Are ghosts that haunt people real?  God be with you; keep doing what your doing, and bless your heart!

Sincerely,
Casper Catcher

Dear Casper Catcher,

The idea of ghosts cannot be found in the Bible.  Ghosts are supposedly the souls or spirits of those who have died.  These dead souls are presumed to be wandering the Earth interacting with the living from time to time.  The Bible tells us what happens when we die, and there is no Halloween-ish spiriting involved.  Jesus told the story of a wicked rich man and a faithful poor man named Lazarus in Lk 16:19-31.  When these two men died, the rich man immediately woke up in torment, and Lazarus was escorted to Paradise (Lk 16:22-23).  This is what happens when the righteous and the wicked die.  There is no wandering or ghostly haunting.  In fact, the rich man was specifically told that the dead aren’t sent back to the Earth to preach or effect the course of events here (Lk 16:27-31).  We die, and then we wait to face the judgment (Heb 9:27).

Will people who have not heard about Christ go to hell?

Sincerely,
Listening

Dear Listening,

Let’s look at a few teachings on this topic and see what the Bible says about those who aren't christians because they haven't heard about Christ.

1. Just because someone is ignorant, doesn’t mean they aren’t at fault.  God tells us that anyone who seeks the truth will find it (Matt 7:7-8).  The Bible is the most widely available book on the planet – just because someone hasn’t read it, doesn’t mean they didn’t have opportunity.
2. People go to hell because of their sins (Rom 6:23), not because of Jesus.  Jesus’ death on the cross is a cure for mankind’s self-inflicted spiritual death sentence.  It is the same as a disease outbreak – the disease kills people, not the lack of a cure.  If Jesus had never come, and none of us had ever heard of Jesus, we would all have been lost.
3. God tells us that everyone has been given enough information to seek Him.  Rom 1:20 says that the very beauty of the created universe speaks of God’s existence and leaves mankind without excuse.  God has provided an “all call” message anyone can hear through the wonder of His creation.
4. God doesn’t desire anyone to perish (2 Pet. 3:9).  God won’t make any mistakes on the Day of Judgment, and no one will accidentally end up in heaven or hell.  He is compassionate, loving, and ready to show mercy (Ps. 86:5).  If someone goes to hell, it is because the most faithful and loving Being in existence believed that is where they should be.

God is the final judge.  We will all face Him when we die (Heb 9:27).  The best thing we can do is make sure we are prepared for that day.

Do christians have free will?

Sincerely,
Choices

Dear Choices,

All humans have free will.  We can choose to turn to God, or we can choose to depart from Him.  The Bible states time after time that you have choices in life and that those choices make a difference.  Jhn 3:16 says that Christ died for the sins of all mankind, and those who choose to believe in Christ will receive forgiveness.  Joshua told the Israelites to choose which god they would follow (Josh 24:15).  God has consistently told mankind that we can choose life or death (Deut 30:15).  Jesus calls us to come to Him and receive freedom from our burdens (Matt 11:28).  We must choose to follow the narrow road to salvation (Matt 7:13) and flee from wickedness (Jas 4:7).  We can choose to obey God and receive salvation, and we can choose to turn from God and lose our salvation (Heb 3:12-14).  God is constant in His love and willingness to help all mankind (Heb 13:8)… it is our choice whether or not we heed His call.

What is faith?

Sincerely,
Faithful?

Dear Faithful,

Faith is belief, trust, and loyalty to something or someone.  If you have faith in your friend, you trust them and are loyal to them through thick and thin.  If you have faith in your car, you believe that it will run smoothly even though you aren’t a mechanic and aware of everything going on under the hood.  Faith always involves trusting something you can’t see or control (Heb 11:1).  You have faith in your friend’s judgment to give you directions; you place your faith in the author of a manual or instruction book to help you properly assemble a piece of furniture; you have faith in a traffic light to properly change colors and not direct you into cross-traffic.

In the case of God, our faith is built upon His Word (Rom 10:17).  We trust God’s Bible to guide our lives and direct our steps (Ps 119:105).  Our faith in God is shown in our actions – it is impossible to have faith without action (Jas 2:17).  If someone says they believe in God, but they don’t obey His Bible, they are no better off than the demons (Jas 2:19).  Faith in God is a lifestyle.  We hear what His Word says, and then we act upon that command.  After all, if we love God, we will keep His commandments (Jhn 14:15).

How can I be closer to God?  I tried reading the Bible, but I do not find it interesting; hence, I do not have the motivation to read.  I tried going to church but often failed to wake up (it's also very far from where I'm living).  When the pastor preaches in church, often I realize I am dozing off.  How can I be cleared of all of the above and be a good christian?

Sincerely,
Apathetic

Dear Apathetic,

With all due respect, what if you applied this same logic to your job?  What if you told your employer that you found the tasks required of you at work uninteresting, and, therefore, you weren’t motivated to work?  What if you never showed up to work because you were tired and didn’t wake up?  In any job we’ve ever worked, they would have fired us on the spot!

Christianity is work… that is exactly why a lot of people don’t obey God.  God tells us we must hear and do what His Word says (Jas 1:22).  We do what we love, and we do things for those we love.  If we love God, we will keep His commandments (Jhn 14:15).  It is a myth that all christians love to go to services and love to read their Bibles.  The truth is that every faithful christian we know has had to work very hard to build the habits of attendance, study, and active participation in the Lord’s work.  It is a lifelong commitment.  The apostle Paul compares it to physical training.  An athlete exercises their body to win the race, even when they are tired or in pain… we need to do the same with our spiritual exercise (1 Cor 9:24-27).  We would be happy to get you in contact with a congregation near you that can help you commit to the Lord’s service.  Not all churches are faithful to God’s Word.  Read “The Pastor Problem” for details on why churches led by a single pastor aren’t following the Bible pattern.  There is nothing more important than your spiritual health – your eternity depends upon the choices you make here (Matt 7:13).