Are there degrees or measures of religious faith?  Is faith a gift from God, or do we generate faith from our own soul and heart?  Why do some people seem to have more faith than others?  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Learning To Be Loyal

Dear Learning To Be Loyal,

The ability to be saved through faith is a gift from God (Eph 2:8), but faith is something we are responsible for.  Faith comes from hearing what God says and then acting upon it (Rom 10:17).  Jesus rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith (Matt 14:31)… which means the amount of faith we have is our responsibility.

Some people have no faith (Rom 3:3), others have little faith (Matt 6:30), and some have great faith (Matt 8:10).  Some people have more faith than others because they have worked harder to cultivate faith in God.  It is our duty to increase in faith and service to God.  One of the simplest ways to measure our faith in God is by looking at our behavior (Jas 2:18).  How we live is a reflection of our loyalty to the Lord.  It is impossible to please God without an active and practiced faith in Him (Heb 11:6).  We must study, learn, and apply God’s Word daily.

I am a committed christian, and I accept Christ as my Savior, but I don't understand some of the things God does to people who do not believe, and I believe this is holding me back from truly feeling Him in my heart.  These are some of the things I do not understand: there are truly great people out there who do not know Christ or do not believe.  Those who are brought up believing something else are innocent, for they have no choice. To them, it is like someone trying to convert you to Buddhism; you would not convert because you were brought up believing something else, and the consequence is to burn in hell for all eternity.  The human mind can’t even conceive of eternity; that’s the most horrifying thing I can imagine. God is like our father, but could you send your son to burn in hell, even if you could do something about it?  Please help me understand this; my faith most likely depends on this.  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Voice For The Lost

Dear Voice For The Lost,

There are several things to consider when wrestling with the issue of the lost going to hell.  The first thing to remember is that God doesn’t send people to hell – we choose to go there.  Sin is a choice made by responsible adults (see the story of the first sin in Gen 3:1-7).  When we sin, we die (Rom 6:23).  God didn’t make us spiritually dead; He created us with spiritual life (Gen 2:7).  God originally wanted all mankind to live eternally with Him in the Garden of Eden (Gen 2:8)… we are the ones who chose to break that perfect pattern.

God says that everyone has the opportunity and freedom to choose Him – regardless of what background we come from.  The very universe screams of the nature of God, so all are without excuse (Rom 1:20).  We all have a responsibility to seek out God, and He promises that all those who seek Him will find Him (Matt 7:7, Matt 5:6).  God never condemned us to hell; we did it to ourselves.  God has offered a payment for our souls through His Son Jesus Christ’s blood (Jhn 3:16).  Jesus is a road back to God (Jhn 14:6), a road we don’t deserve (Rom 5:8).  All of us have rebelled against God (Rom 3:23), and God in His infinite mercy gives us a second chance.

When we start thinking in terms of “God opening the way to heaven through His love” instead of “God condemning almost everyone to hell”, then we begin to get a proper picture of the way God views eternity.

What is the age of accountability?

Sincerely,
Old Enough to Know Better

Dear Old Enough to Know Better,

The age of accountability is the age when a child becomes accountable to God for their sins and would be judged for them… exactly at what age that happens is the tricky part of your question.  We can tell you what the Bible says on the subject, but it doesn’t say much.

We know any baby that dies goes to heaven.  David’s son died, and David made it clear that his son was in heaven (2 Sam 12:23).  Also, Paul uses the immaturity of children as an example (1 Cor 13:11).  This tells us God doesn’t have the same expectation of a child’s behavior as He does of an adult’s.  Children are not bound by the same rules as adults.  A child doesn’t have the mental capacity or maturity to be held accountable for their mistakes like adults are.

In order to become a christian, there are several things God expects you to be capable of doing:

1. Take responsibility for your sins (Acts 3:19).
2. Hear and understand the Word of God (Rom 10:17).
3. Be responsible for your own spiritual growth (1 Pet 2:1-2).

If a child is not capable of doing those things, they cannot be held accountable for their eternal future.

This still doesn’t answer the question though because every child matures at a different rate.  Everyone agrees that a five-year-old can’t be held accountable, and that a twenty-year-old can.  It is the age spectrum in between where our judgment gets fuzzy.  Only God, who knows our hearts (Lk 16:15), can accurately judge the hour in which a child makes that transition into accountability.

Suffering of christians in other countries like Africa…

I don't understand.  If we consider what Jesus said in Lk 12:22-26, why do true christians starve to death everyday in other countries?  I understand that sometimes bad things are allowed to happen to us for God's purpose, but when I am asked by my children this question, how do I answer?

Sincerely,
Hungering For Truth

Dear Hungering For Truth,

Lk 12:22-26 never says that christians won’t suffer or die; it just says that God provides for us the way He sees fit and that we shouldn’t be anxious.  Even Christ once went forty days without food (Lk 4:2), but there was a purpose to that hunger.  Job was a man whose life epitomized suffering… but once again, there was a purpose (Job 2:3-7).  Many christians died for their faith in the first century (Rev 17:6).  Some christians die because they refuse to steal food, some die because they refuse to lie or cheat, and still others are murdered for confessing Christ.  It was that way then, and it is the same today in many parts of the world.  Not all christians are called to suffer to the point of blood (Heb 12:4), but if living a christian life brings about your death – heaven is very far better (Php. 1:21-23).  When we suffer as christians, we are blessed (1 Pet 3:13-14).  Tell your children that this world is not our home… we are just passing through.

My wife feels God is God, not Jesus is God.  She prays to God, not Jesus ands needs clarity on 3-is-1 and 1-is-3.  She feels Jesus is God's Son, not God.  She feels He came out of Mary's womb, was a baby in need of food, water, etc., and wasn't God.  Are there different beliefs among christians on this?

Sincerely,
Head Count

Dear Head Count,

There are different views on this topic – but only one correct Bible answer.  The Father is God… and Jesus is God, too.  There are three parts to the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  This is most easily seen in Matt 3:16-17.  When Jesus was baptized, the Father spoke from heaven, and the Holy Spirit descended as a dove.  Each of them is eternal (they were all at the creation – Gen. 1:1, Gen. 1:2, Col 1:15-17).  John 1:1 specifically says that Jesus is Deity.  Jesus is different than the Father, but He is part of the Godhead.  Jesus even said that He had always existed (Jhn 8:58).  The apostles worshipped Jesus as God (Jhn 20:28).

Jesus was God in the flesh (1 Tim 3:16).  In Jesus, we can see all the fullness of the Godhead (Col 2:9).  Jesus cried to the Father when He was on the cross because the Father was in heaven while Jesus was here suffering on earth (Mk 15:34).  The Scriptures clearly back up that Jesus is deity.