Our preacher recently gave a sermon on drinking, and he said that even the smallest amount of alcohol consumption is sin.  After the sermon, he was asked if rinsing with mouthwash containing alcohol (of which slight molecules of alcohol are ingested through absorption into the tissues) was also sin.  He did not want to contradict his previous statement that one drink was “one drink drunk” and, subsequently, condemned the use of alcohol mouthwash.  Is this an example of reductio ad absurdum?

Sincerely,
Incredulous

Dear Incredulous,

It is obvious from how you wrote your question that you believe it is an example of reduction to absurdity, and in this case, we agree.  We won’t address your preacher’s point of view on drinking; let’s just look at what the Bible says.

1 Tim 5:23 states that medicinal use of alcohol is perfectly permissible – mouthwash would fit into that category.  The problem with the alcohol question is that God never specifically condemns all alcoholic beverages.  However, He does condemn ‘strong drink’ (Pr 20:1), drinking parties (1 Pet 4:3), and drunkenness (Rom 13:13).  Almost all alcohol that is consumed today would fall into the category of ‘strong drink’ because our alcoholic beverages are artificially fermented to increase their alcoholic content (unlike the wine of Jesus’ day – read “That’s Just Grape” for further details on the wine Jesus drank).  At the end of the day, we would all do well to heed the words of Pr 23:31-32 and avoid alcohol as much as is possible.

What are Christ’s teachings and Biblical views on capital punishment?  I was always taught the viewpoint of an eye for an eye.

Sincerely,
Ready To Strike

Dear Ready To Strike,

God authorizes governments to punish its citizens as it deems fit.  God has given governments the ‘sword of terror’ to bring wrath down upon evildoers (Rom 13:3-4).  God allowed the government of Israel to stone criminals (Lev 20:27) for various acts of wickedness against man and God. Stoning definitely would count as capital punishment!

Government authority and individual authority are different things, though.  God tells us that we aren’t to take vengeance upon ourselves (Rom 12:18-19), but instead, we are to do good to our enemies (Rom 12:20). We are to turn the other cheek (Matt 5:39) and go the extra mile with people (Matt 5:41).  The government has the right to punish ‘an eye for an eye’, but we as individuals do not (Matt 5:38-39).

My daughter left home and moved in with a boyfriend.  She is doing everything a married couple would do, including sleeping with him.  If they both get married after living together for months, does that erase all the sin they have committed?  I was always taught living together before marriage is a sin.

Sincerely,
Vexed Mother

Dear Vexed Mother,

Living together before marriage is a sin (see “Living Together” for more specifics on that topic).  If they get married, it won’t erase the previous sins of fornication… it will only prevent further sinning.  The only thing that can erase sin is the blood of Christ (Heb 13:12).  Until your daughter and her boyfriend commit their lives to Christ, all of their sins remain on their records.  All mankind has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23).  If your daughter ever does become interested in talking about spiritual things, here is a list of several articles and resources that you might find useful:

“Does God Exist?”

“God Is Alive”

“Gute Enough For Gutenberg”

“What Must I Do To Be Saved”

“Preacher Interrogation”

“Finding A Church”

Also, sermons.mvchurchofchrist.org (our downloadable sermon catalog) has multiple lessons that might be helpful to her.

I asked the Lord to save me eight years ago.  I can still remember the relief I felt leaving the church that day.  But since that day, I have had many struggles.  I got with the wrong guy in college.  I drank, smoked, and had premarital sex.  I even went through a short period of doubting the Lord's existence.  I am back in church now and have changed my behavior, but I feel guilt every day for ever doubting in God.  I have asked Him to forgive.  I still worry about my salvation.  I had no doubts in the Lord when I asked Him to save me.  I really don't remember why I ever felt this way and am very ashamed of it.  My question is: am I still saved?  I have sinned so much and doubted Him since I asked to be saved.

Sincerely,
Left Wondering

Dear Left Wondering,

Before you ask the question, “Am I still saved?” – let’s take the time to make sure you properly sought God’s forgiveness the first time.  We highly recommend you read “What Must I Do To Be Saved” and thoroughly examine whether you properly obeyed God the first time around.  If you did – WONDERFUL.  If you didn’t… now is the time to do things right.

That being said, let’s address God’s willingness to forgive.  God says that He finds more joy in one sinner returning to Him than in ninety-nine who don’t need to repent (Lk 15:7).  God also says that there should be no limit to forgiveness when someone repents (Lk 17:4).  When we turn back to God, He promises to show us mercy and to remember our sins no more (Heb 8:12).  It is very normal for us to still feel guilt when we dwell upon our previous lives of rebellion against God, but we can’t let that guilt consume us.  God forgives us; therefore, we can turn that guilt into gratitude (Rom 6:17).

Since my giant “discovery” of the Gospel this past year, I have been thinking a lot about salvation, and my logic is coming up short and creating a huge hole in the picture of God’s gift of salvation.  My thought process is fallen, and I know that just because it doesn’t make sense in my brain, that doesn’t mean it’s not the truth.  I tend to warp things in my head, and I wanted another perspective on this.

Problem: There are two scenarios for the creation of the human race.

1. God created us as imperfect and purposely inserted the flaw into our nature that allowed and allows us to choose sin.  This doesn’t seem like the correct scenario because there is no glory in “stacking the deck.”  There is no glory in fixing a problem that you created, and more over, the fact that He created the original problem would put us in a position of deserving to be fixed and deserving His salvation. This directly affects the Gospel.  It calls into question our responsibility for our actions.  For if we are not the cause of our sin, then we do in fact deserve God’s salvation, and it is terribly unjust for Him to deny salvation to so many.  This option directly contradicts everything I have learned about the character of God and unless my logic is unsound, can be ruled out.    (Although in Exodus, God clearly hardens Pharaohs heart and then punishes him.  This, to me, doesn’t fit into the ‘just’ characteristic…)
2. If we rule out the first scenario, that leaves the option that God did create us as perfect.  But how can perfection degenerate by itself?  Shouldn’t the definition of perfection include sustainability?  Even if we had the free will to choose, how could a perfect nature fail, give in to temptation, and choose to sin against God?

Sincerely,
Perfecting Perfect

Dear Perfecting Perfect,

‘Perfect’ means ‘complete’ or ‘having all the desirable and required elements’.  Perfect doesn’t mean that something can’t be broken or fail.  A car engine can be in perfect condition, and yet, if you don’t put oil in it – it will break.  A house can be perfectly constructed and still be destroyed by an earthquake.  When God made Adam and Eve, He made them without defect (Gen 1:31).  They were made exactly as He intended them – in His image (Gen 1:26).  Adam and Eve were designed with eternal souls and the ability to choose their own destiny.  They were perfectly designed with the free will to choose to love God or to choose to rebel against Him.  In fact, if mankind were designed so that it would be impossible for them to sin – they wouldn’t have free will.  God has given us the great gift of choice, and it is up to us what we do with it (Deu 30:19).

On a separate note, let’s address the issue of the Pharaoh’s heart being hardened.  It is true that Ex 4:21 says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, but Ex 8:15 says that Pharaoh hardened his own heart.  Both are true.  God hardened Pharaoh’s heart by sending Moses to take his slaves away, and Pharaoh chose to allow the plagues to anger and harden his heart instead of soften it.  God sent the events that affected Pharaoh’s heart, and Pharaoh chose how he would react to them.  Once again, we see God giving man the freedom to choose his own destiny.