How do you respond to someone saying they do not believe in God because they think believers are brainwashed from an early age?

 

Sincerely,
Thinking For Myself

Dear Thinking For Myself,

When faced with someone who believes that Christianity is based off of a mindless faith, we try and show people the evidence that points toward Christianity.  After all, many people convert to Christ after growing up in atheistic and anti-religious households.  You might point out to this person that not all christians were raised to be that way; many choose it later in life.  If that peaks their interest, you might point them to some of the evidence for God's existence.  We recommend that you read the post “Does God Exist?” for a list of some of those evidences.

      Does it matter how we are baptized and who baptizes us as long as it’s in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit?  I'm getting baptized at my friend's church which is Calvinistic; I'm more of non-denominational Bible-believer, but anyway, they're going to baptize me in a swimming pool.  Should I go through with it?

Sincerely,
Diving In

Dear Diving In,

Why you are baptized is one of the most important elements of baptism, and a Calvinistic church will not baptize you for the right reasons.  People are baptized all the time without being saved!  The word ‘baptism’ comes from the Greek word ‘baptizo’ which means ‘immersion’.  The word ‘baptism’ is the same word that Greeks used when a ship sank to the bottom of the ocean or when someone dove to the bottom of a swimming pool.  In the most technical sense, people are baptized when they take baths, go swimming, etc.  Taking a bath will baptize you, but it definitely won’t save you.

The Bible teaches that baptism saves you.  According to the Bible, baptism is a requirement of salvation.  Peter said so in Acts 2:38 when he preached the first sermon after Christ’s ascension.  In 1 Pet 3:21, it specifically says that baptism saves us.  Mk 16:16 says that baptism is as integral a part of salvation as belief, and Paul tells us in Rom 6:4-5 that baptism buries us with Christ, so we might be born again without our sins.  The Bible clearly teaches baptism as a prerequisite for salvation.

Now, here is your problem.  Calvinism teaches that baptism is “an outward showing of an inward grace.”  That means that Calvinistic churches do baptize people, but they believe it is only for show and that you were already saved before you were baptized.  Therefore, the reason they baptize people is completely wrong.  If you are baptized for the wrong reasons, you just get wet – not saved.  We would be happy to get you in touch with a congregation that isn’t tied to denominations, teaches the whole Bible (Rev 22:18-19), avoids manmade traditions (Matt 15:9), and will baptize you for the right reasons.  Just e-mail us (askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org) with the general area of the country you live in and we will happily put you in contact with a faithful church.  You may also find the article “Calvin And Sobs” on Calvinism of use to better understand this manmade religion.

     I'm a christian who hasn't smoked or drank alcohol in ten years and started back up about five months ago.  I've prayed and prayed.  I feel very condemned... what can I do?

Sincerely,
Off The Wagon

Dear Off The Wagon,

The only thing to do is to repent and get back to the same habits that kept you clean for ten years.  God tells us that if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us (1 Jn 1:9).  Assuming that you have properly taken the steps to become a christian (read "Five Steps To Salvation" for details on what it takes to be saved), confession and repentance are all that is needed.  Pr 24:16 says that a righteous man may fall seven times, but he rises again.  Just get back up and keep trying.  Ten years is a wonderful success story.  You did it once; you can do it again.

     Hello, I think this is my fifth question to you guys.  I am a bit new to Christianity.  I feel really out of place in church and appreciate all the answers so far.  I have read the Bible but don't fully understand it; I'm workin’ on it.  I had an experience with God where He showed me that He was real, and I started reading directly after that.  This question revolves around will.  After my first experiences with God, I felt a dramatic change in my life.  I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit, and I wanted to follow the rules to a tee.  I wanted to do God's will and have His will done through me.  I would've done just about anything, and I could strongly sense God controlling and leading my life.  He was presenting opportunities and challenges and speaking to me on a very normal basis.  This feeling slowly dwindled, and I don't know how to get it back.  Furthermore, to be quite honest, I don't really WANT to get it back.  At the present, I don't want to get close to God by doing His will, studying, or even praying sometimes.  I would rather do my own will.  I know it's wrong.  I know our relationship with God is the only thing on this world that really matters, but for some reason, I just don't really feel like doing it.

But I would like to feel like doing it because I know I should.  That was the single greatest feeling I've ever experienced, but for some reason (I don't really know why), I just don't seem to want it anymore.

Any suggestions?

Sincerely,
Not In The Mood

Dear Not In The Mood,

Our closeness to God isn’t defined by how close we feel to Him or by any personal revelation we think we receive… the Scriptures are our compass, not our emotions.  When the Bible was perfectly completed, all prophecy and individual revelations were done away with (1 Cor 13:9-10).  Paul told Timothy that he was approved by God when he rightly handled the Word of Truth (2 Tim 2:15).  Col 1:5 says that we have hope through the Word of God, and Eph 1:13 says we are sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit through the Gospel of salvation.

Many people wholeheartedly believe that they are pleasing to God but will be condemned on the Day of Judgment (Matt 7:22-23).  Feelings can be deceptive, but God’s Word is unchanging, unbiased, and able to rightly divide our lives and character (Heb 4:12).  If you want to know whether or not you are pleasing God, compare your life to the Scriptures.  “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Rom 10:17).”

It is very common for people to have an initial burst of enthusiasm when they first learn about Christ.  Matt 13:20-21 tells about the person that has an unrooted love of God – that is true for lots of folks.  The key for you is that you need to be different.  You need to put out the effort even when you don’t feel like it.  We are defined by what we do when it is hard, not when it is easy.

Part of your problem may be that you aren’t amongst a group of people that are feeding you the Word of God.  Many churches teach emotionalism but not Scripture, and that leaves you feeling defeated the first time things get difficult.  If you would like help finding a congregation near you that faithfully stands by God’s Word, feel free to e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org, and we will help you locate one.

      Many passages like Romans 10:13 say that whoever accepts Jesus as Savior will automatically be saved.  But what about passages that say that not all christians will enter God’s kingdom?  Matthew 7:21-23 states that Jesus said that not everyone who calls His name will enter God’s kingdom.  Luke 13:23-27 states that people will do anything just to get qualified to enter God’s kingdom, but not all will succeed.  Most interesting of all is Matthew 25:32-46 where some of those who thought they were sheep were actually goats.  So what guarantee is there that we will be saved and be in the presence of God?

Sincerely,
Needing A Guarantee

Dear Needing A Guarantee,

The guarantee is when we continually live faithful lives to God until the day we die.  Accepting Jesus as our Savior is more than just a singular act; it is a lifestyle.  The apostle Paul said it clearest when he wrote, "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me His own.  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Php 3:12-14).

Notice the language he uses.  Paul says that he hasn't already obtained and that he must "press on" to the goal.  Faith is a lifestyle of hearing God's Word and living by it (Rom 10:17).  Rom 10:13 is often taken out of context and used to say that all we must do to be saved is call upon the Lord's name, but we must remember that it is the sum of God's Word that gives us the truth (Ps 119:160).  There are many verses (like those you mentioned) which state that calling on the Lord's name is only part of what it takes to get to heaven.