More of your Doubter Questions

Thanks again for all the great questions!

Dead Sea Scrolls...are there other books found and if so why are they not added to the Bible? 

The Dead Sea Scrolls contain a lot of information; not all are what we would consider “books.” They speak of the culture of that time and also contain certain copies of the Jewish scripture, teachings of rabbis, retelling of the biblical stories, etc.So these scrolls do not provide any new revelation that would give them scriptural authority.

The 4th commandment says to keep the Sabbath holy.  Is the sabbath not on Saturday? Will The Lord not hold us accountable? Should we as believers of the word and his commandments start to recognize this and honor Saturday as the sabbath? 

Hebrews 4 speaks of God’s rest as provided in Christ. We can understand the Sabbath as a type of foreshadowing of Jesus and the resting from “works of the law.”This helps us understand why Paul taught in Colossians 2:16 that we should not be judged by Sabbath rules. These were fulfilled by Christ.However, we must see the wisdom of pausing for rest and understand that the value of the Sabbath discipline is still important and valid today.

Can I not believe in certain parts of the bible (example 6 day creation and Noah's ark) but still be a true Christian? 

Being a true Christian is a matter of being submitted to King Jesus in repentance (from sins) and in joy (for delight over the treasure of Christ as Savior and Lord).
The key issue would be why do you not believe in those parts of the Bible? There is the matter of interpretation and intention. We must be careful not to change the intention of the Bible by disregarding its content, which Jesus used and taught from. 
Perhaps, your struggle is over how to interpret those passages?

I know God answers prayers because I have experienced it many times, but why would He be silent on some prayers and not others? Are there different levels of importance for prayers?

Sometimes God is silent because He wants to wait and see if we are persistent in our prayers (see Luke 11 and 18 for parable on persistence).Sometimes there is a character issue that we need to address. Sometimes God has given enough information for us to act in faith and in freedom.

What do I do when I am searching for God’s voice but haven't heard anything?

There is no magic formula here, but in general, keep listening. Be a student of Scripture as God often speaks through His Word. God could also desire to speak through Christian community, like Small Group. The key would be not to give up. Keep asking and keep listening. Make sure your desire for an answer does not mean more than your desire just to be in God’s presence.One final idea would be to take a type of “retreat” where you spend significant time in prayer, worship, and Bible studying for the purpose of being “with” God.

How much should I listen to people around me when making decisions? How much should I rely on myself? 

It depends on who the people are that are around you. The key is to listen to the right people--people who are students of Scripture, love Jesus, and have a desire for His will. If you are in fellowship with this group of people, then it is a balance of individual discernment and community accountability and encouragement.

When prayers are answered, we say it's because we prayed. But when prayers don't get answered, we say it just wasn't God's will. So which is it? Is His will what's going to happen, or is it our prayers that make things happen?

Unanswered prayer cannot always be said to “not be God’s will.” It can also be that we prayed with wrong motives (James 4:1-3) or that we are not in an intimate, abiding relationship with Jesus (John 15).God moves and commands His people to pray; God has ordained the answering of prayers as His people joyfully participate in His purposes. However, prayer cannot be reduced to something less than this. Prayer must be understood as participation in God’s Kingdom work and for the “hallow[ing] of His Name” (Matthew 6).




Why did God create us to worship him? Is that not selfish?

No because God is the best and greatest and most superior entity. God wants what is best for us, which by definition is Himself. He wants us to worship Him both because He is worthy and because it will bring us unending joy (Matthew 13:43-45). So God’s motives for worship are out of love for us as creatures made in His image and for His desire to receive glory.  God’s glory and our worship of Him are not unrelated, nor is His love for us.




Do you believe that salvation is a process of 3 dimensions - such as past, present, and future? In other Words when you become a true Christian can you say: I have been saved, I am being saved, and I will be saved on the final judgment day. The bible speaks of salvation in past, present and future tense in places so it is hard for me to see it as an event that happened at some point in the past.

Yes, there is an element of truth to this and we should not separate them from one another. Salvation is a not a past event without connection to our present state or future hope. They are all connected. I am saved into a relationship with God (adopted and justified to be His child); I am being sanctified to better reflect the image of Jesus; and I will be glorified with Him (Col. 3:1-4).




Can people who have gone to be with the Lord interact with us or see us from Heaven? 

Based on Revelation 6:11 and perhaps Revelation 8:4, there is some evidence to suggest people in heaven know what is happening on earth.

When a person is "angry" with or at God, is that being selfish? 

Perhaps. It is okay to express raw emotion to God as David did in the Psalms and even as Jesus did in Gethsemane and on the cross. However, God does not desire for us to remain angry as it gives the devil a foothold in our lives and becomes a gateway to sin and bitterness.Ultimately, God would desire to heal us from our anger.

Do people still have visions or dreams from God? 

Yes. It happens all the time, especially in mission settings where Jesus is not known or no established churches exist.




My husband and I have always been told when making big decisions in our lives to pray about the situation before jumping ahead of ourselves. I’m the only one working and my husband is struggling to find himself a job for our family. We have been praying daily but feel like our prayers aren't getting answered. What are we to do? 

After church, someone reported they had some job possibilities at their business. Please contact the church office to inquire, 706-279-3175.

How do you know, in times of suffering, the difference between a temptation from the devil and a sign from God? 

Satan appeals to our pride, is unloving, and does not want Jesus praised. God never tempts us to sin but always provides opportunities, even in suffering, to stay faithful to Jesus.

How do I get my parents to come to church?

1-Prayer. 2-A good relationship with them. 3-Try introducing them to people from church in a non-church setting. 4-Use special events such as Easter or Christmas to invite them to first.

Why do we not still uphold the laws set in Leviticus?

Some of those laws were fulfilled completely in Christ, such as the laws about diet and the sacrificial system. Acts 10 speaks of God removing the dietary restrictions, while Hebrews 7-9 speaks of Jesus making the sacrificial system unnecessary because of the sufficiency of His death.Additionally, we must consider that the civil laws given in Leviticus were for the specific nation of Israel as God’s people through whom the Messiah would come. Now, God’s plan and purpose of salvation is extended to all the nations, which makes those specific laws for historical Israel unnecessary.

I know it's wrong to brag, but is it wrong to brag on God?

Bragging on God is a form of worship.

Does God speak and ask things of us even if we are away from Him and not asking Him for direction or answers?

He certainly could in an effort to get our attention and draw us into a relationship with Himself.
This type of thing happens on the mission field and, specifically, through dreams given to Muslim people.

Why do you not back up your answers to the texted questions with scripture?

I apologize if my answers have not been backed up with Scripture. I thought I was in most cases. I will be happy to further answer questions or provide Scripture. Just email doubters@rockbridge.cc with specifics. Thank you -- it is very important for us at Rock Bridge to be scriptural in our responses and teaching.

If God is such a great God then why would he create us to worship him?

Love. I Corinthians 2:9

How can you have salvation without Jesus dying for our sins, being buried & raised from the dead? The gospel is the power of God unto salvation.

You can’t. Jesus had to die and had to be raised for us to experience new life under His rule as King of Kings.




How are you sure you are following the godly path?

1-Do you love Jesus and desire His glory?2-Are you obeying all you know as revealed in God’s Word?3-Are you actively pursuing a relationship with God and seeking His will?If so, then you can be fairly assured you are walking with God.




How do I distinguish God’s answer to my own?

God’s answer is always designed to bring glory to Jesus and conform our character to Christ. Our own answers often have hints of pride or vanity or self-interest.
Sometimes our answer and God’s may in fact be the same, in which case we are operating from a transformed mind (Romans 12:1-2) and according to the Spirit, and not the flesh (Romans 8).