What are God's thoughts on cremation?  Not your thoughts, but God's.

 

Sincerely,
Ashes To Ashes

Dear Ashes To Ashes,

This is a question that we are often asked at AYP because it is so important to people that they properly handle their own (and their family’s) final wishes in a godly fashion.  Cremation is perfectly Biblical. Your body is a tent that is discarded at death (2 Cor 5:1-4).  At death, we leave this ‘tent’ of a body behind (2 Pet 1:14,) and your body will decay and return to dust (Gen 3:19).

We have at least one account of cremation occurring in the Old Testament.  Saul and his sons were cremated after they died in battle (1 Sam 31:12). The men that cremated Saul and his sons were later commended by David for their behavior (2 Sam 2:5). That same verse in 2 Samuel shows that David considered cremation a form of burial.

The Bible does not seem to place much focus on how someone is buried. God’s emphasis is upon how we live (Gal 2:20), not what is done with our body after we die.

When I was about eleven, I was baptized.  When I was in my teens, I did something stupid (won’t tell what it is because it disgusts me to even think of it).  But in the Old Testament, it says to kill the woman who does this because it’s disgusting in the Lord’s sight.  I have read several different versions since then and many years have passed.  I cannot find anything to make myself think that God will forgive me.  To think that God is disgusted with you....

 

Can I be forgiven?  Can I be clean again?

Sincerely,
Guilt-Ridden

Dear Guilt-Ridden,

Nothing can be more disgusting and horrible than killing christians – and God forgave Paul of that sin (Acts 26:10).  Paul said that he was set up as an example to all mankind that any sin, no matter how horrid, can be forgiven (1 Tim 1:16).  As much as Paul grieved his sins (he considered himself the least of the apostles, 1 Cor 15:9), he also gave thanks that God forgave him (Col 1:12-14).  Paul’s future life was fueled by the fact that it was by God’s grace he had been given a second chance.  Only in Christianity can we fully accept the weight and gravity of our sins and just as fully accept the gift of forgiveness.  “By the grace of God” Paul had hope, and because of that grace, he “labored more abundantly than all” (1 Cor 15:10).  Like the woman that was brought to Jesus to be stoned, you can be set free with a second chance (read the account of that woman in John chapter 8).  His only command to her was, “Go and sin no more” (Jhn 8:11).

Is smoking a pipe or cigar bad, at least in christian living?

 

Sincerely,
Huff And Puff

Dear Huff And Puff,

Anything that purposefully poisons our bodies is wrong to use.  There was a time where the facts were not clearly known about the effects of cigarettes, pipes, and cigars on human health.  Those days are long since gone.  The data is exceptionally clear that smoking is always harmful to the human body and that smoking has no positive health benefits.  God tells us to treat our bodies as a temple (1 Cor 6:19).  Our bodies are a gift from God, and life is something to be cherished.  When we purposefully abuse our bodies with unhealthy lifestyles, we rebel against God and show ungratefulness for the life He has given us.  Present your body as a living and holy sacrifice to God (Rom 12:1).  Who knows what work He has prepared for you in the days and years that would be lost if you died from the effects of smoking?

I have a deep sense of guilt every time I masturbate. I'm seventeen-years-old, and sometimes I just have the immense urge to masturbate.  I know it's bad under God's eyes, but I still seem to do it.  I feel extremely guilty afterwards because I know God is mad at me.  I ask for forgiveness, but I somehow feel God is mad at me.  Will He forgive me?  The temptation is strong... can you help me?

 

Sincerely,
Youthful Temptation

Dear Youthful Temptation,

We receive a great many questions regarding this subject, and after much thought, we have decided to give a rather lengthy answer to this question, hoping that it will not be necessary to deal with it continually in the future.  We here at AYP do not wish to fixate upon a private and sensitive topic week after week, but we understand that the issue of masturbation is a very real struggle for most young men, and it deserves a Bible answer.

Your question makes the assumption that masturbation is always sinful.  The truth is that the Bible never specifically addresses the topic.  When we search for a Bible answer, we must conclude that God has not spoken one word on this subject.  Having said that, we realize there are many religious teachings in the world today claiming it is either right or wrong.  Catholic doctrine teaches it is a sin one hundred percent of the time, but that is a man-made teaching – not something directly understood from the Bible.  On the other hand, many liberal religious groups teach that masturbation is a perfectly normal thing that should be practiced without any reservation.  Neither teaching is accurate.  We need to look at what the Bible says concerning the topic and accept its teachings and nothing else.  There are some other things (such as lust and guilt) that are closely related to this subject, so we will address them because there are specific Bible teachings on those subjects.

1. Lust is sinful.  Anything that involves lusting after a woman (that is not your spouse) is not allowed (Matt 5:28).  ‘Lust’ means to ‘look upon with strong passion or desire’.  Any action that involves a strong sexual desire for a specific person that is not your spouse is sinful.
2. Many, many God-fearing people have a sense of extreme guilt after the act of self-relief.  When someone’s conscience is upset, that is always sinful because it shows you are doing something you believe is wrong.  If we cannot do something in faith, then it is sin (Rom 14:23).  In essence, if you think it is wrong, then it is wrong… at least for you.  If you do what you believe is right, you will not have a guilty feeling in anything you do.  If you do not do what you believe is right, then you will always have a guilty feeling.  This holds true of everything in life.  This is why it is so important that we examine the Scriptures and be fully assured that what we are doing is right with God.  That means we must always study what God has said (not man) on every subject.
3. Pornography is often closely associated with masturbation and should always be avoided.  Pornography is sinful because it is designed around lusting after specific women (see point #1).  Pornography is also a highly addictive sin.  Many young lives have been horribly destroyed because of sexual addiction to pornographic images.  We cannot overstate the dangers of this type of addiction.  Thus, pornography must be avoided at all costs.
4. When young people are in that stage between childhood and marriage, there is a constant pull and temptation from the sexual realm.  There is no easy way around the desires created by the physiological reaction of a young man's body.  God understands that a young person’s body burns in passion (1 Cor 7:9).  It is said that in today’s culture and society, a young man is bombarded with things to stimulate him on an average of every ten seconds.  This is not an excuse, nor should it be used as an excuse, for immoral behavior – but it is a reality that every young man has to cope with.
5. Marriage is God’s vessel for the relief of sexual desires (1 Cor 7:1-5).  God understands the devil uses the sexual realm to tempt us away from a faithful life, and God created marriage as the solution to that temptation.  That is the long-term answer to this issue.  The problem we are dealing with is what someone should do to act faithfully through the short-term period of time between childhood and marriage.

This issue is not an easy one and there are no clear-cut answers.  The Bible provides many principles that surround this subject, and we have tried to outline them here… but ultimately, each person must faithfully consider these principles and behave themselves in a way that they believe is adhering to the teachings God lays out in His Scriptures.  We shouldn’t allow man-made religious laws to control our lives, whether they are overly conservative or overly liberal.

I'm having a hard time forgiving myself for a wrong choice I made.  What do I need to do?  I have asked God to forgive me, but I feel so guilty and unclean.

 

Sincerely,
Internal Struggle

Dear Internal Struggle,

Christians constantly struggle with forgiving themselves for sins even after God has already forgiven them (1 Jn 1:9).  Godly people are known for their sense of integrity and personal responsibility.  Like David, christians accept the blame for their sins and don’t shirk from taking the blame (2 Sam 12:13).  This can be a double-edged sword though.  It is a positive thing when we honestly examine ourselves and see our faults without excuse (1 Cor 11:27-31).  But there is a negative side to personal responsibility… “hyper-guilt”.

When christians carry guilt for their sins long after God has forgiven them, they inhibit themselves from rejoicing.  Christians should rejoice that they are saved from their sins (Php 4:4).  It is hard for us to comprehend, but when God forgives us, He no longer remembers our sins (Heb 8:12).  Let go of your guilt, not because you weren’t wrong, but because it is to the glory of God that you let go and rejoice (1 Jn 2:12).  When we rejoice and accept God’s forgiveness and the comfort it brings, we bring glory to His name and honor Him for the gift that He has given us.