06.21
Here are some questions that I didn’t get answered in the service (or I only answered in one of the services). Yesterday’s topic was a difficult one to communicate clearly, so if you still have questions, email me and I’ll answer them through email or the blog.
Q: What do you do with the verse, “There is no other name given to men by which we must be saved?”
I believe it. We are not saved by the name of Muhammad, Buddha, Abraham, or _________ (insert your name here). We are saved only because of what Jesus did on the cross. Jesus is the “way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to God except through Him.” (John 14:6)
Q: @what point does mercy become enabling…and how do the merciFULL learn to trust the “tough love” of the “merciLESSON”?
I’m not sure that I understand the question, but… Often people with the gift of mercy become enablers. We should always have a merciful attitude toward people, but we enable them when we remove natural consequences from their lives. God tends to teach through natural consequences, but we forget that. If you suspect that you’re an enabler, meet with a wise, mature, older believer and seek their advice.
Q: How do people know that Christianity is the right way while others think that other religions are right to them???
This happens after someone tries life his way (or his religion’s way) and figures out that it doesn’t work. In other words, s/he realizes the s/he can’t become perfect or remove his/her guilt. Once we figure that out, then we can choose (or not choose) to approach God through faith and grace.
Q: Is it wrong to be accepting and tolerant of gay people?
I’ll answer this question on July 4th when I teach on: Dumb Stuff Smart People Believe: ‘Don’t Judge!’
Q: I’ve heard my entire life that God is waiting, until the last person hears the gospel, to return…true or false?
This teaching comes from Matthew 24:14 and 2 Peter 3:8-9. These verses definitely teach that God is slow in returning because He wants to give us more time to repent and come to Him. Have you ever been frustrated with God and asked, ‘What’s taking you so long???’ The answer is: He wants others to come to Him.
Q: What about babies that die? Does the Bible teach anything on an ”age of accountability?”
We are innocent before God until we “know enough to reject the wrong and choose the right” – which in Old Testament times was about 12 years old. We take this teaching from Jewish tradition, Deut 1:39, and Isaiah 7:16.
Q: Can someone who has ONLY experienced general revelation go to heaven?
Yes.
Q: What’s the link to the Billy Graham video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNCnxA91fHE
Q: Since God has made himself known to all, does this minimize the importance of missionaries?
Absolutely not! It’s MUCH easier to understand salvation through specific revelation (the Bible). Otherwise, God would not give us the Bible. Faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17). So when we hear the full message, it helps people have faith in God through Jesus Christ.
Q: Is it possible for a believer to intentionally choose “big” sin (i.e. divorce or unfaithfulness) and ultimately have peace, even if not in same marriage?
Yes, but s/he has to work through a TON of guilt and regret – and most people never do.
Q: Why can’t I embrace Jesus and Oprah?
I’ve always felt that Oprah gave fairly good advice, but (for me) she ‘jumped the shark’ when she started talking about The Secret. When she entered the world of spiritual adviser, I turned her off.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions from yesterday. Join the discussion and post them in the comments.
Sometimes I think about all this stuff and I have a laundry list of similar questions. I want to over-analyze everything and understand every bit of everything and I find myself getting confused and even disgruntled. One thing that has certainly happened during the Questions series is that I realize I’m not the only one in the room that wonders about stuff like this. Some of the questions I am like “Yeah, I wondered that too!”. Sometimes I live for that “moment of clarity” – I know it’s wonderful when it come!
I understand that those who reject Jesus are also rejecting God, so what about the Jews? “No one can come to the father except through me”….. I’ve often wondered if when Jesus returns, his chosen people (dead and alive) will be given a free pass and their eyes will all be opened just in the nick of time. Thoughts?
Also, regarding yesterday’s sermon…. I felt at peace with all the teaching. While I still have a few lingering questions, I understand that as a human I cannot fully understand the ways of God. Your transparency and candor are a blessing, and I commend you on tackling the hard issues.
I don’t believe the Jews will be given a free pass. Either we stand before God on our own merits, or we stand before God on Jesus’ merits. The Jewish people must repent and humble their hearts before God just like everyone else.
I should give you this disclaimer, though. I’m not a dispensationalist. That’s a big word for the belief that the Bible (including the end times) revolves around the Jewish nation. (My view is a minority view. There are MANY intelligent scholars who disagree with me.) If you ask a dispensationalist the question, “Who are God’s people in Israel?”, they’ll say the Jews. Ask that question to a non-dispensationalist and we say, God’s people in Israel are the Followers of Jesus who live in Israel (Jewish and Palestine alike).
Make sense?
Relating to babies dying…and where they go: When one of King David’s wives lost a son in childbirth, he mourned bitterly and mentioned that he would go where the child was…taken to mean Heaven. (2 Samuel 12:15-23). It’s mainly that passage pastors and teachers reference regarding the death of infants. I believe that we serve a God who is compassionate to no end and I picture infants being greeted with open arms in Heaven, comforted by their Eternal Father in lieu of their earthly one.
Ken, could you show me how you answered the general revelation question? Thanks.
Romans 2:7-11 / Listen to the lesson from yesterday, too. I go into great detail explaining this. The podcast is uploaded on the website: http://www.westcobbchurch.com We’ll have the video uploaded soon…
“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” So, hell is not forever? The lake of fire is forever. This is the first question. Second question. The new creature…what is it? Is it a heavenly being…a celestial counterpart to our earthly self? Third question…we see darkly now as in a mirror. Our minds are not equipped to understand better? Or, we are basically dim witted and don’t know how to turn on the lights? Fourth question. “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth”. The Spirit came, but we all had full calendars and therefore missed out on the truth. Or, you can lead a believer to truth, but you can’t make him see it? Or, we see the truth in that room with low lighting and that dusty mirror and can’t really make it out? Why are we less well versed in truth than we ought to be? I’m dim witted. I don’t know what everyone else’s excuse is. Last question. Near death experiences. The people who have these all report such different experiences. I know this is not a bible question, but it’s a question for me. Did they get on the wrong train and wind up at a different station? Were they just on the edge of conciousness hallucinating? I’m just not sure. Thanks Ken. Hopefully, these are some posers for you.
#1) “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” So, hell is not forever? The lake of fire is forever. This is the first question.
Hades exists now, not hell. Hades is a holding place. It’s not a place of second chances, but it’s a holding place for the spirit of someone who doesn’t follow Jesus. When the body and spirit are reunited, then they are sent to hell – or the lake of fire. Whatever you want to call it. btw… the lake of fire is figurative. It probably won’t be a lake of fire. Also, the NIV translates the word “hell” in the verse that you quote as “Hades.” It’s a more accurate translation.
2) The new creature…what is it? Is it a heavenly being…a celestial counterpart to our earthly self?
What are you referring to? If you’re referring to 2 Cor 5:17, the new Creation is our spirit made new through Jesus. Our flesh is weak, but the Spirit is strong.
3) see darkly now as in a mirror. Our minds are not equipped to understand better? Or, we are basically dim witted and don’t know how to turn on the lights?
The first option. It’s like trying to see through an opaque window. You can see some form, but not much detail.
4) When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth”. The Spirit came, but we all had full calendars and therefore missed out on the truth. Or, you can lead a believer to truth, but you can’t make him see it? Or, we see the truth in that room with low lighting and that dusty mirror and can’t really make it out? Why are we less well versed in truth than we ought to be?
The second and third options. Our flesh battles the Spirit and the truth. We don’t trust God and we like to be god, so we don’t embrace truth like we should.
btw… to say that you’re dim witted is to slap God in the face. (He created you.) God doesn’t see you that way. Why should you?
5) Near death experiences. The people who have these all report such different experiences. I know this is not a bible question, but it’s a question for me. Did they get on the wrong train and wind up at a different station? Were they just on the edge of consciousness hallucinating? I’m just not sure.
No one knows for sure, but I think Paul is referring to one of these experiences in 2 Cor 12:2ff. I believe they are real. That our spirit separates from our body and then returns…
Hope that helps…
Wow!!! I can’t wait to see the response to those questions.