5 minutes a day 5 days a week - a year of Bible Wisdom

Recently, I heard a sermon, and the preacher asked, "Who or what is causing your light to dim?"  It has caused a lot of us to think.  I know who is causing my light to dim but don't know what to do about it.  Our church is in turmoil.  No one respects the leader or leadership.  So, my question is: what do I do about it?

Sincerely,
Provoked To Action

Dear Provoked To Action,

If the congregation you are attending is having problems because it is no longer doing what the Lord wishes – your only option may be to leave.  However, if the congregation is faithful but floundering, and you have the strength to stick it out – let your light shine (Matt 5:16).  There are two reasons why most congregations in today’s society fall apart.

1. The congregation isn’t doing what the Bible says – in which case, they have problems because they aren’t following Bible patterns.  We recommend you read “Down With Denominationalism”, “Finding A Church”, and “Preacher Interrogation” for further information on what a New Testament congregation looks like.  Congregations that have a leadership that doesn’t hold to God’s Word are very difficult to change; most often, the only way to change them is for enough people to leave because they are disgusted with the unbiblical direction of the church.
2. The congregation has lost its love for the Lord (Rev 2:4-5).  Congregations that no longer have a zeal for the Bible and winning souls to Christ ultimately die off.  When we no longer serve Christ as faithful servants (1 Cor 4:2), a congregation loses its way.  Rev 2:1-7 tells of the church of Ephesus and the fate that awaited them because they lost their fire for God.

You must compare your congregation to the Bible and decide to stick it out and strengthen your brethren (Lk 22:32) or move on to another congregation where you can properly grow and serve the Lord with a clear conscience.  Whatever you do, make sure that you can say that the congregation you attend is “a pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15).  We have helped many others find faithful congregations in their area – if that is the road you believe you must choose, we would be happy to help you, too.

5 minutes a day 5 days a week - a year of Bible Wisdom

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 the road back to God (Jhn 14:6), the 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.

5 minutes a day 5 days a week - a year of Bible Wisdom