Why do I get mad often?

Sincerely,
Short Fuse

Dear Short Fuse,

Uncontrolled rage, like so many sins, stems from within our hearts (Mk 7:21-23).  God warns that anger has a way of creeping up on us, and we must rule over it (Gen 4:6-7).  Eph 4:26 says that we should make sure that our anger doesn’t control our actions; it is okay to be angry, but it isn’t okay to sin (Eph 4:26).  One of the easiest ways to cool your temper is to be quick to hear and slow to speak (Jas 1:19-20).  Anger can be controlled by slowing down and listening before jumping to conclusions.

     I was sinning without knowing it until a few weeks ago when it was preached about at church.  Since then, I've turned away from that sin, but I feel like I miss it; I'm not being tempted, and don't feel I'm struggling to not commit it again, but I'm wondering if it's okay to miss a sin.

Sincerely,
I Didn’t Mean To

Dear I Didn’t Mean To,

Anything that you do for a long period of time becomes a part of your life and routine, and it is totally normal to miss it when it is gone.  It isn’t abnormal to miss a sin once you remove it from your life – it would only be wrong if you returned to that sin and began to do it again.

Though you don’t feel that you will return to this sin, be on your guard (Gen 4:7).  Missing a sin can turn to longing, and soon you are right back to doing the wrong thing.  All sin begins in the mind (Jas 1:14-15).  Good for you for repenting of this sin and turning from it.

Will I go to hell because I cussed God and called Him some dirty names?

Sincerely,
Regretful

Dear Regretful,

Blasphemy is one of the things that is specifically said will send you to hell (2 Tim. 3:2), and you shouldn’t take lightly what you have done.  We can be forgiven for using the Lord’s name in vain, but only if we repent and turn to the Lord.  God has provided a means for all sins to be forgiven – His Son’s blood.  When we become christians (read “What Must I Do To Be Saved?” for details on how to become a christian), all sins are forgiven, even our previous blasphemy against God… but without His grace, we cannot expect to speak evil of the Creator of heaven and earth and not to have consequences.

     We all know even Christians are not perfect and have struggles.  We also know that sanctification should be occurring, and a Christian has conduct requirements.  My question is: when does sin become a serious problem in a Christian’s life?  When does a Christian become a lukewarm Christian?  And after receiving Christ in their lives, can Christians backslide or sin enough to lose their salvation?  I know I hate sin and strive my hardest to do the will of God, but there are times I just have a thorn in my flesh or do what I don't want to do.

Sincerely,
Imperfect

Dear Imperfect,

We are warned to not “drift” away from the Lord (Heb 2:1) or “backslide” (Pr 1:32) into old sinful ways.  Once we are baptized, we are told to grow in the Lord and mature in our faith (1 Pet 2:2).  Baptism is the beginning of a new life, but God calls us to be faithful until death (Rev 2:10).  A Christian can know that they are not lukewarm by properly examining their motives and lifestyle (1 Cor 11:28-30).  God constantly forgives faithful and honest people for their sins (1 Jn 1:9), but if we neglect our salvation (Heb 2:3) or stop growing, we have no hope left (Heb 10:26-27).  The struggles you face are completely common… the important thing is to continue to struggle and fight for the faith.

     It has always been my understanding that if we die in sin without asking for forgiveness beforehand, we go to hell.  For example, if I've lived in obedience to God all my life, but on the day I die I sinned and didn’t ask God for forgiveness, I'd go to hell.  Is that right?  Now I look at it, and it seems like I'm counting on my righteousness to gain entry into heaven.  If a believer sins (as we sometimes do) and dies without asking for forgiveness beforehand, does he/she go to hell?

Sincerely,
The Last Word

Dear The Last Word,

Your confusion is a common one because the Bible never explicitly states what happens to the sins that we didn’t specifically ask for forgiveness for.  There is no specific verse that deals with this issue; instead, we must look at some of the concepts that are scattered throughout the Scriptures.

1. Jesus is our Advocate (1 Jhn 2:1-3).  Jesus is our High Priest, and He mediates between us and God (1 Tim 2:5).  Jesus wants to intercede for your sins, and He desires to help you get into heaven.
2. God doesn’t desire anyone to be separated from Him (2 Pet 3:9).  No one will ever accidentally go to hell, and no one will accidently miss out on heaven because they didn’t have an opportunity to pray for forgiveness right before they died.  God is ready and willing to forgive (Ps. 86:5).
3. God expects our obedience, and all forgiveness is dependent upon our willingness to draw near to Him with obedient hearts (1 Pet 1:14).  The Bible says that our obedience to Him purifies our souls.  God forgives the faithful and obedient servant (Heb 10:38).
4. John paints a beautiful picture for us in 1 Jhn 1:7 by saying, “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” The word ‘walk’ means ‘to live continually’, and whenever we have that relationship but we accidentally sin, the blood of Jesus continually cleanses us of our sins.

When you consider all of these concepts, the truth on the subject becomes evident; we are forgiven as we ask for forgiveness, and God gives grace in those times when we are unable or ignorant to ask for it.  So continue to ask and pray for forgiveness, but you can also have peace that God’s grace will protect your soul as you do your best to live faithfully.