Month: November 2007

What is the Gospel?

/ Dennis Griffith / 1 Comment

Gospel means “good news.” The good news is: you (and I) are more sinful and flawed than you (or I) ever dared believe, yet you (and I) can be more accepted and loved than you (or I) ever dared hope at the same time, because Jesus Christ lived and died in our place. As the apostle Paul said, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5.21)

That paradoxical statement is a simple formulation of the gospel.

More thoroughly we could say that the whole Bible is the gospel. It is a book about the God who rescues people from their moral and spiritual rebellion against him. The teaching of the Bible can be summarized under four headings: God, Man, Jesus Christ, and Our Response. 

Firstly, the gospel teaches that God is our creator. Thus he has the right to rule and command us as he does in his law. God is also holy, that is, he is absolutely pure morally, and he hates and punishes rebellion on the part of his creatures. He is more holy than anyone would ever imagine. 

Secondly, the gospel teaches us about human beings. We are creatures made by God and for God. We were originally created to live in relationship with God and we were morally pure. But because our first parents rebelled against God (just as we also all have done), human beings are now cut off from relationship with God and are subject to his condemnation. We are more sinful than we ever dared believe.  

Thirdly, the gospel teaches us what Jesus Christ has done for sinners like you and me. Jesus became a man and lived a life of perfect obedience to God’s law, and then died as a sacrifice in our place under the judgment of God. He was raised from the dead and now reigns in heaven. The condemnation that he suffered takes away the necessity that we suffer judgment for our own sins- “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us.” The righteous life he lived is credited to us, not because we are actually righteous, but because of God’s mercy and grace- “in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 

Fourthly, the gospel teaches us how to respond to the good news. We turn away from our rebellion and put our trust in Jesus Christ. Despairing of our own worthiness to stand before God, we believe the promise that those who trust in Jesus Christ will be forgiven and declared righteous. Those who put their faith in Jesus Christ are accepted as loved sons and daughters of God, and God sends his Spirit to live in them. 

Counterfeit Gospels

 Martin Luther said that “a sinner trying to believe the gospel was like a drunk man trying to ride a horse; he will always be falling off on one side or the other”. The two errors that the sides of the horse represent are

  • legalism or moralism, and
  • pragmatism or relativism or antinomianism.  

Moralism is the view that a person is made acceptable to God through his own attainments. Moralists are usually very religious, and often very conservative in their religion. Legalism tends to stress truth without grace. Moralists are usually very rules oriented, and depending on their success in keeping the rules they will be either arrogantly self-righteous or depressed and morose. If they go to Jesus for forgiveness, it is just to ask him to fill in the gaps they have left in their own religious performance. For the moralist, the cross is not the only basis for acceptance by God, but is an adjunct to our performance. 

Pragmatists are often irreligious, or prefer more liberal religion. They tend to stress grace over truth, assuming everyone is accepted by God and that we each have to decide what we think is true for us. Often relativists will talk about God’s love, but since they do not see them selves as deeply sinful people, God’s love for them costs him nothing. For them the cross is not the necessary condition of our acceptance by God. 

The gospel holds out to us a whole new system of approach to God. It rejects our attempts to justify ourselves before God, to be our own saviors and lords. It rejects both our pragmatic presumption and our religious attempts to earn our way into God’s favor. It destroys the perception that Christianity is just an invitation to become more religious. The gospel will not let us think Jesus is just a coach to help us get stronger where we are weak. To be a Christian is to turn from self-justification of all sorts and to rely exclusively on Jesus’ record for a relationship with God. 

Christians and non-Christians both stumble over the two counterfeits of the gospel. Many Churches are deeply moralistic or deeply relativistic. Christians who understand the gospel very clearly still look like the drunk man on the horse, as the desire to justify ourselves and trust in our own performance continually reappears. 

The gospel tells the pragmatist that he is more flawed and sinful than he ever dared believe. The gospel tells the moralist that he is more loved and accepted than he ever dared hope.  

Some Thoughts About Spiritual Formation

/ Dennis Griffith / Leave a comment

Eugene Peterson, in his recent book, The Jesus Way, writes:   

“Following Jesus necessarily means getting his ways and means into our everyday lives. It is not enough simply to recognize and approve his ways and get started in the right direction. Jesus’ ways are meant to be embraced and assimilated into our habits. This takes place only as we pray our following of him. It cannot be imposed from without, cannot be copied. It must be shaped from within. This shaping takes place in prayer. The practice of prayer is the primary way that Jesus’ way comes to permeate our entire lives so that we walk spontaneously and speak rhythmically in the fluidity and fluency of holiness.”  

My good friend, Seaton Garrett, of Are We There Yet? , has offered some thoughtful reflections about Spiritual Formation, inspired by Peterson’s work, in a post: Ways & Means, The Jesus Way. 

Check it out.

Community in Worship

/ Dennis Griffith / Leave a comment

In our society, we are conditioned to think primarily in terms of the individual.  This also seems to be true  in the church – sadly, perhaps especially so.

Noted worship scholar, Robert Webber, said that so much stress has been laid on individual conversion that worship services, in many churches, are often not worship-centered.  He said that in conversion-centered services:

“… worship center[s] no longer on the objective and corporate action of the church, but on the personal experience of the worshiper.” 

Webber goes on to say that the shift from the corporate to the individual happened because some early American Christians mistakenly thought that:

“… those who were converted needed less structure and were less dependent on others for worship.” 

In truth, freedom comes through structure.  For instance, people can’t make music if they don’t some idea about music theory and notation.  Real freedom for the Christian requires that other people be involved in our lives to help us: to train, to encourage, and to stimulate one another to good works. (Hebrews 10:24)  

Why does the modern Church abandon the principle of freedom through structure so often?  I believe it is due to too much emphasis on I and not enough on we the corporate body.  Many come to worship for themselves: what I can get out of it, or, what I put into it.  Biblical worship does not exclude the individual, but it is a corporate act.  It draws together the entire congregation as one voice to God and one ear to listen to Him. 

We must understand, we do not stand alone when we worship.  We also join with God’s people of times past because the Church draws near to heaven where all the departed saints dwell.   

What is Worship?

/ Dennis Griffith / 2 Comments

This post is an interview with Joseph F. “Skip” Ryan, former pastor of Park Cities Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas, and Trinity Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, Virginia.  This interview first appeared in RTS Ministry in Summer 1990; and later in Reformed Worship. 

Q  In your opinion, what constitutes worship?

A   Most importantly, I think that the presence of God constitutes worship. It is not a human endeavor, but one that is inspired by the presence of the Lord himself. When people gather for worship, it is fundamentally an assembling of God’s people, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. And God is the most important person present. Frequently, during the invocation I will say things that will help people remember that.

The primary activity during worship is listening to the speaking of the Lord, not only in the proclamation of the Word, but in the hymns and other elements of the worship service. We don’t just hear God through his Word; the whole environment speaks of his presence.

God’s presence is the beginning point for biblical worship; in the Old Testament, where God is present, there worship takes place. Dignity and awe and solemnity are very appropriate in his presence. There are times in worship when we should be struck dumb, when clapping hands and shouting would be inappropriate., because at times we need to be silent before the Lord.

The assembly of God’s people is the place of God’s worship – not the building. In the prayer of invocation we are calling upon the Lord to be among His people, to do as He has promised and constitute us as a worship assembly of his people.

Q  You have said there are some inadequate models of worship. What are they?  

A   First, worship is not simply instruction. We should not see the worship service only in terms of the sermon, which is accompanied by a few frills like the offering and some hymns. To avoid this tendency, we sometimes rearrange the order of our service so the sermon is not the climax of worship.

Second, worship is not a training center. The worship service is not the time to train the congregation in evangelism, visitation, or discipleship. The emphasis in worship is on being, not doing. We are not coming to learn how to do something; we are coming to learn that we are the Lord’s people and that our primary purpose is to glorify and enjoy him forever.

Third, the worship service is not simply for fellowship. Surely fellowship takes place in worship, but the primary reason for being there is not horizontal; it is vertical. If the strongest feeling you have after a worship service is that you have been in the presence of other people, then you have not been in the presence of the Lord.

The purpose of worship is also not evangelism. Gearing a worship service primarily to the unchurched, in my opinion, is not worship. It may be an evangelism meeting, which is good, but it is not worship. Dr. Edmund Clowney talks of “doxological evangelism,” which means that as we praise and worship God, other people are drawn to him and are converted. It is true; I have seen people become Christians in our morning worship service – not because we directed the service evangelistically, but because they sensed a reality that they had never experienced before.

Finally, we should not see the worship service as vision-building time for the church. Using the worship service to promote the new building or new programs will cause you to end up with something less than worship.

Q  You advocate providing opportunities for people to participate in worship, not merely watch. How is this done?

 A   First, there needs to be a balance between form and freedom (or spontaneity), between structure and liturgy, between formality and informality. I think we should use all the liturgical forms – creeds, liturgical prayers, and responsive readings – particularly the Psalms. But a worship service should also have pockets of spontaneity – usually in the form of music, sharing, or praying. These are the freedom within the form, and through them, we encourage people to be involved.

Ours is not an informal, spontaneous, new-fangled worship service. It is a blend of formality and informality, liturgy, and spontaneity. But the key is not to calculate some blend. The key is to focus on the presence of the Lord Jesus and let those who have gathered worship in spirit and in truth. This means they must really worship and not just play at it.

In our service, the beginning of worship may be rather formal, with a responsive call to worship – perhaps a Psalm – then a prayer of invocation, a hymn, and a creed. We then, however, move into a period of informal singing, flashing Scripture songs on the wall. We encourage hand clapping here, with a joyful kind of singing.

Other pockets of spontaneity may take place in the form of sharing or praying. Sometimes we have a straightforward pastoral prayer, sometimes we ask specific people to pray, sometimes the elders come forward and pray. Also, during our communion service, people must come and get the elements instead of waiting for the elements to come to them. Since we celebrate the Lord’s Supper frequently (about twenty-five times a year), this is a wonderful way of helping people participate.

Q  Where do you feel that contemporary elements like drama fit in a worship service?

A  I think the worship service is drama, and we participate in it. I try to work that out in worship by moving around; I start out behind the Lord’s table, move to the front for another part of the service, then later move to the pulpit to preach. Also, I think we should use all the beautiful instrumentation we can. We use a piano, flutes, violins, drums and guitars. The Psalms give us many examples of the music and drama of worship.

Celebrating the Lord’s Supper is also part of the drama of worship; the Lord’s Supper is the demonstration – the drama – of the gospel. I think pastors should make much more of the rightful place of the dramatic portrayal of the Lord’s Supper than we do.

We derive spiritual benefit from the Lord’s Supper, but it is mediated through the dramatic portrayal of the Lord’s death. Some of the liturgies – Episcopal, Anglican, or Reformed – can help us here; we should use them, or create our own biblically-centered ones, and exhibit more wonder at what we are doing in the Lord’s Supper.

Q  What do you think our biggest failure is in worship today?  

A     I think we are trying to cram too many agendas into one hour of worship. We are trying to instruct, train, fellowship, evangelize, build vision, and give out all the announcements to keep the church running for a week – all in one hour. We allow many things to formulate our objectives for worship rather than focusing on the main goal of leading people into the presence of God.

Another failure is our tendency to imitate other churches’ models of worship without due regard for the unique way in which the Lord may be leading our church to worship. There is too much stress on specific types or models of worship and too little stress on entering into the presence of God.

Q  Do you think congregations should be better educated about worship?  

A  Yes, but I do not think that means more sermons about worship, unless that subject comes up naturally as a pastor preaches through the Bible. I think pastors need to instruct their people while in the process of worship. Sometimes when our folks are half asleep during the first hymn, I’ll stop it halfway through and lightly suggest we try again with our eyes open and our voices raised, reminding them we are singing to the Lord of all the universe.

Q  If a church wants to get serious about worship, what should the congregation do?  

A    Visit other churches where they are doing things differently and get ideas. Don’t imitate them slavishly, but do see what is applicable to your situation. The pastor should ask the session or council for freedom to experiment with the worship service to make it better. Also, the pastor needs to make sure he is worshiping as he leads the people; if he is, the people will catch it. Think through the service-the rhythm of worship, the elements, the flow, the content, the structure.  Pastor, don’t be overly chatty like a talk show host. Don’t talk about yourself; talk about the Lord. Lead people to the Lord. Call upon them to think about what they are saying and about the Scripture they are reading.

Q  What have you found to be the greatest benefit in your approach to worship?  

A     People come to worship really wounded and needy from the battles of the world. There must be a place in the midst of the battle where they can find the Sabbath presence of the Lord. If church becomes just another meeting, if there is no reality in the worship service, then we are asking people simply to come to another teaching session.

One Sunday, a very old man approached me after the service. He shook my hand and introduced himself. He looked me in the eye and said, “Young man, I have my own church, and I probably won’t come back here. But I want you to know something. I have not worshiped like that for twenty-five years.” He had tears in his eyes.

20 Reasons We Need Revival

/ Dennis Griffith / Leave a comment

Reformation is the labor of God’s people to conform our lives, our churches, our institutions, and our whole society to the standards God has established in his Word. Revival, however, is no less than an act of God to change hearts and lives; bringing life – or a quality of life – into being, where no evidence of it previously existed. 

Both are necessary. 

As a vision statement of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) illustrates: 

Without an emphasis on revival, “reformation” may become either a mimicking of political ideologies or sterile doctrinalism. Without an emphasis on reformation, “revival” may become a shallow pietism or mysticism. Only reformation and revival together can accomplish the Great Commission of our Lord. 

Which comes first?  In one sense that question may be about as easy to answer as which came first, the chicken or the egg?  But in another sense it seems to me that revival is far more necessary.    

While the goal of Reformation, in part, is to allow the free demonstration and proclamation of the Gospel, it does not always work out that way. Theoretically a Reformation can take place without any real effect on the heart.  We can establish order according to God’s standards, without necessarily being reconciled to God, or being drawn closer to him.  

A Revival however – a REAL Revival – changes the heart; revealing our sin, and opening our hearts to the love & grace of God, demonstrated in Christ’s death to pay the debt of our sin; leading to living in humble joy to the Glory of God. (I distinguish between a REAL Revival, and the revivalism that is prevalent in some parts of the USA.  In some places signs are posted, and newspaper ads taken out, saying: “Revival this Week…” The old cliché is correct: Posting a sign does not guarantee a revival; and if a REAL Revival is taking place, you don’t need a sign.) 

Again, both Reformation and Revival are needed. I’ll let God work out the logistics. But since God alone can create a revival, it seems worthy of our efforts to pray for God to send one.   

While unpacking my files recently, I stumbled upon the following observations and reasons we need revival.  I have slightly edited them from the original work of John Murray in the Banner of Truth.

  1.  We have gone on so long without seeing a revival. There has been no major revival in more than a century. (Habakkuk 3:2)
  2. There has been a great spiritual and moral decline in the land, and some areas are dark and almost pagan.
  3. The prevailing Christianity is powerless, and the church has lost her credibility.
  4. Deadness, formality and worldliness have taken hold of many congregations. (Revelation 3:1)
  5. True conviction of sin is lacking. The first work of the Spirit is to convict of sin. (John 16:8)
  6. The broken spirit and the contrite heart are rare. We do not mourn over our sins. (Zechariah 12:10)
  7. Many of us have “left our first love” to the Lord Jesus Christ and lack warmth and fervency. (Revelation 2:4)
  8. Zeal for the glory of God is lacking, and we are not grieved by the dishonor done to His name in church and nation.
  9. We are not deeply moved by the Sight of multitudes passing into eternity without Christ.
  10. In many pulpits, the true Gospel is buried out of sight, and sinners are flattered and encouraged in nominal Christianity. 
  11. Trust in the infallibility and inerrancy of the Bible has been undermined, and the distinction between truth and error lost.
  12. Preaching is in decline, and there is a famine of hearing the Word of God. There is no great hunger for the Word. (Amos 8:11)
  13. There is widespread ignorance of the basic truths of the Gospel and of the nature of Christian conversion. The doctrine of the new birth is watered down. 
  14. Evangelism has become centered on man and his need instead of on God and His glory.
  15. The decay of family religion and family worship. The subversion of the family threatens the very fabric of society .
  16. The decline in church attendance and the failure to retain the youth. 
  17. The neglect and desecration of the Lord’s Day.
  18. The lack of any fear of God in our communities. There is open defiance of God and of His ways.
  19. Ignorance of what God has done for us in the past. (Judges 2:10) 
  20. We are sinning against great light because God has so blessed this nation in the past.  

So, let’s commit to praying for Revival, while laboring together for a heart-felt Reformation.

Balance of Truth

/ Dennis Griffith / 1 Comment

True Christianity consists of a proper mixture of fear of God, and of hope in his mercy; and wherever either of these is entirely wanting, there can be no true Faith. God has joined these things, and we ought by no means to put them asunder.   

He cannot take pleasure in those who fear him with a slavish fear, without hoping in his mercy, because they seem to consider him a cruel and tyrannical being, who has no mercy or goodness in his nature. And, besides, they implicitly charge him with falsehood, by refusing to believe and hope in his invitations and offers of mercy. 

On the other hand, he cannot be pleased with those who pretend to hope in his mercy without fearing him. For they insult him by supposing there is nothing in him which ought to be feared. And in addition to this, they make him a liar, by disbelieving his awful threatenings denounced against sinners, and call in question his authority, by refusing to obey him.  

Those only who both fear him and hope in his mercy, give him the honor that is due to his name.   

Edward Payson, D.D. 1783-1827

Tough Questions from a Pre-Teen Girl

/ Dennis Griffith / 2 Comments

The following are answers to questions asked by a then-12 year old girl.  This young lady had had a very, very difficult life, but was very bright and determined.   At the time she wrote the note to me asking these questions, she had only recently come to live with her father – a godly man.  Now a teenager, she has grown into a beautiful and sharp young woman.

She has given her permission to use our correspondence for this post.       

****************

1.      Why do people look so depressing, sad, and miserable when we pray? 

This is a good question.  There is no good reason to be sad & miserable when we pray, but I think you are right that sometimes we look that way.   

I guess the reason is that people want to be reverent, or to be serious, when they approach our Holy God.  This is a good thing, since the Bible calls us to “Fear the Lord”.  (Deuteronomy 6:13; Proverbs 9:10)   BUT, if Christians do not have joy as they pray, then they are forgetting that God loves us; that He is our Father, and wants us to come to him with joy & thanksgiving.  We are unbalanced between Fearing God & Loving God.  

 2.      Why does God choose some people, but not all, to spread His Word? 

I am guessing that you have two questions combined here.   

First, Why does God not call everyone to be a Christian?  The answer is that everyone is to hear the call to follow Christ, but only those God chooses are able to become Christians.  Why does he choose some but not others? We don’t know. 

Second, Why are not all Christians called to spread his Word?  The answer: All are called to spread his Word, by teaching and by our actions.  Some are called to spread his Word to other countries. Some are called to spread his Word by preaching in the church. Some to spread it by teaching Sunday school. Others are called to spread it to their friends, neighbors, and family.  Not everyone does it, but all are called to spread the Word somewhere & somehow.  

3.      Why did God flood the earth when not everybody was being bad? 

Romans 3:10 and 3:23 tell us that there is no one who is good.  This is difficult to hear, but it is true. It is also important to understand my answer to your question.  

If you read Genesis 6:5 it says “The Lord saw …man’s wickedness…” There was no one good on the earth, everyone was being bad. Romans 6:23 says: “The wages of sin is death.”  This means that anyone & everyone who sins deserves death – in this case by drowning in a flood.   

In Genesis 6:8-9 it says “Noah found favor in God’s eyes…” and “…he walked with God”.  This does not mean that Noah was perfect, and that he was not doing bad – though he was better than most men. (Remember Romans 3:23 “All sinned… fall short of the glory of God.”) That he “found favor in the eyes of the Lord” means that God chose to love him even though he was a sinner.  Genesis 6:9 says: “Noah was a righteous man”… this means that he believed in God, and trusted God for his salvation. Noah did not believe he was good enough, and knew he needed God’s grace.  (Romans 1:17 tells us that righteousness comes by faith. Hebrews 11:6 says: “Without faith it is impossible to please God…”)   

Now the great thing about this is that God does the same thing with us.  You & I, and everyone else, are sinners.  We may be better than many people, but we are still not perfect like God wants us to be. 

But read Romans 5:6-8… Is that great or what?!! 

The important thing, though, is to believe what God has provided for our salvation from his punishment.  For Noah it was the Ark, but really it was a Savior.  For us (and for Noah, too, really) it is Jesus – a person not a boat! 

Read 1 John 5, and it shows the importance of believing & trusting in Jesus for our salvation and forgiveness of our sin.   

(A guy named Fritz Ridenhour has written a cool book for teenagers, How to Be a Christian Without Being Religious. It is about all this Romans stuff.  I have a copy if you want to borrow it from me.) 

4.      Why does God make some peoples’ lives worse than others? 

This is a difficult question, and I am so sorry that you have had some very hard things happen in your life.  But the best way I can answer this is in two ways.  

First, sin is in this world and hurts people –both those who sin and those they sin against.  It will continue to hurt people until Jesus returns to take us with Him.  This does not mean that God does not love us or care for us, or that he will not protect us.  He does, and He shows it all the time.  But what he also does is remind us that someday soon he will take us where there is no sin.   

Look at it this way, before your Dad had you with him, he loved you, and cared for you. He gave you some good times, even though some bad things were happening around you. But he also told you that he wanted you to live with him.  Even before you got to live with him you had both good & bad times. You looked forward to when you could be with him, and this gave you hope.  Now that you have moved in with him many of the bad things are away from you.  God continues to give us this same type hope when he reminds us of heaven – except all bad things will be away from us in Heaven. Until then our lives will be mixed with good and bad.   

Why are some worse than others? That I do not know. The book of Job is a good example of your question, but God does not totally answer it.  God simply says we should trust him, because we know He is good.   

Second, some of our hardships come from decisions we make. There are consequences to our actions. If you commit a crime, you may go to jail. If unmarried teenagers are sexually active a pregnancy may result. 

But even the consequences to our own actions are not all bad.  Hebrews 12:6 says: “The Lord disciplines those He loves.”  And please read 1 Peter 1:3-9 for encouragement. 

5.      How does God choose when He wants your life to be over? 

That is a mystery, but we know He is good and works out everything for His glory and the good of those who trust him.  (Read Romans 8:28) 

6.      How is God with every church in America at one time? (In the whole world?) 

This is another mystery. But God is a Spirit, and is not limited as we are to space.   

7.      If Jesus knew that he was gonna die why didn’t he run or hide? 

This is one of the amazing things about the love Jesus has for us!  Jesus indeed did feel the very things that we might suppose he would.  Matthew 26:36-39 records that in anticipation of his crucifixion he said, “My soul overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death…” and praying, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.” What he meant by cup is “take away the wrath I will have to feel”.  But amazingly Jesus said, “Yet not my will, but your will be done.” In other words, “Whatever you want, and whatever it takes, Father, I will do it!”   

So why did he do it?  Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  1 John 3:16 says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.”  So the answer to your question is that Jesus felt like running away, but he loved us so much he would rather do what God wanted him to do than to save his own life.  I am always amazed that I am loved that much – and so are you! 

8.      Why does God make some people bad and some people good? 

Romans 3:12 says, “…there is no one who does good, not even one.”  So it is important to realize that any goodness we think we see in ourselves or others needs to be compared to the holiness and perfection of Jesus. None of us measures up. 

However, it is true that God allows some to act worse than others.  Why does he keep some from certain sin, and allow others to hurt people?  I don’t know. I only know that he is good, and that apart from his salvation & grace I would do more evil, and be condemned for it. But, in his grace, I do some good, and by faith all of the things Jesus did are counted as if I did them.  

9.      Why does God make some people cute and some people ugly? 

Proverbs 31:30 says: “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting…”  So before answering about God’s reasons, it is important to realize that standards of beauty are different from culture to culture, and from generation to generation.  Proverbs tells us both that those who have physical beauty (or cute-ness) may eventually no longer be considered beautiful or cute, and that even if beauty were maintained there is no guarantee others would think so as perceptions change.  So to answer your question with a question: What is cute? 

However, the more direct answer is that God makes all people as he sees fit.  It is the real beauty, what a person is, that God is most concerned with. And that is what he wants us to be more concerned with.   

 10. If we are not supposed to re-write the Bible, then why do people make new copies? 

God commands us not to add anything to what he has told us, nor to take anything away from what he tells us.  That is what is meant by not re-writing the Bible.  However, since the Bible is to go to many different people, and in many different languages, it is appropriate that his Word be translated into different languages. 

As for the many English versions, they all say essentially the same thing, but just have a different way of saying it.  This is because they were translated by different people, in different generations.   

It is true that some people make different emphasis because of the way they read the different words. But people do the same thing even using the same translations.  People are limited in knowledge, and tend to filter everything through their own experience.  The Scripture does not say different things to different people. God always has one meaning. Our responsibility is to be faithful to determine what that is.  One day, however, all our disagreements will be settled, and we will know without question what the Scriptures mean.  (Read about the Bereans in Acts 17:10-12) 

11.      If God knew that Adam & Eve were gonna’ sin why did he put that Tree of Good & Evil in the middle of the Garden? 

Some think God was being mean, to put that tree there but telling Adam not to eat from it. But if you read the story, God told him he could eat from any of the many other trees. So it is important to see first that God is good and generous. He is not mean and selfish.   

But why did God put that tree there?  My short answer is this: To show us how much he really loved us.

While many people may disagree with me, let me try to simply explain.  

Good and evil both existed, though Adam did not know anything about evil, and evil did not hurt him.  God, in love, warned Adam not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil. Why would he need to know more?  But evil still existed, as the opposite of Good.   

It also was a way to test man’s love for God. Was God enough for Adam? Or would Adam want to “know” stuff apart from God?  It was not intended to tempt Adam, though that possibility existed. It was a way for Adam to know his own heart. 

Now, here is how God’s love is shown… It is easy to love someone who is good.  It is difficult to love someone who is not good; someone who hates you.  By eating from that Tree, Adam & Eve rebelled against God. In essence they said: “I hate you… you are not enough for me.”  But they had no excuse.  They had everything they needed in and from God. But they wanted more.   

But God still loved them. So instead of killing them and starting over, he revealed a plan how he would win them back… A plan that so clearly shows God’s love, and wisdom, and grace, that it is glorious!  He would redeem them back by sending his own Son to pay the price of their sin – and all the sin that would come from that first sin! (Genesis 3:15 is the first promise of Jesus.)   

So God allowed the Tree to be there so that if – when – they disobeyed for no reason, he could prove His  justice, wisdom, kindness, and how much he loved us.

12.    Why does God let some people be poor and some rich? 

I don’t know why he chooses some to be rich, and others to be poor.  But I do know that he says that it is hard for rich people to become Christians.  (Matthew 19:24)  Because, I suppose, rich people trust in themselves and their money for everything, and not on Jesus Christ.  But God also blesses the poor in a very important way. James 2:5 says: 

Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the worldto be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 

(Read: Luke 4:18; Luke 6:20; Luke 14:13) 

It is important to remember that almost everyone in the USA is rich compared to most people in the world. You may not feel as rich as other people you know, but compared to people in other countries, you are.  And it is also important to remember that Jesus was born poor.  But 2 Corinthians 8:9 says:  

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 

13.  Why did God let Saddam attack America? 

Why does God let there be war? War is a result of sin in the hearts of man.

James 4:1-2 says: 

What causes fights and quarrels among you?Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet,but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. 

War is just bigger; when groups or countries fight against each other.  Saddam is just one man who in this age has chosen to go to war in a big way.  In the past there have been other men, like Hitler, who started wars. 

Why did it happen to America?  I can only ask: Why not?  Because of Sin we all experience trials & hardships in this life.  (1 Peter 1:6)  Our country has largely been spared, but God never promises that no hardship will come; only that He will see us through.  And, while we don’t like to admit it, Americans have sin that offends people.  That does not justify the killing of the people on the planes or in New York, but we must remember it is a part of living in a fallen world.   

However, when Jesus returns, all will be well for those who trust Him.

14. Why doesn’t God come to earth right now?  What is God waiting for? 

The Disciples asked this very question in Acts 1.  Jesus’ answer was that “only God knows.” 

I don’t know why He has not yet returned.  But I do know He will return when He is ready; when the time is just right.

15. Why do people make up lies about how the universe was made? 

Lying or not, people are wrong when they deny that God created the world from nothing, in six days, and all very good.  Some are not “lying” because they have been deceived.  But they are no less wrong. 

On the other hand, sin leads to hard hearts; hard hearts lead to hating God. Hating God leads to pretending he does not exist.  And some people, because they are still in sin, are trying to pretend God does not exist. And to them if God doesn’t exist, then he cannot have created the universe.   

The problem for them is, that God is there, and He did create all things; and he continues to sustain all things.

16. Why doesn’t everybody believe in Christ?  Why doesn’t God make everybody believe in Him? 

Sin prevents people from believing. The Bible calls people “Dead in sin.”  Dead people can do nothing to help themselves do or believe anything.  The amazing thing is that some of us do believe. And that is because God chose us, and has made us alive. He has given us faith to believe; it is a gift. (Ephesians 2:8)  (Read Ezekiel 37 – Ezekiel preached in a grave yard, and the dead bones came to life!!) 

Why doesn’t God make everyone believe? I cannot answer that.  I only know that all deserve death (Romans 6:23); that those who are condemned get what they deserve (and what we deserve); and that we who are saved do not deserve it (we are no better, smarter, cuter, etc.), but have been given a gift that glorifies God’s justice & grace.  This is known as the Doctrine of Election.    

17. Why does God give more talent to some people than others? 

While all people are equally created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and thus are equal in value, not everybody is the same.  Like wealth and beauty, God chooses who he gives certain talents to. It is not because they are deserved, but just because he chooses.  We don’t know “why” he does what he does. We only know that he is good, and does what is good.  Because he is good, it is right; it is not “unfair”.   

But it is also important to know that God gives to each person talent; and to each Christian Spiritual gifts. Everyone has them, uniquely given by God.  We are told to learn what our gifts & talents are, to use them wisely for the benefit of others and the glory of God.  We are also told that those who use them wisely may be given more, while those who do not use them wisely may loose them.     

18. Do you have to go to school in Heaven? 

In heaven you will have all knowledge.  You will not know everything God knows, but you will know everything you need to know. So… I don’t see any reason to go to school in heaven…except to have fun! 

19. Why did God make some teachers meaner than others? (Like Mrs. Quigley?!) 

While I can’t comment about Mrs. Quigley, I can comment in general. Some teachers are mean because they have hard hearts, caused by sin.  They express meanness instead of expressing love.  They need to be prayed for, just as Jesus said to “pray for your enemies”.  (Matthew 5:44) 

On the other hand, sometimes we just think people are mean when, because they really love us, they are firm & demanding.  Good parents are the best example. When they “punish” or discipline us, it is because they love us and want for us to know right from wrong.  Likewise, a good teacher wants you to learn all you can learn, and will push you to do so. We pray for these people too – thanking God for putting them in our lives.   

The hard part is being able to tell the difference.   

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peacefor those who have been trained by it.    –Hebrews 12:11

He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.              –Proverbs 15:32 

*NOTE: Read Proverbs 10:17; 12:1; 13:24; and Hebrews 12 

20.   How does God let parents know what to name their baby? 

There are some cases in the Bible where God specifically told parents what to name their babies.  In many cultures names have some significance about the person, but not always.  But the Bible does not command anything about names, so parents are free to choose whatever name they like for their children.   

21. Does God not let you into Heaven if you didn’t get baptized?  If he doesn’t, why doesn’t he let me get baptized? 

While God does command us to be baptized, the baptism is not what saves us.  The baptism is required to be part of the church on earth – of which God wants all Christians to be members.  But it is possible to go to heaven without having been baptized.  This should be unusual, but it is very possible.  (If you want to talk more about baptism, I’d be happy to answer any questions you have.  Hopefully we can have you get baptized very soon.) 

22. What does Satan look like? Does anybody know? 

Satan is deceitful, but nobody knows what he looks like.  While because of his evil he is the epitome of ugly, Ezekiel 28:12 says Satan was created “…perfect in beauty.”  How he has fallen! 

23. What does Jesus look like? 

There are no records as to what Jesus actually looked like.  Interestingly, especially in light of the description that Satan was created in beauty, Isaiah 53:2 records of Jesus: “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.”  This does not mean that Jesus was necessarily an ugly-looking man, but many believe he was physically unattractive, but nevertheless a beautiful man. (Read Isaiah 52:14, and it suggests that the absence of beauty was after his beating and torture… “disfigured”) 

24.    How will we know when Jesus comes to Earth if we don’t know what he looks like? 

The best answer I can give is that when Jesus comes “riding in the clouds” (Psalm 104:3) all who believe in him will recognize him.  Revelation 19:11-16 is a picture (probably symbolic) that is unforgettable & recognizable.  But the best answer, I believe, comes simply from Jesus: “My sheep listen to my voice.”  (John 10:27)   Like a sheep recognizes the voice of the shepherd, so will those belonging to Jesus somehow recognize his voice.  

25. What if somebody was not from a family that didn’t believe in Jesus but wanted to be a Christian? How do they become one? 

While God has established a Covenant with his people, and blesses the households of believers who are faithful to that Covenant, God must save each person.  One is not a Christian because he or she grows up in a Christian home. Each child must learn & understand that he/she is a sinner in need of a savior, and that Jesus is that Savior.  He died on the Cross to take our sin; and he was Resurrected to give us Faith to believe.  It is by repenting of our sin & Faith in what Jesus did for us that we become Christians.   

For a person from outside a Christian home to become a Christian, he/she must learn & understand the same thing.  However, it will not come from their parents. They will hear about Jesus through a friend (or a Missionary).  But when they believe they will be every bit as much a Christian as the believing person who comes from a Christian home.   

NOTE: You can be that “friend” to those at your school. (Matthew 28:18-20) 

26. Why does everybody look so sad during Communion? 

This is another good question, similar to the one you asked about prayer.  However, in communion there may be more reason to look sad, though it should also bring joy.   

When we come to the table we are reminded that we are sinners, and that Jesus had to die to pay the price for our sin. (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23) That should make us sad, because someone else “got in trouble” because of something we did.  Jesus took our punishment, although he was good. He is the only one who is.  But even after we become Christians, and are forgiven our sin, we still sin. (1 John 1:8)  And so being reminded of this, we may feel sad. 

On the other hand, God the Father demonstrated his love for us by sending his Son; and Jesus demonstrated his love for us by coming (Romans 5:6-8; Philippians 2:5-11).  He died on the Cross to pay what we were powerless to pay. We have been set free. He loves us! So for that, we should feel good.   

Each time we come to the table we declare that. (1 Corinthians 11:26)  And so we may feel both sad & happy at the same time.  But in the end, we should be happy, because the truth of God’s Grace is Amazing & Great! 

27. Why are only men allowed to be Elders, Deacons, and Pastors? 

First, it is important for you to know that a Pastor is an Elder – no more, no less.  A Deacon is different, but he is important. But this is another good question.  Many people do not believe this, though the Bible teaches about this.   

In 1 Timothy 3 & Titus 1 God, through Apostle Paul, gives us the requirements for these two offices.  In each the requirement is that the person be a godly man.  It is not because women are not good enough, or smart enough, or not important. It is just the way God created things. However, some people have used this to believe that women are not supposed to do important things in the church. That is wrong.  And as you grow up, you should use all your gifts & talents in the church, for God’s glory and the good of others.   

So, the short answer is, for whatever his reasons, that’s the way God set it up.  (We can talk more about this if you want more info.)

I hope these answers to your questions helped.