Archive for March, 2018

The Ten Commandments

Thursday, March 29th, 2018

Question from a reader:  

Were God’s Ten Commandments known before Mt. Sinai? Did the great forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, keep ALL of God’s Ten Commandment Law? Was God’s Sabbath instituted at Creation?

Thank you for your question. Although God’s Ten Commandments were not recorded on the stone tablets until the time of Moses, the preceding forefathers of the faith were aware of God’s laws of morality; i.e., they didn’t have the Ten Commandments in written form, but they did know God’s moral code which included the Ten Commandments. They knew the intent of the law if not the letter of the law. This is because of God’s fellowship with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Before the fall, God had fellowship with Adam and Eve, and He taught them His moral code. After the fall, this moral code was passed down through the generations through verbal instruction, so that people like Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob knew it, even though it may not have been written down.

No, the forefathers of the faith did not keep all of these moral codes (Romans 3:23).

Yes, the Sabbath was instituted during Creation when God rested from His creation on the Sabbath Day.

Thanks,

Owen

How Can God Send Anyone to Hell?

Thursday, March 29th, 2018

You’ve probably heard someone ask, “How could a loving God send anyone to Hell?” Indeed, Matthew 25:41 says, “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.'” A place of burning with fire and brimstone? A place of excruciating constant pain? How could a god of love do that?

Well, He is a God of Love, but His love is conditioned by His justice. He is fair. He
gives you what His justice can approve. If you are a nice human being, who is depending upon your religion instead of your relationship to Jesus Christ as your personal savior, you are doomed to the lake of fire. Don’t even question it. Get ready to have a horrible forever. Hell is a place where the person is never consumed, and he his always reminded that the wages of sin is death and suffering. A “lake of fire” is probably the most accurate description of hell that we can understand–eternal separation from God.

This eternal doom of the devil was declared in the book of Genesis, following the fall of Adam and Eve in disobeying God by listening to Satan. God declared the judgment upon Satan in Genesis 3:15: “And I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman, and between your seed and her seed (your descendants and her descendant). And He (her descendant–Christ) shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” The bruise to Christ’s heel is not a mortal blow, but the bruise to Satan’s head is a mortal blow. God says that Satan will receive a final blow from God, and he will be placed in this place of excruciating pain, and it will go on forever. Now the casting of the devil (God’s most magnificent angel) into the lake of fire brings no pleasure to God. In Ezekiel 33:11, God says, “I take no pleasure in the death and the punishment of the wicked.”

Yes, he is a God of love, but He cannot be false to his character of justice. His fairness
governs what His love is free to do. This is similar to a parent who is saddened by a child to whom he has given life, and then that child goes astray into the evil system of Satan’s world. That is a sad situation. God loved this magnificent angel whom he had created. He had a very special place for Satan in heaven at the very throne of God. Satan was so dear to Him like a child dear to a parent. And then Satan turned his back upon his Creator, as a child will turn his back and reach out to sin and reject his godly parents.

Although hell was “prepared for the devil and his angels,” the Bible says that it will also be the eternal destiny for all unbelievers. Matthew 25:46 says, “46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

COL-341

Bible Chronology

Tuesday, March 27th, 2018

Have you ever wondered about Bible Chronology–the passage of time through, and since, biblical times?  We have compiled this data strictly from the Bible:  Bible Chronology

God’s Omniscience

Thursday, March 22nd, 2018

Question from a reader:

It is written that God is all-knowing. Can this possibly be true? Does God know his own future? What becomes of further interest in the concept of an all-knowing God is that God must therefore know the consequences that follow on from any action he might initiate. **He would therefore realize that his flooding of a sinful world (Noah’s Flood) would actually achieve nothing at all. The world is still most violent and sinful! *

Regards 

Thank you for your question. Yes, I believe that it is true that God is all-knowing. The Bible relates God’s omniscience to His omnipresence (Psalm 139). It has been said that omniscience is the omnipresence of cognition (Jeremiah 23:23). God’s omniscience is related to His eternity; i.e., in His eternity, His knowledge is not subject to the limitations of time and space (Isaiah 43:8-12).

So, back to the question, “Does God know his own future?” There is no “future” in eternity, at least not as we understand this word because there is no time in eternity. This is one of the great mysteries of the Bible; i.e., how “events” in eternity sort of all happen at the same “time.” As you can see, our limited understanding of eternity even prevents us from being able to adequately articulate it with words like “events” and “time.” So, there is no real way for us to express your question since we are indeed limited to a world of space and time. Suffice it to say that God is, in fact, all-knowing based upon the scripture passages noted above.

However, I believe that there is a more technical answer to your question, although it may answer a more subtle question than what you asked. God’s omniscience also, of course, extends to all of His own creation, including people, time, and space (Psalms 33:15; 97:9; 139:13; Isaiah 29:15). His all-comprehensive purpose forms the basis of His knowledge, not only of eternity, but also of all events; i.e., time, future, etc. (Isaiah 41:22-27; Amos 3:7). So, yes, even in our limited world of time and space, God certainly does know His own future. Although, His understanding of these things in our world does not begin to represent His all-knowing omniscience of the things of eternity.

I hope this helps.

Thanks,

Owen

Christian / Hindu Marriage

Thursday, March 8th, 2018

Question from a reader:

I am a Hindu, whereas my girlfriend is a Christian. We have been in love for 2 years–love, I mean to say, without any bad intentions or desire (no lust). I just love her as a whole and like to share everything with her, care for her and make her happy. 

The question is, is there anything mentioned in the bible like No Love Before marriage? Moreover like you can’t marry a Hindu? 

There are things like family situations and all to be faced. But I want to know what the bible says. 

Thank you for your question. If I understand your question directly, you are asking what the Bible says about a Hindu marrying a Christian. The only passage that I know of that may be applicable is 1 Corinthians 7:10-16, although it is speaking to those who are already married. This passage reads as follows:

“10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

“12 To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

“15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. 16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?”

The words in verses 12-16 seem to indicate that there is some obvious tension when a believer (Christian) marries an unbeliever (such as a Hindu). Otherwise, this passage would not have had to qualify the command against divorce in verses 10-11. In other words, verse 15 seems to be saying that divorce is wrong, but if one spouse is an unbeliever, then it may be permissible. This would seem to serve as a warning about believers marrying unbelievers.

Old-school biblical scholars might also cite Leviticus 19:19 which says, “‘Keep my decrees. “‘Do not mate different kinds of animals. “‘Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. “‘Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.” However, I’m not sure that we can apply this to the marriage of a believer and an unbeliever.

I wasn’t sure if you had an additional question about “no love before marriage.” If so, perhaps verses 36-38 of this same chapter are applicable.

I would also suggest that you read a few articles on my website so that you fully understand what Christians believe:

Evangelicals
Love and Marriage
Heaven

Please let me know if I did not understand your questions correctly.

Thanks,

Owen