Gen. 3:15, I have no understanding.  What is your interpretation?

Sincerely,
Looking For Clarity

Dear Looking For Clarity,

Gen. 3:15 is a prophecy regarding Jesus.  Satan, the old serpent (Rev. 12:9), would forever battle with Eve’s descendants, but one of Eve’s descendants would crush the head of Satan.  Satan bruises the heel, but Jesus bruised the head – He delivered a deathblow.  Heb 2:14 shows that Jesus’ death destroyed the power of Satan and crushed him under the power of Jesus’ selfless gift.  Rom 16:20 shows Satan is crushed under the feet of those that Jesus paid for with His blood (Acts 20:28).

     Three years after my wife and I got married, she had an affair and got pregnant.  I stayed with her even though I had some struggles accepting the fact she cheated on me.  I accepted the baby because I am unable to have children.  It was our only child.  Our son recently was killed on a motorcycle through no fault of his own.  He was thirty-five years old.  My wife and I divorced twenty-two years ago, but we are still friends.  My question is: even though he was a great son and a church-going person with his wife who is sixteen weeks pregnant, is my son considered to be an illegitimate child to where he can't enter into the Lord’s congregation?  I accepted him as my son, but I can't get this off my mind.  Could you give me an answer, so I can clear my mind?  I love my son more than I can explain, but I am so confused from what I read.  Like I said, he was a church-going person and never gave anyone any problems.

Sincerely,
Mourning Father

Dear Mourning Father,

We are so sorry for your loss.  What a devastating time for your family.  Let us give you one comfort – your son is not responsible for the choices that others made that led to his conception.  God very specifically says that each person is responsible for their own sins.  The entire chapter of Ezekiel 18 deals with this issue.  God’s conclusion is that a son can choose his own path regardless of what his parents chose (Ezek 18:20).  Each of us works out our own salvation before God (Php 2:12).  Your son is not barred from heaven because of his mother’s past.  His commitment to Christ will define him on that great Day of Judgment.

     What does Psalm 23 mean?  I read that it means that God is our shepherd, and we are the sheep.

Sincerely,
Sheepish

Dear Sheepish,

You are seeing it properly.  Ps 23:1 says, “The Lord is my shepherd.”  That first verse sets the tone for the entire psalm.  David is comparing the relationship of God and His faithful to the relationship between a shepherd and his sheep.

     Is it true that somewhere in the Bible it says all Christians who believe in God should lent and give something up for thirty days?  If it is true, please tell me where.

Sincerely,
Ready To Sacrifice

Dear Ready To Sacrifice,

The Bible never says that Christians must keep Lent.  Lent is a religious holiday kept by some denominations (such as Catholic and Greek Orthodox), but it doesn’t have Bible authority behind it.  Lent is a holiday where people commit to deny themselves of something for forty days, and they loosely tie it to Jesus’ fasting for forty days in the wilderness (Mk 1:13).  The Bible never commands Lent, and there is no need to keep it.

     Should a preacher drink alcohol, and what Scripture backs that up?

Sincerely,
Unfermented

Dear Unfermented,

Preachers are held to the same standards as all other Christians – so let’s talk about what the Bible tells us all about alcohol.  God never specifically condemns all alcohol, but He does condemn ‘strong drink’ (Pr 20:1), drinking parties (1 Pet 4:3), and drunkenness (Rom 13:13).  Almost all alcohol that is consumed today would fall into the category of ‘strong drink’ because our alcoholic beverages are artificially fermented to increase their alcoholic content (unlike the wine of Jesus’ day – read “That’s Just Grape” for further details on the wine Jesus drank).  We would all do well to heed the words of Pr 23:31-32 and avoid alcohol as much as is possible.  It is NEVER okay to get drunk.