(The following is a follow-up to “Could A Loving God Do That?”)

Thanks for your time. I am not trying to test you or dissuade you from your faith, but I need answers to my questions to help my faith. Thanks.

Are you suggesting that we send ourselves to eternal punishment and not God?  Matthew 25:46 says, "They will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."  God created us and set a standard: worship Me or suffer eternally.  There is no in-between on His judgment.  You are either good or evil.  Your doctor analogy is not very accurate because the doctor did not create the patient.  God created us with no choice.  He made us and wants us to love Him, and if we don't – hell.  This is like the doctor saying, “Take the medicine, or I kill you.”

Sincerely,
That Fire Is Hot

Dear That Fire Is Hot,

Yes, we are suggesting that we make the choice to go to eternal punishment.  We make the decision to turn our backs on God and His offer of salvation.  God created us and designed us to function a certain way… no differently than a blacksmith designs a hammer or an architect designs a building.  God designed us with the freedom to choose between good and evil (Deu 30:15).  The standard isn’t merely about worshipping God; it is about right and wrong.  When we choose to sin, we reject God (1 Thess 4:8).  Consequently, when we reject God, we reject living eternally with Him.  The choice is ours.  Remember, the Garden of Eden was perfect until Adam & Eve broke it.  God gave them commandments for their safety, just like He gives us commands for our safety.

God doesn’t kill us; sin does (Rom 6:23).  We are tempted away from God by our own lusts (Jas 1:14).  God wants what is best for us.  It is the devil that wants to destroy us (1 Pet 5:8).  God sent His Son to heal us from self-inflicted wounds.  We sin and rebel against Him (which is appalling when you consider that He is the one that gave us life) – and despite that rebellion, God loves us.  He has given us all a second chance (Lk 17:4).  He is not only our Creator, He is our Savior (1 Jn 4:14).

God doesn’t send anyone to hell.  People choose to go to hell.  God will respect your decision.  If you don’t want to spend eternity with Him in heaven, He won’t make you.  However, all good things come from God (Jas 1:17); our choices have consequences.  If we choose to go to hell, we leave behind all the blessings God has provided – we have chosen to be away from Him.  We cannot have it both ways.  We either choose God, goodness, and the blessings of goodness, OR we choose selfishness, evil, and the curses of evil.  It is our choice to make, and it is the most important choice in our lives.

If a Christian denies the idea of God in his head but then later in his life comes back to Christ, is he still saved?  Or will he have given up his gift of salvation for good?

Sincerely,
Change Of Heart

Dear Change Of Heart,

If a Christian repents (‘repent’ means ‘to change your mind’) of a sin (including the sin of denying God’s existence), he will be forgiven.  Peter rebuked Simon but then told him to pray and repent, and God would forgive him (Acts 8:22).  God also tells us to forgive our brother if he repents (Lk 17:3).  If God expects that kind of forgiveness from us, then it is fair to say that He will also provide that level of forgiveness.  Confess your sin, and God will forgive you (1 Jn 1:9).

I have been thinking a lot about the verse from Proverbs that says, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."  What do you think that verse means?

Sincerely,
The Thinker

Dear The Thinker,

The verse you are referring to is Pr 23:7.  That verse is in the context of talking about someone with evil intent (Pr 23:6).  If a person with evil intent says something kind to you, that doesn’t change the fact that they are still your enemy.  What is in the mind/heart of a person defines who they really are.  God knows the thoughts and intentions of our hearts (Acts 1:24).  God doesn’t just want us to do what is right, but He wants us to WANT what is right.  What you think is who you really are.  Let our service to God be from the hidden depths of our heart (I Pet 3:4) and not merely lip-service (Matt 15:8).

How do you think negative people can affect your life, and what should you do if someone you care about has become very negative?

Sincerely,
The Glass Is Half Full

Dear The Glass Is Half Full,

Bad company corrupts good morals (1 Cor 15:33).  Depending on the intensity of someone’s bad attitude or behavior, you may need to distance yourself.  Christians are constantly trying to strike the balance between being lights to the world (Matt 5:14) and keeping themselves pure and undefiled from the world’s influences (Jas 1:27).  As long as we live on this planet, we will have trials (Jhn 16:33).  It is a precarious balancing act between being an influence and being corrupted by the world.  There is no exact answer to your problem; you must apply these principles yourself.  If you can influence this person for good, then do so.  If they are corrupting you and keeping you from being the best christian you can be, begin to distance yourself.  You may even deem it appropriate to tell the person why you are distancing yourself.  Maybe, just maybe, they will change if they are made aware of what their choices are costing them.

I know slavery existed in the Bible, but does that mean it’s not wrong?

Sincerely,
Abolitionist

Dear Abolitionist,

The Bible does not ever directly condemn slavery, but it does condemn treating slaves like property.  In the Old Testament, God allowed a bankrupt Jew to sell himself as a slave to pay off his debts, however he was not to be abused or mistreated by his owner (Lev 25:39-40).  God reiterates this idea in the New Testament.  Slaves are to serve their masters loyally and faithfully (1 Tim 6:1, Tit 2:9).  Masters are to treat their slaves as fellow humans, without threatening or hurting them (Eph 6:9).  Masters are to be just and fair to their slaves (Col 4:1).  God never says it is wrong to have slaves, but He very clearly denounces the brutality that we often associate with slavery.  If a slave master lived as God commanded, he would treat his slaves as hired hands… and many christians did just that in the first century.

However, God does make it clear that being a slave is a less than desirable situation.  Slavery is a reality that exists within various parts of the world, so it must be dealt with from a Biblical perspective, but freedom is always a better option (1 Cor 7:21).