asking why you love your parents. Um, I would guess because they’re your parents, and there really isn’t another reason. Sure, behind that is that they have raised you, loved you, have taken care of you, and want your best, but you just love them because you love them. Why does God love us? We’re human, and He created humans to be in relationship with Him, and love is His nature, and he doesn’t really need another reason. He certainly doesn’t just love us because we’ve earned it or deserve it; He surely doesn’t just love us only if we love him. The Bible says (as I’m sure you know) that God loves us all (John 3.16), and that He loved us even when we were sinners in rebellion against Him (Rom. 5.8).
When a parent gives birth to a child, they love that child just because it’s their own. My daughter adopted a 9-year-old child from China. We loved him the minute he walked off the plane. It’s because we chose to, and it’s because he was now a member of our family. There was no particular “why.” We chose to. God is love; He wants us in His family, and He chooses to love us without a particular “why.”
“Do we go to God or does God reveal Himself to us (to be saved and hear the gospel)?” It’s “B”: He reveals Himself to us. The initiative is all with God. We wouldn’t know diddly, and we could never know much of anything about Him, and we would never be motivated to “go to God” if He didn’t draw us to Himself. According to the Bible, God is continually revealing Himself to us, continually drawing us in His direction, and continually tugging on our hearts.
“It would be a little unfair if he picked out only certain people He wanted with Him.” That’s right, and it’s not true. As you said, He wants everyone in heaven with Him (2 Pet. 3.9). When the Bible talks about election (God choosing people), He is choosing people not only to be with Him but also to invite as many other people to come as possible. Invite everybody! Bring as many as you can! Christians aren’t elected because they’re special and others aren’t, or because God wants them and not the others, or because God loves some but not others. Christians are elected to be messengers and inviters: “You, I have chosen YOU to be the one to bring Ally, Emmy, Ethan, Sophia and as many others as you can.” That’s what the choosing is about.
“The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—what’s that gonna look like in heaven?” Our best view of that is Revelation 4. It’s all imagery, but it’s all we have to go by. I’m quite convinced John couldn’t find words to describe what he was seeing, and he did the best he could by using poetic images and word pictures.
“The Bible talks about Jesus sitting next to the Father—is that supposed to be taken literally?” No. It’s a word picture of Jesus’ equality with God and Him being king just like God is king. But I do think we’ll see Jesus like He looked after the resurrection. But he’ll obviously one with the presence on the throne with the emerald rainbow around it. There are just no words for it.
And thanks for your last paragraph. I’m glad I’ve been helpful. I like all your questions. As I said, it shows you’re thinking and you care. That’s such a good thing. You know, if I remember right back to some of your first emails, you said a friend of yours directed you to me. Feel free, if you have friends who have questions too, to tell them to email me, too. I just want to help people find and know the truth. I’m glad you don’t want to run away from it as much as you did a few months ago—really glad. As I’ve mentioned, knowing God and having a relationship with Him is the most valuable part of life.
- jimwalton
- Site Admin
- Posts: 9104
- Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2012 2:28 pm
Re: Why should I stick with my faith?
by Nic J » Mon Jul 24, 2017 5:57 pm
Sorry to confuse you! I think we have kinda talked about this before, but you know those stories you hear about people going to heaven and then coming back and now they have movies and books about it!? If those stories are true, wouldn't that be considered a miracle ?
It's just that simple? It's in Gods nature to love us?
How can one God have a relationship with so many different people? How does he love them all the same?
The spirit world: I know the Bible says not to mess with it .. what happens if someone does? (this kind of thing scares me) it's real, right? Also are spirits and ghosts the same thing? <---- seems like a silly question to ask
Is it sinful to keep something from parents? What if it was going to hurt them?
It's just that simple? It's in Gods nature to love us?
How can one God have a relationship with so many different people? How does he love them all the same?
The spirit world: I know the Bible says not to mess with it .. what happens if someone does? (this kind of thing scares me) it's real, right? Also are spirits and ghosts the same thing? <---- seems like a silly question to ask
Is it sinful to keep something from parents? What if it was going to hurt them?
- Nic J
Re: Why should I stick with my faith?
by jimwalton » Mon Jul 24, 2017 6:24 pm
“The people who go to heaven and then come back back—wouldn’t that be considered a miracle?” This is an extremely interesting subject that I hardly know what to make of. I have a couple of thoughts about it, but mostly confusion.
1. These experiences sure seem to be real. People know things they couldn’t otherwise know if they weren’t really out of body and seeing and hearing things. And the people who claim to go to heaven and talk to people there (like in the movie “Miracles from Heaven”)—how can that kid know that stuff if he wasn’t really there?? Isn’t it intriguing?
2. But then there are also psychologists who say these are chemical reactions in the brain at the point of death—perfectly natural and not miraculous at all. I guess that could be, but how could the people see things they see and know what they know if it’s just chemical reactions?
3. But then it bothers me that all of them have visions and experiences of heaven, but none of them have visions and experiences of hell. How can that be if it’s real? I guess some do (http://www.thedailybeast.com/is-hell-re ... re-say-yes)
So it’s hard for me to know what to think. In ways it makes sense, and in ways it doesn’t. I’m still withholding my judgment on it.
“It’s just that simple—it’s in God’s nature to love us?” Yep. It’s just that simple. We see the same thing in parents when their baby is born. How hard do they have to work to love him or her? Not at all. It just seems in people’s nature to love their baby. It’s just that simple. God loves us like His children.
“How can God have a relationship with so many people? How does he love them all the same?” My grandmother was one of 24 children in her family. How did her mom love them all? But she did. How can God have so many relationships? Let’s make a analogy, even though it’s only a partial analogy. We all have GPSs on our phones. Sometimes thousands of us at the same time are tapping into the same computer. This one computer knows where all of us are going, give us each personalized directions, keeps track of our trips, and even if we make a wrong turn it tells us so and plots a new route for us to go. How can one computer have a “relationship" with so many people? But God is more knowledgeable and capable than a computer. It at least shows us how God can have a relationship with so many people.
“What if someone messes with the spirit world?” You mean like witchcraft, Ouija boards, and spells? You are messing with powerful spiritual forces that can make a mess of your life. We should be scared of it. Satan tries to create fear, and he has the power to do dreadful things. We should be afraid, but we should also realize that God protects us, and by a strong relationship grounded in him, Satan has no power over us. Satan only has power over people who allow him to.
“Are spirits and ghosts the same thing?” In general I would say there is no such thing as ghosts. They are the fictional ideas of books and movies. Spirits are the real deal.
“Is it sinful to keep something from parents? What if it was going to hurt them?” It’s not automatically sinful to keep something from parents. We have to be wise about such things, just like every other part of life. But that doesn’t mean we should keep from them everything we’re afraid to tell them, or that we think might hurt them, or embarrass us to tell them. Our parents are our caretakers, given to us by God, and it’s a pretty rare situation that should be kept from them. We should be able to go to our parents will all kinds of situations, fears, mistakes, and plans. They love us, and have our best interests in mind. But it’s not automatically sinful to keep something from them. I’ll admit there’s a thing or two I never told my parents. But in general it’s a good thing to tell your parents all kinds of things.
1. These experiences sure seem to be real. People know things they couldn’t otherwise know if they weren’t really out of body and seeing and hearing things. And the people who claim to go to heaven and talk to people there (like in the movie “Miracles from Heaven”)—how can that kid know that stuff if he wasn’t really there?? Isn’t it intriguing?
2. But then there are also psychologists who say these are chemical reactions in the brain at the point of death—perfectly natural and not miraculous at all. I guess that could be, but how could the people see things they see and know what they know if it’s just chemical reactions?
3. But then it bothers me that all of them have visions and experiences of heaven, but none of them have visions and experiences of hell. How can that be if it’s real? I guess some do (http://www.thedailybeast.com/is-hell-re ... re-say-yes)
So it’s hard for me to know what to think. In ways it makes sense, and in ways it doesn’t. I’m still withholding my judgment on it.
“It’s just that simple—it’s in God’s nature to love us?” Yep. It’s just that simple. We see the same thing in parents when their baby is born. How hard do they have to work to love him or her? Not at all. It just seems in people’s nature to love their baby. It’s just that simple. God loves us like His children.
“How can God have a relationship with so many people? How does he love them all the same?” My grandmother was one of 24 children in her family. How did her mom love them all? But she did. How can God have so many relationships? Let’s make a analogy, even though it’s only a partial analogy. We all have GPSs on our phones. Sometimes thousands of us at the same time are tapping into the same computer. This one computer knows where all of us are going, give us each personalized directions, keeps track of our trips, and even if we make a wrong turn it tells us so and plots a new route for us to go. How can one computer have a “relationship" with so many people? But God is more knowledgeable and capable than a computer. It at least shows us how God can have a relationship with so many people.
“What if someone messes with the spirit world?” You mean like witchcraft, Ouija boards, and spells? You are messing with powerful spiritual forces that can make a mess of your life. We should be scared of it. Satan tries to create fear, and he has the power to do dreadful things. We should be afraid, but we should also realize that God protects us, and by a strong relationship grounded in him, Satan has no power over us. Satan only has power over people who allow him to.
“Are spirits and ghosts the same thing?” In general I would say there is no such thing as ghosts. They are the fictional ideas of books and movies. Spirits are the real deal.
“Is it sinful to keep something from parents? What if it was going to hurt them?” It’s not automatically sinful to keep something from parents. We have to be wise about such things, just like every other part of life. But that doesn’t mean we should keep from them everything we’re afraid to tell them, or that we think might hurt them, or embarrass us to tell them. Our parents are our caretakers, given to us by God, and it’s a pretty rare situation that should be kept from them. We should be able to go to our parents will all kinds of situations, fears, mistakes, and plans. They love us, and have our best interests in mind. But it’s not automatically sinful to keep something from them. I’ll admit there’s a thing or two I never told my parents. But in general it’s a good thing to tell your parents all kinds of things.
- jimwalton
- Site Admin
- Posts: 9104
- Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2012 2:28 pm
Re: Why should I stick with my faith?
by Nic J » Sat Jul 29, 2017 9:08 am
Sorry I didn't mean to confuse you more!
So what's a spirit then if it is not a ghost?
Do you regret not telling your parents those one or two things? Also, how do I go about telling my parents what I have been keeping a secret?
How does something last forever like heaven or hell? Doesn't everything have a end at some point?
How could a God who loves us so much and everyone send someone to hell?
God does love everyone, right?
So what's a spirit then if it is not a ghost?
Do you regret not telling your parents those one or two things? Also, how do I go about telling my parents what I have been keeping a secret?
How does something last forever like heaven or hell? Doesn't everything have a end at some point?
How could a God who loves us so much and everyone send someone to hell?
God does love everyone, right?
- Nic J
Re: Why should I stick with my faith?
by jimwalton » Sat Jul 29, 2017 9:38 am
Oh, it’s not you that confused me. It’s just hard for me to really know what those near-death experiences really are and what I think about them.
“So what is a spirit if it is not a ghost?” I think the most clearly I can say it is that spirits are spiritual beings, like angels or demons. They’re not ghosts like you see in the movies or read about in books. Those things, I was saying, probably don’t really exist. But angels and demons really do exist. The Bible talks several times about angels appearing to people. Sometimes people seem to know right away they are angels (like the angel appearing to Mary, or the angels at the tomb, the warrior who appeared to Joshua, or the angels ascending and descending Jacob’s stairway). Other times they seem to appear as normal people (like the angels who appear to Abraham in Genesis 18). Regardless, they not like ghosts. Nobody in the Bible talks about them as if they are wispy apparitions with a spooky kind of presence, floating around or gliding through hallways.
“Do you regret not telling your parents those one or two things?” No, I don’t. It was things I did that were just stupid, and would be hurtful to them to know.
“How do I go about telling my parents what I have been keeping a secret?” A straight and honest approach is almost always best. Some time when you are with them and you have about 15 minutes, just come right out with it. They will react, of course, but you’ll clear the air and not have to carry that weight any more.
“How does something last forever like heaven or hell? Doesn’t everything have to end at some point?” Eternity is hard for us to get a handle on. Our lives are so defined by beginnings and endings. As you said, everything has a beginning and an ending; nothing is eternal—even the universe, scientists tell us, will eventually end (bazillions and jagillions of years down the road). So how can something never end? Because we will take on the characteristics of God, to some extent. We acknowledge that God will never end, and if He endows us with His life, then we will never end either. What will we do for bazillions and jagillions of years? God will take care of that. He is a boundless creator whose ideas will never run out. His life is such that it is abundant and desirable.
“How could a God who loves us so much send someone to hell?” It will grieve God severely to send people to hell. It will just break his heart. Hell was created for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25.41), not for people. God never intended for people to go there. Hell is not really where God sends people who rebel against Him; it’s more accurate to think of it as where people choose to go who refuse to be with God. God invites everyone into His family, and He is constantly working to draw all people to Himself. He doesn’t want anyone to not be with Him (2 Peter 3.9). But there are people who are rebellious against Him, and so entrenched in their defiance that they would rather spend eternity separated from Him than benefitting from his presence. And God can’t force them to love Him (because that’s not love if it’s forced). God has no choice but to let them have what they desire—a life separated from Him. So if they refuse to be with God, the only other choice is to be separated from Him, and that’s what hell is. I’m sure God cries deep and painful tears with every person who chooses the path of separation.
“God does love everyone, right?” Absolutely. God loves every one and each one.
“So what is a spirit if it is not a ghost?” I think the most clearly I can say it is that spirits are spiritual beings, like angels or demons. They’re not ghosts like you see in the movies or read about in books. Those things, I was saying, probably don’t really exist. But angels and demons really do exist. The Bible talks several times about angels appearing to people. Sometimes people seem to know right away they are angels (like the angel appearing to Mary, or the angels at the tomb, the warrior who appeared to Joshua, or the angels ascending and descending Jacob’s stairway). Other times they seem to appear as normal people (like the angels who appear to Abraham in Genesis 18). Regardless, they not like ghosts. Nobody in the Bible talks about them as if they are wispy apparitions with a spooky kind of presence, floating around or gliding through hallways.
“Do you regret not telling your parents those one or two things?” No, I don’t. It was things I did that were just stupid, and would be hurtful to them to know.
“How do I go about telling my parents what I have been keeping a secret?” A straight and honest approach is almost always best. Some time when you are with them and you have about 15 minutes, just come right out with it. They will react, of course, but you’ll clear the air and not have to carry that weight any more.
“How does something last forever like heaven or hell? Doesn’t everything have to end at some point?” Eternity is hard for us to get a handle on. Our lives are so defined by beginnings and endings. As you said, everything has a beginning and an ending; nothing is eternal—even the universe, scientists tell us, will eventually end (bazillions and jagillions of years down the road). So how can something never end? Because we will take on the characteristics of God, to some extent. We acknowledge that God will never end, and if He endows us with His life, then we will never end either. What will we do for bazillions and jagillions of years? God will take care of that. He is a boundless creator whose ideas will never run out. His life is such that it is abundant and desirable.
“How could a God who loves us so much send someone to hell?” It will grieve God severely to send people to hell. It will just break his heart. Hell was created for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25.41), not for people. God never intended for people to go there. Hell is not really where God sends people who rebel against Him; it’s more accurate to think of it as where people choose to go who refuse to be with God. God invites everyone into His family, and He is constantly working to draw all people to Himself. He doesn’t want anyone to not be with Him (2 Peter 3.9). But there are people who are rebellious against Him, and so entrenched in their defiance that they would rather spend eternity separated from Him than benefitting from his presence. And God can’t force them to love Him (because that’s not love if it’s forced). God has no choice but to let them have what they desire—a life separated from Him. So if they refuse to be with God, the only other choice is to be separated from Him, and that’s what hell is. I’m sure God cries deep and painful tears with every person who chooses the path of separation.
“God does love everyone, right?” Absolutely. God loves every one and each one.
- jimwalton
- Site Admin
- Posts: 9104
- Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2012 2:28 pm
Re: Why should I stick with my faith?
by Nic J » Thu Aug 03, 2017 1:52 pm
What are angels then? The way the Bible describes them they sound a little scary. What are demons? What power do they have?
How did you decide not to tell your parents? I I have been praying about this for a year still and I still don't know what to do.
You think the world is going to last that long still—Millions of years?
So today I was listening to Family Life Radio. (I love family life; they can be a corny sometimes, but you gotta love them.) Anyways, I caught the end of a sermon or something and the dude speaking said "you can't trust every speaker you hear." Now that got me thinking ... shouldn't that speaker be speaking truth? Also would they know they are not speaking truth? I just don't get how there could be so many different viewpoints and interpretations of the Bible .. that's what gets me ... there shouldn't be, right? I know we have talked about this. Sorry.
Hopefully that made sense!!
How did you decide not to tell your parents? I I have been praying about this for a year still and I still don't know what to do.
You think the world is going to last that long still—Millions of years?
So today I was listening to Family Life Radio. (I love family life; they can be a corny sometimes, but you gotta love them.) Anyways, I caught the end of a sermon or something and the dude speaking said "you can't trust every speaker you hear." Now that got me thinking ... shouldn't that speaker be speaking truth? Also would they know they are not speaking truth? I just don't get how there could be so many different viewpoints and interpretations of the Bible .. that's what gets me ... there shouldn't be, right? I know we have talked about this. Sorry.
Hopefully that made sense!!
- Nic J
Re: Why should I stick with my faith?
by jimwalton » Sun Aug 27, 2017 7:18 am
“What are angels then?” Angels are God’s messengers. In the Bible God rarely does things just on His own or by Himself. He uses divine messengers, and He uses us, actually, a lot. God is a partnership strategist—He often uses others to do His work. He’s a Trinity (so sometimes he uses the Spirit to do His work), He uses angels (and even Satan), and He uses people (both good and bad) to accomplish His purposes.
“[The angels in the Bible] sound a little scary.” Yep. A normal person’s reaction to an angelic visitation is fear (terrified, actually). It seems that when we see spiritual powers as they really are, we become dreadfully aware of our own inadequacy, weakness, and vulnerability. It teaches me, for one, to respect spiritual power and to make sure my life is right with God. I have no desire to (1) be vulnerable to evil spiritual powers, or (2) to have to stand before God one day and be afraid of that encounter. I want to run up to God in love, not call for the mountains to fall on me to hide me from His presence.
“What are demons?” Good question. They seem to be amoral (not good or bad) operatives—wild cards, so to speak. They are spiritual beings seemingly motivated by instincts rather than evil. (You’d probably not call a demon evil any more than you’d call a tornado evil.) They do have a negative effect, just like illness, so they still need to be dealt with. They disrupt order, so Jesus casts them out. (God is always working to bring order out of non-order.)
“How did you decide not to tell your parents?” A lot of times some positive things can come out of confession to parents, even at great embarrassment to oneself. But in these particular cases, I determined that absolutely nothing positive or beneficial would come from my confession, so I never did.
“Do you think the world is going to last that long (millions of years)?” No. Scientifically it is able (which is what I was saying). But I think that humanity’s corruption will bring about the end times LONG before we get anywhere close to that. I wouldn’t even be surprised if Jesus came back soon.
“You can’t trust every speaker you hear.” … Shouldn’t that speaker be speaking truth?” Yeah, they should, but sin is a formidable enemy and destroyer of people. Without constant engagement with God, especially as a leader, it is SO easy to start thinking my will and my thoughts are God’s will and God’s thoughts, and we easily fall away from truth. We have to be always vigilant, like guards on a watchtower. Even leaders and teachers forget this and get caught up in themselves.
“How can there by so many different viewpoints and interpretations of the Bible?” For one, people don’t always pay attention to the rules of interpretation to keep them on the right path. Secondly, we have such a strong tendency to see what we want to see and believe what we want to believe. Third, Jesus Himself said that there will be a lot of false prophets, misguided leaders, and “weeds” among the “wheat.” That’s why we always have to be always seeking the truth in the Bible, working hard at studying it right and understanding it properly. And we have to check what others say (Acts 17.11).
“[The angels in the Bible] sound a little scary.” Yep. A normal person’s reaction to an angelic visitation is fear (terrified, actually). It seems that when we see spiritual powers as they really are, we become dreadfully aware of our own inadequacy, weakness, and vulnerability. It teaches me, for one, to respect spiritual power and to make sure my life is right with God. I have no desire to (1) be vulnerable to evil spiritual powers, or (2) to have to stand before God one day and be afraid of that encounter. I want to run up to God in love, not call for the mountains to fall on me to hide me from His presence.
“What are demons?” Good question. They seem to be amoral (not good or bad) operatives—wild cards, so to speak. They are spiritual beings seemingly motivated by instincts rather than evil. (You’d probably not call a demon evil any more than you’d call a tornado evil.) They do have a negative effect, just like illness, so they still need to be dealt with. They disrupt order, so Jesus casts them out. (God is always working to bring order out of non-order.)
“How did you decide not to tell your parents?” A lot of times some positive things can come out of confession to parents, even at great embarrassment to oneself. But in these particular cases, I determined that absolutely nothing positive or beneficial would come from my confession, so I never did.
“Do you think the world is going to last that long (millions of years)?” No. Scientifically it is able (which is what I was saying). But I think that humanity’s corruption will bring about the end times LONG before we get anywhere close to that. I wouldn’t even be surprised if Jesus came back soon.
“You can’t trust every speaker you hear.” … Shouldn’t that speaker be speaking truth?” Yeah, they should, but sin is a formidable enemy and destroyer of people. Without constant engagement with God, especially as a leader, it is SO easy to start thinking my will and my thoughts are God’s will and God’s thoughts, and we easily fall away from truth. We have to be always vigilant, like guards on a watchtower. Even leaders and teachers forget this and get caught up in themselves.
“How can there by so many different viewpoints and interpretations of the Bible?” For one, people don’t always pay attention to the rules of interpretation to keep them on the right path. Secondly, we have such a strong tendency to see what we want to see and believe what we want to believe. Third, Jesus Himself said that there will be a lot of false prophets, misguided leaders, and “weeds” among the “wheat.” That’s why we always have to be always seeking the truth in the Bible, working hard at studying it right and understanding it properly. And we have to check what others say (Acts 17.11).
- jimwalton
- Site Admin
- Posts: 9104
- Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2012 2:28 pm
Return to Assorted Bible Questions
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 15 guests