Can you be forgiven for taking God's name in vain?  A lot of people say it, and they are not cursing God.  I know it is wrong; I don't think people think about what they are saying.

Sincerely,
Loose Lips

Dear Loose Lips,

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.  It is true that many people don’t think about what they are saying, but that is not an excuse… it is an explanation.  Ignorant sin is still sin (Acts 17:30).  Only in Christ can we have salvation… and each of us has a responsibility to seek Christ (Acts 17:26-27).

Can you tell me something about generational curses?  Aren’t they a special kind of curse and not for everybody?

Sincerely,
Checking The Family Tree

Dear Checking The Family Tree,

Children pay for the choices their parents make.  People pay for the sins of those who have gone before.  If your father was an axe murderer, it would affect you, your children, maybe even your grandchildren (Ex 34:7)… but eventually he would be forgotten, and the consequences of his behavior would dissipate.  That is what the generational curse is – that children must live with the repercussions of their parents’ choices.  Everyone has baggage and troubles that are brought on them by the generations that have gone before.

However, every person has the God-given gift of free will (Matt 7:13-14).  In spite of what the generations before have done, we all have the ability to work out our own salvation and change our lives (Php 2:12).  Our physical lives are often dictated and controlled (at least partially) by the choices of those around us, most notably our parents, but the state of our soul is our own responsibility.  Each of us must seek God (Col 3:1) and serve Him regardless of what previous generations have done.

If God is love, and He is (1 Jn 4:8)… then would it be safe to say that love is God?

Sincerely,
Lovestruck

Dear Lovestruck,

God is love (1 Jn 4:8), but love isn’t God.  There is a logic flaw in switching those two statements around.  It doesn’t work both ways.  Consider these examples:

1. A cedar is a tree, but not every tree is a cedar.
2. A tuna is a fish, but not every fish is a tuna.
3. The man is fast, but that doesn’t mean every fast thing is a man.

God is the perfect example of love.  He loved mankind so much that He gave His own Son for us (Jhn 3:16).  He loved us while we were still His enemies (Rom 5:10).  Nobody is better at showing love than God, and we ought to imitate His love, but that doesn’t mean that every act of love is God.  That is a misunderstanding of what the Bible is teaching.

Did discrimination exist from the beginning? Why did God choose a good-looking Jesus as His son?  Why did God choose a beautiful Mary as a mother to God?  Does God look on personality as well?

Sincerely,
Picture Perfect

Dear Picture Perfect,

God didn’t make Jesus good-looking.  In fact, Isaiah 53:2 says that Jesus wasn’t anything special to look at.  Many portraits and paintings have been made depicting Jesus as a handsome man, but the Scriptures say that He wasn’t.  What drew people to Jesus were His character and His words (Lk 24:32, Jhn 7:45-46).  Mary also was known for her character, not her outward beauty (Lk 1:30).  God says that it is the inner character of people that is pleasing to Him (Lk 11:39, 2 Cor 4:16).  God shows no partiality between the wealthy and the poor, the handsome and the ugly (Eph 6:9, 1 Pet 1:17).  God cares about whom you are, not how you look.

How exactly do you stop a reoccurring sin… if you can’t tell anybody?

Sincerely,
Mum’s The Word

Dear Mum’s The Word,

We can’t fathom a single circumstance when you “can’t” tell anybody about a sin you are struggling with.  We can think of many situations when it would be uncomfortable, humiliating, or costly to admit a sin – but never any situation that it is impossible.  God tells us that we should be ready to do whatever it takes to remove sin from our lives (Matt 5:29).  Many times, the right thing to do is also the hardest thing to do.  Confessing our sins isn’t easy (or everyone would do it), but it is one of the purest cures God gives us for a life stuck in sin (Jas 5:16).  God knows that we aren’t meant to handle life’s trials and temptations alone – and the devil knows it, too.  Sin hates the light because it scatters darkness (Jhn 3:19-20).  If you are afraid to admit your sin to others, it is probably exactly what you need to do.