Does God want us to work with Him or for Him?  When did salvation begin?  What is the origin of salvation?

Sincerely,
Business Partner?

Dear Business Partner,

We work for God - He is King (1 Tim 1:17)... we will always be subordinate to Him.  Salvation began with Christ's blood on the cross (1 Pet 1:18-19).  Jesus is the beginning and the end of our creation and salvation (Rev 21:6).  We cannot be saved without Christ (Jhn 14:6).   God planned to save mankind through Christ before He created the world (Eph 1:3-4).  God's plan for our salvation was perfectly laid out from the beginning, and when the right time came... Jesus was sent to die for our sins (Gal 4:3-5).

A family member of mine said it was wrong according to the Bible and God that you should not take another christian to court.  What do you say?

Sincerely,
Legal Matters

Dear Legal Matters,

We say that your family member is 100% correct.  The Bible clearly states in 1 Cor 6:6-8 that christians shouldn’t take each other to court.  It brings shame upon the church, and it would be better to be defrauded and show love than to drag brethren to court.  Christians are supposed to have a higher moral standard than the average citizen… it only makes sense that brethren should honestly and faithfully try and handle matters with one another (1 Cor 6:1).

About a year ago, I was put through the trial of a lifetime - at the mere age of nineteen.  Despite being a baptized christian, I realize that I lost touch with God for a period of my life and spiraled into sinful ways.  I truly believe the trial I went through was to get me closer to Him and to take me to new places and away from bad things.  The one thing is that while I love and trust the Lord, I HATE the situation I am in.  It's going to be a lifetime battle as well.  Is it all right to accept trying times but yet hate the situation at the same time?  Does God want us to be fully on board with the trying time we are in, or is it acceptable for us to not fully be on board?  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Struggling

Dear Struggling,

All christians must suffer (Acts 14:22), and suffering helps make us better people (Heb 12:6), but enduring suffering is not the same as enjoying it.  All suffering brings sorrow and grief (Heb 12:11), but a christian can know that God will not allow them to be tempted beyond what they are able to handle (1 Cor 10:13).  Christians can rejoice in trials even though they hurt because they produce perseverance and hope (Rom 5:3-5).  Even when we suffer for our own sinful choices, christians can rejoice because endurance through trials proves our faith in Christ (1 Pet 1:6-7).  The righteous may fall down many times in life… but they always get back up (Pr 24:16).  We are sorry that you are suffering so very much; trials are never, ever easy… but the eternal benefits far outweigh the hardship (Php 1:23).

I hear a gentle voice in my head telling me things that make sense to me. Is this the Holy Spirit?  The voice comes at unknown times but never when I am angry.  It comforts me to listen to it.  I have no idea what to call it.  I would like to hear from it and have conversations with it to ask questions I do not understand.  If it is the Holy Spirit, how do I thank it, and what do I call it?  I feel so unworthy that God would talk to me.  But I would be so blessed if He did.  I want a closer relationship with Him.

Sincerely,
Hearing Voices

Dear Hearing Voices,

That voice isn't the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit does not directly speak to people now that we have the complete Bible.  In the past, God communicated His desires through diverse methods of prophecy, visions, dreams, etc., but today He communicates through His Son, Jesus Christ (Heb. 1:1).  The Bible is the complete and perfect Word of God once and for all handed down to us (Jude 1:3).  Now that we have the perfect law of liberty (Jas 1:25), God has ceased using prophecy, visions, and dreams to communicate with us (1 Cor 13:8-10).  That voice in your head may be your conscience, but it isn't God.

I am at a crossroad of whether or not to obey the secular law.  I see more emphasis being placed upon the secular law that is being pushed down our throats than God’s moral law.  Where in the Bible does God or Jesus say to obey man’s secular law?

Sincerely,
Not Above The Law

Dear Not Above The Law,

In multiple places, we are told to obey the government.  Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s” (Lk 20:22-25) when asked about paying taxes.  The apostle Paul said that we should obey the government, and he devoted Rom 13:1-7 to the subject.  The apostle Peter taught that we should obey kings, governors, etc. because they are sent by God to praise those that do well and bring vengeance upon those that do evil (1 Pet 2:13-15).  Peter made it clear that we should honor those that rule over us (1 Pet 2:17).  The only time that it is okay to break the law is if the government commands you to do something sinful (Acts 5:27-29).