If a Christian denies the idea of God in his head but then later in his life comes back to Christ, is he still saved?  Or will he have given up his gift of salvation for good?

Sincerely,
Change Of Heart

Dear Change Of Heart,

If a Christian repents (‘repent’ means ‘to change your mind’) of a sin (including the sin of denying God’s existence), he will be forgiven.  Peter rebuked Simon but then told him to pray and repent, and God would forgive him (Acts 8:22).  God also tells us to forgive our brother if he repents (Lk 17:3).  If God expects that kind of forgiveness from us, then it is fair to say that He will also provide that level of forgiveness.  Confess your sin, and God will forgive you (1 Jn 1:9).

I have been thinking a lot about the verse from Proverbs that says, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."  What do you think that verse means?

Sincerely,
The Thinker

Dear The Thinker,

The verse you are referring to is Pr 23:7.  That verse is in the context of talking about someone with evil intent (Pr 23:6).  If a person with evil intent says something kind to you, that doesn’t change the fact that they are still your enemy.  What is in the mind/heart of a person defines who they really are.  God knows the thoughts and intentions of our hearts (Acts 1:24).  God doesn’t just want us to do what is right, but He wants us to WANT what is right.  What you think is who you really are.  Let our service to God be from the hidden depths of our heart (I Pet 3:4) and not merely lip-service (Matt 15:8).

How do you think negative people can affect your life, and what should you do if someone you care about has become very negative?

Sincerely,
The Glass Is Half Full

Dear The Glass Is Half Full,

Bad company corrupts good morals (1 Cor 15:33).  Depending on the intensity of someone’s bad attitude or behavior, you may need to distance yourself.  Christians are constantly trying to strike the balance between being lights to the world (Matt 5:14) and keeping themselves pure and undefiled from the world’s influences (Jas 1:27).  As long as we live on this planet, we will have trials (Jhn 16:33).  It is a precarious balancing act between being an influence and being corrupted by the world.  There is no exact answer to your problem; you must apply these principles yourself.  If you can influence this person for good, then do so.  If they are corrupting you and keeping you from being the best christian you can be, begin to distance yourself.  You may even deem it appropriate to tell the person why you are distancing yourself.  Maybe, just maybe, they will change if they are made aware of what their choices are costing them.

I know slavery existed in the Bible, but does that mean it’s not wrong?

Sincerely,
Abolitionist

Dear Abolitionist,

The Bible does not ever directly condemn slavery, but it does condemn treating slaves like property.  In the Old Testament, God allowed a bankrupt Jew to sell himself as a slave to pay off his debts, however he was not to be abused or mistreated by his owner (Lev 25:39-40).  God reiterates this idea in the New Testament.  Slaves are to serve their masters loyally and faithfully (1 Tim 6:1, Tit 2:9).  Masters are to treat their slaves as fellow humans, without threatening or hurting them (Eph 6:9).  Masters are to be just and fair to their slaves (Col 4:1).  God never says it is wrong to have slaves, but He very clearly denounces the brutality that we often associate with slavery.  If a slave master lived as God commanded, he would treat his slaves as hired hands… and many christians did just that in the first century.

However, God does make it clear that being a slave is a less than desirable situation.  Slavery is a reality that exists within various parts of the world, so it must be dealt with from a Biblical perspective, but freedom is always a better option (1 Cor 7:21).

Should you co-sign for your adult children to purchase a car?  Or illegally rent a car in your name for them to drive?

Signed,
Loan Agent

Dear Loan Agent,

You should never co-sign for anybody, and you should never do anything illegal.  God tells us to obey the laws of the land (Rom 13:1-4).  If you commit fraud in renting a car for your child, you are sinning.

Co-signing is similarly wrong.  Co-signing is the act of agreeing to take responsibility for paying the debts of someone else.  In essence, the bank has said that your child is too high of a risk to loan money to.  When you co-sign for them, you are saying that you are taking the risk that the bank is unwilling to.  God says that this is a very bad idea (Pr 17:18).  He also promises that you will suffer for it (Pr 11:15).  If you have co-signed for something, God tells you to do whatever it takes to get out of that situation (Pr 6:1-5).  Eventually, your children will be able to purchase that vehicle on their own.  It is a good thing for them to bear the burden of working for things on their own (Lam 3:27).  As it’s been said, “It builds character.”  Of course, you also always have the option of simply giving them the money if you feel they need it so badly.