#STRask

Does “Repent from Your Sin and Believe” Describe a Works Salvation?

Questions about whether “repent from your sin and believe” describes a works salvation and Greg’s stance on the idea of “easy beliefism”—i.e., the idea that all one must do to be saved is believe in God.

 

• I do not agree with the “repent from your sin and believe” salvation, which seems to be a works salvation. How can someone repent without faith?
• What is Greg’s stance on the idea of “easy beliefism”—i.e., the idea that all one must do to be saved is believe in God?

Were Jesus’ Commands in the Gospels for the Jews Only or for the Present-Day Body of Christ?

Questions about whether Jesus’ commands in the Gospels were for the Jews only or for the present-day body of Christ, whether God chose to be illiterate when he came to earth, and whether we should only pray for the specific items mentioned in the Lord’s Prayer.

 

• Were Jesus’ commands in the Gospels only to be followed by the Jews back then and not the present-day body of Christ?
• Why do you think God chose to be illiterate when he came to earth?
• When Jesus taught the Lord’s Prayer, did he mean we should only pray that way and not ask for any other specific items?

The Concept of God’s Omniscience Is Just a Fear Tactic to Control Your Mind

Questions about whether the concept of God’s omniscience is just a fear tactic to control your mind and what to say to someone who thinks it’s possible for God to lie and that Jesus’ coming might have been an elaborate scheme to make us think he loves us.

 

• I would love to hear your thoughts on God’s omniscience. God uses fear tactics to control your mind. He loves you so much that he’s watching your every move and knows your every thought? Is this good?
• What do I say to someone who thinks it’s possible for God to lie, that he treats us like his playthings, and that Jesus’ coming might have been some elaborate scheme to make us think he loves us?

How Could God Be Perfect If He Regrets Something He Did?

Questions about how God could be perfect if he regrets something he did, whether there’s a difference between God’s sovereignty and God’s providence, and what Nehemiah meant when he said God “put it into his heart” to do certain things.

 

• Does Genesis 6:6 mean God made a mistake since it says he regretted that he had made humans? How could God be perfect if he regrets something he did?
• Is there a difference between God’s sovereignty and God’s providence?
• When Nehemiah says in 2:12 and 7:5 that God “put it into his heart” to do certain things, is this just another way of describing God’s guidance?

The Idea That I Won’t Be Married to My Wife in Heaven Makes My Heart Hurt

Questions about what the absence of marriage in Heaven will mean for you and your spouse, thoughts regarding two Christians signing a prenup, whether it’s okay to want to get married because you want to have sex, and a wife taking over spiritual leadership.

 

• My pastor said marriage won’t be necessary in Heaven anymore, so where does that leave me and my wife? The thought of my wife of eight years and mother of my child being “just a friend” makes my heart hurt.
• What are your thoughts on two Christians signing a prenup before getting married?
• Is it okay for me to want to get married because I want to have sex a lot?
• Does the spiritual leader role fall on my shoulders when my husband is not spiritually leading our family?

What Is the Definition of Inerrancy?

Questions about the definition of inerrancy, whether or not Mark and Luke were associates of Jesus, and whether or not Mark and Luke wrote Mark and Luke.

 

• What is the definition of Bible inerrancy?
• Were Mark and Luke associates of Jesus, and did Mark and Luke write Mark and Luke?

If Christians Believe God Answers Prayer, Then Why Do They Buy Health Insurance?

Questions about why Christians buy health insurance if they really believe God answers prayer and whether or not one should end all prayers about desires for a spouse with “If it be your will.”

 

• Why do Christians buy health insurance? Don’t Christians believe God answers prayer? If God loves you and cares about you, then he certainly wants you to be healthy, correct?
• Should I end all my prayers about desires for a spouse with “If it be your will”? Should I consider the possibility of God not giving me the spouse?

If God Created Everything, Doesn’t That Mean He Created Evil?

Questions about whether God creating everything means he created evil too, and how a grief counselor can answer a question about whether God causes or allows death and sickness.

 

• How should my daughter answer a friend at school who said, “If God created everything, he must have created evil too, like cancer, right?”
• As a grief counselor, how should I answer this question I’m often faced with: Does God cause or allow death and sickness?

Does Scripture Support a Christian Church Joining in Worship Services with an LDS Church?

Questions about whether there’s Scripture to support a Christian church joining in worship services with an LDS church, whether it’s a genetic fallacy to say we shouldn’t sing any songs created by bands from NAR churches, and whether it’s a sin not to fast.

 

• Is there any Scripture that would support a Christian church joining in worship services with an LDS church? How would you handle this situation if it were happening in your small community?
• Is it a genetic fallacy to say we shouldn’t sing any songs created by bands from NAR churches, even if they’re biblically sound?
• Is it a sin not to fast?

Is It a Sin to Remove Someone from Life Support?

Questions about whether it’s a sin to remove someone from life support, whether it would be morally wrong to attend a legal assisted suicide of an unbelieving loved one, and what to say to a pregnant Christian who is justifying choosing abortion by saying God’s grace will cover it.

 

• Is it a sin to remove someone from life support who has been declared clinically dead and has lost brain function?
• Would it be morally wrong to attend a legal assisted suicide of an unbelieving loved one?
• How would you recommend handling a situation where a pregnant Christian is justifying choosing abortion by saying God’s grace will cover it?