Hi, preacher.  I have a question: I'm thinking about joining the army to help people in Iraq, and I know that the Bible says to love thy neighbor and not kill, but if I'm doing it for the greater good, would it be a sin if I were to be killed?

Sincerely,
In The Crosshairs

Dear In The Crosshairs,

There is nothing wrong with being a soldier.  The Bible is full of soldiers that were also very faithful people.  King David battled Goliath (1 Sam 17:48-50).  The first Gentile convert to Christianity was a Roman soldier (Acts 10:22).  Being a soldier and killing someone in battle is not the same as murdering someone in cold blood.  People don’t go to hell for being soldiers, but they do go to hell for being murderers (Rev 21:8).  If you died on the battlefield (hopefully that won’t happen), that would not destine you to eternity away from God.

We do recommend that you gravely consider the state of your soul and relationship with God before enlisting.  Being a soldier is a hazardous job, and it accentuates the need to be prepared to meet your Maker.  Please read “What I Must Do To Be Saved?” for more information on what God says we must do to receive salvation.

(This question is a follow-up to “A Theist And An Atheist”.)

I understand that marrying a non-believer may not be the smartest thing to do because it is likely to cause more problems than if you married a Christian; however, would it prevent me from going to heaven?

Sincerely,
Not An Atheist

Dear Not An Atheist,

No single sin will prevent you from going to heaven, but the mentality of “Well, it’s only one sin; maybe it isn’t that big of a deal”… can.  A murderer who repents of murder can go to heaven (Paul did – 1 Tim 1:15-16).  A thief who repents can go to heaven (the thief on the cross did – Lk 23:39-43).  All sins can be forgiven in Christ (1 Jn 1:7), but what you are asking is different.  You are asking whether or not you can do something wrong and it be okay… that is a dangerous path to travel.  The moment we begin “cutting corners” with our salvation, we run into problems.  We can’t tell you that marrying a non-believer will send you to hell, but we have told you that it is a sin.  A sin is a sin – avoid them all.

You've mentioned before that we all should be baptized if we expect to enter the gates of Heaven.  What is your take on the thief on the cross beside Jesus?  He, the thief, asked Jesus to remember him, and Jesus answered, “Today you shall be with Me in Paradise”.

I suppose the thief may have been baptized previously, before he took on a life of crime, or was Jesus giving this guy a break this one time?

Sincerely,
Question From The Jury

Dear Question From The Jury,

There are four explanations for Christ’s pardon of the crucified thief in Lk 23:39-43.  All of them fit in perfect harmony with the necessity of baptism and the New Testament teachings that salvation begins at baptism (1 Pet 3:21, Acts 2:37-38, Mk 16:16, Rom 6:3-4).

1. The first explanation you have already mentioned.  This thief may very well have been baptized by John the Baptist (Mk 1:4) or one of Jesus’ disciples (Jhn 4:1-2).  We simply don’t know enough about this thief to say whether he was or wasn’t baptized.  It is always faulty to build a doctrine off an assumption.  To say that we don’t need to be baptized because that thief wasn’t baptized is an assumption.
2. The thief was physically unable to be baptized.  2 Cor 8:12 tells us that God only holds us accountable for what we are physically able to do.  That thief didn’t have the capability to get off that cross and be baptized.  The argument could be made that he was excused from the law of baptism the same way that a mute man would be excused from the command to “confess Christ with your tongue” (Rom 14:11).  This isn’t the best argument of the four, but it is a valid point worth considering.
3. While Jesus was here on earth, He had the authority to forgive sins as He saw fit (Matt 9:6).  This thief was no different than any of the other people whose sins were verbally forgiven by Christ as He walked this earth (Lk 7:48-49, Lk 5:20).  Since Jesus is no longer on this earth… baptism is the only other way to have your sins removed.
4. The command to be baptized for salvation is a New Testament command.  Those who are baptized become a part of the church (Acts 2:41).  If we are being technical (and there is a time for technicalities), the church and the New Testament law didn’t come into effect until after Jesus died and rose from the grave.  Until Jesus’ death and resurrection, the laws of the Old Testament would have still been in effect.  That thief wasn’t bound to the law of baptism (a New Testament law) because Jesus hadn’t yet died.

No matter which argument seems the sturdiest to you (they all have merit), the thief on the cross example doesn’t negate the necessity of baptism today.

I have been baptized, but at the time, I didn’t understand what it REALLY meant.  I have ALWAYS believed in God and Jesus in my heart.  I pray and try to live a life of compassion.  I was not raised in a church.  I never read the Bible until now; I am starting to go through it.  I am twenty-nine, and I have faith, but I also have questions.  How come everyone says, “Oh, it was their time; they are in a better place now.”  It is God’s plan... but how does God decide who is going to get stabbed to death or who is going to get decapitated in a wreck or who is going to die of a heart explosion?  I have to admit that I BELIEVE, but I am also VERY FRIGHTENED of death.  Terrified... mortified... and everyone says if you believe, you wouldn't be scared, but that’s just NOT so!  How can I overcome this fear?  What is God’s plan for MY death?  I have committed a DEADLY sin, but I did not KNOW it was one until recently because of my ignorance... will I go to hell for being ignorant and committing this sin LONG after baptism?  Everyone was getting baptized, so I did it too because I BELIEVED.  I am so lost!  PLEASE write back to my e-mail; I fear I won't be able to find this site again.  Thank you sooo much and bless you.  I may need to write often!

Sincerely,
Full Of Questions

Dear Full Of Questions,

It is normal to fear death; every sin is deadly (but every sin can be forgiven), and we need to talk about your baptism.  That is the short version of our answer to your question.  Now let’s break it down a little bit more:

1. Fear of Death.  Christianity provides hope for us beyond the grave (2 Cor 1:10).  However, just because I might know something will turn out right, that doesn’t mean I won’t be nervous to face it.  No matter how many statistics you are given about skydiving, the first jump out of a perfectly good airplane will be nerve-wracking.  Death is the same way.  All that we humans have ever known is a physical existence.  Life after death is a new experience (‘Hades’ literally means ‘the unseen place’), and the unknown is always scary.  The apostle Paul made it clear that leaving these fleshly bodies will be a difficult experience for most of us because the idea of being “unclothed” from these mortal bodies is fear-inducing (2 Cor 5:4).
2. Committing A Deadly Sin.  Every sin is deadly (Rom 6:23).  The idea that some sins are worse than other sins is not a Biblical idea – it is a man-made theology.  Cardinal vs. venial sins is from Catholicism, not Christianity.  Even a single sin of any sort has the power to separate us from God (Isa 59:2).  Every sin has the power to kill, and all sin can be forgiven if we are washed in the blood of Christ (1 Jn 1:7).
3. Baptism.  You started your question by stating, “I have been baptized, but at the time didn’t understand what it really meant.”  ‘Baptism’ means ‘immersion in water’… every time you take a bath or go swimming you are baptized.  Baptism will only save you from your sins when you understand what you are doing and why you are doing it (1 Pet 3:21, Mk 16:16).  If you didn’t understand what you were doing when you were baptized… then it didn’t do anything for you.

We here at AYP are happy to answer all your questions and help you on your spiritual journey.  Having said that, there is only so much that a website can provide to help your long-term spiritual growth.  We would be happy to help you find a faithful congregation that can help you one-on-one in learning and applying the Bible in your life.  If you would like help getting in contact with a congregation in your area, e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org.

Question: Are we TRULY saved by faith alone, and what is a "true Christian"?

Hello, my name is (omitted), and I am a christian (Protestant).  I had always believed that we were saved by "faith alone," but I read an article that talks about 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and states that those sins can keep you from heaven.  Furthermore, in that same article, they say this:

"However, a true Christian will always repent, will always eventually return to God, and will always resume the struggle against sin.  But the Bible gives no support for the idea that a person who perpetually and unrepentantly engages in sin can indeed be a Christian."

Based off of that, it seems they are saying that even if you have faith (believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior), you have to do "good works" by "repenting" in order to be called a "true Christian" and keep your salvation.

To sum it all up:

I'm confused.  If there is a Christian that practices the sins in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 without repenting (good works), and even if they believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, is the Bible saying that they are not "true Christians", thus they are not saved?  If that's the case, then aren't we saved by faith + good works instead of just "faith alone"?  Thanks.

Sincerely,
Working On My Faith

Dear Working On My Faith,

The Bible says that we are saved by faith (Eph 2:8), but it never says that we are saved by faith only.  The Scriptures mention a lot of things that are involved in our salvation.  We are saved by hope (Rom 8:24).  We are saved by baptism (1 Pet 3:21).  We are saved by the love of the truth (2 Thess 2:10).  All of these things are involved in your salvation.

We are told that in order to be saved, we must believe in Jesus (Jhn 3:16), repent of our sins (Acts 2:38), be baptized (Mk 16:16), and continue to grow in the knowledge of Christ through the Bible (2 Pet 3:18).  Faith is hearing what God says (Rom 10:17)… and then acting upon it.  James says that faith without works is dead (Jas 2:17).  It is impossible to be a faithful person and live an unrepentant life.  Faith is more than belief; even the demons believe in God (Jas 2:19).  Faith is belief combined with action.  We must be hearers and doers of God’s Word (Jas 1:22).  1 Cor 6:9-10 lists a multitude of unrepentant lifestyles.  If someone continues to live a life of sin, they are not faithful, and God will condemn them.