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.
Why is homosexuality "wrong" when animals exhibit homosexual behavior?
This question presupposes that humans and animals are essentially the same. But Scripture teaches otherwise. Genesis 1:27 and 5:1-2 teaches that man was created in God’s image, and correspondingly, is distinct from the rest of creation. Thus, although animals may exhibit homosexual behavior, because man is made in God’s image he has commanded mankind not to.
How many Christians are there in the world? How many really live it? Your thoughts?
A Christian is someone who has a saving faith in Jesus Christ, as Romans 10:9 teaches. Determining the exact number of Christians worldwide is difficult because certain people and certain religions identify themselves as Christians but deny Jesus Christ is God and that he lived, died, and rose again for their sins, among other tenets essential to the Christians faith. Further, many acknowledge Jesus and the truth, like demons, but do not have a trust and love for God. See James 2:19.
Regarding living with your boyfriend, being married does not mean that you are worshiping God more than a non-married couple. All sins are equal, right?
All sin is equal in that it constitutes disobeying God and inconsistent with unity with Jesus Christ, but not all sin has the same consequences. Some sin, e.g., sexual sin, has consequences severer than other sins, as 1 Corinthians 6:18 teaches. It is unwise, moreover, to justify one’s sinful conduct by comparison with others’. In saying that all sin is equal, we are saying that all sin is horrendous crime against God and his creation. In this way, living with your boyfriend is equal in rebellion to a man who rapes and murders children. God hates all sin.
If God has a certain path for me yet I have sinned (ex. Having a child out of marriage), how do I know if I will ever follow his path, the right path?
God is bigger than sin as he defeated it on the cross. If God has a plan for you, your sin didn't screw up what he had in store for you. In fact, he can turn your sin into an incredible blessing such as a child. In regard to the second part of the question, a good check to see if you are following the Lord's path is to ask, are you repenting of sin? A life of a believer is one of repentance and so his will for your life will be to repent as you become more like Jesus.
How do I know if I am idolizing my spouse? What are ways I can keep God central yet love and devote myself to my husband and let him lead?
Great question. This is not something we often discuss in the church as it is one of those "accepted sins" within the church. The answer to the question, if you lost your husband, would it cause to to lose the desire to live or want to turn away from God?... will reveal a lot about the difference between idolizing your husband and loving him.
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