I am so confused; I heard you have to speak in tongues to be saved.  I have not spoken in tongues that I know of, and I know I have the Holy Spirit in me because I feel Him in my heart.  Why is it that some preachers say you must speak in tongues and some say you don't?  Here is a scripture I am confused about also – Mark16:17: “And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues.”  Is this telling me I am not saved since I have not spoken in tongues?

 

Sincerely,
Speechless

Dear Speechless,

You do not have to speak in tongues to be saved.  The Ethiopian eunuch didn’t speak in tongues, and he was saved (Acts 8:36-39).  The Philippian jailer didn’t speak in tongues, and he was saved (Acts 16:31-34).  Paul taught that only some had the gift of tongues (1 Cor 12:28-31).  Any preacher that teaches that you have to speak in tongues to be saved has missed some very basic Bible verses.  They have an agenda and are deserving of condemnation as false teachers who proclaim something other than the Gospel (Gal 1:8-9).

Furthermore, miraculous gifts are no longer present in the church.  They are no longer needed because we have the complete and perfect Word of God (1 Cor 13:8-10).  For further details on this, read “Speaking in Tongues”, “The Lost Art of Prophecy”, and “Spoken Like A True Friend”.

Mark 16:17 is not referring to all christians, but instead it is referring to the “signs that would accompany” Christianity.  As the gospel first spread, God used miracles to attest to the authenticity of the apostles’ claims that Jesus was the Son of God (Mk 16:20).  These signs and wonders were God’s way of supernaturally bearing witness to the preaching (Heb 2:2-4).  Miracles do not make you a christian; obedience to the will of God does (Rom 12:2).  Read “What Must I Do To Be Saved?” to understand, verse-by-verse, what it takes to become a christian.  Do not accept anything but the Scriptures.  Only God’s Word holds the answers to our salvation (Rom 1:16).

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

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

Is there a hell, or do people who don't go to heaven just cease to exist?

 

Sincerely,
In Limbo

Dear In Limbo,

Hell is most definitely a real place.  It is an eternal place where the fire is never quenched and people never die (Mk 9:48).  Jesus talked about hell more than any other prophet before or after Him.  Our God knows the eternal damnation that awaits those that choose not to serve Him (Matt 25:30).  The lost shall dwell in a place of weeping and anger (Matt 24:51).  It would be hard to weep if you didn’t exist.  We wrote a previous article a little while back dealing with this same issue in more detail; feel free to read it here.  Choose today whom you will serve because when we die, we will all face the judgment of God (Heb 9:27).