Does God hate sinners? Because my friend is reading this book, and it says He does.  It is hard to believe God hates anyone, right?

Sincerely,
Not A Hater

Dear Not A Hater,

The Lord loves people but hates sin.  God tells us it is appropriate to be happy when evil is destroyed because it means righteousness is prevailing (Pr 28:28), but God also says that it pains Him when the wicked perish (Ezek 18:23).  God loves us so much that He sent His own Son to die for our sins (Jhn 3:16), but He hates sin so much that if we don’t take advantage of the forgiveness that is in Christ, God will separate Himself from us (Lk 13:27).

     What should I do if I've committed blaspheme terribly?  I was baptized when I was six (I think), and I've gotten closer to God, left, gotten closer, and left.  Blaspheme is something I struggle with.  Why do I do these things?  I'm fourteen now.

Sincerely,
Watching My Mouth

Dear Watching My Mouth,

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 – this is important because part of becoming a christian involves mature, adult choices that were impossible for a six-year-old to make), all sins are forgiven, even our previous blasphemy against God.  There is no single act that is so evil that Jesus’ blood can’t wash it away (1 Jn 1:7).  Many of the first-century christians had horrible sins in their pasts (1 Cor 6:9-11).  The key is to get up every time you fall down (Pr 24:16).  Continue to work on cleaning up your language, and you will eventually succeed.

Is sex before marriage a sin?

Sincerely,
Unsure

Dear Unsure,

Sex before marriage is a sin.  From the very beginning, God designed marriage as the realm for sexual relations (Gen 2:24).  1 Cor 7:1-2 states that any relations outside of marriage are fornication.  God tells us to flee all fornication (1 Cor 6:18).  Even though sexual immorality is rampant in our culture and accepted by our society, that doesn’t make it right.  Christians are called to honor God and honor marriage by leaving the marriage bed pure and undefiled (Heb 13:4).

     When you interpret Scripture, either by preaching to your congregation, answering questions on this site, or just studying Scripture in your spare time, are your biblical interpretations infallible? Yes or no?

Sincerely,
Do You Think You're Perfect?

Dear Do You Think You're Perfect,

We aren’t infallible here at AYP; we are just men.  That is exactly why we always give Bible verses for everything that we teach.  That way, you as the reader, can compare what we say to the Bible… and we hope you do!  The Bible is the perfect guide to life, and it is the power of God given to us for our salvation (Rom 1:16).  Always believe the Bible and test everything anyone tells you against its words (1 Jn 4:1).  That includes us.

If one never knows about God or heaven, are they doomed to hell if they never even knew He existed?

Sincerely,
Blind To The Truth?

Dear Blind To The Truth,

Let’s look at a few teachings on this topic and see what the Bible says about those who aren’t christians because they haven’t heard about Christ.

1. Just because someone is ignorant, doesn’t mean they aren’t at fault.  God tells us that anyone who seeks the truth will find it (Matt 7:7-8).  The Bible is the most widely available book on the planet – just because someone hasn’t read it, doesn’t mean they didn’t have opportunity.
2. People go to hell because of their sins (Rom 6:23), not because of Jesus.  Jesus’ death on the cross is a cure for mankind’s self-inflicted spiritual death sentence.  It is the same as a disease outbreak – the disease kills people, not the lack of a cure.  If Jesus had never come, and none of us had ever heard of Jesus, we would all have been lost.
3. God tells us that everyone has been given enough information to seek Him.  Rom 1:20 says that the very beauty of the created universe speaks of God’s existence and leaves mankind without excuse.  God has provided an “all call” message anyone can hear through the wonder of His creation.
4. God doesn’t desire anyone to perish (2 Pet. 3:9).  God won’t make any mistakes on the Day of Judgment, and no one will accidentally end up in heaven or hell.  He is compassionate, loving, and ready to show mercy (Ps. 86:5).  If someone goes to hell, it is because the most faithful and loving Being in existence believed that is where they should be.

God is the final judge.  We will all face Him when we die (Heb 9:27).  The best thing we can do is make sure we are prepared for that day.