On Judgment Day, will the faithful souls who died in Christ be somehow "exempt" from some part of the judgment, or will their sins be brought to light for everyone to know… and THEN be pardoned?

Sincerely, Seeking A Verdict

Dear Seeking A Verdict,

Several verses refer to the saints not being judged, but this doesn’t necessarily imply their sins won’t be made known.Jhn 3:18 and Lk 6:37 clearly state that christians will not be judged.‘Not judged’ means they won’t be condemned.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).

The fact that christians won’t have to suffer the punishment for sins doesn’t mean that our sins won’t be made known.Paul tells Timothy that some men’s sins are evident before death, and some men’s sins are made known after (1 Tim 5:24-25).Eventually, everything will be revealed (Lk 8:17, Lk 12:2).Every human’s deeds and intentions, whether good or bad, will be brought to light (1 Cor 4:3-5).

If a pastor receives a salary from the church, should the congregation pay all of the bills that the pastor incurs (for instance: his rent or other bills)?

Sincerely, Paying the Bills

Dear Paying the Bills,

Both pastors and preachers (yes, there is a difference) can be financially supported by a congregation.Paul makes it very clear that a ‘worker is worthy of his hire’ (1 Tim 5:17-19).Unfortunately, we live in a world where religious leaders have thoroughly abused this blessing.Televangelists and ‘mega-church’ pastors are well known for their greed and multi-million dollar homes.This has left a sour taste in the mouth of many Americans when it comes to supporting preachers and pastors.

A congregation does not have to pay all of the bills of a preacher.However, it is a blessing to him and to them if they can.If he is working hard doing preaching and teaching, then being financially supported can free him up to continue to work even harder.

If a pastor or preacher has to work a secular job to pay the bills, it will take away from his time to spread the gospel and teach christians; it is more important that he provide for his family in such cases (1 Tim 5:8).Ultimately, it is his responsibility, not the congregation’s, to provide for his family.Even Paul worked as a tentmaker to pay the bills at times (Acts 18:3).A godly man will not overburden a congregation or squander the money God has blessed him with .

A congregation must take up their weekly collection (1 Cor 16:1-2), assess all of their various costs, and make a prayerful decision as to how much they can afford to support a preacher.Some congregations will be able to fully support a preacher; others may not be able to support one at all.In either case, it is acceptable according to what a congregation has (2 Cor 8:11-12).

Does God want us to ask Him for things over and over or just once and leave it with him?

Sincerely, Don't Want To Bother Him

Dear Don't Want To Bother Him, He wants you to ask over and over - until He gives you an answer.  David prayed vehemently for the life of his child until the child died (2 Sam 12:22-23).  Paul prayed for his sickness to be removed three times until God told him to accept the pain (2 Cor 12:8-9).  Cornelius' prayers were constantly before the Lord until Peter was sent (Acts 10:4-5).  Even our Lord prayed in the garden repeatedly that He might not have to die on the cross (Matt 26:39).  The key in all these circumstances was that the requests ceased when God answered. Once God made His decision apparent, whether it be yes or no, acceptance began. God never gets tired of hearing from His children.  Christians are to constantly seek Him in prayer.  The most direct example of this is Christ's parable of the unjust judge in Lk 18:1-5.  Christ taught that parable so that "men ought always to pray, and not to grow weary".  God wants to hear from His people.  So don't stop asking for help, He is listening.

    So, preacher… I have friends who are gay.  And they were my friends before they came out, and then after they came out, they weren’t really different.  Well, except maybe they were more fabulous... and I noticed more glitter.  But glitter is great!

Increasingly, I find myself believing more in the idea that gay is good. It’s okay for men to like men and ladies to like ladies.  And I don't like the position that the church is taking against them.  In fact, all of my gay friends have encouraged me to explore my own sexuality... and I have discovered that I, myself, am a raging homosexual.  After coming out to some people, I am much happier in my life.  It’s actually like Christmas every day.

With my own sexuality being opposed by the church, I find it difficult to subscribe to it.  Really, I can't put faith in a god that would allow something like that.  At this point, I believe more in being fierce, ferocious, and fabulous than His divine law.

Sincerely,
Sassy Sir

Dear Sassy Sir,

It isn’t any surprise that you are becoming increasingly more comfortable with homosexuality since you are spending so much time around people who are living actively homosexual lives.  1 Cor 15:33 says that bad company corrupts good morals.  Our friendships influence us, and this is obviously the case with you.

Here is the problem.  No matter how you feel about the matter, the Bible says what it says.  Rom 1:26-28 makes it clear that when people turn to homosexuality, they are spurning God and committing sin.  Your frustration with the Bible’s position isn’t the Bible’s problem.  The Bible has said the same thing for 2,000 years.  Just because society changes its views, doesn’t mean God will, too.

You are welcome to believe whatever you want.  Just remember, your life will end someday, and for whatever choices you’ve made, you will stand before God and give account… the same God that wrote the Bible will also judge every soul (Heb 12:23).

Is capital punishment and/or war wrong? Is it wrong to fight someone when warranted?

Peter cut off the ear of the soldier when they were taking Jesus away, and there were all sorts of wars in the Old Testament.

I’m of the opinion that punching a bully in the nose is the correct course of action to take if you don’t want to be bullied anymore. However, then you have Jesus’ instructions to turn the other cheek…

Sincerely, Prepared for Battle

Dear Prepared for Battle,

Capital punishment and war are a separate issue from an individual’s authority to inflict pain on another.So we must deal with them separately.

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 evildoers (Lev 20:27) for various acts of wickedness against man and God.Stoning definitely would count as capital punishment!God also authorizes governments to go to war.Israel went to war (1 Sam 15:1-3), and God sent the Chaldeans to war against Israel (Hab 1:6).Furthermore, Roman soldiers asked John the Baptist what kind of life they should live, and John responded that they should be good soldiers and men (Lk 3:14).God has no problem with men going to war under the authority of a government.

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).

Vengeance belongs to God and not to man.In fact, when Peter cut off the ear of the soldier, Christ rebuked him for the act (Jhn 18:10-11). Be very careful to do that which is ‘honorable in the sight of all men’ (Rom 12:17).If you or another person is in physical danger, you may defend yourself (i.e. a burglar breaking into your house), but to punch a bully preemptively is against what Christ taught.