I have been baptized, but at the time, I didn’t understand what it REALLY meant.  I have ALWAYS believed in God and Jesus in my heart.  I pray and try to live a life of compassion.  I was not raised in a church.  I never read the Bible until now; I am starting to go through it.  I am twenty-nine, and I have faith, but I also have questions.  How come everyone says, “Oh, it was their time; they are in a better place now.”  It is God’s plan... but how does God decide who is going to get stabbed to death or who is going to get decapitated in a wreck or who is going to die of a heart explosion?  I have to admit that I BELIEVE, but I am also VERY FRIGHTENED of death.  Terrified... mortified... and everyone says if you believe, you wouldn't be scared, but that’s just NOT so!  How can I overcome this fear?  What is God’s plan for MY death?  I have committed a DEADLY sin, but I did not KNOW it was one until recently because of my ignorance... will I go to hell for being ignorant and committing this sin LONG after baptism?  Everyone was getting baptized, so I did it too because I BELIEVED.  I am so lost!  PLEASE write back to my e-mail; I fear I won't be able to find this site again.  Thank you sooo much and bless you.  I may need to write often!

Sincerely,
Full Of Questions

Dear Full Of Questions,

It is normal to fear death; every sin is deadly (but every sin can be forgiven), and we need to talk about your baptism.  That is the short version of our answer to your question.  Now let’s break it down a little bit more:

1. Fear of Death.  Christianity provides hope for us beyond the grave (2 Cor 1:10).  However, just because I might know something will turn out right, that doesn’t mean I won’t be nervous to face it.  No matter how many statistics you are given about skydiving, the first jump out of a perfectly good airplane will be nerve-wracking.  Death is the same way.  All that we humans have ever known is a physical existence.  Life after death is a new experience (‘Hades’ literally means ‘the unseen place’), and the unknown is always scary.  The apostle Paul made it clear that leaving these fleshly bodies will be a difficult experience for most of us because the idea of being “unclothed” from these mortal bodies is fear-inducing (2 Cor 5:4).
2. Committing A Deadly Sin.  Every sin is deadly (Rom 6:23).  The idea that some sins are worse than other sins is not a Biblical idea – it is a man-made theology.  Cardinal vs. venial sins is from Catholicism, not Christianity.  Even a single sin of any sort has the power to separate us from God (Isa 59:2).  Every sin has the power to kill, and all sin can be forgiven if we are washed in the blood of Christ (1 Jn 1:7).
3. Baptism.  You started your question by stating, “I have been baptized, but at the time didn’t understand what it really meant.”  ‘Baptism’ means ‘immersion in water’… every time you take a bath or go swimming you are baptized.  Baptism will only save you from your sins when you understand what you are doing and why you are doing it (1 Pet 3:21, Mk 16:16).  If you didn’t understand what you were doing when you were baptized… then it didn’t do anything for you.

We here at AYP are happy to answer all your questions and help you on your spiritual journey.  Having said that, there is only so much that a website can provide to help your long-term spiritual growth.  We would be happy to help you find a faithful congregation that can help you one-on-one in learning and applying the Bible in your life.  If you would like help getting in contact with a congregation in your area, e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org.

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

My question is on Genesis 34:19.  Shechem has agreed to be circumcised to be able to keep Dinah.  It says, "…he [Shechem] is more respected than all the household of his father".  Then the account goes on to show that he, his father, and all the men were slain by the sons of Jacob in revenge for violating Dinah.  That is after they do what was asked of them and were circumcised.  What does ‘respected’ mean in this case?  Why is that verse there for us to read?  What truth is God revealing?  This verse has me stumped, and it is good to have AskYourPreacher around for an answer :).

Sincerely,
Respectfully Stumped

Dear Respectfully Stumped,

Shechem loved Dinah, but he did a sinful and dishonorable thing by laying with her before marriage (Gen 34:2).  Shechem truly loved her and realized that he had done something wrong and asked for his father to do whatever it took to obtain Dinah for him as a wife (Gen 34:3-4).  Jacob tells Shechem’s father, Hamor, that the only way that they can intermarry with them is if their people, the Hivites, all became circumcised.  The verse in question, Gen 34:19, explains that Shechem was more than willing to be circumcised because he was “more respected” (other translations say “more honorable”) than anyone else in his father’s house.  Shechem wasn’t a perfect man, but he did have a moral code and was willing to be circumcised, a very painful operation, in order to repent of that sin.  Shechem had a sense of honor.

Eventually, Jacob’s sons, Levi and Simeon, kill all the men in the city out of revenge, but that wasn’t something that was pleasing to God.  Jacob rebuked them for being so bloodthirsty and vengeful (Gen 34:30).  Shechem was a good man who made a bad choice, and Levi and Simeon killed him and all of his household deceitfully.

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

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