My question is on the faith of my own church.  We have a playgroup which has taken everything over.  They have a youth group with children who do not attend, some atheist, but they use church money.  We’ve lost members, so church is no longer in the sanctuary but in the fellowship hall.  We had to go to a part-time minister; the ones taking over are homosexual, so all we hear about is about how they should be accepted, taking focus off of God and onto them; they do not accept my daughter and are rude to her, and she is at the age of great temptations.  We haven't attended for three Sundays.  Do you have any advice?  We have left and come back three times already.  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Fed Up

Dear Fed Up,

The local congregation’s work has always been very simple:

1. Teach the saved.
2. Preach to the lost.
3. When necessary, care for needy christians.

This congregation isn’t doing those things, and is instead doing all sorts of things that are opposed to Scriptures!

The clearest verse on the subject of the church’s purpose is in the book of Ephesians. Eph 4:12-16 points out that the church was designed, so that the saints would be ‘perfected’, for the ‘work of the ministry’, and for the ‘edifying (building up) of the body of Christ’.

The church of the New Testament is supposed to help prepare christians to be better christians by filling their minds with God’s Word. We see many examples of the church being busy with this kind of teaching and learning (Acts 2:42, Col 3:16). This is how christians are perfected (Col 1:28).

The church is also to be busy about the ‘work of ministry’ – preaching to the lost. Christ said He came to save sinners (1 Tim 1:15). One of His last commands to His apostles was to preach to the lost (Matt 28:18-20). Every congregation must be actively attempting to teach the Word of God to those who don’t understand it.

After preaching to the lost and teaching the saved, the only other work that we see an example of is caring for needy christians. 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)

The church is supposed to be the pillar and support of the truth (1 Tim 3:15).  These church isn’t.  You need to leave.  We would be happy to point you in the direction of a local congregation that puts the Bible as their guide and focus on worshipping God in spirit and in truth (Jhn 4:24).  If we can help, just e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org and we’ll try and get you in contact with a faithful group near you.

     What is the meaning of “placing your hand under my thigh” when making a covenant in Abraham’s circumstance?

Sincerely,
Huh?

Dear Huh,

There are two times mentioned in the Bible when someone made an agreement and sealed that agreement by “placing his hand under the thigh”.  Abraham made an agreement with his servant in Gen. 24:9, and Jacob made one with his son, Joseph, in Gen 47:29.

Little is known of this tradition of sealing agreements by placing the hand under the thigh, but that doesn’t mean we can’t understand its purpose.  When the servant placed his hand under Abraham’s thigh, it had the same effect as shaking hands today.  It sealed the agreement and bonded the two parties to fulfill it.

     I have been going through a lot lately, and for the most part, it’s my fault.  I recently lost my job, and I had to move out of my apartment into a cheaper one (which I still don’t know how I’m going to pay for because I still haven’t found another job).  I’m starting to feel depressed and lonely; the sad part is that I still haven’t even told my family about the job loss.  I really don’t want anyone judging me.  I have two questions I would like to ask.  First question: does God forgive you for making the same mistake over and over again even when you know it’s wrong?  I know that I shouldn’t do certain things, but I do anyway; that’s what gets me into trouble.  Second question: I feel really horrible about the things I have done, and I just don’t know what to do with myself; am I supposed to feel this way?  I just want to start fresh and make things right with God, so I may live a happy and blessed life.

Sincerely,
Want A Do-Over

Dear Want A Do-Over,

There are two pieces to the puzzle of repetitive sins:

1. How many times can I ask for forgiveness for the same sin?
2. How do I remove this sin from my life, so I can start living without guilt, fear, and pain?

The answer to the first part is simple. You can ask for forgiveness an innumerable amount of times. Christ told Peter that we should forgive ‘seventy times seven’ (Matt 18:21-22). Paul was forgiven of his sins even after killing christians and actively persecuting the church (1 Tim 1:16). As often as we truly repent, God is ready to forgive (Lk 17:4). It is quite possible to truly repent of something and then find yourself doing that same thing not minutes later. It happens in arguments all the time! You say something mean, apologize, then find yourself upset again, and again use rash words. The repeating of the cycle is not necessarily an indication of false sorrow.

However, the second part of your question deals with stopping this cycle. God will forgive you for stumbling again into the same sin, but only if you are truly attempting to change your mind. Paul reminds us that we are to do everything we can to flee from the slavery to sin (Rom 6:1-2, Rom 6:12-13). Without knowing what sin you are caught up in, I can’t give specific advice, but I recommend getting help if it is as consuming as you say. Many sins can become addictions that are very hard to break. Here are some things to consider:

1. Are you trying to change all on your own? God says two are stronger than one (Eccl 4:9-10). In the case of sin like pornography, many people try and struggle through it alone without seeking help because of the shame involved in it becoming known. This rarely, if ever, works. Telling someone, even just one trusted friend, and using things like Covenant Eyes accountability software can make all the difference in such circumstances.
2. Are you putting yourself in compromising situations? People with drug and alcohol addictions are often tempted back into their old habits by drinking buddies or parties where drugs are made available. You may need to cut off certain people and habits from your life in order to escape that sort of sin. Remember, Christ said it would be better to remove even your own hand if it would free you from a sin (Matt 5:30).

Removing sin from our lives is a constant struggle. God is ready to forgive you ‘seventy times seven’ as you fight to defeat sin, but you must look yourself in the mirror and make sure you are taking the steps necessary to change your life.

I have a very stressful life.  I have found marijuana helps me relax; it’s really the only thing that works.  Will God really condemn me for a little weed?  He did make all the plants, you know.

Sincerely,
Smoke-Doper

Dear Smoke-Doper,

Consuming marijuana for “recreational” purposes is wrong.  God created every green herb on day three (Gen 1:11-13), but He didn’t create them to be used inappropriately.  God condemns drunkenness and insobriety (Rom 13:13, 1 Cor 6:10).  If any drug, including marijuana, is used to create a state of drunkenness (which is the “relaxation” you are talking about) – then, yes, it is a sin.

God created everything in this world for our good, and He created us for good works (Eph 2:10).  Abusing the plants and herbs that God has blessed this world with harms us and is a sin.  When we don’t treat our bodies with respect, we harm ourselves as well as displeasing God (1 Cor 6:19-20).  Glorify God in your body and stay free of the damaging effects of drugs.

       My sister is VERY angry, angry at God over a health condition because she has asked many, many times to be healed, had people pray over her many times, has not been healed, and now has to go through surgery.  If she were (God forbid) to die before having that resolved, if ever, would she still go to heaven?  She still believes there is a God and became a born-again many years ago.  She definitely has changed her beliefs about a lot of biblical things that were taught her through the years, but I am really wondering about this.  I wonder what God and Jesus think, knowing how angry she is.  And what if she even called God a name that was not nice?  That came out of her pain and fear, I know.  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Suffering Sibling

Dear Suffering Sibling,

It is questions like these that make us very thankful that we don’t have to do God’s job.  God is the final judge, not us (Heb 12:23), so we can’t specifically tell you whether or not your sister will go to heaven.  We are warned against bitterness and wrath (Eph 4:31); there is no doubt that it is a sin to live with hate in your heart for anyone… especially God.  However, no one goes to heaven based upon sinless living; we go to heaven based upon our faith in Jesus Christ (Jhn 14:6).  Your sister’s eternal fate will depend upon whether or not she has allowed her anger to turn her away from God or whether she is faithful, but struggles, with this attitude problem.