All Scripture references are from the NASB version.

  • What does it mean to be saved? To be a Christian?

    To be saved means that you are a Christian. It is really as simple as your ABC’s.


    Accept – the first thing you have to do is accept that you’re a sinner. That means that you’re not perfect. We’ve all done something wrong, we know that. However because we are sinners this separates us from being able to be in the presence of God because He cannot tolerate sin in His presence. Romans 3:23 tells us that we are all sinners and have fallen short of God’s glory. However there is hope! Romans 5:8 tells us that while we have been sinners, God demonstrated His love towards us because He sent His son to die on the cross for our sins. This leads us to B.


    Believe – The next step is to believe that we can’t do anything on our own to save ourselves from all the wrongs we have done. Romans 6:23 tells us that even thought our sins will lead us to eternal death, God provided a free gift to give us eternal life. We just have to believe that Christ died for our sins. This leads us to C.


    Confess – All we have to do to be saved from our sins is to confess with our mouths our sins and ask Jesus into our hearts. Romans 10:9 tells us this.  This is what it means to be a Christian. You have accepted Christ into your heart by repenting of all the wrongs you have done.

     

    Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
    Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
    Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
    R    omans 10:9 "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

     

  • How do I know I’m going to heaven?

    If you believe that Christ died for your sins and have accepted Him into your heart you’re going to Heaven.  I John 5:11-12 tells us that "God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.”  If we have accepted Christ into our hearts we have Him.  We have life and this verse is talking about eternal life.

     

    We can’t lose this life either.  Once we have it, it’s not going anywhere.  John 10:27-29  "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.”  Once we have life we won’t have it taken away.  These verses talk about how no one will be able to pull us out of God’s hands.  God who is mightier then all will hold onto us!

     

    I John 5:11-12 "And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life."  
    John 10:27-29 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand."


  • Why do I continue to sin/do wrong things?

    Once you become a Christian you have a new life in Christ.  However, that doesn’t mean our old self since the sinful self has passed away.  This a tension that we will live with for the rest of our lives.  We have been indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:9) and yet we still have our sinful natures.  We will always be tempted because this is a sinful world that we live in.  Even Christ himself (who was perfect and sinless) was tempted (Matt 4:1-11).  It’s about what we do when we are tempted. If we are willing, the Holy Spirit will help us get past temptation.  However, if we want to we can give into and therefore still do bad things.  We will continue to live in this paradox until we are in Heaven in the presence of God.

     

    Romans 8:9 "However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him."  
    Matthew 4:1-11 "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.  And the tempter came and said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.'  But He answered and said, 'It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.' '  Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'He will command His angels concerning you'; and 'on their hands they will bear you up, so that You will not strike your foot against a stone.' ' Jesus said to him, 'On the other hand, it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.' '  Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, 'All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.'  Then Jesus said to him, 'Go, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.' ' Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him."

     

  • How can He forgive so easily?

    One of God’s characteristics is love.  This is demonstrated in how much He loved us to send His son to die for us (John 3:16).  He doesn’t desire for us to live in a state that has us being separate from Him because of sin.  He desires a relationship with His creation (this can be seen by His regular visit to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden - Gen 2-3 before man had sinned).  All we have to do is ask for His forgiveness and He is ready and willing to forgive us (I John 1:9).

     

    John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
    Genesis 2-3 This passage describes the creation of man in the Garden of Eden.  In chapter 3, after Adam and Eve had eaten of the fruit of the tree of good and evil, "They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day".  Adam and Eve would have only recognized this sound if it was a regular occurrence, showing that the Lord desired to spend time with Adam and Eve.
    I John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

     

  • When is He coming back?

    Nobody but God the Father knows when Jesus is coming back (Matt 24:36).  He has given us some clue to look for. When He does return He will come back as a victorious king leading the army of Heaven (Rev 19:11-19).

     

    Matthew 24:36 (Expanded to Matthew 24:33-41) "When you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.  Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.  But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.  For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.  For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left."
     Revelation 19:11-19 "And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.  His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself.  He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.  And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.  From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.  And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, 'King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.'  Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, 'Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.'  And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army."

     

  • Why did God create Satan?

    God created Satan as one of his angels, Lucifer. He was one of the most important angels in Heaven. Like us, Satan was given free will. He saw that the position he was given in Heaven was a good one. He let the power go to his head and his pride was his undoing. He wanted to become like God and take His place. For his pride God kicked him out of Heaven and his position. For more on this subject see Isaiah 14:12-17 and Ezekiel 28:13-19.

     

    Isaiah 14:12-17 "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!  But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north.  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'  Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit.  Those who see you will gaze at you, they will ponder over you, saying, 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world like a wilderness and overthrew its cities, who did not allow his prisoners to go home?'"
    Ezekiel 28:13-19 "You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the ruby, the topaz and the diamond; the beryl, the onyx and the jasper; the lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; and the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, was in you.  On the day that you were created they were prepared.  You were the anointed cherub who covers, and I placed you there, you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked in the midst of the stones of fire.  You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness was found in you.  By the abundance of your trade you were internally filled with violence, and you sinned; therefore I have cast you as profane from the mountain of God.  And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.  Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor.  I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, that they may see you.  By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries.  Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you; it has consumed you, and I have turned you to ashes on the earth in the eyes of all who see you.  All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have become terrified and you will cease to be forever."

     

  • Did God create evil?

    Short answer – No, God did not create evil. It would go against His nature as being a perfect and holy God.  Sin, death and evil entered the world because of our own actions as explained in Romans 5:12.

     

    Romans 5:12 "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned."