How and why is dwelling on the past a sin?  Is it okay to wish my destiny were different?  Is it okay to wish I could start over from the beginning?  Most important to me: is it okay to fantasize about having different lives, destinies?

Sincerely,
Regretful

Dear Regretful,

There is nothing wrong with dwelling on the past or pondering what your life would be like if it was different... as long as you are content and happy with what God has actually given you.  Godliness is a means of gain only if accompanied with contentment (1 Tim 6:6).  We are warned against always thinking about the grass being greener on the other side of the fence – be happy with what you have (Php 4:11).  It is very common for people to think about how much better life use to be... but we are warned against getting too wrapped up in that type of thinking (Eccl 7:10).  Let your heart abound with thanks (Col 2:7) and enjoy the day that the Lord has made (Ps 118:24).

Do you believe once we have accepted Christ as our Savior, yet keep falling short, trying, not always succeeding...repenting, changing, then fall again... will He still take us into His loving arms if our lives ended today?

Sincerely,
Never Good Enough

Dear Never Good Enough,

Yes.  If you have taken the steps to become a christian (read “What Must I Do To Be Saved?”), then the rest of your life will be a collection of victories and failures in spiritual growth.  The key is to never give up; always get back up and try again (Pr 24:16).  When we sin – and admit it – God is righteous and ready to forgive us (1 Jn 1:8-9).  Always be honest about your failures and sins (1 Jn 1:10).  God is ready to forgive us an innumerable amount of times as long as we continue to repent (Matt 18:21-22).

Hello, I'm sixteen and homeschooled and have been knowing God since I was a small child in Christian school, but I feel the pulse that I'm here to do something for God… not that I feel more important than anyone else.  I just feel I'm here to accomplish something for Him on earth, and I also have a strong pull towards Armageddon in Revelation; am I just weird, or is my strong pull towards doing something in God’s name real?

Sincerely,
Full Of Fire

Dear Full Of Fire,

You aren’t weird… the right word is ‘zealous’.  Being zealous for God is a good thing (1 Pet 3:13, Tit 2:14).  The important thing is to take the zeal of youth and combine that with Biblical knowledge.  It is only when we combine a zealous spirit with truth that we can please God (Jhn 4:24).  Many people have a zeal for God but fail to gain knowledge to properly serve Him (Rom 10:1-2).  Dedicate yourself to becoming a worker who has no need to be ashamed because you will have gained a proper and deep understanding of the Scriptures (2 Tim 2:15).  God wants to use everyone for His service – the question is whether or not we will be prepared (2 Tim 2:21).

Case in point, it is clear from your question that you have some misunderstandings about the book of Revelation.  We recommend you start building a sturdy and scholarly Bible knowledge now.  We have an entire section of our website dedicated to classes on every book of the Bible.  We recommend you visit sermons.mvchurchofchrist.org, download, and listen to classes on various books of the Bible… including the book of Revelation.  The more you know, the more you will be prepared to do good in this world.

I grew up in the church and was baptized as a teenager.  Although I believed in all I had learned growing up, I really only got baptized because it was expected of me.  I knew I should work on my Christianity and start praying and reading my Bible and fixing problems in my life, but I didn't want to.  I eventually matured and started getting my life in order, but at the time I was baptized, I knew I wasn't going to do anything about it then.  Does my baptism still count if the repent part of “believe, repent and be baptized” didn't come until years later?

Sincerely,
On The Right Track Now

Dear On The Right Track Now,

Baptism is based on an appeal to God for a clear conscience (1 Pet 3:21); if we aren’t seeking to turn to God, the baptism is simply you getting wet.  If there is no repentance (‘repentance’ means ‘changing of the mind’) that accompanies baptism, the whole point of the immersion is negated.  Baptism is supposed to be done because we are cut to the heart and desire a new life in Christ (Acts 2:36-38, Rom 6:3-4).

Having said that, it isn’t abnormal for those raised in the church to later question whether they knew enough or were mature enough to be baptized.  Whether you need to be re-baptized is an issue of conscience and self-examination.  You must work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Php 2:12).  If you truly believe that you were only getting into the water to appease others, you still need to be baptized for remission of your sins.  It us up to you to reflect and ponder whether you have truly obeyed that command.

Yes, I am a christian and have given my life to Christ.  I try to live a good christian life, but when I was very young, I had an abortion.  I was pushed into it by everyone that I knew, including my parents and my boyfriend.  My question is this... is one sin worse than others?  I have asked the Lord to forgive me, and I was and still am very sincere.  I believe that my sins have been forgiven, but lately I am reading things about abortion that are upsetting to me.   Please help.

Sincerely,
Regretful

Dear Regretful,

All sins are equal, but some sins have worse consequences than others.  In this life a “little white lie” may not cause you much trouble, but committing adultery will devastate your life.  However, in the eyes of God, all sin is deserving of death (Rom 6:23).  That “little white lie” will send you to hell just as much as the adultery would.  Abortion is such a heinous sin because of how deeply it affects the life and emotional state of the mother, the family, and ultimately, because it destroys a child’s life… but abortion can be forgiven through the blood of Christ.  The apostle Paul murdered christians (Acts 26:10), but Christ saved him (1 Tim 1:15).  The person that had an abortion is the old you… in Christ, you are a new person, and the old deeds have passed away (2 Cor 5:17).  Move forward in life with peace of mind knowing you will be reunited with your child in heaven.