Are we living in the last days?

Sincerely,
Watching The Time

Dear Watching The Time,

If we were living in the last days… we wouldn’t know it.  The Bible specifically says that the Second Coming of Christ will come like a thief in the night (1 Thess 5:1-2).  Jesus will return when people least expect Him.  The apostle Paul warned all christians to live their lives soberly, so that they would be prepared whenever that great day might come (1 Thess 5:4-8).  Whether Christ returns in your lifetime or whether you die before you go and face the judgment, live your life so that at Christ’s appearing, you shall be saved (Heb 9:27-28).  If you don’t know what the Bible says about salvation, we recommend you read “What Must I Do To Be Saved?”

Please help!  I believe Jesus is the Son of God, so I believe They are as one; my husband says they are one and the same.  How can that be if God gave His only begotten son to die for our sins?

Sincerely,
Simile Stumped

Dear Simile Stumped,

Both the Father and the Son are one in attitude (Jhn 10:29-30), but They are different beings.  There is one verse that very clearly makes the distinction between Jesus and the Father – Matt 3:16-17.  Matthew three tells the story of Jesus’ baptism, and when Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove, and the Father spoke from heaven… three different beings doing three different things.  The Father and the Son are both God, but they are not the same person.

Due to all of the media attention to homosexuality, I'm wondering why most Christians are so adamant that it is intolerable.  Doesn't the Bible also say not to mix fabrics and eat shellfish?  What's the difference?

Sincerely,

A Confused Citizen

Dear A Confused Citizen,

You bring up a fair point.  It isn’t okay to fervently support the beliefs in the Bible that we like while ignoring the ones we don’t.  That is called subtracting from God’s Word, and it is strictly condemned (Rev 22:18-19).  God expects us to take the total sum of His Word and apply it (Ps 119:160), and part of taking the sum of God’s Word is keeping it in context.Here is where people get confused: the Old Testament laws should never be used as proof verses for Christian practices.  The Old Testament laws were for Jews, and the New Testament laws are for Christians.  Click here to watch a short video on the difference between the Old and New Testament.  The Bible does clearly condemn mixing fabrics (Deut 22:11) and eating shellfish (Lev 11:10)... but in the Old law for the Jewish nation, not in the New Testament.

On the other hand, homosexuality is clearly condemned in the New Testament in verses like Rom 1:26-27 and Jude 7.
The Bible does make it clear that we can’t pick and choose the verses we like and the sins we prefer to condemn... but it also teaches that we must not twist things out of context either.  The apostles taught the whole counsel of God, and so should we (Acts 20:27).  At our congregation in Monroe, that is exactly what we strive to do every day.

What is the only true religion?

Sincerely,
Top Priority

Dear Top Priority,

Jesus said that He is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Me” (Jhn 14:6).  This single statement by Christ nullifies Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, etc.  Jesus is the only one that offers salvation to mankind.

But the Bible takes it one step farther.  Paul condemned the Jews because they worshipped God without knowledge (Rom 10:2).  He also warned that there would come a day when false teachers infiltrated Christ’s church and started teaching things contrary to Scriptures (2 Tim 4:2-4).  Paul told the first century christians to watch out for the “falling away” (2 Thess 2:3).  Division and false teaching in the name of Christ is a very common thing.  There are tens of thousands of different religions in America that refer to themselves as “Christian”… yet God says there is only one true faith (Eph 4:4-6).  So how can you know whether a church is Christ’s church?

Jesus says that we can know them by their fruits (Matt 7:15-20).  A church is faithful if the way they worship, preach, and live is in accordance with Christ’s teachings.  A faithful church keeps Christ’s commandments (Jhn 15:14).  Most churches today have added all sorts of things to their worship (from rock bands to belly dancing) and leadership structure (popes, community boards, franchised churches, etc.) that were never intended by Christ.  We should never add to God’s Word, and we should never take away from it (Rev 22:18-19).  A faithful church should be able to give you book, chapter, and verse for everything they do.  We recommend the posts “Down With Denominationalism”, “Finding A Church”, and “Preacher Interrogation” for further information on what questions to ask.  If you would like us to help point you in the right direction of a congregation in your area, please e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org, and we will do our best to put you in contact with a Bible-founded congregation.

Are Jesus and God the same person?  If so, where does it say that in the Bible?

Sincerely,
Asking For I.D.

Dear Asking For I.D.,

Yes, Jesus is one of the Godhead.  Jhn 1:1-2 states that the ‘Word’ is God, and Jhn 1:14 makes it clear that Jesus is the ‘Word’.  There are three members of the Godhead – Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit (Matt 3:16-17).  Jesus makes it clear that He is eternal (Jhn 8:58) and the Creator of all things (Col 1:15-16).