I have a few questions.  Is it possible to feel righteous (I am assuming, of course, that I once was), then regress in your life, and then return to righteousness?  Is it possible to feel spiritually complete but temporally drained?  How does one know when they are considered righteous in the eyes of the Most High?  Or are we supposed to not worry about that, but live as if the plateau is always getting higher, so we will not fall short?  My ultimate question would be: is it possible to sin against the Most High directly and be able to return to righteousness?  Or must the sin be atoned for before redemption?

Sincerely,
Backslider

Dear Backslider,

Once we obey God, we can fall way and lose our salvation, and many people feel righteous without actually being righteous.  We are warned about drifting away (Heb 2:1) and falling away from the Lord (1 Tim 4:1).  It is also important to remember that physical fatigue is not the same as spiritual failure (2 Cor 4:16)… righteousness isn’t about how we feel or what we want… it is about what God says.  Many people call upon the name of the Lord but don’t do what He says (Matt 7:21-24).  God makes us righteous through faith (Rom 4:5), and we gain faith through hearing and obeying the Bible (Rom 10:17).

There is time to repent and return to God if we have fallen away.  God is ready to forgive if we confess our sins (1 Jn 1:9).  Until the day of our death, there is still time to return to God (Heb 9:27) through obedience to His Word (Jhn 14:15).

5 minutes a day
5 days a week
1 New Testament in a year

There are 261 weekdays in a year, and there are 260 chapters in the New Testament. By reading one chapter, Monday through Friday, you will read the whole New Testament by the end of the year. The Daily Cup series is to help with that goal.

Happy Studying!

"The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup." -- Psalm 16:5

Click here for a pdf of the study schedule - CLICK HERE

5 minutes a day
5 days a week
1 New Testament in a year

There are 261 weekdays in a year, and there are 260 chapters in the New Testament. By reading one chapter, Monday through Friday, you will read the whole New Testament by the end of the year. The Daily Cup series is to help with that goal.

Happy Studying!

"The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup." -- Psalm 16:5

Click here for a pdf of the study schedule - CLICK HERE

This is sort of difficult.  It concerns my uncle, who, over the last few years, has... rediscovered his faith?  I suppose that works.  He's completely changed his lifestyle, which isn't a bad thing.  No smoking, no drinking.  Fantastic.  However, he's also completely changed his personality.  He has a growing list of things he can't watch, listen to, or say, all because he's “christian".  He's become so... judgmental of everyone around him and is alienating his family.  I wasn't under the impression that to be "christian" you had to give up everything in life that you enjoyed.  He doesn't laugh anymore; at least, he doesn't around us.  Can you give me any guidance on how to respect his faith and understand his choices?  He was always a good man… an EMT, police officer, husband, and father.  He's always believed, but he also lived.  Now, it's like he's set himself, and everyone else, to standards that can't be met.  And he's very vocal with his views.  I just don't understand him anymore.  Any advice or insight you could give would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Disheartened Niece

Dear Disheartened Niece,

There is a fine line between removing worldliness from our lives and secluding ourselves from life – it sounds like your uncle may be having trouble finding that balance.  Jesus clearly tells us to purify our hearts and minds (Jas 4:8).  However, we are also told to enjoy the wholesome blessings of this life (Eccl 3:13).  Christ lived a perfectly sinless life (Heb 4:15), and yet, he was often accused of being too friendly with the lost (Matt 11:19).

There is a balance between living in the world, but not being of the world (1 Cor 5:9-10).  If we remove ourselves from all society, we will never be able to reach those who so desperately need God’s Word (Mk 16:15).  We are warned against religion that finds its strength in self-deprecation (1 Tim 4:1-5).  Our strength should be found in the love of Christ (Jhn 3:16) and in His Word (Rom 10:17).  Hopefully, some of these verses might allow you to have a dialogue with your uncle.

5 minutes a day
5 days a week
1 New Testament in a year

There are 261 weekdays in a year, and there are 260 chapters in the New Testament. By reading one chapter, Monday through Friday, you will read the whole New Testament by the end of the year. The Daily Cup series is to help with that goal.

Happy Studying!

"The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup." -- Psalm 16:5

Click here for a pdf of the study schedule - CLICK HERE