Did God create evil?  If so, is there evil in Him?

Sincerely,
Dark Detector

Dear Dark Detector,

God didn’t create evil; the devil did.  The Bible says that Satan is the father of lies (Jhn 8:44).  Sin only exists when we turn our backs on God.  Sin is a lot like darkness.  Darkness isn’t really a thing – it is the absence of light.  God is the Father of lights and every good thing (Jas 1:17)... there is no evil in God.  When we stop following the Lord, we no longer walk in the light.  Evil is the absence of godliness.  Evil is what you get when you remove God’s design.

     Sometimes I feel God’s presence very strongly, and other times I feel very weak.  I even question my salvation at times.  Do you believe the teaching of “once saved, always saved”?

Sincerely,
Not Feeling It

Dear Not Feeling It,

“Once saved, always saved” isn’t true.  Heb 3:12 says that we must be wary and protect our hearts because an evil, unbelieving heart can fall away.  2 Pet 3:17 says that we can lose our salvation if we get caught up in false teaching (1 Tim 4:1 also states this).  If we return to a life of ungodliness, then we crucify Christ again (Heb 6:4-6).
However, it is also normal to sometimes feel spiritually strong and sometimes feel spiritually weak… what is God’s remedy for that?  Rom 10:17 says that we can measure our faith by our willingness to follow God’s Word.  Sometimes emotions can be deceiving.  It is our adherence to God’s Word that saves us (Rom 1:16).  If you are doing what God says you must do to be saved, then you can have confidence regardless of how you feel (see “Five Steps To Salvation” for further details).  Serving God is often an issue of doing what is right without regard to our emotions… showing bravery when we are afraid, working when we are tired, praying when we feel we aren’t heard, and persevering when we are discouraged.

     I’ve made some mistakes in the past that I’m ashamed of.  Society reminds me everyday of my actions, and makes it hard for me to forgive myself, especially when I know they haven’t forgiven me.  I feel ashamed and worthless.  What can I do to erase my past?

Sincerely,
Can’t Get Past the Past

Dear Can’t Get Past the Past,

You can't erase your past, but you can change your future… but that isn't the real issue.  The real problem is that you don’t feel forgiven.  The two issues are very different.  There are times when our head and our heart aren’t on the same page.  Guilt can drive someone crazy if they don’t learn to keep things in proper perspective.  God says that your heart can be wrong.   It is very similar to the problem that the apostle Paul faced.  Paul had murdered Christians and felt that he was the worst of the worst, but he learned that Jesus would forgive him (1 Tim 1:15-16).

The apostle John said it best, “By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before Him, for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything.” (1 Jhn 3:19-20)  Your act of faith is going to be letting go of your fears and trusting that living by God’s Word is what matters (Rom 10:17)… not what society thinks of you.

How can I jumpstart my relationship with Jesus when I've been lazy about it?

Sincerely,
Sluggish

Dear Sluggish,

The first thing we tell people to do when they say they are interested in being closer to God is to start consistently attending and being involved with a congregation.  Heb 10:24-25 says that the local church provokes us to love and good works and that when we forsake studying, worshipping, and being involved with the church, we become spiritually sluggish and lazy.  Those who go, grow – those who don’t, won’t.  We don't know exactly where you are in life, but if you need help finding a faithful congregation near you to study with, work with, and help... please e-mail us, and we will happily get you in touch with a faithful, vibrant group of Christians near you.

     Hi; I was reading about what some of the earliest Christians believed, and apparently, in one of their earliest rule books called the Didache, it says that they had to publicly confess all their sins in church to everyone else.  Is this something we still have to do today?  I always thought we could just confess to God if it was something private, and I don't want to have to go in front of my church and tell them everything I've ever done.

Sincerely,
Privacy Please

Dear Privacy Please,

We must follow the Bible, and the Didache isn’t the Bible.  The Didache is part of what is often referred to as ‘second-generation Christian writings’.  Even though it is a historically significant document, it isn’t part of the Bible, it isn’t inspired by God, and we don’t use it to decide what is right and wrong.  The Bible never says that we have to confess our sins in front of the congregation.  It does tell us to confess our sins to God (1 Jn 1:9), but it doesn’t require that we do it publicly or that we do it in every circumstance.  Here are a few circumstances when the Bible says confessing your sins to others should be done:

1. If you have sinned against them, you must admit it and ask for forgiveness (Lk 17:3-4).
2. If you believe the knowledge of your previous sin will help them (1 Tim 1:15-16).
3. If you are struggling with a sin and need help (Jas 5:16, Eccl 4:9).
4. If it would be deceptive to not reveal the sin (1 Jhn 1:8).

But don’t fret about baring all before everyone else; the Didache isn’t the guidebook – the Bible is.