(Bible Question From Nigeria) Good evening sir, i am a regular reader of the evangelical outreach articles and it always an inspiring moment. I am a young man of 28 a born again Christian. I received the call of God to be an evangelist in late 2004 but i did not respond to the call i choose the wrong course in the university came out after 4 years with nothing. Along the line i got a young woman impregnated and she gave to a child outside marriage which as the result living outside the will of God. This i have brought so much shame to my family, my mother and every other person have rejected me. I am left now with so much suffering spiritual scars all over me. I ran in to unresolvable debts. Deep in so much depression sometimes looked unto the end and wondered as my end come and prayed always for God's mercy for nothing is working out for me. Now i want to ask will God reconsider somebody like me and turn my sorrow into joy again? Please help.
(Bible Answer) Greetings in Jesus’ name. Your email is very sad. We are very sorry. It shows what sin does, that is, it brings pain, shame, regret and spiritual death. If God turned things around for the prodigal, he will do the same for you, if you also repent and come to God humbly to serve him. As the prodigal was spiritually dead and lost because of his sins, he became alive again (Lk. 15:24) after repentance. Hopefully, you already found forgiveness and salvation after turning away.
God is a miracle God, much B-I-G-G-E-R than many Christians realize. Absolutely, things can get better for you, but your first concern should be pleasing God and to never hurt him again. He wants your love and that is expressed by your obedience to him. As you draw near to God, he will draw near to you. Flood your mind with Scripture. Ponder it, memorize it, speak it out to others and obey it. Remember, this life is very short and insignificant compared to eternity. Keep your eye on the big picture and not just this side of the grave. Be sure to carefully read this teaching for new converts. God bless you. Remember Rev. 21:7,8.
_________________
(Bible Question) ...your ministry is more concerned with instilling fear rather than what Jesus taught. Insighting fear is no foundation for anyone's relationship! Do you remain in your relationships based out of fear or true love? Jesus said he came to bring LIFE and more abundantly. Where is that message on your website?...
(Bible Answer) Greetings in Jesus’ name. From some of your wild inaccurate accusations it seems you must have us confused with someone else! We teach the Bible here, with heavy emphasis on the Lord Jesus and his wonderful teachings. God’s word declares reality, which includes both exciting promises and horrible warnings of real danger. Perhaps you aren’t aware of it, but Jesus actually taught his disciples to FEAR:
I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. (Luke 12:4,5)
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Mat 10:28)
Paul also taught Christians to be afraid of getting cut off from the olive tree (Christ) and losing salvation (Rom. 11:20). Hopefully, you will change and start fearing God, as Jesus taught. If you refuse, it will be to your detriment. NOTE: love for God is manifested by obedience (John 14:15; etc.). The same occurs with the fear of God. A Christian can OBEY. He can live above sin. He does NOT have to sin all the time, as the heretics of our day twist Rom. 7:14-25 to teach.
The message on our website is not singular. We have many messages, such as live holy, don’t believe anything that is not written in the Bible, look to and trust in the living God, evangelize the lost, etc. A MAJOR part of our message is to "feed the sheep" through internet church. This is very important for various people. Remember Heb. 3:14. God bless you.
___________________
(Bible Question) To your comment on Skull & Crossbones Award For Paul Washer and Debate Challenge about Paul Washer....once a person becomes regenerated he will forever remain a child of God, even if he backslides. I believe this to be true. As before I could backslide into sin with much ease, whereas now it becomes nearly impossible. I have been transformed by God, given a knowledge directly by him into my heart, an understanding so great and so different, that I am in pain when I go astray. Paul says we can backslide, but only if the transformation has not been by God in the first place but by a mere human decision of ours to believe in Christ.
...By the way, did Paul ever responded to that message? If he has not replied, I guess the question is how many of those messages does he gets all the time, and how much energy should he give to those debates. Because it is NOT about the debates, it is NOT about winning, or being more clever, it is all about the truth. And are YOU really willing, I mean really willing to find the truth? ...Is God more important to you, than your debate? Is He the one you give the glory? I would not know if I would spend my energy on people like you, as I would think I would have more important things to do for my God than that. Kind regards
(Bible Answer) Greetings in Jesus’ name. Paul Washer is a heretic. As a Calvinist his theology declares that God elects people to salvation even if they don’t want salvation and once he gets regenerated, such a person will always remain God’s child even if he turns to adultery and murder like David. That is heresy and poison. That is not good teaching. That will not help you. [Remember:
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! (1 Cor 10:12)]
You have stated you believe once regenerated, always saved. You didn’t get that from the Bible. That is not New Testament. You have been listening to people teach and preach who cleverly misuse Scripture. Please click here and take a Bible Quiz for yourself on once saved always saved. You will see it is not Biblical and therefore not a Christian doctrine. Did you know 1 Cor. 15:2 is part of the real gospel too? Here is the real plan of salvation. [Paul Washer has never agreed to debate.] God bless you. Remember Eph. 5:5-7.
________________
(Comment) Hi. What you had stated about Norman Geisler’s eternal security is true. God bless you. In Christ
(Bible Answer) Greetings in Jesus’ name. Thanks for the words of encouragement. Yes, we know Norman Geisler believes in once saved always saved, as do most cited on our Skull And Crossbones Award page. It is important to warn people of those teaching dangerously false. Because we have done this for the advantage of others, we have been attacked, opposed and misunderstood. That practice of exposing the unfruitful deeds of darkness, which is not the norm for our apostate day, is still Biblical and important for the sake of truth (Eph. 5:11). Have you signed up for our internet church? God bless you. Remember Rom. 8:13.
________________
(Bible Question) Matthew 25:31-46 Here, Jesus refers to whom? Jews or Believers?
Here, I want to say few words. When, we do sin some times we will not loose salvation, if we repent, In Bible there is no chart of big sin or small sin. sin is sin. how will you handle this? Many Thanks
(Bible Answer) Greetings in Jesus’ name. Mt. 25:31-46 refers to both the righteous and wicked, the ones who enter God’s paradise kingdom and those who go to eternal punishment (v.46).
All sins are not the same in their effect on our souls. Some sins are greater than others (Jn. 19:11). One type is eternal (Mk. 3:29), while others are not. Another type of sin is uniquely against our bodies, while other sins are outside our bodies (1 Cor. 6:18). 1 Jn. 5:16 declares there is a sin that does not lead to death while there is a sin that leads to death. Sins such as worry (Phil. 4:6), unthankfulness (Col. 2:7, 3:15; Lk. 17:11-18) and not being completely humble and gentle (Eph. 4:2) are not included in any of the lists of sins that will send people to the lake of fire, even if they were once saved. However, other sins certainly will send any person to hell if they die unrepentant, even a person who was once saved. (See 1 Cor. 6:9,10; Rev. 21:8; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:5,6; Jude 7; Rev. 22:15; etc.).
If you disown Jesus, he will disown you (Mt. 10:33)! Hence, salvation is lost at that point. With the prodigal, it was over sin which brought about his spiritual death and through his repentance he became alive again (Lk. 15:24). He lost his salvation too. We know that because he was both dead and lost when in wild living (Lk. 15:24). Please take the time and answer these Bible questions for yourself. Click here for the Bible Quiz. GOD BLESS YOU.
____________________
(Bible Question) Thank you for writing the alarming articles on lust, adultery and remarriage. These articles so clearly present the biblical truth that has unfortunately been so distorted by not only the world but also by the churches that even I as a ten-year Christian find many of your perspectives fresh and awakening. I have struggled with issues on fornication and lust and would like to humbly ask for your bible-based perspective, counsel and prayer.
My background:
I am a single Christian girl who has never been married. Over seven years ago, when I was still a naive teenage nominal Christian who never studied the Bible, I fornicated with my first boyfriend, who is an unbeliever. I committed this sin with the naive hope that he and I will certainly become married to each other one day. After about fourteen months of sinful dating, he deserted me in spite of my every effort and desperate pleading to make the relationship work. I deeply and wholeheartedly repented and asked God for forgiveness for my fornication. With a renewed mind and strength given by God, I have strived to lead a Christian life and managed to stay away from fornication until this day. However, I have not stopped struggling with guilt and self-abasement, and feel that I have been living with a broken, injured soul ever since.
My questions:
1. First please reassure me that a fornicator is forgiven totally and completely when he repents, that his debt for the sin of fornication is removed, and then he will not be sent to hell on judgement day for the fornication.
2. Having read your "Divorce and remarriage" article and such scripture as Exodus 22:16, I get the impression that God essentially views two persons that have had sex with each other (and are each other's first partner) as one flesh, i.e. that they are necessarily each other's life-long partner in God's eyes. Is this the correct understanding? So in my case, does God already view my first boyfriend and I as one flesh? Am I still eligible for courtship and marriage with another man while my first boyfriend is still alive?
3. Please reassure me that there is no need for me to seek reconciliation/marriage with my first boyfriend.
4. Is my guilt a consequence of my sin that God expects me to live with? What can I do about it when it wears me down?
5. Heartbreak and low self-esteem are probably inevitable consequences of my sin. Does God expect me to live with a broken soul for the rest of my life? What can I do about this?
Moreover:
A few months ago I met a married man with whom I have recently cut off contact after much inner struggle. Although we did not engage in any sort of physical touching, we enjoyed mutual romantic feelings and each other's special attention. I indulged in his special courtesy and chivalry and in fantasies about being his beloved. It is after reading your article on lust that I realized that I have essentially committed adultery by biblical standard. Is this correct? I immediately repented before God and prayed for His (and his) forgiveness but still feel guilty and heartbroken. Please pray for me! Thank you,
(Bible Answer) Greetings in Jesus’ name. We are very sorry for the painful past and your current situation. The Biblical evidence shows fornicators can be forgiven:
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor. 6:9-11, NASB)
The prodigal teaching of Jesus shows forgiveness is possible for a saved person who wanders away from God into sexual immorality, etc. When he repented he got saved again, even though his sexual sin, etc. brought him to his spiritual death:
For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate. (Luke 15:24)
NOTE: The father was GLAD to have him back! That is how God considers you too. So stop allowing the devil to torture your mind. If Peter had allowed the devil to discourage him and overwhelm him after he disowned Jesus and got saved again, he could have never been used in ministry as he was. That included his message on Pentecost and all through the first half of Acts. He also wrote 2 books of the bible, AFTER he got saved again. You must move on with your life.
True guilt from the Holy Spirit comes to the unforgiven, but if one repented there is no more conviction from God. The devil will keep reminding us of our failures, etc. of the past and never the times we helped people find salvation, etc. Please be alert and guard your thoughts. Be sure to read our material for new converts. It is loaded.
Ex. 22:16 centers on a woman losing her virginity and the consequences that would have on a future marriage. It does NOT say one is married to the person he/she is sexually immoral with. NOTE: David committed adultery with Bathsheba, but she didn’t become his wife at that point! Later, after her husband’s death she became his wife. Consequently, they were not married when joined sexually. You are not married to your ex boyfriend.
To eliminate your crushed spirit, get involved serving God. Get active DOING things to help others, especially in a spiritual way. Avoid all appearances of evil (1 Thess. 5:22). If you had done that, the situation with fantasies with that married man would not have occurred. Now you can learn from that. Cut off ALL contact with him. Guard yourself from similar situations. You are in an intense fight for your SOUL. You are battling for eternity. You can live above sin, if you do the right things. There are spiritual safeguards for you to act upon. Fill your mind with God’s word. Read the New Testament and memorize the scriptures, which the Holy Spirit makes special for you. Put his word into practice (Lk. 8:21). Treasure his word. It is food for your SOUL. As you draw near to God, he will draw near to you. Consider signing up for our internet church. It will help you, as it has many others. GOD BLESS YOU.
****************************************************
Other Topics:
Live Holy And Keep Yourself Pure
Read Other Bible Answers To Bible Questions
Evangelical Outreach
P. O. Box 265
Washington, PA 15301
www.evangelicaloutreach.org
Contact Us or Join our Internet Church
