Difficult Questions Answered

Doubt has a bad reputation in most Christian circles because it is often portrayed as the enemy of faith. There is a problem with this portrayal of doubt though because faith is not certainty. The apostle Paul gives us some insight into the nature of faith in 1 Corinthians 13:12 when he says, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” The insight Paul gives us here is that faith recognizes that there are things about God that we will never know in the short years of these mortal lives we are leading. God shows us enough of Himself to enable faith but to not force certainty upon us. Without certainty, doubt has room to roam and it does so throughout our lives.

The question then is not will we face doubt, but rather, what will we choose to believe when there is not sufficient information given for us to be certain. We will either choose to follow faith or fear. What is faith? The writer of Hebrews gives us a great definition in Hebrew 11:1, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” Faith is the choice to believe that God is true and trustworthy in spite of my fears and doubt.

YES. I would also accept a donation from a drug dealer, prostitute, stripper, or anyone else who has engaged in an illegal or questionable activity. WHY? Let’s be clear, I don’t support or encourage illegal or questionable activities, or things like the lottery which are legal but morally suspect when applying the principles of God’s Word. The question is not, “Do you support the lottery,” but very specifically, “Would you accept money from a person who obtained it from a questionable activity.” Read that last sentence again. There is a difference. Suppose someone received money through what may be considered questionable means, and decides to give some of the money to a church. If they experience the grace, mercy and love of Jesus Christ in their life, and want to express their gratitude in a monetary way… what kind of message would it send for the church to reject their heartfelt act of generosity toward God through the church? You’re not good enough, you’re too tainted to associate with us, or any number of impressions that would give off the “holier than thou” vibe. Listen, I’m not saying that we should compromise the principles of God’s word to make people comfortable. Quite the opposite. I’m saying that we should clearly live the principles of God’s Word, which includes loving people toward a loving Savior. Money itself is amoral (not good or evil in and of itself), so this isn’t a question about money as much as it’s a question about people.

What most United Methodists believe is based on our belief in the “free will” of the individual. The Bible supports the fact that God gives you and me the opportunity to choose Him or reject Him. In the Garden of Eden, God put the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and gave Adam and Eve a choice to eat or not to eat. John 3:16 gives “Whoever believe in Him” a choice to accept or reject Christ. Revelation 3:20 gives us a choice—Behold I stand at the door and knock—we may choose to open that door! So far, most Christians agree. Where the difference arises is after one accepts Christ. Methodists believe that we retain “free will” after salvation. That is to say, it is possible for a believer to change their mind and willfully reject Christ as their Saviour. I did not say “lose you salvation.” That is a common abuse of the doctrine of “Free Will.” You may lose your car keys; that is not intentional. One must purposely reject Christ, not simply have a bad day or rough patch.

Scripture supports this in Hebrews 6:4-8, I Timothy 4:1-5, II Timothy 3:1-5. “In later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful doctrines (I Timothy).” The Bible uses the word “apostasy,” to refer to those who choose to reject their salvation. The great news is the Bible also teaches that we can have an assurance of our salvation. It is not based on our works but His work (I John 5:11-13). For we live, worship and repent on a daily basis without fear or being overcome by doubt about our salvation (Romans 8:14-16).

First, we must establish what is good and what is bad. The measure of good is the righteousness of God. With this as the base line for good, then we must assume that not one of us is really good. While some are ”better than others,” not one of us reaches the good and righteousness level of God. Romans 3:23 says: “For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.” Now that this is established, like it or not, we are the product of a fallen world. The one constant factor is the human “free will.” That being said, we typically find God in one of two traditional ways, Truth or Pain.

In “Truth,” God’s complete Love and Mercy are often demonstrated in the tragedy of life events. When we lose a Christian friend or family member in their prime of life, whether they are young or older, as Christians we are given an assurance that helps us deal with bad things happening to good people. John 14: 2-3 says: “In my Father’s house, there are many mansions: if it weren’t not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

While “Pain,” is unpleasant, it motivates us to look outside of ourselves for the understanding of how and why things are the way they are. We learn and grow spiritually more in the valley of pain than we do in mountain top experiences…where our external circumstances appear to be going well.

James encourages us with the following Scripture James1:2-3: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”

In this passage the Greek word for “judgment” is anakrino and the primary meaning is to question, examine, conduct an examination, discern. It is used 16 times in the New Testament and in most cases it refers to searching for the facts. For example, it was used by Pilate when he examined Jesus and found no fault in Him (Lk.23:14). It was used by Paul to describe how the Berean Christians examined the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11).

Perhaps a different translation would clarify the meaning of 1 Cor. 2:15: “He who is spiritual (the mature Christian) examines all things, yet he himself is examined (questioned, called to account) by no one.” (The bold indicates anakrino is used. The words in the parentheses are added for clarification.) The spiritual man is examined by God (1 Cor.4:4).

God does not expect Christians to be gullible. We should examine the facts about God, about the Word, and about the world; then we can make wise decisions based on those facts.br />br /> Jesus did say, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged” (Mt. 7:1). The Greek word used here is krino which does mean, among other things, “to criticize, find fault with.” Our Lord does not want us to be critical of others. But, again, we don’t need to be gullible, either. Later in that same context, Jesus stated, “You will know them by their fruits” (Mt.7:20). If someone steals, he is a thief. If someone lies, he is a liar. You know him by his fruit. That is not judging him (krino). That is examining the facts and making a decision based upon those facts (anakrino).

May we not be gullible or critical. May the Lord help us to be discerning by examining all things (1 Corinthians 2:15).

Be informed. Talk with law enforcement or emergency medical personnel. They will tell you what the score is. If you think the ruckus only happens at night behind two clubs, you are uninformed. The sexual immorality, drunkenness, and lawlessness are incompatible with the teachings of Christ. Maybe this is the reason per capita we lead the nation in divorce and the state in the number of children removed from homes — Google it!

Pray that the 16 proposed changes to “Spring Break” make a difference. Sounds like a lot of change, but law enforcement and medical personnel remain unconvinced. Why? Alcohol volume on the beaches was not addressed.

Pray for the PCB Council and the Bay County Commissioners. And let them know that you are praying for them. I have found them to be very kind and approachable. Most officials I have talked with hear very little from the Christian community in general.

Pray for the business leaders on PCB. Pray they become sensitive to the effect this culture is having on local families. Our guests may experience “Spring Break” one week a year, but our teenagers and young adults experience Spring Break six weeks a year.

Speak truth in love! Leave the mean-spirited, legalistic attitude at home when you speak with area leaders. They will tune you out. The majority of the 176,000 residents of Bay County claim to be followers of Jesus, so where is the moral outcry? When I apply the heart of Jesus to Spring Break on PCB, silence for me is no longer an option.

Scripture doesn’t say that Satan can read our minds, but that he is indeed very powerful. Satan is not omnipresent. He cannot be in more than one place at a time. He pretty much has to rely on his demons to do his work for him. Although he and his demons can’t read our minds, they can hear our speech and see our actions. They are also capable of influencing our thoughts. He and his demons have been observing and tempting humans for thousands of years. They’ve learned a few things about us from watching us constantly, and know how to trip our trigger in our (obvious to them) areas of weakness. As we can sometimes know what someone is thinking that we are around a lot, so can they. Even if they’re not spot-on with their assessment, they know how to use it to their advantage. They are experts in human behavior.

As believers, it is important to know our enemy. Be wise to his schemes. Know that he is a master of deception. Most importantly, know that with God’s help and the Holy Spirit’s power, we can fend off his lies. When a thought comes into our mind that is not in line with the Word of God, we are to “cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

Remember, just because he presented the thought/temptation, doesn’t mean you have to act upon it. It also doesn’t mean you have sinned, unless you choose to dwell on it. He realizes no success until he hears our words or sees our actions confirming his influence on our minds.

1. Many of us don’t know the basic principles of our faith:

a. Salvation by grace alone (Eph.2:8 For it is by grace you are saved and not by works so no one can boast).

b. The fallen nature of man (Romans 3:23 All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God).

c. The Sovereignty of God—-is a theme throughout the Bible; the truth that God has authority to do what He pleases (I Chron. 29:11-12, Lam. 3:37-38, Ps. 115:3).

d. The inerrancy of scripture (II Tim. 3:16 All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, correcting, rebuking and training so that the man of God can be fully equipped).

e. The process of salvation (Romans 10:9-10 if you believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and confess with your mouth, you will be saved)

2. Unfortunately, some of us don’t care enough about the lost to reach out to them. God insists we share our faith. When genuine faith is lived out, it flows through one’s speech.

Many people that don’t share their faith may be too self-centered or in biblical terms, have too much pride:

What will they think of me? Am I a fanatic, Am I trying to convict them instead of letting God’s Word do that? Am I ashamed of what I believe? Do I really care that this person might go to Hell? Is it too much accountability for me….will they be watching me for errors in my ways?

What if they ask me a question I can’t answer? Am I unable to lovingly express God’s grace and forgiveness which extends to all of mankind?

Let’s be honest, sometimes telling the truth is not an easy thing to do. What makes it even more difficult is we live in a society that believes, in many situations, lies are justifiable. “Little white lies” are often viewed as a necessary way to preserve the peace in our relationships. However, the Bible is quite clear. Lying is a sin (Leviticus 19:11). And in Proverbs 6:16-19, God’s condemnation of lying doesn’t contain any exemptions for the sake of “relational peace,” “being nice” or avoiding the proverbial “doghouse.” So…are we expected to practice brutal honesty?

I believe Paul offers us the best advice. He encourages us to “speak the truth in love”(Ephesians 4:15). Often times it isn’t what we say but how we say it that causes friction. Proverbs 15:1-2 tells us a “gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, but the mouth of fools spouts folly.” Notice the “answer” is neutral. The outcome is influenced by the presentation (gentle versus harsh). The key is to make sure our speech (our content, tone, pitch, volume, word choice) is gracious (Colossians 4:6). Perhaps we would do well to re-read First Corinthians 13.

“Speaking the truth in love” means that sometimes we are going to say things the listener would rather not hear. But it also means we’ll do it in a way that isn’t demeaning, demoralizing or destructive. Proverbs 27:6 says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” Trust is essential for a healthy relationship. The best relationships are built on truth…not “little white lies.” So…my speaking the “truth in love” response to the question about her hair, I would say, “I think I liked your former hair style better.”

If we are talking about one hour in a pew, a week or month, then maybe. Do we include ALL sins, whether by omission or commission? Or just the Ten Commandments? Are we talking about a normal life expectancy? If so I would have to answer by saying this. If someone told me “since I’ve accepted Jesus Christ, and repented of my sins, I have not, nor will I ever sin again.” I would have to take the escape clause, and leave any judgment of any individual’s heart to our Father, the cardio knower. Some folks have tremendous testimonies to be admired but none walk perfectly. I believe we have already seen the only perfect man and that was in our Lord Jesus Christ. A Christian may stop sinning for a time, but a life time?

I know all things are possible through God’s grace, but having said that, we all have natural tendencies that act as a head wind buffeting us as we run our own individual race.

I believe we maintain our salvation by being alert and conscious of our sinful nature and when needed repentant of our transgressions. The scriptures are full of examples of Gods willingness to forgive the sins of both the righteous and unrighteous. As Christians we have the perfect example in Jesus Christ, and while we strive to be like Him we fall short.

As for the question at hand “Is it possible for a Christian to completely quit sinning? I would say no, as I understand both scriptures and life. Just look around church…no one is there because they’re perfect, but we’re trying to get there.

Note: I have to confess this question was more challenging than I had expected it to be, it made for a great study given all the variables of any one given life. So with that said. I recommend 1st John Chapter 1 to start yours.