There has been tension in my husband's family for many years between him and his mother.  He has cut ties with her because no matter what he did, it was always wrong.  She has managed to convince his son that she (grandmother) is the victim.  Now his son is carrying the same attitude as his grandmother.  At what point do you stop trying?

Sincerely,
End Of Our Rope

Dear End Of Our Rope,

We stop trying to make a difference in our children’s lives when we are dead.  God tells us to never grow weary of doing good (2 Thess 3:13).  Never give up (Gal 6:9).  It may be that your husband’s influence over his son seems minor… but every child is affected by their parents (Heb 12:9).  Put the Lord first in everything (2 Cor 8:5), and let your lights shine brightly for your son to see (Php 2:15).  You never know what kind of influence you will have.

Is it a curse word when someone uses the words “By God” in a slang way?

Sincerely,
Word For Word

Dear Word For Word,

Using the Lord’s name in vain (Deu 5:11) is a matter of context and attitude.  God’s name is supposed to be treated with reverence (Heb 12:28).  Just like our earthly parents, our heavenly Father is deserving of respect (Heb 12:9).  We should only use His name when referring to something appropriate and when speaking with the utmost sincerity and seriousness.  God should be feared (Ps 111:10).  We are told to watch our lips and words (Ps 141:3).  Slang is typically used when we are speaking loosely and casually.  God’s name deserves more reverence than that.

What do you do when your teen son tell you that he is the devil?

Sincerely,
Dodging Pitchforks

Dear Dodging Pitchforks,

Start praying he is wrong.  Of course, it is impossible for him to actually be the devil, but when people live sinful lives, they become children of the devil (Acts 13:10, 1 Jn 3:8).  The devil has only one tool at his disposal – lies (Jhn 8:44).  The greatest antidote to lies is truth.

Ask your son to reason with you and explain why he thinks he is the devil.  God is a big fan of calm, rational discourse (Isa 1:18).  We have no idea how likely it is for you to get your son to do this… but it never hurts to try.  Many times when people have to explain their beliefs, the nuttiness of their position becomes apparent to even them.  Darkness hates being brought to light (Jhn 3:20).  Ask your son to explain why he believes what he does; chances are, you won’t have to prove him wrong… he’ll do that himself.

What are the scriptures in the Bible about a christian backsliding into sin and wanting to repent and have a new relationship with God?

Sincerely,
A Fresh Start

Dear A Fresh Start,

There are several key verses that deal with backsliding and several more that deal with returning to God.  Heb 6:4-8 is the clearest passage on the danger of falling away from Christ.  Paul warns the Galatians about falling away (Gal 5:4), and the book of Hebrews says that we can fall away by drifting back into a life of sin (Heb 2:1).  If we return to old ways and faithless living after becoming christians, we have crucified Christ again (Heb 6:6).  Even Paul said that it was possible for him to become disqualified if he rejected christian living (1 Cor 9:27).

If someone falls away from Christ, they must repent and start living properly (Rev 2:5).  It is important to admit the sin and own up to our mistakes (1 Jn 1:9).  Christ is ready to forgive us innumerable times if we honestly seek Him (Matt 18:21-22).  As long as there is breath in our bodies, there is time to repent.  If you have fallen away, start over now and let today be your day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2).

My wife feels God is God, not Jesus is God.  She prays to God, not Jesus ands needs clarity on 3-is-1 and 1-is-3.  She feels Jesus is God's Son, not God.  She feels He came out of Mary's womb, was a baby in need of food, water, etc., and wasn't God.  Are there different beliefs among christians on this?

Sincerely,
Head Count

Dear Head Count,

There are different views on this topic – but only one correct Bible answer.  The Father is God… and Jesus is God, too.  There are three parts to the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  This is most easily seen in Matt 3:16-17.  When Jesus was baptized, the Father spoke from heaven, and the Holy Spirit descended as a dove.  Each of them is eternal (they were all at the creation – Gen. 1:1, Gen. 1:2, Col 1:15-17).  John 1:1 specifically says that Jesus is Deity.  Jesus is different than the Father, but He is part of the Godhead.  Jesus even said that He had always existed (Jhn 8:58).  The apostles worshipped Jesus as God (Jhn 20:28).

Jesus was God in the flesh (1 Tim 3:16).  In Jesus, we can see all the fullness of the Godhead (Col 2:9).  Jesus cried to the Father when He was on the cross because the Father was in heaven while Jesus was here suffering on earth (Mk 15:34).  The Scriptures clearly back up that Jesus is deity.