November 16, 2003 For: Terrance Sanders

Renewal Theology is the ordering and exposition of all basic Christian beliefs as they relate to the contemporary spiritual movement known as Pentecostal and Charismatic. Its major focus is the doctrine of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts that are being renewed in our time. This theology

is represented in part by my book Renewal Theology (3 volumes, now compiled into one single volume.)

1-2 Explain what is meant by an "argument from silence." Should we build doctrine or theology based on the argument that Scripture does not specifically address the particular point? For instance, our pastor does not believe the Church should have youth ministries with a youth pastor because there are no instances of them in the scripture.

The "argument from silence" is a specious one. To be sure, the Church must always be faithful to the doctrines of Christian faith but also be free under the guidance of the Holy Spirit for new and different expressions.

1-3 Could you explain "Open Theism" and do you agree with it?

"Open theism" is a contemporary view held by an increasing number of theologians that the future is open to God. So, in some sense, they affirm that He is not omniscient. A title of one popular openness book is God Who Risks. The openness theologians believe that this view also protects the

freedom of man because the future is not absolutely fixed. In my view, openness theology makes God too small and man too large.

1-4 What is theology and what role should it play in the life of a Christian?

Theology is sometimes called "the queen of the sciences" because it deals with ultimate truth. Theology goes beyond all sciences, however, in that its sphere is God and the world. Theology reflects upon God's activity in creation, redemption, and new life. Since theology deals with matters of

eternal significance, it should play an important role in the life of a Christian.

1-5 Is theology as important as scripture, prayer, or religious experience?

No. Theology occupies a secondary place to all three. Theology, however, is based on Scripture, energized by prayer, and vitalized by religious experience. As a result, the reflection of theology has its own unique significance.

1-6 What is "liberation theology" that I keep hearing about? Is it wrong or right?

"Liberation theology" represents a movement, largely in Latin America and among Roman Catholics, that focuses on liberation from social oppression and injustice. A vital theology, its adherents claim, must speak to how this liberation can be brought about. All other theological matters should be subservient to a social concern for the poor and oppressed. See, for example, G. Gutiérrez's A Theology of Liberation. To reply: However much there is need for such concern, and its proper place in a vital theology, the deeper spiritual need is little recognized. Jesus declared that He came "to preach the gospel to the poor…to proclaim release to the captives…to set free those who are downtrodden" (Luke 4:18). This was, and is, a gospel not primarily of societal alteration but of relief

from inner oppression and bondage. "Liberation theology," while concerned about the social plight of the poor and oppressed, falls short in relating to the far profounder spiritual plight of all people.

1-7 What is the difference between Reformed Theology and Renewal Theology?

Reformed Theology refers generally to the theology of the Protestant churches that broke away from Roman Catholicism in the sixteenth century. More particularly the term Reformed Theology is used to refer to the beliefs held by those churches influenced by John Calvin. Reformed Theology is

especially noted for its emphasis on the sovereignty of God. Renewal Theology is interdenominational in nature. It is the ordering of Christian beliefs as they relate to the contemporary spiritual movement known as Pentecostal and Charismatic. Its major focus is the doctrine of the

Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts that are being renewed in our time.

1-8 What is your view on end times theology?

Theology deals with all time-the beginning, the present, and the future. We need to reflect on all three. An "end times" concentration may lead to imbalance. However, a failure to treat the end times is a serious neglect

1-9 What is "Five Point Calvinism"?

The so-called "Five Point Calvinism" is contained in the acronym TULIP: T-Total depravity, U-Unconditional election, L-Limited atonement, I-Irresistible grace, P-Perseverance of the saints.

Arminianism, incidentally, modifies especially these last four points by affirming conditional election, universal atonement, resistible grace, and the possibility of apostasy. "Five Point Calvinism" is held traditionally by those in Reformed and Presbyterian churches.

1-10 I know the Lord's Prayer is in the Bible, but where did the Apostles' Creed

come from? Is it biblically based? Where is the support for the statements

"He descended into hell" and "the communion of saints"?

The Apostles' Creed goes back to approximately A.D. 700, although segments of it are found as early as the second century. This creed was not written by the apostles, but is generally recognized as being faithful to their teaching. The statement "He descended into hell" was added to the original Creed some years later and has not been universally accepted. It is omitted in many versions of the Creed. However, the statement vividly expresses the full extent of Christ's vicarious sacrifice, even suffering the torment of hell for all peopleThe "Communion of saints" in the Creed refers to the

fellowship of believers. It is not a communion with saints in heaven (a common misunderstanding) but of saints on earth at all times and in all places.

1-11 What is apologetics?

It is a theological discipline that presents argumentation and evidences for the validity of Christian faith. Peter writes: "Always…(be) ready to make a defense [Greek-apologia] to every one who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15). Paul declares about himself: "We

demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it point to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV). The intention of apologetics is to provide, in so far as possible, a rational defense of the Christian faith. Apologetics is directed to the world of unbelief and attempts to establish certain aspects of Christian faith-for example, the veracity of Scriptures, the existence of God, and the immortality of the soul-as true on the basis of rational and empirical evidence.

1-12 What is the function of theology?

There are basically five functions: clarification, integration, correction, declaration, and challenge. I describe hereafter the first two.

1-13 Clarification

It is important to set forth as clearly as possible what it is that the Christian community affirms. This is primarily for the benefit of persons in the community who need instruction in the faith. Often there is lack of understanding in various doctrinal areas. Participation in Christian experience is, of course, the primary thing, but this does not automatically bring about full understanding. Much further instruction is needed in order that increasing clarification of truth may occur. It is a sad fact that many Christians are quite unclear about what they believe. They need-and often want-instruction about the contents of the faith. They are calling out for more adequate teaching. This is the task that theology is called to perform. Integration Theology should help bring it all together by integrating one truth with

another. Theology is not only a matter of clarification of individual doctrines but also the emonstration of how these fit into a total pattern.In the teaching of theology there is the continuing effort to show how one part relates to another. For many Christians there is need for integration of their Bible reading and study into a unified picture of truth. The Old and New Testaments in many areas of doctrine are not easy to relate to each other. This is also the case of relating the teaching of individual books to one another. There is also need among many Christians for integrating the truth they have received with various aspects of their own experience. This is true both in relation to their own Christian experience and their day-by-day experience of the world around them. They are largely ignorant of how it all fits together.

2. Scripture, Knowledge of God, Faith

Is there such a doctrine called "Sola Scriptura"--that is that the Bible is the sole/final authority of divine revelation? If so, could you show where in Scripture does it literally state that "the Bible is the sole/final authority of revelation?"
Which version of the Bible is most accurate and true to the original documents? Is it true that the modern versions of Scripture, such as NIV and NASB, are leaving out important words and phrases that diminish the deity and Lordship of Christ?
I've been reading your answers to the predestination questions, but I'm still having a hard time with God "hardening" Pharaoh's heart when Moses went to Pharaoh again and again to ask for freedom. Obviously it allowed for many miracles to be seen, but was that the only reason for hardening his heart?
I have heard many theologians quickly dismiss the dictation theory of inspiration. Is it possible that this theory is correct?
I consider the Asian cultures who have been fed from their scriptures for thousands of years and view what we consider Scripture through their lens. To not acknowledge that their scriptures contain truth closes communication.
How should I respond from a Bible perspective to a friend who believes that all truth is relative?
How do we convince people that Scriptures are genuine accounts and not, as some assert, merely stories?
I have often heard the statement that the Bible is "verbally inspired." What does that mean?
How can I prove to non-believers that God exists?
What is the meaning and value of so-called "natural theology?

2-1 Is there such a doctrine called "Sola Scriptura" -- that the Bible is the sole/final authority of divine revelation? If so, could you show where in Scripture does it literally state that "the Bible is the sole/final authority of revelation?"

"All Scripture is inspired by God" (2 Timothy 3:16) – literally "God-breathed" (as the NIV translates it). Sola Scriptura stems from the conviction that Scripture alone--not tradition, human experience, or

anything else -- can occupy this singular position.

2-2 Which version of the Bible is most accurate and true to the original documents? Is it true that the modern versions of Scripture, such as NIV and NASB, are leaving out important words and phrases that diminish the deity and Lordship of Christ?

I find both NIV (New International Version) and NASB (New American Standard Bible) to be helpful modern translations. The NASB is the more literal of the two, but the NIV is easier to read. Neither of these translations in any way diminishes the deity and Lordship of Christ.

2-3 I've been reading your answers to the predestination questions, but I'm still having a hard time with God "hardening" Pharaoh's heart when Moses went to Pharaoh again and again to ask for freedom. Obviously it allowed for many miracles to be seen, but was that the only reason for hardening his heart?

Although Scripture says several times that God hardened Pharaoh's heart, it also states that Pharaoh hardened his own heart (see Exodus, chapters 7-9). Perhaps you have heard the saying, "The same sun that hardens clay melts wax." Ponder this in relation to the hardening of Pharaoh's heart.

2-4 I have heard many theologians quickly dismiss the dictation theory of inspiration. Is it possible that this theory is correct?

A dictation theory of inspiration assumes that every word of Scripture was given directly by God. The human writer was no more than a secretary who transcribed the words given. This is far too mechanical a view of inspiration. Dictation would imply no human element. To be sure, dictation

would apply in many places (for example, the Ten Commandments), but almost everywhere the biblical record gives evidence of unerring human input. This may be called a dynamic view of inspiration.

2-5 I noticed your article on your web site defending Scripture as being inspired. I noticed that in your discussion of "all Scripture" you did not address extra-biblical writings. I consider the Asian cultures who have been fed from their scriptures for thousands of years and view what we consider Scripture through their lens. To not acknowledge that their scriptures contain truth closes communication. I would be thankful for any response.

My "all Scripture" discussion deliberately did not address extra-biblical writings whatever their merit. I do not believe them to be on the same level of inspiration. All Scripture, Paul says, is "inspired [God-breathed]" (2 Timothy 3:16) and therefore occupies a unique place of authority. This does not eliminate the value of many other religious writings of the world. They may well point the way to biblical truth.

2-6 How should I respond from a Bible perspective to a friend who believes that all truth is relative?

A simple but profound answer is what Jesus said: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). Not "a way." Not "a truth." Not "a life." There is nothing relative about the truth in Christ.

2-7 How do we convince people that Scriptures are genuine accounts and not, as some assert, merely stories?

One answer to this question lies in archeological findings that increasingly confirm the accuracy of scriptural data. Many names and places in the Bible that for a long time were viewed by some as non-existent (Sodom and Gomorrah, for example) have been discovered. Further, a noted archeologist,

Nelson Glueck, writes: "It can be stated categorically that no archeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference." The Bible contains genuine historical accounts throughout.

2-8 I have often heard the statement that the Bible is "verbally inspired." What does that mean?

Verbal inspiration is the term frequently employed to attest that each individual part of the Bible is God's word. The Holy Spirit superintended the writing of Scripture down to the last details. Paul speaks of imparting truth "not in words taught by human wisdom, but those taught by the Spirit"

(1 Corinthians 2:13). Thus the Scriptures while written by men and in human words are God's word in writing. They are verbally inspired.

2-9 How can I prove to non-believers that God exists?

One cannot prove this. Rather "he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). Faith precedes knowledge-the eyes of faith receive what goes beyond mind and reason. There are evidences of God in nature (see Romans 1:20) but not so much as to constitute proof.

2-10 What is the meaning and value of so-called "natural theology?

Natural theology is the effort to build a doctrine concerning the knowledge of God without appeal to special revelation in the Bible by utilizing only the data that may be drawn from nature, human existence, history, etc. Such natural theology may be intended as a substitute for revealed theology

(theology grounded in special revelation) or as providing a kind of rational base therefor. In either event, the premise of natural theology is that there is a certain basic and objective knowledge of God that can be explicated, and that any rational person who is willing to think clearly will arrive at this truth.

Thus natural theology, while admitting limits in what it can accomplish, claims to have positive value. Especially, so it is said, is this needed in a world that gives priority to reason over revelation.

In reply, natural theology fails to recognize two basic things. First, a person's knowledge at best is disproportionate to the knowledge of God: he may have ideas about God, but they are no more than human constructs extrapolated into infinity. Hence, man's knowledge capacity is insufficient to arrive at a full knowledge of God.

Second, though there is a general revelation of God in nature, humanity and history, it is so perverted through mankind's sinfulness that people's minds are futile and incapable of discerning what God is disclosing. If people were godly and righteous, then surely what God discloses through general revelation could affords a basis for natural theology.

But since they have turned from God, they cannot know God through natural understanding. It should also be added, however, that when God comes to mankind in His special revelation and a person truly receives it, then his eyes are once more opened to the knowledge of God in the universe, human existence, and all of history. It is ultimately only the person who has faith who can cry out, "The heavens are telling the glory of God." Hence Christian theology is not based on natural theology but is based on special revelation, which will include far more than anything that natural theology could ever attempt.

3. God - the Holy Trinity

My friend posed this question to me the other day. I would like your response. Does God need help from us?
To me, some people (including many clergy) misunderstand the mystery of the Trinity by thinking that in heaven we shall only see one personality representing God and Jesus. In my understanding, however, we shall see both God the Father and Jesus Christ to whom the Father has given all power.
God is omnipotent and omniscient. Therefore, when He puts you through tribulations in life, does He know that you will endure to the end or give up eventually?
If God is the Alpha and Omega, the First and Last, He knows who will do what, and before people are born He will know who will go to heaven or hell. So if He knows who's going to hell, then why create them?
Does God need man's permission before He can do anything on the earth?
Is the "trinity" theory contrary to the Bible?
A friend told me that the Trinity was started by the Catholic Church.
Where did God come from?
In Genesis 1:26, what is meant by "Let us" and "in our"?
Before creation what did God do all by Himself?
Why did God blind the Jews? (John 12:40)
Whom should we address in our prayers? Some Christians say The Lord's Prayer is our instruction in this but...
How can we absolve God of responsibility when the facts are as we know them?
If God is omnipotent how come he can't do evil?
If God is sovereign, but I must choose His plan, who is in control of my destiny?
Who created God?
Each member of the Godhead has significance; what's their relation to us and to each other?
Does evil in the world preclude the existence of God?
Could you explain the term "begotten"?
Does God's omnipresence include hell and the lake of fire?
Why does God let bad things happen?
How does God's unchanging nature and His repentance relate to each other?
What is meant by "the glory of God"?
Explain John 14:28 when we believe in the Trinity with all persons being God?

3-1 My friend posed this question to me the other day. I would like your response. Does God need help from us?

God has need of nothing. He is the All-Sufficient One. Thus He is our helper in every situation and circumstance. This does not call for less zeal on our part but living and acting with the assurance that God is already there to help in whatever is needed. "God is a very present help," says the Psalmist

(Psalm 46:1). What is there to fear?

3-2 To me, some people (including many clergy) misunderstand the mystery of theTrinity by thinking that in heaven we shall only see one personality representing God and Jesus. In my understanding, however, we shall see both God the Father and Jesus Christ to whom the Father has given all power.

I would only add that we will also see God the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead. As one of our best known hymns puts it, "God in three persons, blessed Trinity." The mystery of the Trinity is beyond our understanding: not two persons but three. The Holy Spirit is a unique person and hard to visualize, but He is as much God as the other two.

Praise God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit!

3-3 God is omnipotent and omniscient. Therefore, when He puts you through tribulations in life, does He know that you will endure to the end or give up eventually?

Since God is both omnipotent and omniscient, He knows who will endure to the end or give up. His knowledge and power does not, however, mean that He is responsible for our actions. God sovereignly overrules our destiny without coercing it.

3-4 If God is the Alpha and Omega, the First and Last, He knows who will do what, and before people are born He will know who will go to heaven or hell. So if He knows who's going to hell, then why create them?

Though God knows all things including our future, this does not determine our destiny. We are free to make our own choices over which God's sovereignly rules.

3-5 Some people teach that "God needs permission" before He can do anything on the earth. "God gave dominion to Adam," they say, "so God can't do anything without man's permission." This seems to contradict so many scriptures! Surely God's authority is not subordinate to man's authority. God isn't on a leash, is He? Please, I would appreciate a candid, clear answer to this question! Is this a false teaching?

A false teaching indeed. It undercuts the appreciation of God as almighty. The fact that God gave dominion to Adam over the earth does not diminish God's sovereignty. God does not need man's permission to do anything. This would be tantamount to making man into God. Perish the thought!

3-6 Throughout the OT and NT God has always been exalted as "one." The "trinity" theory is contrary to the Bible. Many scriptures such as 1 Timothy 3:16 declare one God. Did not the trinity theory come about in the 2nd and 3^rd centuries? The apostles didn't teach it, did they?

The basic thing to realize is that the apostles experienced God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in their lives and ministry. They came to recognize God as Father in their daily contact with Jesus, God as Son in the presence of Jesus, and God as Holy Spirit through the experience of Pentecost. The

Trinity is more than doctrine. It was and is to enter into a life-changing experience. None of this diminishes the fact that God is one.

3-7 I am a Christian and was stunned the other day when a friend told me that there is not one scripture in the Bible that says there is such a thing as the Trinity. She said the Trinity was started by the Catholic Church many years ago. I've prayed and searched, but need your help to find scripture validating my belief in the Trinity.

Let me give you two verses-and there are many others-that validate Christian belief in the Trinity. First, there are Jesus' own words in Matthew 28:19: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." Second, there are

Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 13:14: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all." Incidentally, the Catholic Church did not start the doctrine of the Trinity.

3-8 Where did God come from? We know so much about His characteristics and how He wants us to live, but where did He come from?

God is the everlasting God. He is without beginning or ending. Human beings are temporal creatures whose days on earth are limited in number. With God there is no such limitation. Thus does God transcend everything in His creation. God is the great "I am." He speaks to Moses: "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you'" (Exodus 3:14). God is the eternal contemporary, the everlasting now.

3-9 In Genesis 1:26, it reads, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." What is meant by "Let us" and "in our"? To whom is "us" and "our" referring in this passage?

The "us" and the "our" points to a plurality within God. God is one as the only God but exists as threefold: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The mystery of the Trinity is strongly intimated at this early stage in the Bible. Note that a plurality of persons is also suggested in

Genesis 3:22 and in Genesis 11:7

3-10 Even before He created heaven and earth or man and woman, God has always been. My husband and I both have wondered before this creation what God did all by Himself? We have always been curious but have never gotten a good answer.

God was never alone even before His act of creation. In the mystery of the Trinity, God always existed as three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. As such, in the one God there is fellowship eternally. In that sense, the one God is a society of persons. Yet each person is the one and only God. Love is the very nature of God. Each person of the Godhead eternally loves one another. This is all true long before there was a creation.

3-11 Why did God blind the Jews (John 12:40) and not enable them to hear the word regarding His Son Jesus Christ?

The "blinding" of the Jews was not an arbitrary action on God's part but rather the result of their turning from His revelation in Christ. Jesus Himself gave them ample opportunity to receive the word but in general they refused.

3-12 Some Christians pray to God the Father, praying in the name of Jesus the Son. Other Christians pray to Jesus. Whom should we address in our prayers? Some Christians say that The Lord's Prayer is our instruction in this. But Jesus was still with the apostles when He instructed them to pray "Our Father..." He couldn't have told them to pray to Him when He was still there. So this instruction doesn't seem to apply to Christians today.

Since God is Triune -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- we may equally well pray to any of the three. One helpful way is to pray to the Father through the Son and in the Holy Spirit: to God as our Creator, our Redeemer, and our Sanctifier.

3-13 How can we absolve God of responsibility when the facts are as we apparently know them to be? We understand God to be all knowing, past, present and future, as well as being the Creator. That being the case, God had to know in advance what the result of creating man would be. I understand God's love and man's free will, but how can we absolve God of responsibility when the facts are as we apparently know them to be? It seems like if there is an original sinner here, it would be God Himself. Don't you agree?

No, I do not agree. God truly knows in advance but is in no way responsible for sin. Sin originates in the freedom God gave man and angels. God is sovereign over the creatures' freedom but in no way coerces it. God knows the past, present, and future in detail, but such knowledge is not the same

as responsibility for what happens.

3-14 If God is omnipotent how come he can't do evil?

Because God is altogether holy; therefore, He will not do anything that contradicts His character. God is totally without sin. God the Almighty One is also God the All Holy One. In His omnipotence, He can do everything consonant with His holy nature and nothing in contradiction.

3-15 If God is sovereign, but I must choose His plan of salvation, then who is in control of my destiny? God or me? If the answer is me, then is God sovereign?

In answer to your question, you must bear in mind the paradox between God's sovereignty and man's response. Both are included in a true understanding of salvation. It is a paradox because it seems contradictory to speak thus of a divine-human relationship. However, God and man are not on the same level. God remains sovereign throughout. Man remains responsible for his actions.

3-16 Recently I had a non-Christian friend ask, "Who created God?" I tried to explain to her the best I could, but I think she left even more confused. How would you answer such a question?

In Isaiah 40:28 are the words about God where He is described as "the Everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth." God as creator is everlasting. If the creator were not everlasting, there would always remain the question, "Who created the Creator?" God is the great "I AM" (Exodus 3:14), without beginning or ending.

There is mystery here to be sure, but unless God is everlasting creation could not exist. · We know God is a triune entity, can there be any intellectual conceptualization of His nature or must we accept the Trinity on faith? Intellectual conceptualization of God as triune-one being in three persons-is limited because we are reaching beyond what the human mind can comprehend.

A material analogy, sometime drawn, is that of the one substance water which exists in three forms as liquid, ice, and steam. However, God is all three forms at the same time, and every form is a person. A frequent human analogy is that of man as the union in one being of body, soul, and spirit; however, God is both one being and three persons.

Perhaps a better analogy is that of a human family consisting of father, mother, and child, thus three persons; however, the three persons are not one being. All such analogies are inadequate. We must accordingly turn to Scripture and Christian experience. Scripture bears witness both to God as one (Deuteronomy. 6:4, Mark 12:29) and three persons (Mark 1:10-12, Matt. 28:19).

Further, in a full Christian experience, we are aware of there being only one God but also three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each of whom is wholly God. Thus it is not only a matter of accepting the Trinity on faith, but also of Scripture witness and the confirmation in Christian experience.

3-17 Each member of the Godhead has theological significance; what is their

relation to us and to each other?

In regard to the three members of the Godhead and their relation to us, God the Father is the Creator, God the Son the Redeemer, God the Holy Spirit the Sanctifier. In each case the other two persons are also active (for example, the Father creates through the Son and by the Holy Spirit), for God is one in being. We can say little about the inner relation of the persons of the Trinity to one another. However, since God is love (1 John 4:8), there must be the deepest possible relationship of love uniting Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

3-18 Does evil in the world preclude the existence of God? It has been said that evil in the world precludes the existence of God, or at least takes away from His divine nature. Is this reasoning flawed and if so, why?

Evil in the world does not preclude the existence of God, but it might seem to preclude the existence of a holy and righteous God. God, however, is not the source of evil. It is the result of the sin of angels first, then man, who in the freedom God gave them were disobedient to Him and thereby brought evil into God's creation.

3-19 Could you explain the term "begotten" found in the Scriptures and in various creeds as applied to the Second Person of the Trinity?

Jesus is described as "only begotten" (Greek, monogenes) in John 1:14 and 18; 3:16 and 18; and in 1 John 4:9. Most familiar is John 3:16: "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." The "begotten" refers to

an eternal begetting: there was never a time when the Son did not exist, for He is also God. In John 1:18

He is described as "the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father." In the mystery of the Trinity, both Father and Son (and the Holy Spirit) are the one and only God; however, along with

this essential identity there is a distinction of personhood; one God in three persons.

The Nicene Creed speaks of "the one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father before all time…true God of true God, begotten not created, of the same essence as the Father." As "only begotten," Christ is secondary to the Father, hence the Second Person of the Trinity; but as "true God of true God" He is as fully God as the Father: both are the one and only God.

3-20 Does God's omnipresence include hell and the lake of fire?

Hell is sometimes described in the Bible as a place of "outer darkness" (Matthew 8:11-12; 22:13, 25-30). It is therefore a place totally removed from God who is light. Omnipresence does not include hell, which is wholly the absence of God. The same thing is true of the lake of fire, which represents the agony of separation from God.

3-21 Why does God let bad things happen?

I have some friends who just lost their 3-week-old baby daughter due to a heart defect. If God is sovereign why would he let this happen? I know the Bible says so that His glory can be shown. It seems to me with my limited human knowledge to be a rather cruel way to show His glory. How can one keep from coming to the conclusion that they should blame God for taking her away? I do not believe Satan took her. She was being lifted up in prayer all over the world.

There is no simple answer to your question. God and His ways are often mysterious. The words of Job may be helpful: "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21). " Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God" (verse 22).

God in His power and love could have saved His own Son on the cross, but in the mystery of His divine purpose He did not. Should we blame God for allowing His Son to die? No, through an innocent death God fulfilled His purpose. Likewise, we must trust God in an innocent baby's death to be fulfilling His mysterious purpose. We may not know why, but we do trust him.

3-22 How does God's unchanging nature and His repentance relate to each other?

God is One who does not change. The universe is constantly undergoing a transition from one stage to another and human existence is marked by continuing alteration. With God there is no such mutability. "For I the LORD do not change" (Malachi 3:6). Thus does God transcend everything in His

creation. God is the Rock. He does not fluctuate from one event to the next.

There is constancy and stability in all that He is and does. Hence, he is not evolving from one stage to another. There is no movement from some "primordial" nature to a "consequent" nature in any aspect of His being. God is not a becoming God, a growing God. God does not change. He is "the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change [literally "with whom…change has no place"] (James 1:17). Likewise, the New Testament declares that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever" (Hebrews 13:8).

God, whether Father or Son or Spirit, is One who changes not. In God there is dependability and constancy in His being, acts, and purposes. The Old Testament sometimes speaks of God as "repenting" or changing His mind (e.g., Exodus 32:14). From the overall picture, the outward "repentance" does not signify a change in God's activity, but only His dependable response to man's behavior. God invariably acts the same: when man is obedient, God blesses; when man disobeys, God punishes; when man confesses his sin, God forgives. He "repents"; that is, He turns in the other direction.

Hence, God's repentance is not really a change in God, but it is His bringing to bear on the human situation some other aspect of His being and nature. God remains the same throughout. It is important not to view God changelessness as that of hard, impersonal immobility. God is not like a statue, fixed and cold, but, quite the contrary, He relates to people. He is not the "unmoved Mover" but constantly moves upon and among men and nations.

The flux and flow of life are not far away and far beneath Him. Indeed, He freely involved Himself in the life of a fickle and inconstant people to work out His purpose, and in the Incarnation he plunged totally into the maelstrom of human events. God in His own changelessness has experienced all the vicissitudes of human existence. This is the God-far from immobile and distant-who does not change.

3-23 What is meant by "the glory of God"?

The climactic word to be spoken about God is that He is the God of Glory. The Scriptures abound with their declaration of the glory of God. In the Psalms are found, for example, such expressions as these: His glory is "above the heavens" (8:1); "the heavens declare the glory of God" (19:1 KJV); "the LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory!" (24:10); "be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let thy glory be over all the earth!" (57:5); "the LORD…will appear in his glory" (102:16); "his glory is above earth and heaven" (148:13).

But this is only a beginning; God's glory is attested throughout Scripture.

What then, is the glory of God? Perhaps the best answer is that the divine glory is the radiant splendor and awesome majesty of God Himself. Glory is not so much a particular attribute but the effulgence of splendor and majesty that shines through in every aspect of God's being and action.

Man, it should now be added, finds his highest fulfillment in relation to the divine glory.

There is a deep desire in human nature to break through the limitations of finitude and to behold God as He is in Himself. Moses on one occasion cried out to God, "I pray thee, show me thy glory" (Exodus 33:18). Despite all that Moses had seen of God, he yearned to go yet higher and further. When Christ came to earth, says the fourth Gospel, "we…beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father" (John 1:14). Paul declared that God "has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6). So for the Christian there is more than Moses was able to receive during his life.

But even for those who know Christ in this life, there is yet the consummation of glory in the world to come. For there at long last, the profoundest yearning of mankind to see God Himself will be gloriously fulfilled: "they shall see his face" (Revelation 22:4) throughout eternity! God is the God of glory. Let us ever live to the praise of that glory.

3-24 Explain John 14:28 when we believe in the Trinity with all persons being God?

This was put to me recently and I couldn't explain it and wish to understand it so I could explain it to others. It concerns Jesus' statement in John 14:28, "If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I." How is this to be understood when we believe in the Trinity with all persons being God?

In order to answer, Jesus' words in John 14:28, "the Father is greater than I," may be compared with His words in John 10:30, "I and the Father are one." This second statement clearly affirms His oneness in essence with the Father and that Jesus is also God. Note the following accusation of the Jews against Jesus "for blasphemy" "because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God" (verse 33). Also, the Jews wanted Jesus killed because He was "calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God" (John 5:18).

Does John 14:28 teach otherwise? Does Jesus' statement about the Father being greater than He deny also His identity and equality with the Father? Not at all. In the Trinity there is both oneness of being and distinctness of persons. The Son is eternally subordinate to the Father, but the subordination is not the essence of their being. To understand this, it is to be noted that the relationship is one that inheres within the one divine reality. In other words, the Son is subordinate to the Father not in essence but in relationship. Both statements are true: "I and the Father are one" and "the Father is greater than I."

Greatness does not mean that God the Father is more divine in the Trinity than the Son, but that in personal relationship they exist in mutual reciprocity of giving and receiving. This is not unlike the relationship of earthly fathers and sons in which the priority belongs to the father rather

than the son. Finally, we may rejoice in both statements of Jesus: "I and the Father are one" and "the Father is greater than I." Both are important to maintain in a truly biblical understanding of the Triune God.

4. Creation - Providence, Predestination, Angels

Are we predestined ... chosen by God ... to become believers?
What do you think about a devotion to St. Michael the Archangel? I frequently call on him when I am faced with a situation where I must hold firm in my beliefs. Some Christians think it is wrong to pray to anyone but God, even as an intercessor. I was raised to believe that St. Michael is there to defend us in the battle against evil. Do you believe it is right to call on his help when we are faced with it?
If we have free will, how can we be predestined and chosen?
The Bible says that God has chosen individuals. What happens to people who were never drawn to Him?
Why did God create mankind? dino
If God & heaven are perfect, then why did so many angels rebel?
When dinosaurs lived, were humans there?
If God has a plan for everyone and knows what is best for us, why do we pray?
Are certain people (like Adolph Hitler) damned to hell from birth?
What is predestination taught by Calvinism and by Arminianism?
Why did God, who is Love, create us all knowing that many would go to hell?
How do we reconcile that God has His will for us, but He also says to ask anything in Jesus' name and it will be done for us?
How are we to understand the "six days" of creation?
I would appreciate your discussing the words of Jesus in John 14:12
Should we expect visitations of angels in our time?
Do the words of Jesus in Luke 13:4-5 about the tower in Siloam have relevance to our present crisis?
Explain to me the New Testament understanding of predestination.

4-1 Are we predestined ... chosen by God ... to become believers?

There is a proper way to put it. Rather than to say that we are predestined to become believers, we should say that we are predestined as believers. There are always two sides interchangeable: God and faith, God's sovereign action and our choice.

4-2 What do you think about a devotion to St. Michael the Archangel? I frequently call on him when I am faced with a situation where I must hold firm in my beliefs. Some Christians think it is wrong to pray to anyone but God, even as an intercessor. I was raised to believe that St. Michael is there to defend us in the battle against evil. Do you believe it is right to

call on his help when we are faced with it?

Since the Christian worships the triune God---God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit---all of whom are available to our intercession, what need we more? Indeed, though Michael is an angel of the highest order, he is still a finite creature. He ought not to be worshiped or invoked in

prayer.

4-3 If we have free will and choice, how can we be predestined and chosen

(Romans 8:29 and Ephesians 1:4)?

While predestination and free will seem logically contradictory to each other, from God's perspective they are not. They are actually complementary. God predestines through the free choice of people. This is a part of the mystery of how God works with man. For example, if God predestines my

salvation, my freedom of choice comes into play. God is sovereign and therein human choices are confirmed.

4-4 Many times the Bible says that God has chosen certain individuals ahead of time to be His flock (sheep versus goats). Does it explain why He's done this in the Bible? What happens to the people who were never drawn to Him?

The words of Jesus in Matthew 22:14 are quite relevant, "For many are called, but few are chosen." This does not mean an arbitrary choice in regard to those chosen; rather the call is unlimited, and those who say "yes" are the chosen ones. Thus they are "God's chosen" by their own decision in answer to God's call. God's desire is to draw all people to Himself.

4-5 I am a Christian and believe in God's love for mankind. But I have for a long time now been bothered by this question: why did God create mankind? The Bible tells us that God is perfect and complete unto Himself, so God couldn't have needed mankind, either as partners in love or as worshippers. Can you please explain why God created mankind?

You are right. God did not create mankind to satisfy Himself---as if God were a lonely God and therefore needed fellowship with some created being. God being love desired human creatures to share that love in fellowship with Himself and with one another.

4-6 If God is perfect, if heaven is perfect, then why did so many angels rebel against God?

Among the highest perfections of all God's creatures is the freedom of the will. This applies to angels as well as human beings. Freedom of the will also includes the possibility of rebelling against God. Actually, if there were no freedom of the will the situation would be less than perfect.

4-7 When dinosaurs lived, were humans there?

My nine-year-old son asked me this. If God made Adam and Eve and the earth, how come when the dinosaurs lived no humans were alive? I didn't have an answer. Is this something you could help me answer? Will I find this information in the Bible?

According to Genesis 1, all the animals were made before Adam and Eve. Verse 25 reads, "And God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good. The beasts of the earth surely included

dinosaurs alongside other creatures. The next verse speaks of God making man, "Let us make man in our image." Thus dinosaurs existed before man was created. It was a good world that God made.

4-8 If God has a plan for everyone and knows what is best for us, why do we pray? Certainly it is not for Him to change His mind. Should we just pray to be strong enough to handle whatever is in God's plan then? Is it possible for us to sway God's plans?

We need to pray so that we might know what His will is and to receive strength and direction to carry it out. This applies to God's overall purpose and our daily activities. It is not a matter of seeking to sway God's plans, but to give glad and grateful obedience to whatever His will may be.

4-9 Are certain people (like Adolph Hitler) damned to hell from birth? If life is predetermined from birth, then could it be that certain people (like Adolph Hitler) are born damned to hell from birth?

God, to be sure, is in sovereign control over every human life, but He does not thereby determine our actions. Freedom to decide is an essential element in human nature, "Man is that Entity Made to be Free". Hitler (like Judas in Acts 1:25) was condemned by his own evil actions.

4-10 What is predestination taught by Calvinism and by Arminianism? And what does it have to do with salvation?

Both Calvinism and Arminianism affirm predestination in relation to salvation: those who believe do so as a result of God's prior decision and action. Both agree with the words of Paul, "Whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He

justified, these He also glorified" (Romans 8:30). However, Calvinism holds that since predestination precedes salvation (that is, calling, justification, and glorification), only those whom God has predestined, or predetermined, can be saved.

Arminianism goes back to Romans 8:29 that begins, "Whom He foreknew, He also predestined," and holds that God's act of predestination depends on His foreknowledge of those who will believe. On that basis, He predestines them to salvation. Calvinism stresses that salvation is the result of God's decision prior to our faith; it is in no way based on our believing. Arminianism, to the contrary, holds that only those who believe are predestined to salvation.

4-11 Why did God, who is Love, create us all knowing that many would go to hell?

I think and believe that God (the only Creator) sent us His Son to be Christ our Savior. I also believe that He knew how every individual person would end up in the End. Why then did He go ahead and create us all knowing that most people were going to hell with Satan and his angels. I say that on the

basis of the Scripture that says that God is love.

I don't believe I would do so with that knowledge and power of those I love. Maybe I just don't understand what love is. God in creating us foreknew that sin, death, and hell would eventuate. Where then is God's love? It lies in the marvelous fact that He determined in Christ to pay the cost. Christ on the cross accordingly suffered the eternal punishment that is mankind's due, with the terrible darkness, its fiery pain, and total abandonment by God.

With the cry of agony, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Mark 15:24), Christ bore the full weight of sin, death, and hell. In the words of Calvin, "Christ bore in His soul the

tortures of condemned and ruined man." Thus hell is no reality foreign to God in that He has already experienced the worst that any person will have to endure. This truly is love beyond all comprehension.

4-12 How do we reconcile that God has His will for us, but He also says to ask anything in Jesus' name and it will be done for us?

To pray "in Jesus' name" is not a magical formula for answered prayers. It really means to pray in the same spirit as Jesus prayed who always did the Father's will. We should only ask for those things that God Himself wills for us. Jesus sometimes struggled to know the Father's will-how much more

we-but He always discovered it. Praying in Jesus' name is a challenging and exciting adventure!

4-13 How are we to understand the "six days" of creation?

According to Genesis 1:1-2:4, the process of creation occurred over a six-day period. The most obvious understanding of the days would be that of six or seven 24-hour periods, in other words, what we know as the 24-hour calendar day. Such a reading is possible but, upon careful scrutiny, rather unlikely.

The word "day" itself is used in several different ways in the Genesis 1:1-2:4 passage. First, it refers to the light that was separated from darkness: "God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night" (1:5). Second, it refers to light and darkness together: "And there was evening and there

was morning, one day" (also 1:5). Third, it refers to all the days together: "These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens" (2:4 KJV).

This last statement is a summary of the "generations" (literally, "begettings"), which seems to refer to all that has preceded over the six days, hence the word "day" in this case covers the whole process of creation. That the word "day" does not refer to a 24-hour calendar day also seems apparent from the account of the sun and moon not being made until the fourth day.

How could there be calendar days which equal solar days, when the sun is not yet present to mark them out? Finally, attention may be called to the New Testament statement that "with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (2 Peter 3:8). From the evidence above it seems quite likely that "day" represents a period of time, however short or long, in which God was accomplishing something.

This seems to accord best also with reflection upon the content of many of the six "days." Although God, of course, could accomplish such acts as making all the plants and trees in one calendar day, all the luminaries in the heavens on another, all the fish and birds on another, all the beasts

and man on still another, it hardly seems likely, nor even like God, who often works slowly over long periods of time.

Hence, in light of the internal evidence the preferable interpretation is to view the six days of creation as periods of time, even ages, in which God was bringing the process of creation to its climax in man. Here we may look in the scientific direction, and note that geological and biological data say much the same thing. It is now generally recognized that prior to man's arrival on the scene there were lengthy periods of time.

For example, vegetable life appeared long before animal life, and animal life long before human life. Each of these "days" could have been thousands or multiples of thousand years (recall 2 Peter); the exact length is unimportant. The important thing is that God completed a work during that period. Its completion therefore is the completion of a day.

4-14 I would appreciate your discussing the words of Jesus in John 14:12: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do yet shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do."

In John 14:12, Jesus says two extraordinary things. First, those who believe in Him will also do the works ("works" equals miracles throughout the Gospel of John) that He did. The works/miracles that Jesus had done to this point in the Fourth Gospel include turning water into wine (John 2), the healing

of an official's son by simply speaking a word (John 4), the curing of a man long crippled and helpless (John 5), the feeding of the five thousand (John 6), the giving of sight to a man born blind (John 9), and climactically the raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11).

Miracles in the believers' life accordingly would include everything from turning water into wine to raising the dead-and all in-between (as recorded not only in the Book of John but also in the Synoptics). Now this, to say the least, is a startling promise by Christ: those who believe in Him will do (not may do or may possibly do) His works, His miracles. All miracles that Christ did in His earthly ministry will be done by those who believe in Him. Second, and far more startling, is the further declaration that those who believe in Him will also do greater works than Christ did.

This unmistakably means works beyond everything mentioned in the Gospels! Whatever miracles Jesus did on earth will be transcended by the miraculous works of those who believe in Him. How is such an astonishing thing possible? The answer is given in Jesus' own words: "because I go to the Father." Jesus in heaven will have power and authority far beyond what He had during His earthly ministry, and thereby He will enable those who believe in Him to do greater works than even the greatest that He had done within the confines of His own earthly existence.

In summary: not only will miracles continue after Jesus' earthly ministry, but they will be even greater. And they will be done not only by apostles, prophets, and the like, but also by others who believe in Him. This accords well with Mark 16:7 that begins: "And these signs [i.e., miracles] will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues…." Those who believe will do Christ's earthly works and even more through the entire age of the proclamation of the gospel.

4-15 Should we expect visitations of angels in our time?

On the matter of experiencing angels, it is probably wiser to speak more of their presence than of their visitation. There were indeed visitations in biblical times, and they surely may occur at any time again. But in the Scriptures the emphasis for the believer rests mainly on the continuing presence of angels.

We observe this in statements about the angels encamping around and guarding believers (Psalms 91:11-12), about believers having angels who constantly behold the face of God (Matthew 18:10), about the worship experience in which angels are present in festal and joyous assembly

(Hebrews 12:32), and so on. This is a matter largely of their unseen but very real presence.

The emphasis is wrongly placed when the focus is on angelic visitation; indeed, expecting, looking for, or hoping for such visitors is nowhere encouraged in God's Word. We are rather to pray for and

expect, especially in our day, a greater visitation of the Holy Spirit (that's where the action is!). And, as far as angels are concerned, we may rejoice in their invisible but continuing providential presence.

4-16 Do the words of Jesus in Luke 13:4-5 about the tower in Siloam have relevance to our present crisis? "Those eighteen upon whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think they were worst offenders than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."

Jesus basically makes one point: The unexpected falling of the tower is a call for repentance, not just with eighteen but all other inhabitants of Jerusalem. Those upon whom the tower fell were not worse sinners than others in Jerusalem. This is a very sobering message in relation to the need for all peoples to repent before it is too late.

The eighteen represent those for whom repentance came too late. Thus they are a warning to all people to repent before it is too late. Our present crisis calls for a renewed vigilance against the foes of freedom and a heartfelt compassion for the thousands of casualties and their families. The words of Jesus are a clarion call to deep repentance of our nation that needs to return to God.

The words of 2 Chronicles 7:14 become critical now, "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." Billy Graham is quoted as saying, "If God does not judge America soon, He will need to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah."

4-17 Explain to me the New Testament understanding of predestination.

We may well begin by quoting the words in Ephesians, "God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. In love He predestinated us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself" (1:4-5 NASB). Hence, predestining points to the same prior action of God, with the emphasis more particularly on God's sovereign action in choosing.

Predestining also points more directly to the end to which we are called. Later in Ephesians 1 Paul speaks of our "having been predestined according to His purpose…to the end that we…should be to the praise of His glory" (vv. 11-12). Having noted these things-the broader meaning of God's sovereign action and the larger meaning of direction-we now observe that the word "predestine" may serve for "choose" or "elect." This is illustrated in Romans 8:28-30. Paul first speaks of calling: "those…who are called according to His [God's] purpose."

He then proceeds to say, "For those whom he foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…. And those whom He predestined He also called…." The end

of this sequence is glorification: "Those whom He called He also justified; and those whom He justified He also glorified." Again, both God's sovereign action is stressed-quite strongly through the whole sequence of events-and the ultimate intention: glorification.

It is important (in the light of many misinterpretations) to observe that the word "predestinate" is never used in the New Testament to refer to anything other than the arena of salvation-as we have noted, adoption as sons, living to the praise of God, glorification. Accordingly, a view of "double predestination"-a predestination referring to death and damnation as well as to eternal life-has utterly no basis in Scripture.

This does not mean that there is no death or damnation, but such does not belong to God's predestining action, which refers only to the general arena of salvation.

5. Man

Do we, as Christians, believe in the preexistence of the soul?
From a biblical standpoint is there anything wrong with being cremated?
What is the difference between your soul and your spirit?
Why does God give us free will but punishes us if we choose against His will?
Why did Eve tell a lie?
Would you please explain the difference between soul and spirit?
Please share your view of God's perspective on women's experience in childbirth.
What is man's relationship to the animal world?
I hear we are made in the image of God. Is God black or white?

5-1 Do we, as Christians, believe in the preexistence of the soul?

The Bible does not teach the preexistence of the soul or any other aspect of human nature. Once the soul is created, however, it will never die.

5-2 From a biblical standpoint is there anything wrong with being cremated versus a plot burial? Thank you for your guidance.

There is nothing wrong with cremation since the body at death will not be the body of the coming resurrection-"it [the body] is sown a material body, it is raised a spiritual body." So whether the burial is cremation (or other disposal) is of no ultimate consequence.

5-3 What is the difference between your soul and your spirit? And when a Christian or a sinner dies, where exactly is the soul?

Spirit is the deepest aspect of human nature. The spirit like God is eternal, thus never dies. According to Ecclesiastes 12:5, "At death the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it." When Jesus died on the cross He said, "Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit" (Luke 23:46). Also Hebrews 12:23 reads: "The spirits of righteous men made perfect" are "enrolled in heaven." Soul-in its various dimensions of mind, feeling, and will-is very closely related to the spirit of a human being.

Thus at death the soul may be said to continue. Accordingly, the soul is not somewhere else than the spirit. There is no "soul sleep" after death, as some have claimed, for either the righteous or unrighteous.

5-4 Why does God give us free will to choose, but then punishes us if we choose against His will? How can we love someone who created us against our will, allowed sin to occur, and then threatens us into loving Him or burn in flames?

Freedom to choose is a special mark of human nature. If it is to be genuine freedom, there must also be the possibility of wrong choice. Punishment inevitably follows from such a choice, not as an arbitrary act of God, but as resulting from the way things are in a moral universe. On the second question, I do not believe it is correct to say that God created us against our will-our will was involved in His creative act.

God allowed sin to occur as a result of the very freedom He gave us. Never does

He threaten us into loving Him, but shows His great love for us in sending His only Son. As a result "we love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19 KJV). "Burning in flames" is not a threat to force "us into loving Him"; love cannot stem from a threat or be coerced. It is when we know that Christ suffered the pains of hell ("burning") in God's great love that we freely and gladly love in return.

5-5 Why did Eve tell a lie? When the serpent confronted Eve in the garden, why did she say that God said, "You must not touch it, or you will die" (Genesis 3:3) speaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. For God only said in Genesis 2:17, "You must not eat of the tree…." Why did Eve tell a lie?

Eve's words were the result of Satan's deception. The serpent (Satan's disguise) had just said to Eve, "Did God say, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?'" (Genesis 2:13). These were very crafty words in that Satan was perverting God's earlier word that referred to only one tree-"From

the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat."

Satan's question, subtly shifting from the one tree that God had forbidden to any tree implied that if God were truly good and just He would not have prohibited Adam and Eve from enjoying the good fruit from all the trees in the garden.

What a malicious God, Satan is insinuating, that would place you in this beautiful garden but not allow you to enjoy its many fruits! Eve momentarily resisted the serpent by defending God, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat," but then Eve added, "But the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You must not eat from it or touch it lest you die.'"

Although Eve first of all defended God, as deception grew she viewed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil as being in the middle of the garden-which it was not. Earlier in Genesis the Scripture speaks of "the tree of life being in the midst of the garden" (2:9). Thus in Eve's mind, as Satan's deception worked its way, what was forbidden became central and more and more alluring.

Then she, totally deceived, not only saw the tree of the knowledge of good and evil as being in the midst of the garden but also wrongly said that they were not allowed even "to touch it." From there on Satan had the upper hand, bluntly contradicting God's words, saying, "You shall not die" (Genesis 3:4) without so much as a counter word from Eve.

5-6 Would you please explain the difference between soul and spirit? When the Old/or New Testament uses the word "heart" does this refer to our spirit or soul?

"Spirit" is the deepest dimension of human nature. It is breathed into man by the breath of God (Genesis 2:7) and is immortal. The soul results from the spirit functioning through the body. It is man's conscious life in terms of mind, feeling, and will. "Heart" is not a separate part but represents the inmost thoughts and feelings of a person. It relates to both soul and spirit.

5-7 Please tell me your view of God's perspective of what women should experience in childbirth. Do you believe that born again Christian women who believe they have a covenant with God will experience pain in childbirth?

Hear the words of Genesis 3:16a: "To the woman [Eve] He [God] said, "I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth. In pain you shall bring forth children." Listen also to Eve's words in Genesis 4:1-"Eve gave birth to Cain, and she said, 'I have gotten a manchild with the help of the Lord.'"

Her pain in giving birth to Cain is not so much as mentioned in her joyous cry at the privilege of bringing forth a child with the Lord's attending help. Pain could not erase her sense of victory. Yes, you may experience some pain in childbearing, but you can also rejoice in the Lord's real presence!

5-8 What is man's relationship to the animal world?

The opening chapter in Genesis describes God's creation of the universe. The description climaxes in verse 26 with man being seen as that creature who is between God and the world. He is "man the amphibian"-existing between two realms. Although the animal world is a creation of God and thus represents a totally new step ahead, it does not have the unique stature of man. When God turned

to make man, He took still another step-a huge one:

He made man in His image and likeness. This by no means denies man's relationship to the animal world (any more than the creation of animal life denies prior vegetable life), but it does give man a unique status. He is a fresh creation and therefore not simply a higher or more complex entity than what preceded him. This means that there is a qualitative difference between man and the highest subhuman creature.

There is no gradual evolution of animal into man by a series of steps over a lengthy period of time. Hence, there is no "missing link" to be found, since God simply moved past the animal kingdom and established a new order in creation. A further word might be said about what preceded man. On the same sixth day "God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds" (Genesis 1:25).

There is no new creation here (as with the first creation of life in the sea and sky [verse 21]), but a continuation of animal life on a still higher level: this is a making, not a creation. Yet the beasts of the earth (along with other land animals) are distinctive enough from the preceding animal life to occupy a separate day of creation, namely, the sixth and last.

Indeed this is the same day when man was to be created. How much of the sixth day (or age) God devoted to the "beasts of the earth" and whether He "made" these in one, two, or ten thousand steps is not told us. He made them "according to their kinds," and this can also allow development within their kind. Thus, for example, there could be the development of the anthropoid ape to higher levels within its "kind," but there is a qualitative gap between the most highly developed ape and the appearance of man in creation.

This by no means rules out a close biological relation to what God has just finished making, for man is the climax and fulfillment of God's preceding work. But at a certain moment on the same "sixth day," God reached beyond all that had preceded and created a new being-man. There is continuity with the past but an even greater discontinuity: man is a new creation.

5-9 I hear we are made in the image of God. Is God black or white?

God is a spirit. He is beyond color. To be made in the image of God refers o man's distinctiveness. No animals are said in the Bible to be made in God's image. The human spirit images God in its transcendent character.

6. Sin, Death, Satan

What happens to a Christian person when he/she dies?
I want to know and understand where sin came from. I know it entered the world through deception by the serpent, but how did it enter into Lucifer? Where did it come from?
Twice, recently, I have seen a reference made about God's permissive will which is what prayer touches. I think I have an understanding regarding His perfect will as Scripture teaches His desires toward us, and trusting Him in all situations. I wonder if I need to know more about His "permissive will" and the things I pray about.
Are pastors committing the unpardonable sin by stating that speaking in tongues and the manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit are all demonic?
Why do we hear about demons and evil spirits in the New Testament and not so often in the Old Testament?
Can a Christian believer be demon-possessed?
When our body dies, where in Scripture do we find what happens to us?
What is sin, from a theological prospective, and why is redemption so important?
"God does not hear a sinner's prayer." Could you please clarify this?
What do you believe happens to babies when they die? Do they go to heaven?
I would like to know what happens to Christians who kill themselves?
Is it OK to pray for the soul of someone who died several years ago?
Why do you think God hardened Pharaoh's heart?
If you are a Christian and commit fornication, can God still forgive you?
Where in the Bible does it talk about Satan and his fall?
How can there be an unpardonable sin?
Is there such a place as purgatory?
Why is it that Satan works so hard to break certain people?
If God created the devil, does that mean that God is the cause of all evil?
Since God created all that is in our universe is it fair to say He also created evil?
How is God's permissive will related to the occurrence of sin and the Fall?
What does the doctrine of "original sin" affirm?

6-1 What happens to a Christian person when he/she dies?

The spirit of the Christian believer at death goes directly to be with the Lord in heaven. The body is resurrected on the Last Day when Christ returns.

6-2 I want to know and understand where sin came from. I know it entered the world through deception by the serpent, but how did it enter into Lucifer? Where did it come from?

The wording of your question implies that sin was some external force that entered into Lucifer. Rather, Lucifer was the author of sin. Being the highest of angels, he pridefully determined to set himself above God. This he did of his own free will and volition.

6-3 Twice, recently, I have seen a reference made about God's permissive will which is what prayer touches. I think I have an understanding regarding His perfect will as Scripture teaches His desires toward us, and trusting Him in all situations. I wonder if I need to know more about His "permissive will" and the things I pray about.

God in His will functions either actively or permissively. For example, in God's creation of the universe He operated actively. In the freedom He gave man, He operated permissively allowing Adam to obey or disobey. Even in man's disobedience, which God permitted, God still was in control. In that sense, the situation was never out of His will. God remains the sovereign Lord. God's perfect will includes both His active and His permissive will.

6-4 I know that the unpardonable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which is to call the work of the Holy Spirit demonic. Are Christian pastors and teachers committing the unpardonable sin by stating that speaking in tongues and the manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit are all demonic?

The Apostle Paul declares that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are "the manifestation of the Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:7). The gifts stand out as exhibitions of the Holy Spirit in word and deed, signifying that He is on the scene in sovereign grace and power. Thus to declare the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be demonic is a terrible offense against Him and His work. Such an attitude is unpardonable whether or not it is labeled as "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.".

6-5 Why do we hear about demons and evil spirits in the New Testament and not so often in the Old Testament?

Since Christ's coming was in part an attack on the demonic realm, evil was more and more exposed by Him. "The Son of God appeared that He might destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). The New Testament records the crisis for which the Old Testament is preparation.

6-6 Can a Christian believer be demon-possessed?

A Christian may be demon oppressed but not possessed. A true believer has the Holy Spirit dwelling within. Although a Christian may have many struggles against sin and evil, he or she cannot be possessed by that evil reality. "Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).

6-7 When our body dies, where in Scripture do we find what happens to us, spiritual or otherwise. I'm not asking about the Second Coming, I'm asking about our physical death and what transpires after we take our last breath prior to the return of Jesus. Do we go to heaven, hell, a holding pen, or what?

Those who believe in Christ go immediately to be with Him. For example, the repentant thief on the cross was told by Jesus, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). Paul writes about his desire "to depart and be with Christ" to occur immediately upon his death"

(Philippians 1:23). In another place Paul writes about being "absent from the body and at home with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:6). There is no "holding pen"!

6-8 What is sin, from a theological prospective, and why is redemption so important?

Sin is the personal act of turning away from God and His will and the breaking of any of His commandments. This results in bondage to sin-"Every one who commits sin is the slave of sin" (John 8:34). Redemption is so important because all people are sinners in bondage to sin from which they cannot free themselves. Only through Christ is redemption possible and the bondage to sin broken. Thanks be unto Him!

6-9 "God does not hear a sinner's prayer." Could you please clarify this? I was raised Apostolic, and my grandfather is a minister, but there's one thing that my grandfather teaches that I do not understand. He's ALWAYS said that "God does not hear a sinner's prayer." How can that be true? In order for a sinner to be saved, he must first ASK (pray) for God to come into his

life. That IS prayer!

If God does not hear a sinner's prayer, then wouldn't that mean NO ONE could be saved, or forgiven for that matter? I'm a sinner, and I pray, and I feel that God hears, sees, and knows my every thought and want. Could you please clarify this for me?

Your position, I believe, is correct. Sin may block a prayer from getting through, but God is always ready to listen.

6-10 Recently my youth group has been asking questions about infant death. What do you believe happens to babies when they die? Do they go to heaven?

I suggest you look at Matthew 18:2-4 and 19:13-14. Note especially the words "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Since Jesus graciously received them during His ministry, surely He will do so in heaven. This does not mean that little children, or infants, are innocent, but they have no ability to make a decision for or against Christ, which is the requirement for salvation.

6-11 I would like to know what happens to Christians who kill themselves? Do they go to hell or are they still considered saved?

Suicide, though it is a grave sin, does not necessarily mean the forfeiture of one's salvation. It is sometimes said that taking one's own life is "the unpardonable sin," since there is no opportunity for repentance after death (on the unpardonable sin see Mark 3:28-30-definitely not suicide).

No Christian believer in his right mind will take his own life-a life redeemed by Christ-but there may be cases in which due to a variety of circumstances-such as stress, worry, anxiety, and the like-when even a Christian, out of his right mind, might do this extreme thing. Suicide is definitely wrong; however, we may believe that Christ's death can cover such a person's death and allow him to enter heaven.

6-12 Is it OK to pray for the soul of someone who died several years ago?

There is no suggestion in Scripture of praying for the souls of those who have died. The decision in this life is determinative of a person's future state of continuing lostness or blessing. Further, the view that there is a purgatory after death, and that prayers may be offered to help in an ongoing purification before entering heaven, is totally foreign to Scripture.

6-13 I have a hard time understanding in the Book of Exodus where it says that

God hardened Pharaoh's heart. Why do you think God did this?

During the time of the plagues in Egypt, frequently the statement is made that "the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart" (Exodus 9:12; 10:1, 20-27; 11:10; 14:8). It is to be noted that the Scripture also says that "Pharaoh hardened his heart" (Exodus 8:15, 32; 9:34).

Both of these seemingly contradictory

statements are true. Pharaoh's heart was of such a kind that when God did His mighty miracles, a hardness set in. God did it in one sense because His act caused the hardening; in another sense Pharaoh did it himself. Several other verses simply say that "Pharaoh's heart was hardened" (Exodus 7:13, 22; 8:19; 9:7, 35) without specifying either God or Pharaoh to be the cause.

Perhaps you have heard the saying that "the same sun that melts wax hardens clay." The hardening is not caused by the sun, but is due to the nature of the substance: so with Pharaoh's heart.

6-14 If you are a Christian and commit fornication, can God still forgive you?

Fornicators have no place in the kingdom of God. Paul writes: "Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate [by perversion], nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God" (1

Corinthians 6:9-10). Paul then adds: "Such were some of you" (note the past tense "were").

A basic change has occurred in regard to fornicators, and all the others mentioned: "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" (verse 11). Fornication, if it happens by a Christian, is all the more heinous since such belongs to the old life of sin and is contrary to the Christian's new nature.

Can God forgive? Yes, if one truly repents. Paul writes about being "made sorrowful to the point of repentance" (2 Corinthians 7:9). If a Christian commits an act of fornication but is so deeply sorrowful as to repent and turn from it, God in His mercy will forgive.

6-15 Where in the Bible does it talk about Satan and his fall? I have been told that he is the prince of music and that he used to be the head angel, but I can't seem to find this.

In Isaiah 14:12 are the words: "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer [literally 'son of the morning']." This passage, while relating to the king of Babylon and his fall (see verse 4), goes far beyond into a fall "from heaven." Also, in Ezekiel 28:12 are words directed specifically to the king

of Tyre, but that likewise suggest more, "You were blameless in your ways, you sinned, therefore I have cast you as profane from the mountain of God" (verses 15-16). Jesus speaks of seeing, "Satan fall from heaven like lightning" (Luke 10:18), and in the book of Revelation there is the vivid

declaration that "the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan" (12:9). These are important references relating to Satan and his fall. The Bible does not speak of Satan as "prince of music" (however much he does seem to dominate many forms of music today!). That Satan was "head angel" seems to be implied in the words that follow in Revelation 12:9-"Satan and his angels."

6-16 If Jesus' blood on Calvary can save us from all sin, then how can there be an unpardonable sin? Also, if someone committed it but wanted to be right with God, couldn't he be?

First, we need to note Jesus Himself spoke of the unpardonable sin: "All sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin" (Mark 3:28-29).

The unpardonable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. In another Gospel, the Scripture reads: "Whoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age, or in the age to come" (Matthew 12:32, cf. Luke 12:10).

The unpardonable sin is not some extremely vile sin of gross immorality, for all such may be forgiven. Nor is it the terrible sin of denying, even repudiating, Christ. Even this may be forgiven. What then is the unpardonable blasphemy or speech against the Holy Spirit?

The Scripture clearly states it in the following words: "For they were saying He has an unclean [or 'evil, NIV] spirit." "They" were the scribes and Pharisees who had just been saying about Jesus, "He is possessed by Beelzebub" and "He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons" (Mark 3:22).

The unpardonable sin was to maliciously attribute to Christ the work of the devil, to declaim as evil what is of the Lord, to viciously label an act or work of the Holy Spirit as a demonic spirit. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shows a conscience so perverse and hardened as never to be able to receive

forgiveness. Those who commit this sin are not the murderers, the thieves, the liars, the worldly corrupt, not even the atheists who deny Christ, but religious leaders (like the scribes and Pharisees) who fight against the Holy Spirit.

6-17 Is there such a place as purgatory?

According to Roman Catholic doctrine, purgatory is a place where the souls of believers go for the further purging away of sins before entering heaven. However, Scripture makes clear that the souls of believers at death are immediately in the presence of God. In the book of Hebrews there is the

picture of heaven as a place where "the spirits of righteous men are made perfect" (12:23). No purgatory is needed: upon death believers are made perfect in the presence of God.

The belief in purgatory leads people unfortunately to much anxiety and to prayers for the dead that their loved ones' time of punishment may be shortened. It is a blessing to know that believers at death are "made perfect" and enter into the joy of heaven.

6-18 Why is it that Satan works so hard to break certain people? I am in such shame, I rebuke him every moment. No matter what I do, he will not leave me. It seems I am losing this battle, or am I?

Rebuking Satan is important, but such needs to be undergirded by calling on the name of Jesus for deliverance. Satan cannot withstand a living faith in Christ.

6-19 If God created the devil and the devil is the prince of the world, does that mean that God is the cause of all evil, since the devil is the one who hurts us and he was originally a creation of God?

God did not create the devil! He did create the angels, one of whom-possible the highest-became the devil through his own willful action against God. The fact that the devil is instrumental in all evil thereafter does not mean that God is the cause of such since the devil was not originally God's

creation.

6-20 Since God created all that is in our temporal universe (including abstract realities such as love and kindness), is it fair to say He also created evil? I realize, theologically, that Satan is the father of evil and that Adam and Eve opened the door with their disobedience. But can evil exist without first being created?

God did not create evil. According to Genesis 1, everything God created, or made, was declared "good" (verses 4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25), indeed altogether "very good" (verse 31). Among the highest good there is the gift of freedom: "Man is that entity made to be free" Genuine freedom includes freedom of decision for or against God (man was not made a robot!). It was man's decision against God and His command that brought evil upon the earth. (Satan was also involved but not the cause of this evil; man was fully responsible.) Evil is disharmony that man willfully brought into the world.

6-21 How is God's permissive will related to the occurrence of sin and the Fall?

Sin could not have occurred without God's permissive will. It was a matter both of God's permission and of His will. God permitted it to happen, yet also through its occurrence He purposed to make it an instrument to manifest His grace and glory. There is undoubtedly a strange paradox here. God surely did not will the sin of man, else He would have been the author of evil; yet He did will that through sin and the fall His purpose should be fulfilled.

One aspect of this surely will be the demonstration of His grace, for only through sin will the glory of God's grace become utterly manifest. Without the sin of the human race, there would have been no Calvary and no demonstration of the incredible love of God. Thus it is through the very sin and fall of man that the "amazing grace" of God the Father in Jesus Christ will be made known. The permissive will of God stands ultimately behind the sin and fall of mankind.

This by no means mitigates the heinousness of sin and evil nor the ensuing misery of the human condition. But it does say that through it all God is sovereignly working out His purpose to manifest the heights of His grace and glory.

6-22 What does the doctrine of "original sin" affirm?

"Original sin" refers to the fact that the human race is sinful in nature. This by no means refers to human nature as God made it-or makes it-but to the fact that before man commits any sin he is already a sinner. This situation may be described in terms both of sin being passed on to all people from the first man and our identification with primal man in his sin.

However depicted, the important feature is that man does not come into the world as an innocent or neutral creature but is affected by sin in all aspects of his being (Psalm 58:3; cf. Psalm 51:5). Indeed, by virtue of this fact, man is vitiated in every area of his nature-body, soul, spirit-so that he is utterly incapable himself of restoration and salvation. His only hope is in Jesus Christ.

7. Christ - Incarnation, Atonement, Resurrection

Our minister said you can be a Christian without believing in the Virgin Birth. That's a new one on me. He thinks you only have to believe in the death and resurrection of Christ.
Do you believe that Jesus was holy at His birth? I do, and some say no.
Why did Jesus pray to God? If Jesus is God, wouldn't that be just like praying to yourself? Wouldn't praying to yourself be a futile exercise?
What powers did Jesus have?
In Mathew 27:46, why did Jesus say "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" And what exactly did He mean?
Why is the resurrection an essential part of the gospel message?
I get puzzled when I hear that Jesus Christ had brothers. My understanding is that the Virgin Mary had no other children after Jesus' birth. Were Jesus' cousins referred to as His brothers? This is confusing for a lot of people. Please explain.
Since angels are created beings, as we are, and also have free will, and the capacity to fall, is there any indication that Christ's atonement for sin also covers them?
Which is the most important: The death of God's Son for our Redemption, or the proclamation of the death of God's Son for our Redemption?
Is Jesus God?
Speaking of the pre-incarnate Christ, Philippians 2:7 says that He "emptied Himself." What exactly did He empty Himself of?
John wrote in Revelation 1:17 that when he first saw Jesus he fell at his feet as dead. If this was the Jesus that John knew and loved why was he so afraid?
I've been reading the four gospels, and I want to ask why Jesus is called the Son of man. What is its relationship with Him being the Son of God?
Are we to believe that Judas Iscariot was predestined to betray Jesus or could he have refused to do so?
Do you believe that after one is saved, generational curses follow?
Why didn't God make another way to redeem man instead of requiring the death of His Son?
Who is Jesus and who is the Christ?
We know Jesus died and rose; what is the theological impact of these events on the Christian life?
Is there such a thing as the "Immaculate Conception"?
My sister claims Islam is the only religion. What information can I give or tell her?
Can you tell me what happened to Jesus during those three days?
What is your opinion of the visions of Mary that so many people are having?
How do you explain Luke 3:23 and the genealogy that follows?
When Jesus died on the cross, did He die for all possible wrongdoings?
At what point did Christ suffer the torments of hell?
Why did Jesus have to die for us? Was it to satisfy God's anger? Why His Son?
What is the mystery of the Incarnation?
What does the "Son of man" mean?
What is the significance of Christ's resurrection for us?
How can we be sure of our future resurrection?
Could you speak about the Atonement and God's forgiveness?

7-1 Our minister said you can be a Christian without believing in the Virgin Birth. That's a new one on me. He thinks you only have to believe in the death and resurrection of Christ.

It is true that you only have to believe in the death and resurrection of Christ for salvation. There is no reference in the New Testament to anyone proclaiming the Virgin Birth or belief in it as a requirement for being a Christian. However, this is not to deny the importance of the doctrine of the Virgin Birth which is well attested in the Bible and set forth as background for the Incarnation--Christ's life, death, and resurrection.

7-2 Do you believe that Jesus was holy at His birth? I do, and some say no.

I agree with you that Jesus was holy at His birth. He was God in human flesh and as such holy as God is holy. Jesus also showed forth perfect holiness at every stage of His life's journey.

7-3 Why did Jesus pray to God? If Jesus is God, wouldn't that be just like

praying to yourself? Wouldn't praying to yourself be a futile exercise?

Jesus was also a man. As such, He offered prayers to God. In the mystery of the Incarnation, He was both one with God the Father as well as a distinct person. So Jesus' praying was not a futile exercise.

7-4 What powers did Jesus have?

Jesus being both God and man had the power of God Almighty and of man at his peak. He functioned, therefore, with multiple powers belonging to both deity and humanity.

7-5 In Mathew 27:46, why did Jesus say "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken

me?" And what exactly did He mean?

Jesus cried out these words because at that moment He was making atonement for the sins of all mankind. He was experiencing terrible God-forsakenness as He endured our agony and punishment.

7-6 Why is the resurrection an essential part of the gospel message?

If Christ is not risen, our faith would be literally a dead faith. By Christ's death, He conquered sin. By His resurrection, He conquered death. Thus we can say with Paul about the resurrection, "O Death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting?….But thanks be to God, who gives us

the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15: 55, 57).

7-7 I get puzzled when I hear that Jesus Christ had brothers. My understanding is that the Virgin Mary had no other children after Jesus' birth. Were Jesus' cousins referred to as His brothers? This is confusing for a lot of people. Please explain.

Listen to the following verses of Scripture: "While He was still speaking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and His brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him" (Matthew 12:46); ""Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us?" (Matthew 13:55-56);

"After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother, and His brothers" (John 2:12).

The most natural interpretation of these passages---and other similar ones ---is that those referred to were half brothers and half sisters of Jesus, born of Mary and Joseph subsequent to the birth of Christ. There is no suggestion of their being cousins of Jesus.

7-8 Since angels are created beings, as we are, and also have free will, and the capacity to fall, is there any indication that Christ's atonement for sin also covers them?

There is no indication in Scripture that Christ's atonement also covers the sins of angels. Christ took on Himself human nature not angelic nature. There may be some other plan for angels, but the Bible does not reveal it.

7-9 Which is the most important: The death of God's Son for our Redemption, or the proclamation of the death of God's Son for our Redemption?

In order of priority, the death of God's Son for our Redemption is primary. Otherwise, there is nothing to proclaim. The gospel proclamation is based on fact not myth.

7-10 Is Jesus God?

Yes. As God, He shares the Godhead with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Thus He is not a separate deity. He is also totally man. Except for sin, He fully shares our humanity. This is the great mystery of the Incarnation.

7-11 Speaking of the pre-incarnate Christ, Philippians 2:7 says that He "emptied Himself." What exactly did He empty Himself of?

Paul's words in Philippians 2:7 are to be understood as Christ's surrender of His glory and riches in the taking on the form of a servant or slave. The self-emptying was a profound expression of the love and compassion that is the central reality of God's nature.

7-12 John wrote in Revelation 1:17 that when he first saw Jesus he fell at his feet as dead. If this was the Jesus that John knew and loved why was he so afraid?

John fell at the feet of Jesus not out of fear but due to the vision of Jesus in His majestic glory. John had known Jesus in the flesh but this was a revelation of His divine being.

7-13 I've been reading the four gospels, and I want to ask why Jesus is called the Son of man. What is its relationship with Him being the Son of God?

Jesus was one person with two natures. He called Himself the Son of man in that He identified Himself with all humanity. He was a human being in the fullest sense but also the Son of God. As the Son of God, He was likewise through and through divine. As such a dual person, He was the Redeemer of the world.

7-14 Are we to believe that Judas Iscariot was predestined to betray Jesus or could he have refused to do so? Was this individual a part of God's ultimate plan for the death and resurrection of Jesus?

The following words of Jesus are particularly relevant: "For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that man through whom He is betrayed!" (Luke 22:22). This verse contains both the fact of predestination as well as Judas's personal responsibility. In that sense, he

was a part of God's ultimate plan but at the same time freely active in the betrayal of Jesus. Thus Judas was fully guilty.

7-15 Do you believe that after one is saved, generational curses follow? The doctrine of generational curses is being greatly pressed at our church. Do you believe that it's biblical that even after one is saved and in Christ that generational curses follow us? Isn't it more true that Christ became a curse for us and automatically cut them off? And that instead, only our sin nature follows us which Christ is in the process of purifying and sanctifying and bringing us deliverance from? I would really appreciate your comments on this.

The concept of generational curses is too heavy a burden for the body of Christ to bear. Your question is actually a good counteractive which recognizes that in Christ we are set free from any and all curses of the past. To be sure, we do inherit a sinful nature from Adam and his descendants; however, all generational curses are removed from believers by the blood of Christ. Therefore there is no need for spending time in searching out what curses apply to us today. I repeat, it is an unnecessary burden from which we have been freed in Christ.

7-16 Why didn't God make another way to redeem man instead of requiring the death of His Son?

To answer your question, I recommend that instead of questioning God's way of redemption that you first of all rejoice in it. Now to move on: the way God chose was the way of vast love in which Christ, the Son of God and the Son of man, died for all people. The sin of man was so grave that only God

Himself could redeem man from it, and only one who was also man could suffer and die in our place. On the matter of requiring the death of His son, God's great love and Christ's willing consent made it all possible. "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…."

7-17 Who is Jesus and who is the Christ?

Jesus is both God and man. As God, He came to earth and took upon Himself human flesh. He was truly God and truly man in the same person. This is the mystery of the Incarnation. The word "Christ" literally means "anointed." Jesus was the Anointed One to fulfill God's mission to save mankind. To

believe in Jesus Christ is the way of salvation.

7-18 We know Jesus died and rose; what is the theological impact of these events on the Christian life?

In Jesus' death He bore all the punishment due us for our sins and in His resurrection made immortality possible-"He abolished death and brought life and immortality to light" (2 Tim. 1:10). Jesus is Victor over all!

7-19 Is there such a thing as the "Immaculate Conception"? What does it mean, to whom does it apply, and are there biblical references to support or disprove the "Immaculate Conception"?

The "Immaculate Conception" is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church that claims that Mary herself was conceived without sin (hence, immaculately) and so was sinless when she bore Jesus. This dogma has no basis in Scripture and must not be confused with the doctrine of the Virgin Birth which is solidly taught in Scripture.

7-20 My sister recently converted to Islam due to her son's influence. She claims Islam is the only religion. What information can I give her or tell her about this decision she has made?

If Christ's claim is valid, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), Christianity is the only true religion. Islam is a religion, but by not focusing on Christ misses the truth.

7-21 Can you tell me what happened to Jesus during those three days He was dead before He rose to heaven? Where was He? Did He go to hell before going to heaven?

During those three days Jesus was alive in the spirit and dead in the body. In regard to the spirit, immediately following His cry from the cross, "It is finished," the Scripture adds, "He bowed His head and gave up His spirit" (John 19:30). In another gospel, the wording is, "Father, into Thy hands I

commit My spirit" (Luke 23:46). After this, His dead body was put in the grave but did not decay-"He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay" (Acts 2:31).

Thus Christ did not go to hell before going to heaven: His spirit went into heaven, the Father's presence ("it was not abandoned to Hades") and His body placed in the grave. It is a mistake to assume (as some do) that Christ went to hell where, after three days of struggle with Satan, Christ finally defeated him. No, when Christ said, "It is finished," victory was already won! Our redemption was accomplished by His death on the cross. There is one passage that speaks of an activity of Christ in the spirit: "He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also

He went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah" (1 Peter 3:18-20). It is apparent-whatever the meaning of this passage-that Christ Himself was not in hell but made proclamation to those who themselves were locked up in prison there. Christ's work of redemption had already been

accomplished!

7-22 What is your opinion of the visions of Mary (mother of Jesus) that so many people are having? Do you think it is Mary, or, as I believe, a familiar spirit to deceive and take the prayer emphasis off Christ?

Visions of Mary are delusive, yes, because they do take the focus off Christ. For example, in Medjugorge (Yugoslavia), where for a number of years presumed appearances by the Virgin Mary have occurred, such words as these have been spoken: "Dear children, abandon yourself to me that I may lead you totally," "I will be forever close to you," "I want to bring you to heaven to God." These, and many others, are words that only Christ has the right to speak. Christ, to be sure, is also recognized. For example, "Without love, you cannot accept me or my son." The Mary of the New Testament would never speak such words as these.

7-23 In the third chapter of Luke, verse 23, it speaks of Jesus as the (supposed) son of Joseph. I don't understand this verse because Jesus was not the son of Joseph. So my question is, how do you explain this verse and the genealogy that follows to verse 38?

You are correct in saying that Jesus was not the actual son of Joseph. However, people at large supposed he was since they had no knowledge of the Virgin Birth. Joseph nonetheless was Jesus' legal father, and Mary was betrothed to him (see Matthew 1:18-"Mary was betrothed to Joseph…before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit").

Betrothal at that time constituted a legitimate marriage even though the sexual union had not been consummated. Hence although Jesus was not, as people supposed, the physical or natural son of Joseph, he was the legal son. Thus the genealogy that follows to verse 38 legitimately traces Joseph's line all the way back to Adam.

7-24 When Jesus died on the cross, did He die for all possible wrongdoings committed by humans at present and in the future? Could He anticipate my sins and others 2000 years ahead?

Christ in His divinity could surely anticipate all sins and so in dying on the cross bear the full weight of every possible wrongdoing. Paul's declaration that Christ was made "sin on our behalf" (2 Corinthians 5:21) refers to the totality of sins of all times and places. How vast is the love of God!

7-25 In a Q & A related to the Apostles Creed, you wrote that the statement "He descended into hell" "vividly expresses the full extent of Christ's vicarious sacrifice, even suffering the torment of hell for all people." At what point did Christ suffer the torment?

Christ endured the torment of hell in His suffering and death on the cross. The agonizing cry of "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34) bespeaks Christ's undergoing the torment of hell itself and, "It is finished!" (John 19:30) marks the end of His redemptive

suffering. The veil of the temple "torn in two from top to bottom" (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:35) immediately after His "yielding up His spirit" was God's sign that entrance into the Holy Place had been secured for all. The victory was complete!

7-26 I know that Jesus is God's Son, and that He was sent to the earth to die on the cross for our sins. I just don't understand why He had to die for us? Was it to satisfy God's anger against man? Why His Son, though?

Christ did not have to die for us, but He did so willingly for our salvation. As the Son of man, Christ took upon Himself our flesh and bore the full weight of God's wrath against sin and evil. Thereby He was our substitute, dying in our place. As the Son of God, hence fully divine, He was able to reach out and accomplish the mighty work of redemption. Why His Son? The answer is that only God could have paid the full price, the Father in heaven through His Son on earth. This is the marvel and mystery of the Incarnation.

7-27 What is the mystery of the Incarnation?

"The Word became flesh" (John 1:14). This is the mystery of the Incarnation, namely, that the Word who was "with God and…was God" (1:1), took upon Himself flesh: He became man. Without ceasing to be God through whom all things were made, He concurrently became man by assuming our flesh. Thus is He Emmanuel--"God with us" (Matthew 1:23)--in the person of Jesus Christ. Let us pause a moment to reflect on the wonder, the awesomeness, the utterly amazing character of the Incarnation.

This event is a fact of such proportions as to transcend human imagination: the God of the universe, the Creator of all things invisible and visible--angelic hosts as well as countless galaxies and stars--has in Jesus Christ come to this minute planet called Earth and taken upon Himself our human existence. If the original creation of the universe out of nothing is an immeasurable vast and

incomprehensible act of Almighty God, the Incarnation is surely no less stupendous. Superlatives will not suffice.

Perhaps best are the words of Paul: "Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of our religion: He was manifested in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16). Great indeed! And the purpose of the Incarnation (again one is carried beyond adequate words to declare it) is the redemption of the human race. Jesus was born to die and in dying to bear the awful weight and punishment of sins of all

mankind.

He came as a Mediator of the covenant of grace, the "one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all" (1 Timothy 2:5). In the words of the Fourth Gospel, the Word who became flesh was "full of grace and truth" (John 1:14) and "from his fullness have we all received, grace upon grace" (1:16). Verily, it is the unfathomable

grace of God bringing eternal salvation.

7-28 What does the "Son of man" mean?

The phrase "the Son of man" means basically "the man" or "man." All men are sons of men, that is, mankind. Even so Jesus "the Son of man" is a man, a human, a member of the human race. "Son of man" and "man" basically are equivalent terms. The expression "the Son of man" occurs frequently in the four Gospels as a reference of Jesus to Himself. Eighty-two times the phrase occurs and on

more than forty occasions.

It is used invariably as Jesus' own self-designation. No one else ever addresses Him by that title. It is as open a statement about Jesus' identity as "the Son of God" is a hidden one made known supernaturally by revelation. By Jesus' use of the title "the Son of man," He identified Himself with our

humanity. Also, as "the Son of man,"

He was man in perfection and could be a substitute for sinful man on the cross. Further, by calling Himself "the Son of man," Jesus demonstrated His deep humility (see for example, Matthew 20:21-"The Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve"). Jesus did also on a few occasions call Himself "the Son of God" (John 5:25; 10:36; 11:4).

7-29 What is the significance of Christ's resurrection for us?

First, His resurrection brought the climax of our salvation. If Christ had not been raised from the dead, our salvation would not have been consummated. As Paul says, "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins" (1 Corinthians 15:17). For despite God's act of reconciliation in Christ, if Christ had remained locked in the grave, there would have been no life and no salvation.

John Calvin writes, "How could He have obtained the victory for us, if He had fallen in the contest?" Paul says elsewhere that Christ was "put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification" (Romans 4:25). Justification, the free gift of righteousness, is the very heart of salvation and is made possible through the death of Christ. But unless Christ had been raised, justification would literally have been a dead matter.

Hence through the resurrection of Christ our salvation has been completed. Second, let us observe more closely that the problem of mankind is not only sin but also death. So salvation means victory over both sin and death. Thus did Christ in His great saving act deal decisively not only with sin at the cross but also with death through His resurrection. For truly He has also broken the power of death.

In the words of Paul, our "Savior Jesus Christ…has broken the power of death and brought life and immortality to light" (2 Timothy 1:10). However, we need to add immediately, death does not inherently have power but derives its power from Satan who brought it into human existence. And the marvel of what Christ has done is that He partook of our nature that "through death He might break the power of him who has death at his command, that is, the devil; and might liberate those who, through fear of death, had all their lifetime been in servitude" (Hebrews 2:14-15).

Thus Satan's power over death has been broken. Not only did Christ rise victorious over Satan and death, but He also has wrought this victory for all who belong to Him. We may now state it more specifically: By rising from the dead, Christ has won the victory over both sin and death. Thereby our justification is complete, and life has been raised up. Beyond forgiveness and reconciliation is a new life in Jesus Christ to be with Him alive for evermore! For in Christ's resurrection we are raised to eternal life with Him.

7-30 How can we be sure of our future resurrection?

Christ's resurrection from the dead assures our resurrection in the age to come. For not only are we raised from the dead spiritually now through faith in Christ, but we will also be raised bodily in the coming age.

Paul writes that "if for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most

to be pitied." Then he adds, "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead" (1 Corinthians 15:19-21). Since the raising of Christ is the "first fruits," other fruit is

sure to follow, namely, our resurrection from the dead. Thus Christ has brought life and immortality to light.

This means that some day--"at the last trumpet"--"the dead will be raised imperishable….For this perishable must put on the imperishable and this mortal must put on immortality" (1 Corinthians 15:52-53). This is not some natural immortality but an immortality to be "put on"--and it all comes

through Jesus Christ. Paul climactically cries forth, "'Death is swallowed up in victory'…thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:54, 56).

Because of Christ's resurrection from the dead we thus have assurance of our resurrection to come.

With Paul and the saints of all ages, we may rejoice in what God has done through Jesus Christ. Another declaration of Paul provides a fitting summary word of the Christian testimony:

"If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living" (Romans 14:8-9).

7-31 Could you speak about the Atonement and God's forgiveness?

One way of summarizing the whole matter of the Atonement is to view it in terms of divine forgiveness. Here we begin by recalling the words of Jesus: "This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:28). The pouring out, or shedding, of Jesus' blood was for forgiveness of sins. We may, accordingly, speak of the

death of Jesus--the shedding of His blood--as the cost of God's forgiveness.

Let us observe several things. First, it is important to recognize that only the one sinned against is in a position to forgive. Christ was supremely sinned against because in His suffering and dying on the cross He endured the attack of evil, not only of those who directly put Him to death but of sinful man of every race and age.

As God in human flesh He could and did receive this total attack. If there was to be forgiveness, it could come only from Him. But it would be at a terrifying cost. Second, Christ in His great love received the assault of mankind's sin and evil without fighting back. In the fulfilled words of Isaiah 53: "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth" (verse 7). He accepted the gibes and mockery of those around the cross, He suffered the pain and anguish of the crown of thorns and the spikes of nails, He did not call down legions of angels from heaven to scatter and destroy the vicious foe.

He simply took it all--all the evil of mankind reinforced by the powers of darkness. The agony of Christ dying on the cross therefore is beyond all comprehension; His affliction without retaliation transcends all that mankind has ever known. Third, not only did Christ receive all of evil's bitter onslaught, but He also reached out in compassion to bear evil's shame, guilt and condemnation.

Although He was wounded by the transgressions of the world, His even greater anguish was that of sensing the utter loss, misery, even damnation of those attacking Him, and (marvel beyond marvels) in infinite compassion receiving that misery and condemnation as if it were His own.

"He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him…" (Isaiah 53:5 NIV). As a result, in His great love and mercy He took away the sin, the guilt, the punishment of the world and gave us His peace and salvation.

8. Salvation - Calling, Regeneration, Justification

In John 3:16, Jesus says that "He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life," yet in Matthew 7:21 He says that "not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the kingdom of heaven." Could you please help me see how this is not contradictory?
Can one who has committed adultery still be saved? I have prayed for forgiveness but still feel lost. Can I be helped?
As we've all heard the old saying, "A leopard can't change his spots." Is this true with man? I want so badly to change the person that I am, I want to be a better spouse, a better parent. I have sinned in all aspects of my life. All I want to do is become a different person, and stop doing the same things that I struggle with daily. Is this possible? Can God literally change a person? Is there really such a thing as "a new lease on life?"
What are the requirements to spend eternity with God?
The Bible says all who know Jesus as Savior are saved. But what about Jews?
My friends believe that certain Muslims, Mormons, Jews, etc. will go to heaven. What scripturally can I tell them to refute this theory?
Do you believe that Christians from different churches – like Seventh-Day, Baptist, Pentecostal -- will all be saved?
I believe that you are saved by faith but I get hung up on "works."
What is the difference between Regeneration, Justification, and Sanctification?
What gives me the right to impose my beliefs on others?
What is "Regeneration"?
How can I have eternal life?
Is sanctification through your own efforts with support from Jesus essential for salvation?
Should I try to divide the Godhead by exalting the Comforter?
Are the Ten Commandments still binding on us who are saved by faith in Jesus?
Please explain the doctrine of unconditional election.
If the Bible states that we only come to Jesus if drawn, do we have free will?
How are faith and works to be applied in our daily living?
As Christians we are saved through Christ. What about the Jews?
If we are chosen, then does prayer help for a non-Christian's salvation?
Do we have to do away with the law if we are saved by grace?
Do we need to go to a priest to really be forgiven and saved?
Can a person who has unforgiveness in his heart still go to heaven?
What about the God-fearers who lived before the time of Jesus?

8-1 In John 3:16, Jesus says that "He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life," yet in Matthew 7:21 He says that "not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the kingdom of heaven." Could you please help me see how this is not contradictory?

There is no contradiction here. Believing in Christ is the way of salvation. Calling on His name, even to saying "Lord, Lord," is not enough. Rather, in this latter case, the person who does the will of the Father shall enter the kingdom of heaven. Believing in Christ includes commitment to the Father's

will, a saying of 'Lord, Lord' from the heart.

8-2 Can one who has committed adultery still be saved? I have prayed for forgiveness but still feel lost. Can I be helped?

We read in the Bible: "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge" (Hebrews 13:4). Thus your situation of adultery is a very serious matter. However, God delights to forgive the truly penitent soul: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

8-3 As we've all heard the old saying, "A leopard can't change his spots." Is this true with man? I want so badly to change the person that I am, I want to be a better spouse, a better parent. I have sinned in all aspects of my life. All I want to do is become a different person, and stop doing the same things that I struggle with daily. Is this possible? Can God literally change a person? Is there really such a thing as "a new lease on life?"

Hear the New Testament: "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). The leopard may not be able to change his spots, but Christ in you can change your whole life into a new one. It is not so much that you should

want to be a better person as rather to become a new person wherein all aspects of your life can be changed. Not better but new!

8-4 I myself am a Christian, but I have an interesting question. The Bible says all who know Jesus Christ as their Savior will go to heaven. But what about Jews?

Paul writes about the status of the Jews in Romans 9 through 11. He says at one point, "My heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation" (10:1). Jews have a special place in God's plan. This does not mean they are automatically saved. Jew and Gentile alike need faith in Christ for salvation to occur.

8-5 My friends, who call themselves Christians, believe that certain Muslims, Mormons, Jews, etc. will go to heaven. Their reasoning, if you can call it that, is God is so infinite how do we know He doesn't reach other people through these religions…sort of a many roads to salvation theory. What scripturally can I tell them to refute this theory?

By way of refutation, see, for example, the following Scriptures: John 14:6, Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me" (note, the way not one of several ways); Acts 4:12, Simon Peter declared about Jesus, "And there is salvation in no one else;

for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved"; Romans 10:9, Paul writes, "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." Such verses as these, and many more could be cited, contradict the "many roads to salvation" theory.

8-6 Do you believe that Christians from different churches…like Seventh-Day, Baptist, Pentecostal...will all be saved?

Surely, Christians from many different churches will be saved. It is a personal matter. Romans 10:9 declares: "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." It is not a question of which church you belong to but

whether you have genuinely made a personal statement of faith in Christ. It is important that the church you attend be a believers' church, one that steadfastly proclaims the way of salvation.

8-7 I believe that you are saved by faith but I get hung up on "works." I am a born again Christian and everything and believe that you are saved by faith and Jesus' death on the cross. But sometimes I get really hung up on the works stuff. Like a lot of times in the Bible in the New Testament it seems to be saying that you get to Heaven by doing good works.

Faith always has the primacy over works in terms of salvation. We are saved not by works; but also we are not saved without them. A lively faith will always demonstrate itself through good works. "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead" (James 2:26). In

Paul's words, it is a matter of "faith working through love" (Galatians 5:6).

8-8 What is the difference between Regeneration, Justification, and Sanctification?

All three are ways of talking about salvation. Regeneration means to be born again. Justification means to be declared righteous by what Christ has done by His death on the cross. Sanctification refers to the new life of holiness that has begun.

8-9 I believe in Jesus and want to "share" the good news with others but the question that others keep asking me is why do I say that Jesus is the only way to the Father and what gives me the right to impose my beliefs on others? I can show scripture references to why Jesus is the only way to the Father with no success but my main question is what gives me the right to as they say "impose" my belief on them? Not wanting to impose anything but to share.

A proper presentation of the gospel must be done without imposition. We truly have good news to share. The joy of your faith should be so present as to be almost contagious. After all, there is nothing else that comes close to the blessing of salvation that you have received. So let the non-coercive

joy of the good news be present in all your witness.

8-10 What is "Regeneration"?

Regeneration means essentially rebirth: it is re-generation. Hence regeneration is a being born again or anew. The classic New Testament passage is these words of Jesus: "You must be born again" (John 3:7). We may also note Peter's words to Christians: "you have been born again" (1 Peter

1:23). Paul declares to Titus that God "saved us…by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5).

These three passages stand out in their testimony to regeneration; and the last (in Titus) specifically relates this to salvation. It is apparent that this is a spiritual rebirth. It is not a second physical birth, but a rebirth that is spiritual. Jesus emphasized this in His words just prior to those about rebirth: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6). Thus, through the Holy Spirit there is spiritual rebirth. The Old Testament looked forward to this.

God spoke through Ezekiel concerning Israel: "I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them" (Ezekiel 11:19; see also 36:26). Jeremiah says: "I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord" (Jeremiah 24:7). And the psalmist prays, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10). Although the language of the Old Testament is not precisely that of rebirth, it points in the direction of a spiritual renovation for which the word "regeneration" is the fulfillment.

Regeneration, however, cannot be limited to one area of human nature. It is not only that the spirit, or heart, is made new, but the person himself is thereby a new being. As noted, Paul writes that God "saved us"--not just our spirits--as persons: we have been born again. Paul writes similarly elsewhere, "If any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). The person is a new creature. This is the wonder of regeneration.

8-11 How can I have eternal life?

The answer to your question may be found in John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." Believing in Christ is the key: accepting Him, trusting Him, committing yourself totally to Him. This

includes also repentance for past sins in the strength that Christ provides. I suggest that you talk about all this with some pastor or spiritual leader and, in that person's presence, you declare your faith in Christ as your Savior and Lord.

8-12 Is sanctification of yourself through your own efforts with support from Jesus essential for salvation?

By your question, I am afraid that you have made salvation basically a matter of your own achievement. However, salvation is more than support from Jesus, thankfully. Salvation is a matter of grace not works, relying totally on Jesus as Savior and Lord. Sanctification also is more than your own efforts with support from Jesus. It is likewise not a matter of your own achievement but of Christ working in you.

8-13 Are people baptized by the blood of Christ at conversion or is it a separate experience? If the Trinity is in Christ, should I pray for Holy Spirit baptism? Should I try to divide the Godhead by exalting the Comforter?

People are saved by the blood of Christ at conversion. The Trinity is not in Christ, but Christ is in the Trinity. So is the Holy Spirit. Yes, you may surely pray for Holy Spirit baptism without dividing the Godhead or exalting the Comforter.

8-14 Are the Ten Commandments still binding on us who are saved by faith in Christ Jesus? Paul in Romans 3:31 seems to indicate that they are when he says, "Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law."

Paul is speaking here against antinomianism, namely, the view that because of our salvation through faith the law is void, or nullified. His reaction is very strong against such a viewpoint ("May it never be!"). The fact that we are not "under law, but under grace" (Romans 6:14) does not mean the

voiding of the law. The law, especially as embodied in the Ten Commandments and in our moral consciousness (see Romans 2:15), is God's law for all people. However, until salvation came, the law could not be truly fulfilled. Now there is the inner motivation and ability to accomplish such. Grace

amazingly establishes the law!

8-15 Please explain the doctrine of unconditional election. Can the unelected still be saved?

The doctrine of unconditional election as affirmed particularly by Calvinistic churches declares that salvation is wholly God's doing. He elects those whom He wills unconditionally, and man has nothing to contribute to it. This, I believe, is an extreme view of the sovereignty of God that leaves nothing to the human decision. On the contrary, God's election stands in close correlation with faith. The elect are those who believe. God surely has the priority, but there must be the response of faith. We are elected by God as believers. Without faith there is no election. Unconditional election too much omits the human side.

8-16 If the Bible states that we can only come to Jesus if we are drawn by the Spirit, then do we actually have free will? In other words, the Bible states that He chooses us. Did we not choose Him? So where is the free will?

According to Matthew 22:14, Jesus says, "Many are called but few are chosen." Hence, though His calling is primary, not all are chosen. In Jesus' own ministry He called many to follow Him but not all did. See for example Luke 9:59 where Jesus says to a man, "Follow Me," but the response was

negative with the excuse, "Permit me first to go and bury my father." The man was called but not chosen by virtue of his own free decision. Hence the choosing by God always includes the willing response of faith.

8-17 My question pertains to faith and works and how the two concepts should be applied in our daily living. Romans 3:28, Galatians 2:16, and Ephesians 2:8 state that by grace we are saved through faith but not by works. How does this agree with James 2:14-26?

According to James 2:21, "Abraham our Father was justified by works." Does this contradict other words such as those of Paul in Romans 4:2, "If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God"? There is no contradiction here. Further on James adds, "Faith without works is dead" (verse 26). This means that, although we are justified by faith alone, true faith is never alone. Paul speaks elsewhere of "faith working through love" (Galatians 5:6). A living faith will always overflow in good deeds.

8-18 As Christians we are saved through Christ. What about the Jews? Will they be judged differently from others?

Jews and Gentiles alike are saved through Christ. There is no difference for, in Paul's words, "Both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin" (Romans 3:9) and "God will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith" (verse 30). The same faith in Christ is necessary for both

Gentiles and Jews to be saved.

8-19 If we are chosen to be saved or not, then does prayer help for a non-Christian's salvation? I was told that if I pray for my daughter's salvation but the Lord has not chosen her, it would do no good. Please advise.

It is a serious error to say that "we are chosen to be saved or not" as if God arbitrarily excludes a person from coming to Christ. In one of His parables Jesus declared, "Many are called, but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14). "Many" refers to all to whom the gospel is preached-it is the universal call for salvation.

The chosen ones are those who respond affirmatively to the call and thus are saved. God chooses those who respond in faith; if anyone is bypassed, it is not God's doing, but is due to the

negative response to His call. Praying for your daughter's salvation is much in order! Such may help her come to a living faith and be among God's chosen ones.

8-20 Do we have to do away with the law if we are saved by grace?

Not at all. The law, referring particularly to the moral law (to which our consciences and the Ten Commandments bear witness) is from God and is binding upon all people. Yet, because of the sin of the human race, the law cannot be kept; indeed, as Paul puts it, the law has become a curse ("the

curse of the law," Galatians 3:13).

Now, however, when we are saved by grace (not by law!), the law for the first time can be maintained. As Augustine said long ago, "Grace was given that the law might be fulfilled." The law is by no means done away by grace; instead, by the indwelling Spirit the law

may at last be kept (even if there is still continuing sin). Rather than the law being a curse, we can now joyfully say, with the Psalmist, "O how I love Thy law!" (119:97).

8-21 Do we need to go to a priest to really be forgiven and saved?

In the Bible, the risen Jesus said to His disciples, "If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven" (John 20:23). Catholics believe that this means you must go to the priest to get forgiveness for your sins, (as well as asking Jesus yourself).

Does this mean that we need to go to a priest to really be forgiven and saved? I know that I'm saved, but this still bothers me. John 20:23 does not mean that we must go to a priest to get forgiveness for sins. Jesus is speaking to His disciples in general (see verses 19 and 20-"disciples" twice used). As Christians, we may pray for others, forgive and receive forgiveness, and also individually pray directly to the Lord for our own forgiveness.

According to 1 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." Christ is "the high priest of our confession" (Hebrews

3:1). We need not go to any other!

8-22 Can a person who is born again but has unforgiveness in his or her heart towards another believer still go to heaven?

Jesus Himself placed a very high premium on forgiving sins in the Lord's Prayer. He taught His disciples to pray, "Forgive us our trespasses as we also forgive those who trespass against us" (Matthew 6:12). Note the word "as." "As" signifies "in proportion to." At the conclusion of the Lord's

Prayer, Jesus stressed again the need to practice forgiveness: "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matthew 6:14-15). Also, in Jesus' ministry He emphasized that there is no limit to the number of times one should forgive, "seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:22). Finally, Jesus demonstrated the ultimate forgiveness from the cross when He cried out, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). So unforgiveness is a very serious matter and should be dealt with by every sincere believer.

8-23 What about the God-fearers who lived before the time of Jesus? If Jesus is truly the ONLY way and we need His sacrifice in order to be saved, what about those who lived before the crucifixion? Are we to assume that none of them were saved or made it to heaven? Or, are we to infer that it was possible to make it to heaven without the work of Christ?

We must always bear in mind that Christ's sacrifice was sufficient to cover the entire human race past, present, and future. What happened at Calvary was, of course, the objective event that makes salvation possible for all people. We do need His sacrifice in order to be saved. Verses like Genesis

3:15 point from the beginning to the future hope and promise of One who would someday "crush the serpent's head" (NIV). Believing in God's promise was basically the way of salvation in the Old Testament. The Old Testament worthies did not make it to heaven without the work of Christ in redemption.

8-24 Do children who die before the age of accountability go to heaven or not? I'm writing to further your discussion of a question on CBN.com about infant baptism and salvation. I agree with your perspective that baptism alone does not save. However, I would like to get your thoughts on this follow-up question: Do children who die before the age of accountability go to heaven

or not?

On the matter of children that die before the age of accountability, there is little Scripture to go on. The closest approximation would be the words of Jesus in Luke 18:16, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these" (NIV), and Christ embraced them all. This does not mean that little children are innocent, but by a special act of God's grace they are taken into His presence.

9. Sanctification, Perseverance

After sanctification do we still struggle to behave as God wants...or is it foreign for us to sin?
Is sanctification an immediate experience when somebody becomes a Christian? Can a born again Christian live a sanctified life here on earth?Is sanctification an immediate experience when somebody becomes a Christian? Can a born again Christian live a sanctified life here on earth?
Can you ever lose your salvation? Because I have done so much bad after I became a Christian that I think I have lost my salvation. I'm really scared. I don't want to go to hell, but I fear that is my fate. Please help me.
What is the meaning of "progressive sanctification"?
Can a Christian lose his/her salvation?
If you have been saved, but you sin every day, can you lose your salvation?
So is our security in us or God for maintaining our salvation?
Could you please explain Hebrews 6:4-6?
What is the meaning of "sinning willfully" in Hebrews 10:26?
How should we then live?

9-1 For the last two years, I have had nothing but heartache and trial – God placing me in the impossible and carrying me through. At times, I feel I have reached the end of the lesson and now I can do anything, but then I slide here and there back into temptation and my wants. After sanctification do we still struggle to behave as God wants ... or is it foreign for us to

sin?

Sin is basically foreign to the believer since the Holy Spirit dwells within. However, the flesh is still there often warring to a high degree against the Spirit. This should make us rely more on God to give us the victory.

9-2 Is sanctification an immediate experience when somebody becomes a Christian?

Can a born again Christian live a sanctified life here on earth?

First of all, sanctification is experienced in the new birth. Paul writes about the born again experience, "You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Thus immediate sanctification is part of the

experience. We are holy, therefore, by virtue of the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us and dwells within.

Still there remains sin in every life which calls for further sanctification. Thus sanctification is also a process day by day. Concerning this matter, Paul writes, "Beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and make holiness perfect in the fear of God" (1 Corinthians 7:1).

9-3 Can you ever lose your salvation? Because I have done so much bad after I became a Christian that I think I have lost my salvation. I'm really scared. I don't want to go to hell but I fear that is my fate. Please help me.

Yes, it is possible to lose your salvation. There are many places in the Bible that warn of this happening. However, if you truly repent all is not lost. The fact that you are deeply concerned is a positive sign. I suggest that you make earnest confession to the Lord of your sins and believe that

He will forgive them and reestablish you.

9-4 What is the meaning of "progressive sanctification"?

Paul writes: "Beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1). In one sense every born-again believer has already been sanctified, "You were washed…sanctified…justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11).

It is against the background of this initial sanctification in salvation that we are called upon to devote ourselves to ongoing sanctification. Whatever remains in the carnal self we should find intolerable and seek both cleansing and removal. Paul again speaks elsewhere "by the [indwelling] Spirit put to death the deeds of the body" (Romans 8:13). We cannot put to death the flesh in our own strength, but by the power of the Holy Spirit we can-if we are really serious about it. Day by day there can be progress in sanctification, and living a life more pleasing to our Lord.

9-5 Can a Christian lose his/her salvation?

The security of our salvation rests not in ourselves but in God. He has given us a new life in Christ and the Holy Spirit dwells in us. Thus there is strong security from God's side; the undergirding of salvation is His doing not ours. We should not therefore be anxious as if some slip on our part will quickly cost us our salvation.

No, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). However, salvation may be lost. There are grave warnings in Scripture, for example, Jesus' own words: "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned" (John 15:6).

Again, "If we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume…"(Hebrews 10:26). Our security is truly in God; however, all may be lost if we fail to abide in Christ and go on willfully sinning. For other warnings in Scripture relating to believers, read 1 Corinthians 10:12; Colossians 1:21-23; Hebrews 2:1-3, 3:12-14, 6:4-8; 2 Peter

2:20-22

9-6 If you have been saved, but you sin every day-some you think worse than others, can you lose your salvation if you pray and ask for forgiveness every day?

Salvation may be lost only by those who persistently and willfully go on sinning. If a person genuinely seeks God's forgiveness and His way, salvation will not be lost.

9-7 So is our security in us or God for maintaining our salvation? You said our security is in God-but then you said if we go on sinning we will lose our salvation. It sounds to me that our security is based on us and whether we sin or not-not in God as you say. For if it were up to God, he would never let us go.

Our security is in God means that it is not primarily a matter of our achieving such by our own efforts. If that were the case, we would never be secure. However, we may forfeit that security by our own apostasy.

9-8 Could you please explain Hebrews 6:4-6?

This passage points up the ominous fact that even full-fledged believers-"those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the power of the age to come"-if they "then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance." Why? "Since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame." The falling away is total; there is no hope of repentance. The end is "being burned" (verse 8). Compare Hebrews 10:26-27-"If we go on sinning

willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment." A tragic end: "impossible to renew them again to repentance"-"no longer remains a sacrifice for sins"-total loss. Little wonder that Hebrews earlier says: "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" (2:3).

9-9 What is the meaning of "sinning willfully" in Hebrews 10:26?

The word "willfully" (Greek-ekousias) may also be translated as "deliberately." The Amplified Bible includes both translations: "If we go on deliberately and willfully sinning…." The point made in Hebrews is that by willfully, deliberately, persistently continuing to sin "after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment."

9-10 How should we then live?

First, as Christian believers we should ever move forward, rejoicing in our great salvation. Since God delights to forgive, when we turn to Him in sincere confession, He will surely cleanse us from all unrighteousness and establish our way. Second, we should give serious heed to the New Testament

warnings about possible falling away. These warnings are declared not to create fear and anxiety, but they are God's counsel not to neglect what has been so graciously given us. Third, we can continually give thanks to God for what He has done and intends to do. He is fully able to keep us to the very end. To God be the glory!

10. The Holy Spirit

We see from Acts 2:38, 39 that the promise for the baptism of the Holy Spirit is for all that are called of God, that is for every believer. The evidence of that Holy Spirit baptism was tongues in Acts 2, 10, 19. Mark 16:17 says that one of the signs is tongues, and Paul clearly said that he spoke in tongues more than all of the Corinthian Church (1 Corinthians 14:18). It seems clear to me that this is a serious Bible doctrine. Paul said that if anyone preaches another gospel than the gospel he preaches let him be accursed. What is your opinion?
I was told that if a person did not have the Holy Spirit, he would not make it into heaven. Is that true? I know people who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior but have not asked for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. I have the Holy Spirit, but it haunts me to think that saved people can still go to hell.
My church believes that you have to speak in tongues to have the Holy Spirit. Is this correct?
What should Pentecost mean to me?
How do you know when you have received the Holy Spirit?
How can I get the gift of the Holy Spirit?
How do I explain the difference in receiving the Holy Spirit at the time you are saved and the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
Is "tongues" a language that only God can understand?
How can you say one doesn't necessarily have to be baptized in the Holy Spirit to enter the kingdom of Heaven?
I would like to know if it is required for someone to be sanctified (a second work of grace) before receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Where does a committed Christian go to find out who's right?
What's your response to Third Wave theology & Baptism in the H.S.?
Is the baptism of the Holy Spirit automatic?
Who is the Holy Spirit?
Why do some Christians ask for the Holy Spirit if they already have it?
Could you explain John 20:22? Why were they told in Acts 1:4 to tarry...
I was taught that if you didn't speak in tongues you weren't filled with the Holy Spirit and will not be able to enter into the kingdom or heaven. Please explain.
Can you be filled with the Holy Spirit without speaking in tongues?
What is meant by the phrase "Grieving the Holy Spirit"?
When a person has been saved, is that person "Spirit-baptized"?
Is receiving the Holy Spirit necessary to go to heaven?
When does a person receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit?
What exactly must be done to be filled?
Are there any scriptures on this subject and what are your thoughts?
Is baptism in the spirit the same as filling with the Holy Spirit?
Does everyone have to speak in tongues?
I want to learn to speak in tongues. Please help me.
Can you lose the baptism in the Holy Spirit?
Are you saying you can go to heaven without receiving the Holy Spirit?
I'm having trouble with the yielding part. I just don't know how!
Is one who is baptized in the Spirit, spiritually superior to one who is not?
Is it proper to speak of the personhood of the Holy Spirit?
Can you be baptized in the Holy Spirit and not be filled?
Should every believer pray in tongues?
Is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit an essential of being born again?

10-1 We see from Acts 2:38, 39 that the promise for the baptism of the Holy Spirit is for all that are called of God, that is for every believer. The evidence of that Holy Spirit baptism was tongues in Acts 2, 10, 19. Mark 16:17 says that one of the signs is tongues, and Paul clearly said that he spoke in tongues more than all of the Corinthian Church (1 Corinthians 14:18). It seems clear to me that this is a serious Bible doctrine. Paul said that if anyone preaches another gospel than the gospel he preaches let him be accursed. What is your opinion?

I heartily agree with your statement above of biblical doctrine about baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. However, I deem it unfortunate that you seem to equate this biblical doctrine with the gospel of salvation that Paul preached and taught so vigorously. Otherwise, your statement about the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues is well put.

10-2 I was told that if a person did not have the Holy Spirit, he would not make it into heaven. Is that true? I know people who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior but have not asked for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. I have the Holy Spirit, but it haunts me to think that saved people can still go to hell.

It is true that if a person does not have the Holy Spirit, he will not make it to heaven. For every born-again believer has the Holy Spirit dwelling within him and is thereby saved. The infilling of the Holy Spirit is a different matter. Not all believers have received it-a reality not for salvation but that makes for a fuller Christian life and ministry. So do not be anxious about saved people going to hell because they do not have the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

10-3 My church believes that you have to speak in tongues to have the Holy Spirit. Is this correct?

Your church's faith as described is entirely backwards. It is the other way around: you have to have the Holy Spirit to speak in tongues.

10-4 What should Pentecost mean to me?

Pentecost is both a historic and contemporary event. Historically, it first occurred on the Day of Pentecost with some 120 persons being baptized in the Holy Spirit. They were believers in Christ before being baptized in the Holy Spirit. Today, Pentecost occurs again and again with believers who are open to receive it. History, thereby, becomes a living reality!

10-5 How do you know when you have received the Holy Spirit? Do you receive it the minute you are born again? Do you receive it when you are baptized with water? I have been born again, but when people ask have I received the Holy Spirit, I honestly don't know. I know that God loves me and is with me, but I have never spoken in tongues.

In salvation, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within the Christian. In this sense, you have received the Holy Spirit the moment you were born again. Baptism in water is a sign of the cleansing that the Holy Spirit brings in salvation and new life. The reception of the Holy Spirit refers also to a further experience of the Holy Spirit's filling known as the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Speaking in tongues is a sign of this having occurred. The basic thing here is the Spirit's filling for which you may ask as a child of God.

10-6 How do I get the gift of the Holy Spirit?

Hear the words of Jesus: "And I say unto you, ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened….If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to

your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" (Luke 11:9-10, 13). If God is your Father by virtue of your faith in Jesus, you may ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit. By persistence in asking, seeking, and knocking, you may be sure that God delights to give the Spirit to the ardent seeker.

10-7 How do I explain the difference in receiving the Holy Spirit at the time you are saved and the baptism of the Holy Spirit? I struggle with explaining this to people who insist that we receive the Holy Spirit at salvation.

At the time of salvation, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within. For example, the risen Christ breathed on the disciples and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22). At Pentecost, there came about a later experience of the disciples being baptized in the Holy Spirit, primarily for ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5-8 and 2:4). Two separate experiences: one for enlivening by the Holy Spirit for salvation; the other for empowering by the Holy Spirit. We need both!

10-8 My husband and I have been on a quest with the Lord to see Him and know Him more. We have both received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. We both speak in tongues. What do you think it is? Is it a language that only God can understand? Our church is in much turmoil and part of it is over doctrinal differences. The pastor believes that all the gifts died with the apostles. Whom do we believe? We are reading our Bibles but still are not sure. Please

help us. We want to be in God's will.

It is a joy to know that you both have received the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues. Speaking in tongues is a language known only to God. As Paul says, "For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God" (1 Corinthians 14:2). On the matter of the gifts of the Spirit: there is no

reason to believe, biblically or experientially, that they died with the apostles. If you want to be in God's will, continue to seek all the spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12-14). You will be blessed!

10-9 I have received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and I want so badly to serve God in my Presbyterian church, but neither of my pastors is at all open to the whole idea. They have made it very clear that we will not have that kind of thing happening in our church. There is a group of 15-20 people who all have had the same experience and have stayed in the church. We are all frustrated and have no idea how to proceed. Do you have any suggestions? The

church has about 500 members.

Show yourselves all the more loving and kind toward those who oppose you. So long as the pastors allow you to stay, reach out to them in a spirit of cooperation. Though you may as a group meet separately at times, do not isolate yourselves from the wider church family. By all means, do not give

the impression of being a superior group from the rest of the church but demonstrate humility in all things. And may the joy of the Lord be your strength!

Previously you answered a question regarding the baptism in the Holy Spirit and about how one doesn't necessarily have to be baptized in the Holy Spirit to enter the kingdom of Heaven. How can you say we don't need it, when it's the most important necessity in our journey? In John 3:5 Jesus declared "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and of the Spirit." Peter also spoke about it in Acts 2.

Baptism in the Holy Spirit is not for the purpose of salvation; rather it refers to a special empowering of the Holy Spirit for those who have already been saved. Being born of the Spirit is background and condition for being baptized in the Spirit. You are right about the basic importance of being born of water and the Spirit whereby we enter the kingdom of God. The first disciples were baptized in the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) with power to bear witness to the gospel. They had already been born again several weeks earlier (John 20:22). So the distinction continues to this day.

10-10 I would like to know if it is required for someone to be sanctified (a second work of grace) before receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

There is no biblical evidence for sanctification as a second work of grace before receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

10-11 I am a "confused" Pentecostal. I have a desire to serve God, but I hear that to serve Him effectively I need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, or to receive a second blessing. When you read the likes of Packer, Carson, etc., they seem to have good arguments against this second blessing. Where does a committed Christian go to find out who's right and who's wrong?

I think you may find my three-volumes-in-one Renewal Theology helpful -- especially volume two, my chapters on the Holy Spirit. Also, see my home page on CBN.com for articles and papers of mine on the subject. Blessings on your search!

10-12 I've studied a lot about Charismatic theology as well as the Third Wave theology. What is your response to the Third Wave theology concerning the Baptism in the Holy Spirit? Do you agree with them or disagree and why?

I have concerns about Third Wave theology in that it fails to affirm a distinct Baptism in the Holy Spirit. The emphasis of Third Wave is almost totally on certain gifts of the Holy Spirit. By playing down the power dimension, I believe that there is a diminution in the effectiveness of the gifts. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is more than conversion; it is an empowering for ministry.

10-13 Is the baptism of the Holy Spirit automatic? Somebody used the baptism of Jesus at the Jordan River to affirm this, but I disagreed. What do you have to say?

There is nothing automatic about being baptized in the Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself was the forerunner by being baptized in the Holy Spirit at the Jordan River. Years later, after His resurrection, He told the disciples, "You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now" and "you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be My witnesses…" (Acts 1: 5, 8).

Again, there was nothing automatic about this happening. The disciples waited and prayed expectantly for ten days, and as a climax to their waiting and prayers the Holy Spirit came in power upon them. So it remains to this day. God gives the Holy Spirit in power to expectant believers to enable them better to share in the mission of Christ.

10-14 Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is God. All the attributes of full deity are possessed by Him. He is also within the mystery of the Godhead a distinct person from the Father and the Son. As one of our hymns puts it: "God in three persons, blessed Trinity."

10-15 If as a born-again Christian you already received the Holy Spirit, why is it that some Christians pray and ask for God to fill them with His Spirit if they already have it?

Filling with the Holy Spirit is both a point in time action as well as a continuing experience. It can be repeated. Paul writes, "Be filled [the Greek word means 'continuously filled'] with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). Actually, there are never times that we do not need to be refilled.

Therefore, you may well pray, "God, fill me again and again."

10-16 Could you please explain John 20:22 where Jesus breathed on the disciples and told them to receive the Holy Spirit. If they received the Holy Spirit at that point, why were they told in Acts 1:4 to tarry in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit was outpoured?

When Jesus breathed on the disciples and told them to receive the Holy Spirit, He thereby imparted new life and salvation. This occasion marked the beginning of new life from the risen Lord whereby the Holy Spirit came to dwell within them: their regeneration. The command in Acts 1:4-5 refers to a

later occasion when the Holy Spirit was promised to give power to the disciples for witness about Christ. The initial reception of the Holy Spirit recorded i