The Bible tells us many times that God loves us.  So my question is: how could a God that loves us so much condemn anyone to eternal suffering in hell?  I believe that the vast majority of the world would say, "no" if you asked them if they are a christian.  By what the Bible tells us, that would mean that most people will go to hell.  It is very difficult for me to believe in a loving, caring God under those circumstances.  The parable of the sheep and goats is an even further discouragement.  Please help me out.

Sincerely,
That Fire Is Hot

Dear That Fire Is Hot,

God doesn’t condemn us to hell; He offers to save us from ourselves.  When God designed mankind, He made us in His image (Gen 1:26).  One result of that design is that all humans have eternal souls.  That is a positive thing.  God intended for Adam & Eve to never die and to always enjoy the blessings of fellowship with God in the garden (Gen 2:8).  Eden was a perfect situation, and it was our sin that destroyed that perfection.  Mankind sinned, and that sin causes us to die (Rom 6:23).  God gives us the freedom to choose to live or choose to sin; the fact that we all choose to sin is not His fault (Rom 5:12).  Heaven is a perfect place, and if God allowed sinful people into heaven, it would cease to be perfect.  Our actions and choices have condemned us.

God, however, wishes to save us from ourselves.  He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins (Jhn 3:16).  He provided us with the Bible, which shows us the path to receive salvation (Rom 10:17, Rom 1:16).  We should not blame God for those who go to hell any more than we should blame a doctor when his patient refuses to take their medication.  It is true that many people will go to hell (Matt 7:13), but God doesn’t desire that any should perish (Ezek 18:23).  God sent us a Savior in Jesus Christ, even though we didn’t deserve it (1 Jn 4:14).

Why do people in church try to make you tell others about when you catch the holy ghost, like you don’t know what happened and like they didn’t see what you caught when you get prayed for?

Sincerely,
Ghostbuster

Dear Ghostbuster,

To be honest with you, we are unclear exactly what you are asking, but it is clear that you don’t have a complete understanding of how the Holy Ghost works.  The Holy Ghost is not something that you catch.  The Holy Spirit is God (1 Cor 2:11).  He is a distinct being – as much as the Father and the Son.  He was there at the creation of the world (Gen 1:2) and the baptism of Jesus (Mk 1:10).  He has emotions, like sadness (Eph 4:30).  He can’t be caught, stolen, snatched, or captured.  The Holy Spirit is the one that gave the apostles knowledge of what to say and write (Jhn 14:26).  It is the Holy Spirit that guided the hands of the Bible writers (1 Cor 2:13).  The whole Bible is what the Spirit has written for us to know (Rev 2:7).

You have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you when you obey what the Scriptures say (Jas 4:5).  The Holy Spirit being “in” us is the same as us being “in” Christ (1 Cor 1:30).  It is relational, not physical.  The Holy Spirit dwells in us as far as we are one with Him and His wishes.  We are family through the faith found through the Spirit’s words.

Ever since about three or four months ago, I've been having doubt about the existence of God.  I'm a Christian.  Is this normal?  I don’t want Him to think I’m ungrateful or anything.  Help!

Sincerely,
Agnostically Challenged

Dear Agnostically Challenged,

Everyone faces times of doubt in their life; the key is to strengthen the weaknesses in our resolve.  Like the man who cried out, “I believe, help my unbelief!” (Mk 9:24), all Christians must recognize that faith must grow and increase over time.

Faith is the evidence of things not seen (Heb 11:1).  We can’t see God, but there is plenty of evidence that He exists.  The whole creation cries out as evidence of God’s existence (Rom 1:20).  As science and our knowledge of the natural world have increased, the proof of God’s existence has increased as well.  Answersingenesis.org is a website based entirely around the scientific proof of God’s existence.  Books like Has God Spoken? by A.O. Schnabel, Case For A Creator by Lee Strobel, and Evidence That Demands A Verdict by Josh McDowell are excellent resources that make clear the existence of the God of the Bible.  Take the time to fill your mind with information from sources like those mentioned above, and you will find yourself more confident in no time (Php 4:8).

     I suffer from a disorder known as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in which I have to do a behavior or ritual (such as touching an object a certain number of times) to avoid something bad happening.  My personal fear is that if I don't do the ritual, I will subconsciously sell my soul to the devil and be condemned to hell.  My question is about if it is possible to sell your soul or lose it because of a possible thought or action, or is this concept just a contrivance of literature and cinema?  Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,
Driven

Dear Driven,

Take comfort – your eternal destiny isn’t dictated by how many times you perform a ritual of your own making.  Saying that you will go to hell for these rituals isn’t true any more than saying, “I’ll go to heaven by performing these rituals.”  We aren’t the final judge of our eternal home – Christ is (2 Tim 4:1).  We don’t get to dictate the terms of our relationship with God; God sets the standards for our salvation, and He put those rules in the Bible (2 Pet 1:3, Rom 10:17).  If you have done what Christ teaches you must do to be saved, you will go to heaven.  If you don’t, you won’t.  What personal rituals and traditions we perform have no bearing on the subject.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a real issue, and we know that it isn’t as simple as just being given an answer, and then the problem goes away.  So as you struggle with your fears, try and take comfort in the truth that God doesn’t use the same standards as we do (Isa 55:8-9).

I was going to give an offering to an online ministry.  I have said to myself that if this isn't what God wanted me to do, He would let me know. Well, I have checked on my balance from my account, and I just found out that my offering didn't go through.  Is this a sign that God doesn't want me to give even though I gave it two weeks ago?  I don't have much money left, and I don't know what to do.

Sincerely,
Give Or Live

Dear Give Or Live,

We here at AYP think in general people should give more, not less – but in this circumstance, we lend toward saying, “Don’t give.”  We cannot be adamant either way, but here are the Scriptures that come to mind in your circumstance:

1. You prayed about it, and it hasn’t worked out.  God says that if we pray for wisdom, He will provide (Jas 1:5).  Ultimately, the only exact knowledge we will ever get is from God’s Word (Rom 10:17, Rom 1:16).  However, it would be foolish to say that God doesn’t answer prayers and affect our lives providentially.  The fact that your gift didn’t go through isn’t definitive proof, but it would give us pause as well.
2. Online ministries are rarely Biblical.  I’m sure we will receive a flood of e-mails telling us how wrong we are on this point, but realistically, televangelists, online ministries, and the sort are made up of people who want to itch ears and tell people what they want to hear, so that they can get to their purse strings (2 Tim 4:3-4).  Beware of false teachers who come to you in sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15).  There are many other, more specific ways that you can help others without getting mixed up with charlatans.
3. You mentioned that you don’t have much money left.  God expects us to give liberally, but He also doesn’t hold us accountable to give something we don’t have to give (2 Cor 8:12).  If you have to decide whether you will have enough money to eat or whether you will give – it is probably time to take care of the needs at home first.  On the other hand, be careful that you don’t define ‘wants’ as ‘needs’ and only give what you have left over.  All giving should be a sacrifice (Lk 21:1-4).

Ultimately, you must decide for yourself what you ought to do in this circumstance… but those are some Scriptures to consider as you make your decision.