Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Living Stones Q&A - #3

A few months back Living Stones hosted a Question & Answers night and received over a hundred questions. Many of them were addressed during our gatherings and can be found on our podcast here. For the next few weeks I will be posting up answers to some of the remaining questions that were not answered. Answers for the questions have been provided by various Living Stones Elders.


Do you believe that other religions demonstrate how to live valid and good lives?
Other religions espouse principles consistent with the common understanding of living a good and valid life; e.g. forbidding rape, stealing, lying, etc. Those religions typically teach that adherence to those principles, among others, leads to salvation. The Bible is plain, however, that salvations is by faith in Jesus Christ alone, not by our work in adhering to rules. See Galatians 2:16. What distinguishes Christianity is that obedience (i.e., living a good and valid life) flows from loving God for what he has already done for us in Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. See John 14:15; 1 John 5:3. Moreover, the principles for living a good and valid life that other religions promote are often based on personal experience and observation, but Scripture teaches that wisdom begins with fearing (i.e., demonstrating reverence and humility before) God. See Psalm 111:10. Thus, while other religions may teach useful principles, they do not go far enough. Living righteously begins with God, not our experience and observation. Additionally, our obedience is only possible through the Holy Spirit’s empowerment, not through exerted personal effort or any other external assistance, such as a better circumstance, meditation, reading a self-help book, etc. See Philippians 2:12-13.

If going through a hard time in life where in the Bible do I turn to?
Although myriad passages of Scripture are helpful when suffering, the Psalms are a good place to start, as many of them were written by a man named David, who experienced severe hardship in his life. During those times, he wrote down his prayers to God, seeking help, expressing frustration and confusion, and ultimately praising God. Check out Psalm 46, Psalm 22, and Psalm 55.

In 1 Tim 4:10, we read that "...because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe (ESV)." I thought that Jesus is the savior ONLY of those who believed...? How then is He the Savior of "all people"?
As the question suggests, 1 Timothy 4:10 appears to teach universalism—that everyone will be saved and that no one will suffer eternal punishment in hell. But such an interpretation contradicts much of Scripture; e.g., Psalm 53:3; Romans 3:23; Daniel 12:2; and Matthew 5:29-30; 10:28; and 18:9. Instead, it appears that the term “Savior of all people” in 1 Timothy 4:10 likely refers to God’s temporal blessing enjoyed by all mankind, referred to as his common grace; e.g., the enjoyment of God’s creation, rain that produces crops, and the breath that sustains us. See Matthew 5:45; Acts 14:15-17. The phrase “especially of those who believe,” then, is a reference to the more specific way in which God saves those who live by faith in Jesus Christ.

Should Christian teens date or wait till they’re older?
The Bible does not say much about dating specifically because the modern understanding of dating is a relatively recent invention, developing in the last 100 years. In my view, a person should not pursue a serious romantic relationship until he or she is mature enough and ready to marry. Meanwhile, the individual should focus on maturing by, for example, taking on adult responsibilities, studying Scripture, living on mission, and pursuing godly mentorship.

God still speaks through people today. I have my personal testimonies where I feel God spoke to me. Can I write my own "book of the Bible?"
No. The Bible unequivocally prohibits us from adding anything to it or considering any other writing as equal in value to it. See, e.g., Deuteronomy 12:32; Proverbs 30:5-6; and Revelation 22:18-19.

No comments: