Questions On Faith, Repentance And Confession

Answer Before examining how we can come to know God (His character and His purpose for us), there are at least two popular ways that people have sought to know God. These are through inward meditation and communing "in" or "with" nature. Although popular, neither one of these will lead us to God.

First, inward meditation only leads us to focus on our selves and our feelings. Feelings. although stimulating, seldom lead to truth but often are deceiving.

JER 10:23 ś I know, O Lord, that a man's way is not in himself; Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.

PRO 14:12 There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

Then, being out in nature might be pleasing to the senses, but it will now lead us to know the specific will of God for our lives, why are we here, how should we live and where are we going. However, nature does get us a step closer to God, for by observing it, His power and character can be known to a degree.

ROM 1:18 ś For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
ROM 1:19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
ROM 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

However, still, we are left to wonder about what He demands of Us and how we should behave in order to please Him. Nature cannot tell us these things.

Then, how are we to know God (hopefully that section of this site will be constructed soon to deal with this subject)? Looking within or without, we come to dead ends. But, if we look in the bible, we will find all the knowledge that has been given to us to know of His character and His will for us.

Paul wrote that the "gospel" (revealed truth about the good news) is the power of God to save humanity. This indicates that in order for us to be saved we must have knowledge of His will. And, we gain this knowledge only by reading or hearing what has been revealed to us in the Bible, especially the New Testament. Not having this knowledge will lead us into idolatry and immorality.

ROM 1:16 ś For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
ROM 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "But the righteous man shall live by faith."
ROM 1:21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
ROM 1:22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
ROM 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
ROM 1:24 ś Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them.
ROM 1:25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

As we read, we come to know what God has done for us through Jesus and what we must do to be saved. These things have been written so that we may know them and act upon them.

JOH 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.

JOH 16:13 "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

JOH 20:30 ś Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
JOH 20:31 but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

ACT 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.
ACT 2:2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent, rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
ACT 2:3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.
ACT 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
ACT 2:5 ś Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men, from every nation under heaven.
ACT 2:6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were bewildered, because they were each one hearing them speak in his own language.

ACT 2:22 ś "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know-- ACT 2:23 this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.
ACT 2:24 "And God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

ACT 2:36 "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ-- this Jesus whom you crucified."
ACT 2:37 ś Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" ACT 2:38 And Peter said to them, "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Although God could have chosen any way He wanted to reveal His will to us, He chose the written word so that we might know, understand and obey His word.

EPH 3:1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles--
EPH 3:2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace which was given to me for you;
EPH 3:3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.
EPH 3:4 And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
EPH 3:5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;
EPH 3:6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,
EPH 3:7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God's grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. Contact Gary

Question 2. Paul says that the Gospel was first preached Abraham, in Galatians 3:8,16; What does this mean and what constitutes the true Gospel that was preached unto Abraham?

Answer The passage that you asked about follows:

GAL 3:6 Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.
GAL 3:7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.
GAL 3:8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "All the nations shall be blessed in you."
GAL 3:9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
GAL 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them."
GAL 3:11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, "The righteous man shall live by faith."
GAL 3:12 However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, "He who practices them shall live by them."
GAL 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us-- for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"--
GAL 3:14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
GAL 3:15 ś Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man's covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it.
GAL 3:16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds,"as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed,"that is, Christ.

From this passage, we learn the following:

1. Abraham was justified by faith (trusting confidence in and obedience to God), not by perfectly performing the Law of Moses.

2. To be saved, we, whether Jew or Gentile, must come to God by faith, depending on His mercy and putting our trust in Him.

3. When the promise was made to Abraham that through His seed all nations would be blessed, God was saying that all, whether Jew or Gentile, would be saved through the sacrifice of Jesus.

4. Trying to be justified by the Law would mean that one would have to obey every precept, without fail.

5. Therefore, there must be a way made for both Jews and Gentiles to be saved. This was accomplished by Jesus.

6. Therefore, when Paul says the gospel was preached to Abraham, he means that potentially the gospel was preached to Abraham, in the sense that it was revealed to Abraham that eventually all nations would be blessed through his seed, Jesus.

7. Today, the gospel is preached having come to pass in its full disclosure. We preach the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus and we call on all to believe, repent, confess and be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. See Acts Chapter 2. Contact Gary

Question 3. Why did God create us? What is our purpose on earth?

Answer This is one of the greatest questions that human beings can ask, "What is our purpose?" To live a purposeless life is to live a life of misery and disappointment. Unlike animals, man searches to find a purpose for this life and then having found it, he devotes himself to accomplishing it.

The bible answer to this question is clear. One of the great passages that explores this question in depth is the book of Ecclesiastes. Here, against the backdrop of the vain purposes of life is set forth the Divine purpose for humanity. It is this Divine purpose that not only gives meaning to our present lives but hope of a future life with God.

If you read the first two chapters of the book, you will find that life without God is described as "vanity", empty, monotonous and frustrating. Man seeks for meaning in things, pleasure, social/political accomplishment, but is continuously disappointed and left with a feeling of emptiness.Without God, life is anything we want it to be and nothing that we want it to be.

As the book goes on, he begins to unfold the purpose of life to us in various stages. He speaks of diligence, self-control and generosity. These things bring true meaning to life.

ECC 9:10 ś Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.
ECC 9:11 I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise, nor wealth to the discerning, nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all.
ECC 9:12 Moreover, man does not know his time: like fish caught in a treacherous net, and birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them.

ECC 10:1 Dead flies make a perfumer's oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor.
ECC 10:2 A wise man's heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man's heart directs him toward the left.
ECC 10:3 Even when the fool walks along the road his sense is lacking, and he demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool.
ECC 10:4 If the ruler's temper rises against you, do not abandon your position, because composure allays great offenses.

ECC 11:1 Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days.
ECC 11:2 Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.
ECC 11:3 If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies.
ECC 11:4 He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap.
ECC 11:5 Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.
ECC 11:6 Sow your seed in the morning, and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.

But then, he comes to the conclusion of this grand question. The purpose of our lives is honor God by seeking after His will and obeying the One who has put us here. Whether we are young or old, our primary obligation is to God who can best direct us in how we should use our minds and our bodies to our good and His glory.

ECC 11:9 Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.
ECC 11:10 So, remove vexation from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.
ECC 12:1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, "I have no delight in them";
ECC 12:2 before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain;
ECC 12:3 in the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and mighty men stoop, the grinding ones stand idle because they are few, and those who look through windows grow dim;
ECC 12:4 and the doors on the street are shut as the sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of song will sing softly.
ECC 12:5 Furthermore, men are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal home while mourners go about in the street.
ECC 12:6 Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed;
ECC 12:7 then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
ECC 12:8 "Vanity of vanities,"says the Preacher, "all is vanity!"
ECC 12:9 ś In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged many proverbs.
ECC 12:10 The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly.
ECC 12:11 ś The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd.
ECC 12:12 But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.
ECC 12:13 ś The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.
ECC 12:14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. Contact Gary

Question 4 I am looking for words of forgiveness and encouragement from God. I have a son in a drug rehab center that has turned his life over to the Lord. But is having doubts about God being able to forgive him. He believes that he is not worthy of God's forgiveness.

Answer Has your son done anything like the Apostle Paul? He abused Christians, had them thrown in jail, doubtless some were even killed. He stood by and watched Stephen lose his life at the hands of the Jews.

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord;58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

Or what about the Jews in Acts 2 who were confronted with the fact that they had crucified the Son of God? Certainly your son hasn't done anything nearly that bad.

There are two points you need to keep in mind. First of all, all sin is the same in God's eyes. You can search the scriptures, but you will never find anyone teaching that one sin is worse than another. Murder is no worse than lying. Stealing is no worse than cheating on your income taxes. All sin is the same to God, no matter what the sin.

Revelation 21:8 8 "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

So in a sense, your son's sins are as bad as the sins of the people who crucified Christ, but we see in Acts 2 that all of them who repented were forgiven. The same can be true of your son.

Which brings me to the second point. There are many denominations in the world today, and that is exactly opposite from what Jesus prayed for in John 17: unity. In Matthew 7, Jesus taught that many people believe they are going to be saved, but on the last day they will instead be condemned.

Matthew 7:21-23 21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.22 "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

This is because most people do not have a love for the truth. They don't really care about what God wants; rather, they are interested in serving Him as they see fit.

I want to take this opportunity to suggest that you and your son make absolutely certain of your salvation. Read through the book of Acts and make notes about how the people were converted. What took place at every conversion? How did the Christians in Acts worship? Are you worshiping in the same manner?

You need to make sure that you are meeting with a group of Christians who are worshiping the Lord the same way the Christians did in the New Testament. Although this isn't foolproof, the best place to start is by checking the name. Romans 16:16 is a great place to start. Contact Micael

Question 5. I know someone that is serving time for murder of a man, with the intent of robbing this man. She says that her pastor has told her that God has forgiven her for this. Yet does it not state in Gal. 5.21 that murders will not inherit the Kingdom of God? I would like to know if our God is a loving and forgiving enough God to forgive this deed that she has committed.