The Doubting Thomas

The Doubting Thomas Perspective    

By: Miriam Brown

Does the Creationism vs Theory of Evolution debate matter?  Many Christians don’t think so.  Since it is not a “Salvation Issue” it is deemed unimportant.  Or since the ultimate salvation denominator involves the heart being pricked by scripture, talking about the scientific evidence of an earth created in 6 days is made to seem unnecessary.  

Yes, ultimately, a rebellious heart is a rebellious heart no matter what is presented to it.  But is the discussion of a young earth, and the scientific evidence for it, a useless enterprise?  I contend that not only is it useful, it is necessary to the journey of many people to reach the point of respecting God’s word as truth and His authority as the Almighty God.  Do all people need this kind of evidence on their journey toward salvation?  No.  But to those of us who are like Thomas, the answer may be an emphatic YES.    

“Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.’ ” John 20:24-25

Thomas needed physical evidence in order to be convinced that Jesus had resurrected from the dead.  Even after having witnessed the miracles Jesus performed before the crucifixion, he openly admits that unless he sees and touches Jesus’ wounds, he will NEVER believe that Jesus has risen from the dead.  Is this refusal to believe the reflection of a rebellious heart?  Thomas had followed Jesus from the beginning (Mark 3:18) and even after having made this statement, he continues to fellowship with the disciples.  If he had a rebellious heart, it stands to reason that he would have either betrayed Jesus, as Judas did, or lost interest somewhere along the way.  After all, it was not an easy thing to give up one’s life to follow a man who was constantly being threatened by the authorities-- and then ultimately killed.  Why would he continue to stay with the disciples unless he wanted to believe that what they saw (Jesus resurrected) was true?  He had a heart that WANTED to believe, but couldn’t without the physical evidence.  Many people have this very same personality.  They want to believe, but “worldly wisdom” causes them to doubt.  They need more than the “Story” of the Bible, as the world refers to it, but how do they cross over the bridge to believing in the TRUTH of the Bible?  

Consider what Paul says at the beginning of Romans:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’ ” Romans 1:16-17

Here we see that salvation can only come to those who are first willing to believe in the gospel and put their faith in it.  Thomas had the will, but needed the physical evidence to bridge the gap.  So where does that leave the “Thomas” of the modern era?  What physical evidence do we have now?

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”  Romans 1:18-20

These verses reveal that we do in fact have that physical evidence!  Paul tells us that even when dishonest hearts suppress the truth of the gospel, God has shown us His powerful and divine existence through the creation and the things He made in it.  Paul says these created things are plainly seen and clearly perceived—so much so that people have no excuse for not believing in God.  So what happened along the way?  Why does the world believe that faith and science (the study of those physical things) are incompatible?

“For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”  Romans 1:21-25

Somewhere along the way men became so prideful that they stopped honoring God and started to honor themselves.  They stopped giving God the glory for the created world and starting giving glory to the creation itself.  They began to worship the images of things created, which had no power in of themselves.  So ultimately, they were simply deciding to believe whatever seemed right to themselves.  (see Proverbs 16:25)

“And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.  Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”  Romans 1:28-32

Where did this lead them?  It led them to more and more sin until they lost all respect for the ways of God and even began to encourage others to sin.  Why does this matter?  It matters because “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 6:23.   

Do you see the progression?

• Salvation comes through faith, which begins with believing the gospel is true.

• The world tries to suppress the truth, but cannot because of God’s physical creation.

• The world then stops acknowledging God entirely and gives all the glory to the creation itself.

• Once the world thinks it has eliminated God, it no longer feels bound by righteousness.

• Sin and death proliferates.

How does this relate to the importance of finding and teaching the scientific evidence that God created the world just as He said He did in Genesis vs. teaching what the “consensus” says is the scientific evidence that the world basically appeared out of nothing and took far longer than God said it did?  Well, we see from Romans that when humanity fails to give glory to God for His creation, it leads to men becoming debased and utterly corrupt.  Is it any wonder that the Nazis used the Theory of Evolution and its constructs like “Survival of the Fittest” to justify their “superior race” idea and the following mass murder?  Eugenics and abortion go hand in hand with such thinking because if the world refuses to acknowledge God and His righteousness, why would they care if such things were wrong?  Why value human life if they do not recognize that humans were made by and in the image of God?  

Yet, hope remains!  If you reverse the progression, you see that if a sinful man will acknowledge that God did in fact create the world, he may then be able to recognize God’s power, divine nature and righteousness, which in turn would lead him to belief in the gospel, and the faith which leads to salvation!  

There will be those who easily acknowledge that God created the world, but there will be those who are deeply entrenched in “worldly knowledge” who need the kind of physical evidence that Thomas did in order to bring them into belief.  It was 8 days after his statement that Jesus appears and speaks directly to Thomas:

“Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe."Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”  John 20:26-31

Jesus says that those who believe without having to see are blessed—and indeed they are!  But you also see that Jesus did not deny Thomas the physical evidence that he needed to believe, nor did He condemn Thomas.  We have physical evidence today—God has left it in His creation!  The world will try to suppress the scientific evidence that supports a young earth—if it did not suppress it, it would have to recognize the possibility that there is a God and that people will be held accountable for their sins.  However, the evidence is out there if we will look for it.  And it’s important that we DO look for it and be ready to share it because it is part of the journey for some of the modern day “Thomas” hearts.  I leave you with this verse:

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”      Proverbs 18:21

The power of the tongue isn’t in the individual words, but in the ideas those words convey and the thought processes that follow.   

Again I say, those who need no physical evidence, blessed are you!  Those who do, it has been given and there are resources to help you find it—but you must seek them out, for the world suppresses and ridicules them to its own destruction.

What is patience?

BQ: There are various fruits of the Spirit, and now I'm startin' to look at patience, which is probably the one I need to look at the most. Broadly, what is patience as seen in the Bible?

A: Various theological lexicons agree that patience from the original texts can be viewed as "the self-restraint which does not hastily retaliate for a wrong—as opposed to wrath or revenge; a long holding out of the mind, before it gives room to action or to passion." 

God's patience can be seen with Saul of Tarsus (later Paul) who murdered many Christians. As Paul notes in 1 Tim 1:16, "I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life." 

While the above doesn't seem that astounding at face value, put yourself in God's place. Often times we don't have patience with people who simply irritate us with little things, yet God had patience with Paul as Paul did much worse. Do you hastily retaliate for a wrong, or do you look far down the road to possible reconciliation?

BQ: Yesterday we started a look into patience and saw that it's a slowness to retaliate. What can patience accomplish in relationships?

A: Ephesians 4:1-3 discusses patience and notes that we should, "walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

 Many relationships lack peace—between friends, spouses; you name it—but often patience is missing too.  The result of patience is both the preservation of unity and the creation of peace, and if we want to be worthy of bearing the title, "Christian," we have to master our passion and have patience. How much patience do you have? 

BQ: A particular problem of mine is hard to really articulate. When I see something un-Christlike, I often have the ugly habit of being irritated, but in a retaliatory sense (and obviously I'm not spotless myself, so it's an even less-attractive quality).  What does God say my response should be?

A: 2 Tim 4:2 "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction." 

Instead of being a snot about things, I should be learning to provide accurate, patient instruction, helping and assisting whoever I'm irritated with to unlock their potential for greatness. It's the same thing that I'd want for myself, and it's impossible to accomplish without patience.


 

BQ: Patience is somewhat unique in who it should be applied to. 1 Thess 5:14 says, "We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone." 

Notice that the solution for the unruly is admonishment and to assist the fainthearted requires encouragement, but patience is a requirement in dealing with every single person we encounter. I often want to have "selective patience," but God's pretty clear that I'm in the wrong if I go down that road. Do you have patience with all people? 


 

BQ: When someone does you wrong, it's payback time, right? Patience, as we saw, is a long abstinence from retaliation. Matthew 18:21-22 says, "Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”  Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."

Think about everything we've learned about patience.  It's something that we must have with everyone, forgiveness requires it, and it both creates peace and preserves unity in relationships. How much patience do you have? How could your relationships be improved through being steadfast in patience?

What is faithfulness?

BQ:  What is faithfulness? 

A: Throughout the Bible, God is referred to as being faithful without deviation. Many portions of the Bible look at specific ways in which He is faithful, such as, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is FAITHFUL, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1 Cor 10.13) All theological lexicons which examine the original Greek and Aramaic agree that the word for faithful means, "reliable." 

Consider the verse above. When we're tempted, God is reliable in providing us with avenues for escape. I used to make excuses for doing some pretty worldly things; in essence, the people I was hanging out with and the things I was doing WERE my life. I couldn't imagine "just sitting around being Christian." But when I decided to change, all of a sudden I had tons of Christian friends who wanted to do things that were a total blast! 

I wasn't reliable at first, but God was. I avoided developing deep friendships with my spiritual family, and instead spent all my free time with worldly people, and ended up looking much like them. If you have that sort of issue, realize that God is faithful and is providing you other opportunities which are far better—you just have to pursue them. 

PS-If you haven't caught on yet, I've been doing minor word studies on words from Gal 5:22-23, which says, “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, FAITHFULNESS, gentleness, self-control.” 



BQ: Yesterday we saw that God is faithful or reliable, and that He provides us with ways to escape sin 100% of the time. When you examine yourself, are you reliably worldly or reliably like Jesus? Does it matter if you're not that reliable/faithful?
 

A: "Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful?" (1 Cor 4:2) If we want to be true stewards, we must be faithful.  Consider yourself. Are you faithful to God? Do you treat your relationship casually? If you were married, would you treat it the same way? Will God call you a faithful servant? Or a servant who considered being faithful but didn't make the effort to build the relationship? How can you become a more reliable servant?

BQ: In the past however many years, I've come to realize that one huge aspect of finding a mate is finding one who is faithful. As we've come to learn, faithful doesn't just mean not sleeping around on your spouse; rather, it means being wholly reliable. I've met a lot of people who are like I was—not faithful, but with a desire to become so—and a lot who are like I currently am, which I'd define as "not there yet, but getting a lot better!"
 

Are you one of those people who isn't very faithful to Christ, but wants to get there? Do you ever do something you know He won't be happy with and then regret it? The cool thing is that God understands and is patient, and He encourages us to grow. Consider this about Moses, "just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house” (Hebrews 3:2). Did you know that Moses had a really rough, unreliable start?  In fact, from Exodus 3 and 4, look at what Moses said when he was called to lead the people, he had these excuses: 

1.) "Who am I?" (11) 
2) “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” (13)

3) “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘Jehovah did not appear to you.’” (4.1)

4) “I am not eloquent ... I am slow of speech and of tongue.” (4.10)

5) “Please send someone else.” (4.13)

Moses wasn't exactly batting a thousand at first. Drop the excuses and learn from Moses! Master your desires and choose to serve God and become faithful! A rough start doesn't preclude a ferocious, faithful finish! 

BQ: We've learned a lot about various words from Galatians 5. Words like justice/righteousness, mercy/kindness, and faithfulness/reliability. Some people hold to a form of religiousness without accomplishing God's will. What does God say about that?

A: Mt 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others."

There are those words again. Look at them carefully. God's "chosen" people failed. They polished the outside of the cup, but inside it was gross and worldly. How are you inside? Are you clean inside and out, or is there still nasty, dark junk deep inside?  Notice how God words the sentence, too. It starts with righteousness, which is succeeded by mercy, and which is trumped by faithfulness. Faithfulness is the ultimate goal. It is reliability. It is an attitude of justice but painted with love and mercy and patience.

How's the inside of your cup? 





BQ:  Today is our last recap of faithfulness, which is defined as trustworthiness and reliability. Proverbs 20:6 says, "Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?"
 

It took me about 24 years to REALLY get the guts to examine myself. Up until that age, I'd look at myself briefly, but I'd quickly stop. In Acts 24:25, Felix held Paul prisoner and questioned him. The situation went like this: "And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.”

I was the same. I proclaimed steadfast love, but like Felix, when I would try to examine myself versus the truth, I'd become afraid and push it out of my mind and pretend that it didn't happen. At some point, though, we all need to look at the bad habits that we're choosing to keep and admit them. The first step is always admitting that we have a problem. The only way to become reliable is to start getting rid of everything that makes you unfaithful. Don't put it off. Look for ways to start replacing evil with good. 

What does "good" mean?

BQ: What is good or goodness? Various lexicons, both theological and not, use the following descriptors to define them: uprightness of heart and life, kindness, useful, pleasant, excellent; honorable. The Bible defines goodness also by using comparison and contrast. Can you guess what it compares goodness with? 

A: Strangely, the contrast used to define goodness is between it and righteousness! For example, in Romans 5:7, God says, "For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though for a good person one would dare even to die." 

What? We're so used to striving to be righteous (in our own minds) that we get terms somewhat muddled. Goodness is set about righteousness here, because righteousness is equated with pure justice.   A just man is one who gives to men what is their due. Goodness, however, is the quality which is out to do far more than that, and which desires to give a man all that is to his benefit and his help; it is the generosity which gives a man what he never could have earned. 

I am very blessed to know people who are so good that one would dare even to die for them. What about you? 



BQ: Yesterday we learned about what "good" is, so today I'm just looking at people who were described as being "good." Can you name a woman who was called good? 

A: (Acts 9:36-39) "Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room...All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them."

Tabitha was described as being a person who did good things, and those things notably included acts of charity, such as making clothes. Sometimes we forget that we each need to be engaged in such endeavors if we really want to be good people. It's the reason that James 1:27 says, "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

Red letters only.

I’ll only follow Jesus’ words,” with a twist.
BQ: Some people say that they think we can only use Jesus' words from the new testament. What does God say about this? (Note: a man told me today, "I follow only Jesus, not His disciples.")

A: --->Jesus said to His apostles, who were disciples, that He would send a Helper (John 14:16), who would be the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17), and His purpose would be to teach and remind the disciples of all the things Jesus had said (John 14:26) "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you." (John 16:13-15)
 

---> Peter said this was fulfilled:

"seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence." (II Pet 1:3)

--->The apostles were taught as the Spirit told them to;  all their doctrine actually belonged to Jesus, and their deeds as well, and all glory for it belonged to God. (See 1 Cor 2:10-13 and 2 Cor 4;5-7)

QED, if we discount the teachings in the New Testament that were "not of Jesus" as defined above, we ultimately deny Christ, the Holy Spirit, and God. Danger, Will Robinson, danger!
(PN139)

How to have a glorious future with a dismal past!

How to have a glorious future with a dismal past!
BQ: With a dismal past, it's sometimes hard to imagine a glorious future.

Q: What are some things God says are necessary to have a glorious eternity when we have stained and dirty pasts?

A: "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked" (I John 2:3-6).
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9).

"But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. "Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?" says the Lord GOD, "and not that he should turn from his ways and live?"" (Ezekiel 18:21-23).

"In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses" (Colossians 2:11-13).

Becoming a Christian offers us the chance to shed the old and be renewed daily. Choose your friends wisely, because there are those who help you draw near to God, or who drag you away.
(PN106)
 

Obedience, too.

Obedience, too.
BQ: Does accepting Jesus as your Savior preclude obedience?

A:Romans 6:16-18, 1 John 3:18, John 14:15; 15:10;14, Rom 1:5, James 2:17

To be defined in God's terms, true faith demands obedience.
(PN24)
 

Do you strive?

Do you strive?
BQ: Spiritual apathy is present in most of Christianity. "Why go to church every week? Why read the Bible? My pastor/reverend/etc. is smart and takes care of me. I believe in God and I'm a good person..."  What would happen if we took the same approach to eating? If we said, "I think I'm good enough, I'll eat once a week...once a year."

Q: What do we do to enter the narrow gate? What did Jesus Himself say we keep us spiritually alive? 
A: Lk 13:24; Mt 4:4

Just wanting heaven isn't enough. We have to STRIVE to get in. We need to know ALL of the words, not just what a pastor or church leader says.  Being a "best-behavior-Sunday-only" Christian is the wide road to destruction. Jms 1:21 says, " Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls." Read that again. It's a salvation issue. Let's put aside perversion and start getting to know God's word.
(PN72)
 

Works of God.

Works and faith. 
BQ: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9, emp. added).  

Q: Are we saved without works? 
A: James 2:14-24, John 6:27-29

The NT mentions at least 3 kinds of works: (1) works of the Law of Moses (Galatians 2:16;  Romans 3:20); (2) works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21); and (3) works resulting from obedience of faith (James 2:14-24). This last category is often referred to as “works of God.” 

"Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may WORK the  WORKS of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the WORK of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent” (Jn 6)

Belief is a work. Are we saved without belief? The works of God include belief, baptism, etc. Baptism, for example, is something done TO a person in submission to God, not BY a person.  

(PN34)

Tumblers in the lock—salvation.

Requirements of Salvation
BQ:What's the process of salvation according to the Bible?

A: 1-Romans 10:14-17 (We must HEAR.)

2-John 8:24, Romans 5:1-2, Acts 16:31 (We must BELIEVE.)

3-Acts 2:38, Luke 13:5, Acts 3:19, 2 Cor 7:10-11 (We must REPENT of
our worldly ways.)

4-Mt 10:32-33, Romans 10:8-10, Acts 10:36-37 (We must CONFESS before
men that Jesus is the Son of God.)

5-Acts 2:38, Acts 22;16, 1 Pet 3:21, Romans 6:4, Gal 3:27, Mk 16:16
(We must be IMMERSED in water to wash away our sins and to get the
gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit)

6-Rev 2:10, Rev 3:11, Mt 10:22 (We must remain FAITHFUL until death.)
(PN11)
 

Faith alone?

Justification—by faith alone?
BQ: I was talking to a friend who mentioned that we're saved by "faith alone." James 2:24 says, "You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone." When I brought it up, the counter-argument was, "but we are JUSTIFIED by faith alone, then." 

Q: Does the Bible say we are justified by anything other than faith?
A: Mt 12:37, Rom 3:2; 5:9; 16, 8:33, Lk 18:14, 1 Cor 6:11, Titus 3:7, Jms 2:21-26, etc.

The Bible says we're not saved by faith alone and records the same for justification. The sum of His word is truth. Attempting to throw out any of the items listed as justifying or saving us and still getting the only true salvation is impossible. 
(PN48)
 

Faith Alone
BQ: Controversy time! Truth doesn't fear examination, so let's examine the book of Truth and see what we find!

Q:Are we saved by faith ALONE?

Let's start off with Romans 5:1, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Faith is obviously necessary, but is that the whole picture?

A: James 2:17; 21; 24. Mt. 12:37. Rom 2:13. Rom 5:9, 1 Pet 3:21.

There are yet more things required. This is just a snippet, but the most salient point is this: "faith without works is dead."
(PN10)

What is the gospel?

What is the gospel?
BQ: II Thessalonians 1:7-9 says bluntly, "and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire,  dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.  These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power."

Q: So what is this "gospel" that brings eternal life or damnation?

A:"Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,  and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures."

So the gospel is that Christ died, was buried, and was resurrected. HOW DO WE OBEY A HISTORICAL FACT!?! The answer is found in many verses, but the most plainly stated is Rom 6:3-6, which says,

"Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.  For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,  knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin."

God considers the watery grave of immersion vital. Do we?
(PN89)

Is your belief enough?

Is your belief enough?
BQ: I studied with a young lady who said, "Well I believe and I go to church sometimes and I love God, I'm going to heaven." 

Q: Is your belief enough? If you're devout and you pray, is that enough?
A: Acts 10:2; 11:14, Jms 2:19

Cornelius was called, "a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually." Certainly that's better than many lukewarm Christians today, who go to church on occasion, but was it enough? It was not. We see that he was told, "and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household." 

You see, James says that "even the demons believe and shudder." Being devout, praying, believing, those are parts of the recipe for eternal life, but they don't grant eternal life by themselves. Do you know what does? Where is your eternity headed? Cornelius wasn't yet saved even with all his great traits--are you? How do you know? 
(PN94)
 

Is obedience necessary?

Is obedience necessary?
BQ: One online religious organization maintains that anyone who says obedience is important to Christianity is not to be trusted, as only Christ's obedience was necessary. "You only need to believe," seems to be the claim, "because Jesus did all the obeying." Is this Biblical?

A:  "By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.  The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;  but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked." (1 Jn 2:3-6) 

"Through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith... Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ...has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith." (Rom 1:5; 16:26)

How do we know that we're in Christ? If we keep His commandments and walk as He walked. Faith, we see, is obedient. It's worth noting that love (Greek: agape) is coupled in with obedient faith, occurring again and again in 1 John. In this letter alone, it occurs 18 times, which is more than in any other New Testament book. Certainly we cannot be disobedient in practice, running about murdering people willy nilly, and expect to be in Christ. 
(PN199)
 

If—then conditionals and baptism.

If—then conditionals.
BQ: Satan LOVES to keep you down. Not kidding. Doesn't matter if you're a new Christian, an old one, he wants to trip you up and then pin you down in your fallen position. 2 Cor 5:17 is perhaps my favorite verse in the Bible. It says freeingly, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."  Do you see that? Amazing. But look closely, because this is a conditional statement. See that word in there? "If."

Q: If we are in Christ, then we are new, then the old is gone, then the new has come. How are we in Christ, then?

A: "Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.  For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,  knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;  for he who has died is freed from sin." (Rom 6:3-7) Notice that there is that remark on being united again, and also on being new. Coincidence? No!

"For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." (Gal 3:27)

God's gift is free, but it's also conditional. We don't have to go and die on a cross, but think about about this: I've offered you a free set of tickets to a concert. All you have to do is show up at my house before the concert and I'll hand them over, no charge. You don't bother showing up. It's a free gift. It's right there. And you missed out. 
(PN119)

Irresistible grace?

Irresistible grace?
BQ: Many doctrines boil down to Calvinism. Saved by faith alone leads to, "how much faith?" How much of the Bible that says "not faith alone" or "saved by (not faith)" is a lie? I've been reading some different websites that claim they're not Calvinist, but many of the quotes I've read go like this. "We can do nothing good of our own, but only of God. The person who is saved does not choose God, but rather irresistibly flies to Him when saved." 

Q: What does the bible say about this irresistible grace?
A:  "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." (2 Pet 3:9)

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling." (Mt 23:37)
 

“You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did." (Acts 7:51)

God chose to provide us a chance at eternal life, but it is not irresistible. We have free will be either have obedience of faith or not. :)

(Note: John 15:16 and Eph 1:3-4 must be viewed in the context of what is going on, as must all of the Bible.) 
(PN112)

Confusion galore.

Confusion galore! 
BQ: Many doctrines these days take a particular verse and then try and fit everything else around that verse; they try to cram in puzzle pieces where they want them to fit rather than stepping back, looking at the whole thing, and putting them where they go. 

Here's an example. Saved by "faith alone" occurs 0 times in the Bible, and yet much of Christianity teaches it. If people start studying the Bible, they come on verses like James 2:24 which says, "You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone." 

Q: Confusion above! How can this be? 

A: "For God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints." (1 Cor 14:33)  So God made this puzzle just fine...

"And the prophet who teaches falsehood is the tail. For those who guide this people are leading them astray; And those who are guided by them are brought to confusion." (Is 9:16) LOOK AT THAT! Everyone needs a teacher, but "do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 Jn 4:1-6)

A lady once told me, "My pastor takes care of me. I believe him." She was confused about many things, and said, "well I guess the Bible contradicts itself," but she stuck by her pastor's teachings. 
Who do you believe? God's word, or man's? It's great to have teachers, but there are many false teachers out there. Some teach falsely because they've always been taught falsely. If you start realizing that you're cramming puzzle pieces where they don't belong and it doesn't make sense, but your teacher says, "Don't worry," what will you do?
 (PN134)

What is "good?"

BQ: What is good or goodness? Various lexicons, both theological and not, use the following descriptors to define them: uprightness of heart and life, kindness, useful, pleasant, excellent; honorable. The Bible defines goodness also by using comparison and contrast. Can you guess what it compares goodness with? 

A: Strangely, the contrast used to define goodness is between it and righteousness! For example, in Romans 5:7, God says, "For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though for a good person one would dare even to die." 

What? We're so used to striving to be righteous (in our own minds) that we get terms somewhat muddled. Goodness is set about righteousness here, because righteousness is equated with pure justice.   A just man is one who gives to men what is their due. Goodness, however, is the quality which is out to do far more than that, and which desires to give a man all that is to his benefit and his help; it is the generosity which gives a man what he never could have earned. 

I am very blessed to know people who are so good that one would dare even to die for them. What about you? 

What SHOULD come from belief?

If you believe…
BQ: I like John 3:16 which says, "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." 

Let me ask you a question. You're in a theater. An usher comes in and says, "There's a fire." You believe him. Yep, smells like smoke. Do you exit the building? Do you listen to the rest of what he says, instructing you to exit the building? Do you obey those instructions? Or do you nod happily and think, "Glad I'm not in danger now," and then go back to watching the movie? 

Q: What does belief lead to?
A: "Through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith.  According to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith." (Rom 1:5; 16:25-26) 

"Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?" (Rom 6:16)

Sin is missing the mark God sets forth. If we truly believe that usher, we're going to obey and hit the mark he sets forth, which results in life. Look at John 3:16 again. The proper translation is "should not." It's conditional; it's qualified negation. If you believe that usher, you shouldn't perish, but you still can if you choose to do nothing. 
(PN121)
 

Saved from what? Or how I learned to stop worrying and love the immersion.

Saved from what, and how?
BQ: People often say, "I'm saved," but from what?

A: "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." (Mt 1:21) We see that we need to be saved from our sins, because, as Is 59:2 says, "your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear." 

Being saved=no separation from God due to no sin. So we need to be saved from sin that we're covered in. In Isaiah 1, God says, "“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean...Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow."  We need to wash ourselves, to be clean from sin, to have a new exterior. How do we accomplish this in order to be saved from sin? What does God see afterward?

"Now why do you delay? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name." (Acts 22:16) “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and there were added that day about three thousand souls....And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” 

People were being saved from sin—which results in separation from God—in baptism, with God doing the operation.  Why does He see as as being white as snow afterward? Galatians 3:27 has the answer:  "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. " Truly we come up as white as snow! 

(PN142)