Sometimes I feel God’s presence very strongly, and other times I feel very weak.  I even question my salvation at times.  Do you believe the teaching of “once saved, always saved”?

Sincerely,
Not Feeling It

Dear Not Feeling It,

“Once saved, always saved” isn’t true.  Heb 3:12 says that we must be wary and protect our hearts because an evil, unbelieving heart can fall away.  2 Pet 3:17 says that we can lose our salvation if we get caught up in false teaching (1 Tim 4:1 also states this).  If we return to a life of ungodliness, then we crucify Christ again (Heb 6:4-6).
However, it is also normal to sometimes feel spiritually strong and sometimes feel spiritually weak… what is God’s remedy for that?  Rom 10:17 says that we can measure our faith by our willingness to follow God’s Word.  Sometimes emotions can be deceiving.  It is our adherence to God’s Word that saves us (Rom 1:16).  If you are doing what God says you must do to be saved, then you can have confidence regardless of how you feel (see “Five Steps To Salvation” for further details).  Serving God is often an issue of doing what is right without regard to our emotions… showing bravery when we are afraid, working when we are tired, praying when we feel we aren’t heard, and persevering when we are discouraged.

My boyfriend doesn't believe in God.  Should I keep praying for him and hope for a change, or will being with him only hold me back?

Sincerely,
Holding Too Tightly?

Dear Holding Too Tightly,

It isn’t wrong, but tread lightly.  It isn’t a sin for you to have a boyfriend who isn’t a Christian, but it is important that you make appropriate boundaries.  The Bible teaches that we should only marry someone if they are in the Lord (1 Cor 7:39).  Marrying an unbeliever will tie you to someone who doesn’t have the same values as you (2 Cor 6:14).  The progress of your relationship will eventually need to stall if he doesn’t obey the gospel.  Religion is the most important factor in a marriage because it affects your morals, how you raise children, your finances, your hobbies, how you treat one another, and a thousand other elements of your future.  Be very careful when courting an unbeliever.

     I’ve made some mistakes in the past that I’m ashamed of.  Society reminds me everyday of my actions, and makes it hard for me to forgive myself, especially when I know they haven’t forgiven me.  I feel ashamed and worthless.  What can I do to erase my past?

Sincerely,
Can’t Get Past the Past

Dear Can’t Get Past the Past,

You can't erase your past, but you can change your future… but that isn't the real issue.  The real problem is that you don’t feel forgiven.  The two issues are very different.  There are times when our head and our heart aren’t on the same page.  Guilt can drive someone crazy if they don’t learn to keep things in proper perspective.  God says that your heart can be wrong.   It is very similar to the problem that the apostle Paul faced.  Paul had murdered Christians and felt that he was the worst of the worst, but he learned that Jesus would forgive him (1 Tim 1:15-16).

The apostle John said it best, “By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before Him, for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything.” (1 Jhn 3:19-20)  Your act of faith is going to be letting go of your fears and trusting that living by God’s Word is what matters (Rom 10:17)… not what society thinks of you.

Why do we have people with different colors of skin?

Sincerely,
Color Blind

Dear Color Blind,

We all came from Adam and Eve (Gen 3:20).  Eventually, mankind was scattered across the whole earth after the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:9).  Different races were created as these scattered groups became more isolated.  This is very similar to how you see parents and children looking alike – they share noticeable physical traits because they are closely related.  The groups that were scattered from the Tower of Babel were isolated by their language differences, and therefore only married amongst their specific language group.  This isolated intermarrying created distinct physical characteristics that differentiated one group from another (i.e. skin color, eye shape, face shape, hair color).  The different races of the world are nothing more than large family groups created after the Tower of Babel.

How can I jumpstart my relationship with Jesus when I've been lazy about it?

Sincerely,
Sluggish

Dear Sluggish,

The first thing we tell people to do when they say they are interested in being closer to God is to start consistently attending and being involved with a congregation.  Heb 10:24-25 says that the local church provokes us to love and good works and that when we forsake studying, worshipping, and being involved with the church, we become spiritually sluggish and lazy.  Those who go, grow – those who don’t, won’t.  We don't know exactly where you are in life, but if you need help finding a faithful congregation near you to study with, work with, and help... please e-mail us, and we will happily get you in touch with a faithful, vibrant group of Christians near you.