Doubter Questions

What is up with the "elite" few that some Christians believe are the only ones predetermined to make it into heaven?

The idea of Christians feeling or acting “elite” is certainly inappropriate and our salvation by King Jesus should certainly produce humility.  I think the Bible is clear on God’s desire to save all (I Timothy 2:4), but the Bible also explains that all will not be saved because of evil and rebellion in their own heart.  The best 2 questions: Why are any saved? (the only reason is the sheer grace and mercy of God!). Why aren’t more people saved? (the only reason is the sheer evil and rebellion in the human heart).

Several questions about children and the age of accountability. Certainly there is a bit of mystery here about this. 

However, Scripture is clear in 2 places. First, David’s response when his own son died in 2 Samuel 12:18-23. The other is in Romans 1, which teaches that people can obtain knowledge through creation. Clearly, the implication is that people have to have the mental capacity to know and reason certain things. This would indicate that to be accountable equals the ability to have knowledge.

How do you try to help a person in doubt that totally rebels against the words of God, but believes in history? 

This person probably has given mental “assent” to certain biblical beliefs (Jesus, Easter, the Jews, etc).We have to show people Who Jesus really is and what the logical response to His Kingship is. Additionally, the Bible is clear that obedience is not extra-credit, but a natural expression of salvation.

Is being an enabler (spouse is alcoholic--I enable to avoid conflict) sinning?

Perhaps. Even more, enablement is certainly not an expression of love because love by definition has to hate what hurts the one you love. Alcoholism should not be enabled, but dealt with in love.  I am very sorry about your situation and please let us know if we can help or if you need to talk to someone.

How do I begin getting through to an agnostic friend? 

Through your relationship. Demonstrate by your lifestyle, your love and your willingness to sacrifice that Jesus is real to you and in you.

What about children? We have a daughter who has been raised in a Christian family. She knows that God is real and believes that Jesus died for her sins. She tries daily to serve the Lord to the best of her ability. Someone told her that she was not going to heaven unless she said a "prayer" and at that point believe on the Lord. She responded that she already believed in Him, and she prays all the time. What is your advice on how, as parents, we address this situation?

We should not confuse the expressions of salvation for salvation. Sometimes, the “prayer” has been used to express salvation. However, we see no such “sinners” prayer in Scripture. Salvation is always a response to Who Jesus is, which includes repentance and faith, and results in a changed life.

What happens in the 1000 year reign?

Different scholars interpret and believe a variety of things about this (see Rev. 20:3).  I will share what is called the pre-millennial view, which means that after the 2nd Coming believers will reign together with Christ. This seems to be a time of great glory and joy for Christ and believers.




How are you supposed to believe in something you can't see? How do you know there's a God? We spend most of our lives believing in something that may not even be true. How are we supposed to know? And we follow a book that was written 6 billion years ago. It's a biography. I don't get it. Please help me understand.

I would encourage you to listen to the previous messages in this series. We discuss the existence of God, the truthfulness of Scriptures, and the certainty of Jesus’ resurrection.We actually believe in things we can’t see all the time: George Washington, nuclear fission, gravity, etc. You can’t see anything that happened yesterday (unless you have a picture or video). History is what the Bible contains and it provides a path to know and experience God personally.

So what about the ABC accepting believing confessing?? I know saying the sinner's prayer doesn't save us. I guess I'm confused about the confessing part. You didn't mention that today. You just said that being saved was knowing who Jesus is and wanting to be with Him (and that saves us). I thought that's part of being saved. What about the Romans Road? The Bible says confess with your mouth, so what would you have someone do if they came and wanted to "be with Jesus" to be saved.

The ABCs of salvation and the Romans Road are devices people developed to help explain salvation. In the Scriptures, look at how Peter shared the Gospel (Acts 2). He focused on Who Jesus is. This brought about awareness of sin and a desire for repentance.In the first century no one would have said, “here's the Romans Road” or the “ABCs” for salvation.  These tools weren't developed until the 1900s, so how did people get saved before then? In the Scriptures, they always presented Jesus as the promised King and Messiah. Confession is the acknowledgement of Who Jesus is and the realignment of our life around Him as our King, which is what we discussed today, although I didn't use the word confession specifically.To “be with Jesus” requires I know first Who He really is. I also mentioned we have to decide “who we are” in response to Jesus. This would require us to adjust and realign (repent) to Him.All of these responses (confession, repentance, obedience) flow from Who Jesus is. I don't think they necessarily have to be separated, but rather are connected to the right response to Who King Jesus really is.

Why did God choose the cross as a means for our salvation?

It took the cross and the resurrection. On the cross, God’s demand for justice was met and His love was demonstrated. In the resurrection, Jesus’ identity was verified/validated and the new life He makes possible was made available.  The cross was ordained by God for these purposes.

Why is my marriage falling apart when I'm doing everything right and following Christ? 

I am very sorry about your trouble and hardships. I hear that you are doing everything right, but what about your spouse? Marriage requires both parties to be committed to one another in sacrificial and covenantal love. Please let us know if we can help.

I am told a lot lately that the only way is to be a Jehovah’s Witness. How do I know I am worshiping the right God? 

Jehovah’s Witnesses deny that Christ was God based on a few bad translations of the New Testament. Over and over, Jesus claimed to be God; repeatedly Paul spoke of Jesus as God; and the first Christians sang to Jesus as God.  God is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and, is particularly and specifically revealed in Jesus.

What do you say to someone who says you don't have to go to church to go to Heaven?  

The question for me is why would a Christian not participate in something that Christ loves and died for, and is essential for experiencing Him?

Once you have salvation, can you lose it? 

If you are really saved and your life has really been placed under the authority of Jesus, then no. However, the best evidence of our salvation is not a past decision or moment, but your present condition of life with Jesus.

Do you think God can speak to you through a secular song? 

He used a donkey in Scripture, so yes, I think He can use a secular song. Just test what you “hear” from it with Scripture and godly counsel.

Last sermon you answered a question about pot with a response about how we shouldn't do anything that puts us under the influence.  Does this include caffeine?

If it affects our ability to reason, to be obedient, to use our minds, and to respond to Christ and His Spirit, then yes. If we abuse our bodies with caffeine, then yes.

What does it mean in Hebrews 10:26-31 that if we deliberately continue to sin after having knowledge of the truth, there is no more sacrifice that can cover that sin? How does it relate to people that have addictions or repetitive sin?

This is obviously a very difficult passage of Scripture. Here are some thoughts: this passage seems to teach that people can lose their salvation; however, that would contradict Hebrews 3:14, and it is unlikely the author wrote two conflicting concepts in his letter. More likely, is that the author saw the visible church as a “mixed” group of people. This means that within the church there were some people who appeared (on the outside, the externals) to be Christians; however, in all actuality, they were God’s adversaries who did not value Jesus or His sacrifice, and they sinned willfully and without remorse.Also, please note that “knowledge of the truth” does not mean they responded properly to the truth of King Jesus. So I take Hebrews 10 to indicate that not all people who look like Christians are Christians, and it serves as a warning that we must take our sanctification and discipleship seriously.

Is tattooing your body a sin? 

No; unless you are doing it for vanity or to “define” who you are.

Matt, you have discussed your struggles with addiction in your life. During these times, you considered yourself to be a Christ follower. I also believe I'm a Christian and I also struggle with certain sins. How do we know we have truly repented and only going through a "season"? 

Here is the key:  Are you fighting the sin in your life and seeking to “put it death”?  Sin without conviction is serious and may indicate that a person is not born again. Christians can never treat sin lightly and must seriously pursue repentance.

Since Jesus was born from the Virgin Mary, why does Jesus' genealogy get traced back through Joseph, his step father? 

All of Jesus’ legal rights would still come through Joseph, and the promises made to David would be applicable to the legal children of David’s descendants, which included Joseph and Jesus.




Why do people act one way in church but live a sinful life outside church?

While we always must be ready to give grace and be willing to understand people’s situations, there is no ready explanation except that we are all sinners.

What is the scripture where Paul says to "assess" salvation?

2 Corinthians 13:5




If God is omniscient, and thus knows in advance whether we will choose salvation, how does this compromise the concept of free will? Or, does God choose NOT to know certain things, in order to allow free will to play itself out? If the prayers of a righteous man accomplish much, it would seem that God can be swayed; and thus, the future is malleable...including whether or not we choose to be saved.

God knows all things; this fact is indisputable (read Psalm 139).Just because God knows something, does not mean He causes it. Just knowing that I will be hungry a few hours after eating does not actually cause my hunger.  In regards to prayer, God has ordained prayer as a means through which He moves, responds, and relates to His people, and He invites us to participate in His work through prayer.

I feel like the story of Tamar is the craziest in the genealogy of Jesus. Why was she considered righteous for tricking her father-in-law into conceiving a child with her?

She was not considered righteous for her actions. Genesis 38 just tells her story; it does not condone her actions.

Can you be a Christian and go to heaven when you're a homosexual?

Are you practicing sexual purity? Are you trying to repent of sin?
Struggling with homosexuality and being defined as a homosexual are two distinct things. A person may have homosexual temptations and desires, but choose to identify more with Christ and His will.
This is the battle all of us face and we are commanded to “desire God’s will” more than our “fleshly” desires (see I Peter 4:1-2).




Why do I sometimes lose the "want" to be aligned with the one I love the most, God? 

Because ultimately, it is not a feeling, but a choice and a decision we make daily to deny ourselves and live for God.

How do we respond as believers when someone tells us there is no such thing as a God or Heaven because of all of the things that have gone wrong in their life?

Show them Jesus suffering on the Cross. Explain that even God, as Jesus, suffered wrong, but that He came to initiate a plan of restoration. Show them that if everyone followed the way of Jesus, eventually wrong would be eradicated, and love and justice would triumph.




What if you don’t feel doubtful and for the first time feel the overwhelming warmth of the Lord, but need more guidance within yourself to overcome life's problems? 

We will discuss this in the next 2 weeks.

Why are people so concerned about where God puts us in the afterlife? Shouldn't we already be grateful that He has died for us and focus on serving Him out of gratitude? 

In many respects, yes. He died for us, and we should be grateful. He also taught us how to really live as human beings in relation to God. This should get most of our attention. 
The focus on heaven and the afterlife is a relatively recent occurrence within American Christianity. Jesus came to give us life that begins when we know Him as King and Lord (John 17:3); we don’t have to die to begin to experience the life He gives us.