The Bible Says

Our pastor, Curt Daniel, writes a weekly column for the local newspaper. It is entitled “The Bible Says.” It began in January, 2000. Here are the ones he has written to date:

1/15/00

Question: What is the greatest of all God’s commandments?

Answer: Jesus answered this very question in Matthew 22:37, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” It outweighs all other commandments and is a summary of all that God requires of us.

We should love God above everything and everyone else (Matthew 10:37 ). It leads to obeying His other laws (John 14:15 ). Without it, life is empty and religion is worthless. But in loving God, we fulfill our reason for existence. God wants us to love Him with our whole being – from the bottom of our heart to the top of our mind.

Unfortunately, we sinners are “lovers of self, lovers of money, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:2,4). We are guilty of breaking God’s greatest commandment. But God loved us and sent Christ to save us. We can be forgiven by faith in Him. We then show our gratitude by loving Him (Luke 7:47 ). This is how we are able to truly love God. Then we can spend all eternity loving God and being loved by Him.

1/22/00

Question: What is the most popular verse in the Bible?

Answer: Surveys show that the most popular verse by far is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” It sums up most of the Bible in a few words. Martin Luther called it “the Gospel in a nutshell.”

It is so profound that the greatest theologians in history have pondered its many deep implications. Yet it is so simple that little children learn it in Sunday School.

It tells us that there is a God and that He loves us. He sent Jesus Christ to become a man and live a perfect life. Chrsit then suffered and died for our sins. He also rose from the dead and returned to Heaven – mission accomplished.

Though we all deserve to go to Hell, God says we can go to Heaven by faith in Christ. God will forgive all our sins and make us His children. For centuries, people around the world have believed John 3:16. Millions have taken great comfort in it as they died. Truly it is a wonderful verse.

1/29/00

Question: Is Jesus God?

Answer: Yes. There are over a hundred places in the Bible that show that Jesus is God. First, Jesus Himself said He was God by saying He is the great “I AM” (John 8:24 , 58) and “The Almighty” (Revelation 1:8; 22:13 ). The Apostles called Him “God” in John 1:1, Romans 9:5, Titus 2:13 , 2 Peter 1:1, etc. Thomas called Jesus “My Lord and My God” (John 20:28 ). He is “God with us” (Matthew 1:23 ).

Next Jesus has all the unique qualities of deity. He is omnipotent (Revelation 1:8), omniscient (John 16:30 ), eternal (Hebrews 1:12 ) and unchangeable (Hebrews 13:8). He created all things, even the angels (Colossians 1:16 ). Jesus is not an angel, as some think (Hebrews 1:4-14). Hebrews 1:6 says the angels worship Jesus.

Nor was Jesus merely a perfect man. He is God “manifested in the flesh” (I Timothy 3:16 ). He was not a man who became God, but God who became the God-Man (Philippians 2:5-7). To go to Heaven, we must believe in the deity of Christ. To reject it leaves us in our sins and doomed to Hell (John 8:24 ). The good news is that Jesus is indeed “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 17:14 ).

2/5/00

Question: Do guardian angels exist?

Answer: Yes, but not in the way some people think. The Bible says, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them” (Psalm 34:7). Angels help Christians in many unseen ways (Hebrews 1:14 ). Sometimes they protect us from harm (Psalm 91:11-12). For example, an angel delivered Peter from prison when he was about to be wrongly executed (Acts 12:7).

The Bible does not say there is a specific angel assigned to each Christian. There may be several angels nearby at times (2 Kings 6:16 -17). The Bible forbids us to worship or pray to angels (Revelation 19:10 ). It never says that angels can “earn their wings” by some great deed or other such ideas we sometimes hear. Angels are very powerful, holy and intelligent beings. They may sometimes inflict great harm or even death on unbelievers (I Kings 19:35 ). Their main duty is to help Christians, but they many sometimes help unbelievers so they may become believers.

The Bible says a lot about angels. Many popular ideas are wrongly based on fairy tales, movies and urban legends. As on many other subjects, it is best to rely on what “the Bible says.”

2/12/00

Question: Is Jesus Christ the only way to God?

Answer: Yes. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). He said He is the only door (John 10:9). He alone grants the privilege of knowing God (Matthew 11:27 ), for to know Jesus is to know God (John 8:19 ). Acts 4:12 says, “There is salvation in none other, for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” 1 Timothy 2:5 says, “There is one God and one mediator between God and Man, the man Christ Jesus.”

According to the Bible, one cannot know God by good works, philosophy, other religions, or anything else. Though these ways may seem right to us, they only end in Hell (Proverbs 14:12 ). There is only one road to Heaven (Matthew 7:13 -14).

We need to remember that we are all sinners and do not deserve a way back to God. We deserve punishment, not grace. God mercifully provided a way of salvation – but only one way. Rather than complaining that this is not fair, we should thank God that we can be saved by faith in Christ.

2/19/00

Question: Can we know when Jesus will come again?

Answer: No. Jesus said, “Of that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, but My Father only” (Matthew 24:36). “It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority” (Acts 1:7). Such secrets are known only to God (Deuteronomy 29:29). Since God has not revealed the date, it is futile and wrong to try to guess.

Many people – especially the cults – have set dates for the Second Coming: 1843, 1914, 1975, 1988, 1994, 2000, and many others. They have all been wrong. We should ignore such date-setting. The Bible is not a puzzle, in which we can figure out the date if we piece the clues together right. Nobody will ever know. It may be soon, it may not be for hundreds of years.

Jesus said, “Be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44). Since we do not know when that time will be, we should be ready at all times. If we have faith in Christ, we will be ready. It will be too late to get ready when He comes.

2/26/00

Question: Is Satan real or a myth?

Answer: Satan is very real – too real. He was created as a good angel named Lucifer. But he rebelled against God and was cast out of Heaven (Luke 10:18 ). He then enticed Adam and Eve into sin (Genesis 3) and has continued to do the same with everyone else. The Bible calls him the Devil, Beelzebub, the Prince of Demons and other titles.

Jesus called him a “liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44 ). One of Satan’s biggest lies is that he is only a myth. He is delighted that many people do not believe he exists. 2 Corinthians 11:14 says, “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” God says that Satan is real, and the existence of evil proves it.

Satan is evil, but not all-powerful. Jesus defeated him at the cross (Colossians 2:15 ). One day Satan will be thrown into Hell permanently (Revelation 20:10 ) . The Devil wants to take people to Hell with him. The only escape is salvation through Christ. When we trust in Christ, Satan’s hold on us is broken forever. Satan is not a myth – and neither is Jesus Christ.

3/4/00

Question: Why did God create the universe?

Answer: The Bible says that God created the universe in order to display His glory. “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1). For example, the vast size of the universe points to God’s infinity. A gorgeous sunset tells of God’s beauty. The laws of Nature show God’s wisdom. An earthquake reminds us of God’s power. Romans 1:18-20 tells us that the universe reflects God’s qualities in all sorts of ways.

God created humans as a special means of displaying His glory. We were created in His image (Genesis 1:26 ). Sin defaced that image, but it is renewed when a person believes in Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18 ). God displays the glory of his love when He forgives those who repent of sin (Romans 9:23 ). He also reveals the glory of His justice when He punishes those who do not repent.

We now see only sparkles of God’s glory. But one day, it will shine forth in full splendor. “The Lord has made all things for Himself” (Proverbs 16:4), and He will display His glory to His universe for all eternity. The Bible says so.

3/11/00

Question: Does God love us?

Answer: Yes. We know it in three main ways. First, God tells us. “God is love” (1 John 4:8). “God so loved the world” (John 3:16 ). The Bible says that God is loving, merciful, kind, compassionate and good. He has generously given us many good things in this life (James 1:17 ). So, God tells us in Scripture and in Nature that He loves us.

Second, God shows us by Christ. “God demonstrates His love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God loved us when we were His enemies. The cross is the supreme display of God’s love (1 John 4:9-10). If we ever doubt the love of God, we need to look at Christ on the cross and say, “The Son of God loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 ).

Third, God proves his love by offering to freely forgive all our sins. He fills our hearts with love when we believe in Christ (Romans 5:5). Then He will take us to Heaven and lavish His love on us for all eternity (Ephesians 2:7). Yes, God does indeed love us.

3/18/00

Question: Is the Bible infallible?

Answer: Yes. Jesus said, “Thy Word is truth” and “The Scripture cannot be broken” (John 17:17 , 10:35 ). “All Scripture is inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:16 ). Since “God cannot lie,” the Bible is infallible (Titus 1:2). “The words of the Lord are pure words” (Psalm 12:6). It has no errors, contradictions or myths. It is “the Holy Scriptures” (Romans 1:2).

Some parts of the Bible are hard to understand, as 2 Peter 3:15 says. The apostles and prophets sometimes used figures of speech and poetry. But since they were controlled by the Holy Spirit in what they wrote (2 Peter 1:21 ), they wrote the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It is inerrant in all areas – history and science as well as theology and ethics.

The Holy Spirit inspired Holy Scripture and proves its truth. “The Spirit is the witness because the Spirit is the truth” (1 John 5:6). Historically, most Protestant and Catholic churches have believed in the infallibility of Scripture, though some no longer do. Attacks on the Bible come and go, but it is as true today as when it was first written. We can rely totally on whatever the Bible says.

3/25/00

Question: How do we know God exists?

Answer: We know because God says so. First, He tells us through Creation that He is our Creator. “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1). Romans 1:18-21 says that God has revealed His invisible existence through the visible thing he has created. Second, God tells us in our consciences that He is real (Romans 2:15 ). Third, God tells us in the Holy Bible that He exists. Fourth, Jesus Christ is “God manifested in the flesh” (2 Timothy 3:16 ). In Christ, God personally came into his Creation and introduced himself to us.

We do not need to prove to people that God exists, for they already know it. Everything around and inside us reminds us. Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” In this sense, there is no such thing s as an atheist or agnostic. There are only those who foolishly deny what they know is true.

Though we all know that God exists, we do not know Him personally except through Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:27 ). By faith in Christ, we can know God personally as Father. Read the Bible and find out for yourself.

4/01/00

Question: Will we see God in Heaven?

Answer: Yes. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). “They shall see his face” (Revelation 22:4). “We shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). Theologians call this the Beatific Vision – the joyful and blessed privilege of seeing God Himself. Though all Nature points to God, God Himself is presently invisible to us (Romans 1:20 ). He says, “No man can see my face and live” (Exodus 33:20). If we sinners saw God now in His perfect holiness, we would be immediately incinerated. We need to be made ready to see God one day. Salvation by Christ makes us ready. To see Jesus is to see the Father (John 1:18 , 14:9).

All those in Heaven see God in His glory and splendor. When we are raised up in new bodies, we will see God with our very own eyes (Job 19:26 -27). It is the deepest longing of every Christian to see God. However, lost sinners will tremble in terror when they behold God in His wrath (Revelation 6:16 , 20:11 ). God has now provided the way of salvation. One of its greatest blessings will be spending all eternity gazing at God in wonder, love and worship.

04/08/00

Question: What does “born again” mean?

Answer: Jesus said, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God . You must be born again" (John 3:3, 7). We were born physically by means of our parents. We need to be born a second time spiritually by the Holy Spirit.

The new birth is a miracle that God performs in the heart. We do not do it for ourselves by good deeds or self-reformation, any more than we gave ourselves physical birth (John 1:13 ). The Holy Spirit does it in us by means of the Bible (James 1:18 ). He radically transforms our very soul so that we truly believe in Christ and love God (1 John 4:7, 5:1). The Bible says it is like being raised from the dead, being created all over, and giving sight to the blind. It is how we become children of God.

Not everyone has had this life-changing experience. A person can know for sure if he has been born again. The book of 1 John tells us about it. Those who have been truly born again know it is real and wonderful. They would not trade it for anything.

04/15/00

Question: Who killed Jesus?

Answer: The Bible says many people were involved in the crucifixion. First, Satan is a murderer and the instigator of all murders (John 8:44 ). He moved Judas to betray Jesus to certain Jewish religious leaders who wanted Jesus dead (Luke 22:2-4). They in turn stirred up the crowds to demand Jesus’ execution at His trial (Matthew 27:20). Pontius Pilate then condemned Jesus to death, even though he knew Jesus was innocent (Mark 15:14 -15). Finally, Roman soldiers did the job (Mark 15:24 ).

This does not at all mean that all Jews today are to be blamed, as they often were in the past. In a way, we are all guilty of killing Jesus, for “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3). Hebrews 6:6 and 10:29 say that those who reject the Gospel thereby re-crucify Christ, as it were.

There’s more. Jesus said, “No man takes my life from me, but I lay it down of myself” (John 10:18 ). He allowed people to murder Him. And in the ultimate sense, it was God who killed Jesus. God planned the crucifixion in eternity and sent Jesus to die for our sins (Acts 2:22 -23, 4:27 -28). That’s what the Bible says.

04/23/00

Question: Did Jesus rise physically from the dead?

Answer: Yes. Some people mistakenly think that Jesus rose only as a kind of ghost without a physical body. But Jesus said to His disciples, “Handle me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have” (Luke 24:39). He then ate a piece of fish to prove it. Ghosts don’t eat fish.

His body was as physical as it was before he died. He arose as more than a ghost, myth or nice memory. If He did not rise, He failed in everything. But He conquered death. True faith believes in the physical resurrection of Christ. If one rejects it, he is still lost in his sins. (1 Corinthians 15 is the classic chapter on this subject.)

Christ’s body was also glorified. It was not less than physical, but physical with new qualities. For example, He could walk through walls and even disappear (Luke 24, John 20). He later went back to Heaven in this glorious body. One day, He will return and give perfect resurrection bodies to all those who belong to Him (1 Corinthians 15:52 ).

04/29/00

Question: How can I get rid of a guilty conscience?

Answer: God gave us a conscience as a kind of alarm clock to tell us that we have sinned (Romans 2:15 ). Some people have very sensitive consciences. Their sins haunt them and accuse them day and night. In reality, it is the Holy Spirit convicting them of sin (John 16:8).

There is only one cure for a guilty conscience: God’s forgiveness. It works like this. We are all guilty of sin. God sent Christ to die for our sins (Romans 5:8). When we repent of sin and trust in Christ, God forgives us all our sins. Then he cleanses our consciences. “How much more shall the blood of Christ cleanse your conscience” (Hebrews 9:14 ) . We then have “a pure heart and a good conscience” (1 Timothy 1:5). “If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart” (1 John 3:20 ).

We should not ignore a guilty conscience, nor let it lead us to despair. We should turn to God, who alone can forgive us. One of the greatest blessings of being a Christian is having a clear conscience. The Holy Spirit even tells us in our heart that we are God’s children (Romans 8:16 ).

05/06/00

Question: Are there any myths in the Bible?

Answer: No. The Bible itself warns us not to believe myths (1 Timothy 1:4, 4:7, Titus 1:14 , 2 Peter 1:16 ). The events in the Bible actually happened, including the miracles. If we had been there, we would have seen and heard them. This includes Adam and Eve, Noah and the ark, Jonah and the whale, and Jesus. The Bible is not a collection of make-believe fairy tales, but God’s Word on historical facts.

Scripture records many of Christ’s parables, such as the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son (Luke 10 and 15). But a parable is not a myth. It is only a simple illustration drawn from life. The four Gospels do not contain myths. Also, the Bible records the lies of Satan, but that doesn’t mean the Bible is a lie. God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). Therefore God’s Word has no myths.

We do not need to sort out myths from truth in Scripture, for it is all truth. We need to believe the Bible and listen to what God tells us. That’s what the Bible says.

05/13/00

Question: What is the Trinity?

Answer: “Trinity” is a word we use to describe the Bible’s teaching that the one true God exists as “the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). It is shown in 2 Corinthians 13:14 , 1 Peter 1:2 and elsewhere. It is based on three main truths. First, there is only one God (Exodus 20:3). “The Lord our God is one Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4). The Trinity is one God, not three gods.

Second, God has three aspects or persons. The Father is God (1 Corinthians 8:6). The Son is God (John 20:28 ). The Spirit is God (2 Corinthians 3:17 ). Each is fully and eternally God. Third, these three are not identical. For example, the Son and not the Father died on the cross. We see all three distinctly at Christ’s baptism in Matthew 3:16-17. They are not identical in person, but are equally divine in nature. Each is “God and with God” (John 1:1).

This is a very deep mystery. Sadly, many cults reject it. We should believe it and pray for more understanding. We should bow in holy awe and worship the one God in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

05/20/00

Question: Why do bad things happen to good people?

Answer: This is a popular question, but it is the wrong question. The real question should be, “Why do good things happen to bad people?” The Bible says, “No one is good but one, that is, God” (Mark 10:18 ). We are not good people who do not deserve bad things. We are bad people who deserve punishment for our sins (Romans 6:23 ).

We need to look beyond the problems and pain we experience in this sinful world. Sometimes God allows them to come our way to draw us to Himself, or to test us, or to help us sympathize with others. Remember Job. Even so, we are now getting far less than we deserve (Ezra 9:13 ).

God is temporarily withholding our punishment. He is giving us many good things to show us He loves us (James 1:17 ). This should move us to repent of our sins (Romans 2:4). If we do, God will forgive us. For believers, the blessings of Heaven will far outweigh the afflictions of Earth (Romans 8:18 ). But if we do not repent, then we show gross ingratitude for God’s many good gifts. If so, we will then receive what bad people deserve – Hell.

05/27/00

Question: What is the shortest verse in the Bible?

Answer: The shortest verse is John 11:35, “Jesus wept.” Jesus was standing at the grave of His friend Lazarus. He was deeply moved with grief (verse 33), as we are at funerals. He comforted the family and then surprised everyone by raising Lazarus from the dead.

Luke 19:41 tells us that Jesus also wept when He looked out over the city of Jerusalem . He was grieved at their unbelief and foresaw their doom. Hebrews 5:7 says Jesus prayed with “vehement cries and tears” in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before He was crucified. Jesus probably wept many other times, for Isaiah 53:3 says He was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”

Though He was God, Jesus was also human and had human emotions. He sympathizes with our pain, our loneliness and our grief (Hebrews 4:15 , 5:2). He cares for us deeply from the bottom of His heart. Jesus knows what it is to weep. He can comfort us in sorrow as nobody else can. “Casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you” (1Peter 5:7). One day, He will wipe away all tears from those in Heaven (Revelations 21:4).

06/03/00

Question: What does the Bible say about philosophy?

Answer: The Bible says, “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit” (Colossians 2:8). The word “philosophy” means “love of wisdom.” It refers to the wisdom of man, not God. It reached its peak in ancient Greece . When Paul visited Athens and met their philosophers, he preached the Gospel to them, not philosophy (Acts 17).

1 Corinthians 1 contrasts the philosophy of Man with the wisdom of God. Man cannot know God by philosophy, but only by the wisdom of God. God’s wisdom appears foolish to the philosophers, but in reality it is philosophy that is foolish. The Biblical book of Ecclesiastes shows the philosophy of Man only ends in despair and death. It leads away from God, not back to Him.

Philosophy is fundamentally wrong because it does not start with the main principal of true wisdom: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10). The apostles and prophets who wrote the Bible were far wiser than Plato or Aristotle. And the sum of all wisdom is found in Jesus Christ, who is called “the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24 ). It is wise to trust Christ, foolish not to.

06/10/00

Question: What is the “Rapture”?

Answer: The “Rapture” is a term that describes what happens to Christians at the Second Coming of Christ. It comes from the Latin word “rapio,” which means “take away by force.” “The Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:16 -17).

Jesus said, “I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:3). At the Second Coming, “He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds” (Matthew 24:31).

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 says it will happen “in the twinkling of an eye.” Christ will suddenly take Christians out of the world without dying. He will give them new and perfect bodies like His own resurrection body (Philippians 3:21 ). Christians differ on various details of the Rapture, but they agree on two things: it will certainly happen and it will be glorious.

06/17/00

Question: What will happen when we die?

Answer: The Bible says the spirit leaves the body at death. “The body without the spirit is dead” (James 2:26 ). When Jesus died, He gave up His spirit (John 19:30 ). “The dust will return to the Earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Doctors may be able to keep some parts of the body functioning for a while. The usual medical definition of death is total cessation of brain waves. But if the spirit has left the body, the person is dead.

The spirit is the invisible part of us. The Bible calls it the soul, the heart, the inner man. It is where we think and love, where we sin and believe. It does not cease to exist when it leaves the body, nor is it unconscious. The Bible does not teach “out-of-body experiences” as popularly reported. To leave the body is to die.

The spirit will one day be reunited with the body to face God on Judgement Day (Revelation 20:11 -15). Lost sinners will go to eternal Hell, while saved people will go to eternal Heaven (Matthew 25:46). Death is real. We need to ready for it.

06/24/00

Question: What are demons?

Answer: Demons are evil angels. They were created as good angels, but followed Satan in a rebellion against God. They were then cast out of Heaven. Some were thrown into Hell to await Judgement Day (Jude 6). Others were allowed to roam the Earth. In rare cases, they inhabit people. The Bible calls this demon-possession. Demons are at war with good angels (Revelation 12:7).

The Bible is the only reliable source of information on demons, not TV or rumors. Demons are real, not mythological. They have minds, but not bodies. They are not ghosts of dead people. The Bible says they have rank like soldiers under their leader Satan (Ephesians 6:12 ). They are evil and therefore speak lies, present temptation and oppose God.

Jesus cast out many demons, for He is stronger than they are. They tremble before Him. Colossians 2:15 says Christ defeated them at the cross. One day, Christ will condemn all demons to eternal Hell (Matthew 25:41). There is no hope for them. But there is hope for us. When we believe in Christ, the demons have no power over us. They may oppose believers, but they can never possess one.

07/01/00

Question: Is the phrase “In God we trust” in the Bible?

Answer: These words first appeared on some coins in 1864 and were authorized by Congress for all currency in 1908. The phrase is based on Psalm 56:11, “In God I have put my trust.” It was meant to be a public acknowledgement that America as a nation believed in God. It is like when the words “under God” were added to “one nation” in the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954.

Unfortunately, the true meaning of the phrase is now ignored or denied by many people. For many it should be, “In gold we trust.” Our nation has forsaken God. It ignores the Bible and mocks God’s laws. Though many individuals can say “In God I trust,” as a nation we do not trust God any longer.

The Bible says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12). God provides blessings for those who seek to follow Him. God made America great. But he warns of judgement as well. “The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17 ) . May our nation forsake its sin and return to God, and truly say “In God we trust.”

07/08/00

Question: Can we become gods?

Answer: No. Some Eastern religions mistakenly teach that we can become gods or goddesses through good works and reincarnation. Some even say that this is how Jesus became a god. Oddly, some cults teach that a person becomes a god when he becomes a Christian, or can become one in the next life.

One of Satan’s lies to Adam and Eve was, “You shall be as gods” (Genesis 3:5). Many people still believe that lie. Satan himself tried to become a god and was thrown out of Heaven (Isaiah 14:12 -15). It is high blasphemy and self-idolatry to try to become a god. It is not only a ridiculous idea, but a futile attempt. It only brings a person down to Hell (Ezekiel 28:6-9).

There is only one true God, but many false gods (I Corinthians 8:5-6). Jesus was not a man who became a god, but was the true God who became the God-Man (John 1:1,14). When we believe in Christ, we become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:5). We do not become little gods, however. Christians will be made perfect in Heaven one day, but they will always remain human, not be made divine.

07/15/00

Question: What does the Bible say about drugs?

Answer: The Bible mentions drugs in Galatians 5:20 and Revelation 9:21, 21:8 and 22:15 . In the original Greek of the New Testament, the word is “pharmakeia,” from which we get the English word “pharmacy.” It is sometimes translated “sorcery.” It refers to the use of drugs such as opium and marijuana. Ancient pagans sometimes used drugs in their occult practices to try to attain religious ecstasy. Others used drugs just to get high.

God condemns the use of drugs in these ways. Just as He forbids intoxication with liquor, so He forbids intoxication with drugs. “Do not get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18 ) . We should not allow mind-altering substances to cloud our thinking. Nor should we abuse our bodies, for they belong to God. And one cannot know God through drugs, contrary to the foolish claims of the late Timothy Leary.

Of course, some drugs have a legitimate medical use. Proverbs 31:6 permits the use of strong pain-killers. But the non-medical use of drugs is morally wrong. Drugs have ruined millions of lives and families. Drugs aren’t the answer – Christ is.

07/22/00

Question: Is man basically good or evil?

Answer: Most people think that we are all basically good. They admit that we have done some bad things and that some people are worse than others. But they feel that even the worst people are still basically good and that some people are so good that they make it to Heaven.

This is totally wrong. Jesus said, “You are evil” (Matthew 7:1). The Bible says, “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10 ). We are evil, not good. In fact, we are not only basically evil, we are totally evil. Our hearts are “full of evil” (Ecclesiastes 9:3). “Every intent of the heart is only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). We are filled with sin from head to toe (Isaiah 1:6). We are not good people who occasionally do evil – we are evil people who never do good out of pure motives. Our “good deeds” are only sins in disguise. We all deserve Hell.

God has provided a solution. Christ was the only good person. He was punished in our place (1 Peter 3:18 ). We can be forgiven by believing in Him. God then changes us so that we are truly able to do good.

07/29/00

Question: Did Jesus ever marry?

Answer: No. Every now and then, someone propounds the odd theory that Jesus was married and had children. Some say He married Mary Magdalene. Some even say He had several wives. Others think His children had children, and so on, and that His bloodline was the true “Holy Grail.” One bizarre book even suggests that the authors located a true descendant of Jesus in France .

All such theories are false. The truth is, Jesus never married. The Bible nowhere even hints at the idea of Jesus being married, let alone that He had children. Surely the Apostles and early Christians would have mentioned it if it had happened. Jesus stayed single to better serve God (see 1 Corinthians 7:32 ). It would also have been an inappropriate and unequal match for the sinless God-Man to marry a sinful human.

In a spiritual sense, all true Christians are the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22 -23). A person becomes engaged to Christ when he is converted (2 Corinthians 11:2). One day Christ will return to Earth and be united with His people in a holy spiritual wedding (Revelation 19:9, 21:1). Christians will live with Him forever in an eternal honeymoon of bliss and joy.

08/05/00

Question: Will there be more people in Heaven or Hell?

Answer: Jesus answered this question in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Many go to Hell. Few go to Heaven.

Each of us is on one of these two roads. Most people are on the road to Hell, though they do not know it. They usually think they will end up in Heaven. Only a few have gotten off the road to Hell and are now on the road to Heaven. Though their number is large in itself (Revelation 7:9), it is far out-numbered by those who go to Hell.

It is absolutely essential that each of us knows for sure which road we are on. There will be no second chance. There are only two destinies. The Bible alone has the answer. Christ is the only way to Heaven (John 14:6). Otherwise, we go to Hell. Which road are you on?

08/12/00

Question: What is a soul?

Answer: Our soul is the invisible part of us. It is the “inner man” (Ephesians 3:16 ) that lives inside our bodies. It includes our heart, mind and conscience. It is our spirit. With our soul we think, feel emotion, love and sin. It is also with our soul that we can know God through faith in Christ.

Humanistic philosophy denies that we have a soul. It says that we are only animals and that the idea of a soul is superstition. But God says otherwise. We are not animals at all, but humans. God created Adam by breathing life into his body and making him a “living soul” (Genesis 2:7). He then gave Adam charge over the animals.

One day we will die. Our bodies will return to the dirt and our souls will go to be judged by God (Ecclesiastes 12:7, 14). Jesus asked, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36 ). Lost sinners will be cast into Hell in both their soul and body (Matthew 10:28 ). But the souls of believers in Christ will go to Heaven and get perfect bodies. Is it well with your soul?

08/19/00

Question: Is it ever okay to tell a lie?

Answer: No, never. The Bible says, “Putting away lying, let each of us speak truth with his neighbor” (Ephesians 4:25 ). The ninth of the Ten Commandments is, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16 ). God always speaks the truth and never lies (Titus 1:2), and He tells us to do the same. Satan is the “father of lies” (John 8:44 ). God hates lies and punishes unrepentant liars in Hell (Revelation 22:15 ).

All lying is sin. It is common in politics and business, but it is still wrong. That includes slander, perjury, deception, gossip and hypocrisy. Some people say there are times when lying is acceptable – for example, lying to an armed burglar to save an innocent life. But the Bible does not allow for exceptions to God’s clear command. In hard cases, a person might remain silent, pray, change the subject, take the consequences, or try to stop the danger.

The end does not justify the means. God condemns the error that says, “Let us do evil that good may come” (Romans 3:8). Truth is sacred because God is holy. It is always right to tell the truth, never right to tell a lie.

08/26/00

Question: What does the Bible say is a husband’s main duty?

Answer: The main duty of a husband is this: “Husbands, love your wives” (Ephesians 5:25 ). This is the key to being a good husband. If he does it right, everything else will fall into place. Without it, all else will fail.

This kind of love is more than romance or sex. It is the love of sacrifice. A loving husband will put his wife’s needs above his own. That’s real love. He will exercise his God-given authority as head of the family with gentle love, not brute force. 1 Peter 3:7 tells husbands to be understanding to their wives. That means patience and kindness. He will protect and provide for her both physically and emotionally. A loving husband will not strike or demean his wife. Instead, he will “nourish and cherish” her (Ephesians 5:28 -29). This is what every wife needs and wants.

A husband should imitate Christ, who loved the Church and died for her (Ephesians 5:25 ). A loving husband will not just say he loves his wife – he will prove it by action and attitude. He will honor her with respect, value her as a treasured jewel, and treat her like a queen.

09/02/00

Question: Does the Bible say that wives must submit to their husbands?

Answer: Yes, three times. Ephesians 5:22 says, “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands