I recently had sex without being married.  Can I be forgiven, and will I still go to heaven?

Sincerely,
Worried

Dear Worried,

Yes, you can be forgiven… but you need to change your lifestyle.  For a christian to be forgiven of a sin, they need to confess their sins (1 Jn 1:8-10) and then repent (Acts 3:19).  ‘Repent’ means ‘to change your mind’.  Part of true repentance is fleeing from future fornication (1 Cor 6:18).  You need to make sure that this single act doesn’t become a lifestyle.  Sincere confession and repentance are all that a christian needs to do to receive forgiveness – however, if you are not yet a christian, you also need to be baptized to receive salvation (1 Pet 3:21, Mk 16:16, Acts 2:38).  If you would like help finding a faithful church to attend where you can start a new life with the hope of heaven, e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org, and we will help you locate a group of God-fearing believers in your area.

What does it mean to be a high-maintenance believer?  I need help with understanding all this.  I just read about falling away from God in Heb 5:12-13.  Could I be spiritually dry/dull?  Help… thanks.

Sincerely,
Running On Premium

Dear Running On Premium,

Every believer is high-maintenance (it took the blood of God’s Son to save us… we’re pretty sure that counts as being high-maintenance)… but falling away from the faith goes beyond maintenance – it means someone is once again lost and dead in their sins.  Heb 6:4-6 says that those who continue to live sinful lifestyles (or return to sinful lifestyles) after receiving salvation, re-crucify Christ.  Heb 6:7-8 goes on to state that christians are supposed to take the blessings of salvation and change their lives for the better.  God sent His Son, so we could be free from sin, not revel in it (Rom 6:1-2).  We should present our lives and bodies as instruments of righteousness and service to God (Rom 6:11-13).  Heb 5:12-13 makes it clear that we should press forward and grow from being babes in Christ to full-grown and mature adult christians.

What does the Bible say will happen after Jesus comes back?

Sincerely,
Waiting Expectantly

Dear Waiting Expectantly,

Many things will happen when Christ returns, and they will all happen very quickly (1 Cor 15:52 says that many things will happen in the “twinkling of an eye”).  Let’s list what God says will happen at the return of Christ.

1. The wicked will be resurrected for judgment, and the righteous will be raised to eternal life (Jhn 5:28-29).
2. The dead in Christ will rise and meet Christ in the clouds, and those who are alive to see that day will join them (1 Thess 4:16-17).
3. The righteous will be given spiritual bodies that are incorruptible and built to last for eternity (1 Cor 15:44-46, 1 Cor 15:50-52).
4. The earth will be destroyed (2 Pet 3:10-12).
5. God will create an eternal dwelling place that is appropriate for Him and His saints (2 Pet 3:13).

The day of Christ’s return will be the most spectacular day of mankind’s history and the fulfillment of God’s promise made in Acts 1:10-11.  Someday, Jesus will return in just the same manner that He left.  He will descend from the clouds with the voice of an archangel and come to claim His people (1 Thess 4:16).

[This question is a follow-up to “There Can Be Only One”]

Why are all the other religions wrong?  Are 1.5 billion people going to heaven while 4.5 billion will burn in hell?  It almost doesn't seem like the fair and loving God I would worship.

Sincerely,
All-Inclusive

Dear All-Inclusive,

God is perfectly fair – we just aren’t very grateful for what He has offered us.  There is nothing unfair about God’s plan of salvation.  Everyone can be saved in Christ (Jhn 3:16).  Jesus opened a door to salvation that anyone can walk through.  Anyone that desires to have salvation through Christ can have it (Rev 3:20).  It isn’t His fault that many people spurn His invitation.  Which road we take is our choice (Matt 7:13).

Do dogs go to heaven?  My dog died, and I had her for twelve years.  I am 52-years-old, and she was a BIG part of my life and family.  I think about her all the time.  Thanks and God bless.

Sincerely,
Canine Caretaker

Dear Canine Caretaker,

Dogs don’t go to heaven, but we can really sympathize with your loss.  One of our AYP writers still has pictures of his hunting dogs up in his office, and another is deeply attached to his family dog.  Animals are a blessing from God (Gen 1:26).  God says that when they die, animals return to the earth while humans ascend into the heavens (Eccl 3:21).  Animals simply don’t have eternal souls like humans do.  We are so sorry for your loss, but we want you to know that God comforts us through all our sorrow… and He will bring you through this loss (2 Cor 13:11).