Is it mandatory to attend church to be saved?

Sincerely,
Absent

Dear Absent,

The Bible teaches that we shouldn’t forsake the assembly (Heb 10:24-25).  God designed the church so that each individual would be strengthened by the power of the whole (Eph 4:16).  God never wanted christians to try and serve Him without the support of a local church; that is why He commanded the church to assemble.  It is impossible to do God’s work without being a part of a local church.  If you would like help finding a faithful congregation in your area, e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org.

Should churches remain tax-exempt?

Sincerely,
Politico

Dear Politico,

It certainly is a blessing from God that churches are tax-exempt in the United States, but the Lord’s people will accept whatever circumstances come our way if that ever changes.  Christians have existed in lands that were favorable and ones that weren’t.  In either case, Christ tells us to “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” (Lk 20:22-25).  Christians are commanded to pay their taxes, and therefore, a local church would accept the same responsibility if need be (Rom 13:7).  After all, faithful churches in the U.S. already pay sales tax on consumables that they purchase for their use (from paper towels to copy paper).  Whatever happens, the church will still be doing the Lord’s will and preaching His Bible.

     I have reason to believe that I may be possessed because I get upset/angry at the most unusual times, and even today on Christmas, I got mad at least once.  Is there anything I can do at home (I have NO means of transportation as I am a fourteen-year-old male) to help put the demons to rest?

Sincerely,
Driven

Dear Driven,

You aren’t possessed by demons; you are enslaved to anger – there is a difference.  Demon possession ended not long after the days of Christ.  Jesus made it clear that one of His jobs was to bind the devil and take His strength away by casting out his demons (Matt 12:28-29).  When Jesus’ disciples had come back from their evangelism trips and related to Him that they had cast out many demons, Jesus told them that they were defeating Satan by getting rid of Satan’s demonic minions (Lk 10:17-18).  When Jesus and His disciples cast out demons, they did it permanently (Lk 8:30-33) and bound Satan by their acts.  We no longer have to deal with such overt attacks by the devil because he has been bound by Christ’s sacrifice (Rev. 20:2).

The way to deal with anger is to choose self-control, which can be very difficult, especially in our teenage years.  Jas 1:19 says that one of the best cures for anger is to slow down and listen first.  If we are swift to hear and slow to speak, anger tends to subside because of understanding.  God gave us each two ears and only one mouth for a reason.  Focus on listening to others and trying to understand their perspectives before allowing anger to control you.

     Once you give your life to Jesus Christ, and your name is in the Book of Life, all your sins are washed away.  Does this mean we do not have Judgment Day since our sins are forgiven?

Sincerely,
Skip The Sentencing?

Dear Skip The Sentencing,

Several verses refer to the saints not being judged, but this doesn’t mean they won’t be at the judgment.  Jhn 3:18 and Lk 6:37 clearly state that Christians will not be judged.  In this context, ‘not judged’ means they won’t be condemned… but we will all face the judgment bar of God.  God is judge of all mankind (Heb 12:23), so everyone will be brought before Him for judgment (Eccl 3:17).  When you die, God will judge you (Heb 9:27).  When the Scriptures say that Christians won’t be judged, it is referring to the painful part of judgment – the punishment. Christians will be spared the punishment that all the wicked must endure (2 Pet 2:9).

     Hello again.  Thanks for your time.  I have researched Greek manuscripts for several months now, trying to find the closest Bible translation: Lucianic, Western, Byzantine, Alexandrian, Textus Receptus, Westcott and Hort, Nestle-Aland, United Bible Societies, and on and on.  I have looked at interlinear Bibles and searched and searched.  I was sold on the fact the New American Standard Bible was the most accurate, but my further study has all lead me back to the King James Version.  I think the King James Version and the Textus Receptus are the most accurate and can be trusted.  I have found Byzantine text types are more favored than Alexandrian.  Some theologians say the Alexandrian text was written by cults and pagans.  But anyway, what are your thoughts on searching for the truth?  Now there are all of these lost gospels which they found to be phony and some new old Bible they said they found that has a book of James in it that says Christ was just a servant.  I just want the truth.  I think I will use the King James and keep a NASB on the side to compare.

Sincerely,
Eager Reader

Dear Eager Reader,

All of the major word-for-word translations use a solid, trustworthy base of original texts. The King James, the New King James, the American Standard, the New American Standard, and the English Standard Version are all reliable word-for-word translations.  Take a look at our post "What's The Best Translation?" for a more in-depth discussion on word-for-word vs. thought-for-thought translations.

Many, many people with many, many doctorates have combed and re-combed the original manuscripts and texts, and there is very little real argument amongst them about the quality of the Bible texts that you hold in your hands today.  Using a KJV with a NASB as comparison is a fine choice.