I have had a very tough life since childhood.  I am thirty-three years old now and still find life difficult.  Could you please tell me why God allows this to happen?

Sincerely,
Constantly Struggling

Dear Constantly Struggling,

Some people suffer greatly, and others face relatively few problems.  All suffering is a consequence of sin in this world, but there are several reasons that someone might have a greater portion of trials.

1. We reap what is sown (Gal 6:7-8).  The choices we make have consequences in this life – and in the next.  What people do affects them and those around them that they come in contact with.  When we behave godly, certain things happen; when we behave sinfully, other things happen.  That is a universal principle of life.  If a woman drinks while she is pregnant or a child is neglected and malnourished because of ungodly parents – they will suffer the consequences of the choices their parents make.  Some children face health issues that were totally avoidable if the parents had simply lived moral lives.  Satan is sowing disaster wherever he can and we are all affected by our own choices and the choices of others around us.
2. Sometimes bad things simply happen because they happen.  Job suffered greatly, and his children died, but it wasn’t his (or their) fault.  Job hadn’t done anything wrong, nor had his kids.  It all happened because Satan wanted to do evil (Job 1:6).  As long as we live in this world of sin, there will be troubles.  Sometimes, there isn’t anyone at fault… just time and chance wreaking havoc in a sinful world (Eccl 9:11).
3. Sometimes people suffer so that God can be glorified.  Jesus’ disciples asked Him why a certain man had been born blind, and Jesus answered, “So that God’s works might be revealed in him.” (Jhn 9:1-3)  This man’s ailment provided an opportunity for God to show His glory.  There are times that we suffer, so God can teach us and teach others through our pain (Eccl 7:2-3).

This world isn’t fair – if it were, it would be heaven.  Instead, we live in a fallen world where man has been exiled from paradise.  This world is not our home; christians await a better world (Heb 11:16).  When Adam and Eve sinned, they introduced sin and death into this life, but God designed this world perfectly and gives us hope for a better future in Jesus (1 Cor 15:22).

      Is a congregation responsible for caring for the health of its needy saints?

Sincerely,
HMO

Dear HMO,

One of the things the church is told to do is to take care of Christians in need.  Acts 11:28-30 shows the saints in Antioch taking care of the hungry brethren in Judea because of a famine.  Paul told Timothy there was a time to help out poor widowed Christians (1 Tim 5:9-10).  We also see the church in Jerusalem doing this (Acts 4:34-35).  When brethren have needs, including health needs that are beyond their ability to care for, the church has the right and responsibility to step in and help.

     This guy made a video that has had over 15 million views on YouTube.  It’s entitled ‘Why I Hate Religion But Love Jesus’.  Is this Scriptural?  Thanks.

Sincerely,
Viewer 15,000,000,001

Dear Viewer 15,000,000,001, 

We watched the video, and we can sympathize with that young man’s frustration with religion.  We share a lot of his feelings… but like all the other manmade views that he talked about, his views aren’t totally biblical either.

We are saved by grace, and no one can live a good enough life to deserve forgiveness (Rom 4:3-5).  If you need forgiveness, that, by definition, means you did something wrong!  Salvation is based upon our faith in Christ, not some behavior that we could boast of (Rom 3:27).  Yet, what we do does matter.  The man that says he has faith in God but shows a life of wickedness isn’t faithful at all (Matt 7:20, Jas 2:17).  Faith without works is as dead as a body in a casket (Jas 2:26).  Christians must strive to modify their behavior, but we can’t just modify our behavior, we must give our hearts and loyalty to Christ.  When the choices we make are controlled by our love and faith in Christ, then we are becoming the people we ought to be.  We would agree with this young man that it isn’t enough to “talk the talk”; we must “walk the walk” (Jas 1:25).

On the other hand, to use the blanket statement that, “I hate religion but love Jesus,” makes no sense.  The English Dictionary defines ‘religion’ as ‘a) the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, b) a particular system of faith and worship’.  Using either definition, Jesus died to set up religion!  Jesus purchased the church with His own blood (Acts 20:28), and the church is guided by the systems and laws found in the Bible (1 Tim 3:15).  Jesus also died, so people would worship God and devote their lives to Him (Jhn 3:16).  Jesus’ death was designed to start a religious movement that would change the world (Acts 17:6, Matt 28:19-20).  If we say that we love Jesus but hate religion because it gives us rules and ordinances for “behavior modification” (as that video calls it), we are making a contradictory statement.  If we love Jesus, we will modify our behavior (Jhn 14:15).  Jesus hated false religion and manmade religion, but He loves His church (Eph 5:25).

So, we would say the video gets some things right and some things wrong… about par for the course when we talk about spiritual things without using the Bible as our manual.

     Catechisms are religious texts with teaching by questions.  Is AskYourPreacher.com a catechism?

Sincerely,
Devout Definitions

Dear Devout Definitions,

Saying that AskYourPreacher is a catechism is kind of like saying that since a wagon has four wheels that it is the same as a car.  Though there are similarities between catechisms’ question/answer format to teach doctrine and AskYourPreacher, we aren’t at all the same.

AskYourPreacher doesn’t use fixed questions and answers – these are real questions that real people ask us on a daily basis.  We would NEVER want someone to use AYP as their sole source of Bible knowledge.  Use the Bible as your sole source of Bible knowledge!  Catechisms are designed to be used as manuals for worship, doctrine, etc.  Our goal is to help refer people back to the Bible and away from man’s traditions – basically the opposite of what catechisms do.

Where is the authority to entertain oneself with musical instruments?  If God doesn't like something, why should I?

Sincerely,
Radio Silence

Dear Radio Silence,

The Bible never says that God doesn’t like musical instruments; it just teaches that when it comes to worshipping God, we should use our voices as our instruments (read “Instrumental To Worship” for more details on a cappella worship).  God also doesn’t want us going to the zoo as a part of worship, but that doesn’t mean He doesn’t like animals!  Just because something isn’t part of worship, doesn’t mean that it is inherently wrong the rest of the time.