[This question is a follow-up to “Real… For Real”)

      Thanks for answering my question about whether or not God exists!  I have another question if it isn't too much trouble; well, truthfully, I have a lot of questions, but you said, "It is important that everyone asks this question at some point in their life."

Why is that?  I contacted a few churches with similar questions, and one even told me that he had never doubted it and made me feel as if this wasn't normal.  It isn't that I don't believe as much as I can't help but wonder.  I was raised in church until around the age of seven or eight, and my parents quit going, and I continued to go by myself until I was around ten or eleven.  I haven't faithfully gone to church since, but now at the age of twenty-one, I feel as if God is calling me.  I can't help but have my doubts, well, my anxieties about it.  I have started church again, but I guess my first step is figuring out my beliefs and learning as much as I can and just looking for help/answers.  Thanks so much for your time.  It's an amazing thing you're doing.  God bless!

Sincerely,
Asking

Dear Asking,

The reason it is important for people to ask themselves whether or not God is real is because it is important that we think about what we believe and get real answers from the Bible.  If you don’t look for answers, then you are just being spoon-fed whatever the preacher, pastor, professor, etc. you are closest to says.
God expects us to think through these spiritual questions and study His Word for ourselves.  Php 2:12 says that we must each work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.  In Isa 1:18, God says, “Come now, let us reason together…”.  Far too many churches provide only shallow teaching, and sadly, inaccurate shallow Bible teaching.
Expect more from any church or preacher you talk to than just a superficial answer.  Don’t feel bad for asking questions, and don’t let them treat you condescendingly just because they haven’t got an answer.  After all, 1 Pet 3:15 says that we ought to always be ready to give an answer for the hope that is in us.  If they can’t give you a straight answer… you don’t want the hope they are selling.

     Is it a sin against God to drive a car without a driver’s license?  I have my learner’s license, but I still drive my car on my own.  I am a born-again Christian, and I have given my life to Christ, but I want to know if I am sinning against God.

Sincerely,
Behind The Wheel

Dear Behind The Wheel,

God tells us that as Christians, we must obey the laws of the land in which we live.  Rom 12:1-2 says that God is the one that puts all governments in place, and we are to be in subjection to those governments.  The only exception to that rule would be if the government creates laws that would be immoral to follow (like forced abortions or banning Bibles).  In that case, we obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).  In your circumstance, if you only have a learner’s license, you should only drive when and how the learner’s license allows.

     What is the role of a brother in Christ with regard to a sister in Christ who is not his wife, daughter, sister, mother, or any other female family member?  I'm a sister in Christ.  I don't want to be husbanded or fathered.  I just want a brother and a friend, not someone who is trying to manage my life like he does a wife or one of his children.  Shouldn't there be a difference?

Sincerely,
Not Yours

Dear Not Yours,

The Bible teaches that men in the church should treat women in the church like sisters and mothers (depending on their age).  Paul clearly says this in 1 Tim 5:2.  It isn’t the job of a Christian man to manage the lives of all Christian women – frankly, we’ve got enough work just taking care of ourselves!

We aren’t entirely sure what your complete question is, but it is possible for men and women in the church to have friendships, as long as they are careful to avoid anything inappropriate (1 Thess 5:2).  Both genders in the church are to seek healthy relationships with all Christians… whether male, female, young, or old.

The only people within a congregation who would have a responsibility to “manage” you would be the elders, who are given the task of watching over the saints (1 Pet 5:2).

     All my life I have heard of the Unforgiveable Sin.  Could you tell me about it?  I have this worry that I've done it or if I will in the future.  It's eating at me; please help.

Sincerely,
Feeling Guilty

Dear Feeling Guilty,

The unforgivable sin is the sin against the Holy Spirit, and the fact that you are visiting this website is a pretty sure sign that you haven’t committed it.  Jesus says that any sin will be forgiven except for someone blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Mk 3:28-30).  Jesus said this to the crowd that accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Satan (Mk 3:23).  That crowd could have been forgiven of any sin, but instead they rejected the miracles that testified that Jesus was from God.  Contrast that crowd’s attitude with Nicodemus’ attitude.  Nicodemus understood that the only way that someone could perform a miracle was if God was with him (Jhn 3:2).  When that crowd rejected the evidence that the Holy Spirit provided (in this case, the miracles), they rejected any chance to receive the forgiveness found in Jesus’ teachings.  When we reject the truth of God (the Bible), we reject the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit’s primary job is to bring the truth of the gospel to mankind (see the post “What the Holy Spirit Does” for more details).  Someone blasphemes the Holy Spirit by rejecting the truth that the Holy Spirit sent us in the Bible.  Any sin can be forgiven if we will turn to God’s Word and obey it (Rom 10:17, Heb 5:9), but there is absolutely no hope for someone if he or she will not accept the Holy Spirit’s Bible.

Therefore, since it seems that you are actively seeking the truth and trying to study and learn what God’s Word is – you have not committed the unforgivable sin.

     Why did people in the Bible live so long? I have heard that after the Flood, it changed the climate dramatically, therefore having a huge impact on humans.  I was just curious what the real answer is or if it is just a ‘best guess’ kind of thing.

Sincerely,
Older By The Minute

Dear Older By The Minute,

There is no specific answer as to why God allowed the age of man to deteriorate down to seventy to eighty years (Ps 90:10) from the hundreds of years that people lived during the pre-Flood era, but many creation scientists attribute the drop to genetic degradation.  As mankind’s genetic pool has deteriorated from the perfect specimens of Adam and Eve, the length of our lives has suffered.  At least, that is one theory.

Think of it this way, Adam and Eve were the most healthy, well-made humans ever.  They were genetic royalty!  Everyone since them has been just a little less perfect.  That is the way genetics work.  Slowly over time, genetic mutations (like hemophilia, Down's Syndrome, etc.) have crept into the genetic code of mankind, and other genetic traits have been lost.  This slow process of erosion has brought us to the point where we are today.  Our bodies are genetically inferior to the earlier generations of mankind, and consequently, can't survive as long.  As you said, another factor may simply be that the post-Flood world is harsher than the pre-Flood world, and that has added to our shortened lifespans.

Like you said, there isn't a definitive answer – it's more of a ‘best guess’ thing.