More Responses to your Questions from Doubters Anonymous, part 1

Thanks for sending us your questions. We’ll continue to post questions and responses on this blog for this series. We’ve done our best to answer the questions but realize that we may have misunderstood what was being asked. Please feel free to submit a follow-up either by emailing doubters@rockbridge.cc or by texting in a question during a weekend service!

What about bacteria and viruses? Did God create those and why?

These things are explained by the fact that the world we live is not the original plan of God. The current world suffers under the curse and longs for redemption from the frustrating effects of sin and rebellion against God.

If God is real, he should be independently verifiable (aka “the scientific method”), like gravity.

First, we should recognize the limitations of the scientific method. The four steps of the method are observation, hypothesis that explains what we observed, testing, theory based on repeated verification. Therefore, the scientific method is useless to prove that yesterday happened or anything historical occurred. Part of God’s revelation to us is through history (the Scriptures) and through creation (which occurred at a point in time in history).

Second, Christians have an experiential sense of God (at times) through the Holy Spirit. Experiences cannot be verified through the scientific method. For example, when I share with my wife about my day, she cannot verify what I am saying; she has to trust me based on our relationship.

I know God is real but why can’t I feel Him? I feel so empty, lonely, and empty.

Feelings are not always accurate. Very few people always feel God. The key is to act first based on the truth of God as revealed in His word.

My prayers don’t seem to work. Prayer studies have proven that prayer does not work. If I were to jump off a building and pray, I would still die.

These points just illustrate what the Bible says about prayer. Prayer must be done in accordance with God’s will and for His purposes. Prayer is not a way to test God (Matthew 4:7). Other examples would prove that when pray in accordance with Scripture, prayer does work.

Can there only be one way to God? We will discuss this question later in the doubt series.

I doubt God can cure my anxieties, panic attacks, and depression. I take pills to cope. First, I am sorry for your stress and depression. Some of these things you mention can be a medical issue that warrant attention by a doctor. Sometimes these are also indicative of unresolved pain in our past that causes fear and worry. Other times, sin issues can cause us to worry and not believe God.

I would invite you to consider meeting with a pastor for counsel and prayer to discern a path toward freedom in Christ.

What about the 85 million year old dinosaur that was recently discovered?

The age of the earth and presence of dinosaurs are frequent sources of debate that sometimes are used to try and discredit the biblical accounts of creation. Understand that biblical scholars themselves differ on how to interpret the creation account in Genesis. The differences come over how to interpret the Hebrew text with its words and phrases. Some scholars see Genesis 1 as poetic, which is interpreted differently than a narrative.

For example, the phrase in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning …” may not refer to a specific point in time but a broader period of time. There are other examples in the Old Testament of the Hebrew being translated this way. Additionally, we may not know the time between Genesis 1:1-2 and Genesis 1:3. Some scholars believe that Genesis 1 is all about God preparing the land for man in the area today known as the Middle East. Under this view, Genesis 1 is more about the land being prepared than about scientific explanations (which could explain the fact that many of God’s promises to Israel center around land). Under these theories, the earth could be old and dinosaurs could predate humanity.

However, others believe that the fossil record was disrupted and cannot be viewed as reliable (this include carbon dating). Part of the reason for this is because a cataclysmic event (such as a massive flood) might have disrupted and thus distorted the fossil record. Additionally, we must consider that the earth could have been created with the appearance of age. For example, when God created Adam & Eve they were fully grown adults. By appearance, they might look 20 or 30 years old, when in fact they were only 2-3 minutes old!

Can you be saved by faith alone or is there any works at all involved?
We are saved by faith. Works become the fruit of our salvation as God works in and through us. (see Ephesians 2:1-10).

If you have accepted Christ and have been baptized and overdose are you still going to heaven? We will look at this in Part 2

I have friends who are atheists and agnostics. We're all science junkies and they think more in terms of that than in God. Sometimes, it affects into me as well. They have so many things to throw into my face and denounce His truth.  Hopefully, this series will help you better answer their questions! We must consider each objection to God and Christianity specifically. Understand the Bible predicts that people will deny God’s revelation and truth (Romans 1-2). Pray for your friends and stand firm in the knowledge you have of Christ!

Physics, energy can never be created nor destroyed. Therefore, where does the energy go when we die? It certainly does not die because energy can't be created or destroyed!

This is in reference to the 1st Law of Thermodynamics. Energy is simply transferred into a different form at death.

I believe in god, I also believe that all religions have a basis in truth. However when you get so many branches and so many different beliefs who is to say who is right and who is wrong. Some Christians would say they are right and all others are wrong. When that happens I cannot believe in organized religion.

We will answer this question later in this series. However, the key issue is not what we believe, but what is true. I can believe in lies but that does not make them truth. Therefore, we want to believe what is true. For Christianity, the key event is the resurrection. If the resurrection is true--as Christians believe--then there are profound implications and beliefs that are based on truth.

The closer I get to God the more I struggle, why would God allow this?

What do you struggle with--sin? life? purpose? others? circumstances? Often struggles indicate either a sin or submission issue in our walk with God, which becomes more acute and intense as we walk with God.

Why did God, Who knows all, create Lucifer, knowing he would rebel? Why was infinite peace given up and we suffer here? I trust and love God, but that's always confounded me. We will answer this question THIS week in Part 2.

How do you know God is talking to you? God is always speaking through creation and His Word. Through the Holy Spirit and other Christians, God also speaks; however, He will never violate His Word.

God also speaks through a transformed mind (Romans 12:1-2) and a renewed character (Colossians 3:9-10) that enable us to know God’s will.

Focus on being a student of Scripture and seek to have your character and will transformed more and more into Christlikeness. God is not trying to raise up robots but instead wants us to be able to discern and know His will through our changed character and transformed way of thinking.