Questions & Answers
INSTRUCTIONS: Before beginning these studies, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to give you understanding as you read God's word.
Adam & Eve
Angels & Demons
Do you think the Nephilim were half demon and half human, and do you think they all died in the flood, or are there any alive today?
Does Satan know he will be in eternal hell eventually, or is he convinced he may rule as emperor over the world? Does Satan know what Revelation says?
God is the Creator; did He give free will to Satan also?
How does II Corinthians 11:13 compare to Matthew 12:25-26? What does it mean that Satan and his angels "transform themselves" into ministers of righteousness? Is his kingdom then divided?
In Job 2:1 it mentions "the sons of God". Is this talking about Believers?
Is the devil real?
Who are the "sons of God" mentioned in Genesis 6:1-6? Who are the "daughters of men" and were their offspring giants?
Baptism and the Holy Spirit
I was baptized at birth...does that count?
If you don't receive the Holy Spirit at the time you are baptized in water, then what is the significance of water baptism?
In Acts 1:5, it says, "For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." Does this indicate two baptisms are required?
In Matthew 28:19 it says to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but in the book of Acts, people are baptized in the name of Jesus only. Plus, we know the name of the Father is Jehovah, and the name of the Son is Jesus, but what is the name of the Holy Spirit? Can you give some insight as to why no one in the New Testament was baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and why it says in the name (singular), not in the names of?
Is there a difference between God's Spirit (that which was breathed into Adam and brought life to the human race) and the Holy Spirit, or Spirit of Truth?
Some groups teach that you receive the Holy Spirit when you are baptized in water. When does the Bible say a Christian receives the Holy Spirit? What is meant by baptism of repentance, baptism for remission of sins, and baptized by fire?
The Bible
Marriage, Divorce & Separation
Marriage or Living Together?
What do you do about feelings or lack of feelings of love for your spouse, whether or not you're separated?
What does the Bible say about separation and/or divorce for Christians?
What does the spouse who is "confused and bothered" and has abandoned the marriage need to do, and what might have caused their feeling the way they do?
Free Will and God's Plan of Salvation
Because God is all-knowing, and because He gave us free will, how can we reconcile that He knows our future without usurping or voiding our free will? Also, why would God let us live out our lives if He already knows the end from the start?
God's master plan was for Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, so was Judas used as part of the plan, and is he responsible for his actions?
If God wants salvation for everybody, then why does Jesus say that only those who are drawn by the Father will be saved? Where does our free will come into it?
In John 6:44, if God makes them come, why didn't He make all come? And in John 12:38-40, why wouldn't the Lord allow that to happen, didn't He want all people to turn to Himself?
We have a free will, yet at times we don't understand our own emotions, or our mind goes in certain ways, so are we under the influence of Satan at those times? When is it really just us?
What is "irresistible grace"? Who does God do it for?
Where in the Bible does it say that the deadline for accepting Christ is at death? Is there any chance to be saved after a person has died?
Why should I get saved?
God and Jesus
Did Jesus Die Two Deaths?
In your "Analysis of the Crucifixion - A Scourging of the Victim" - the last sentence is "I believe Jesus took all forty of them (40 stripes, minus one for humanitarian purposes)." Would you please enlighten me to your thoughts on why 40 and not 39? I find the idea intriguing.
Is there anything beyond God's ability? What about a person saying there is a situation that is "beyond God being able to fix or resolve it"?
Stephen looked toward heaven and saw God and Jesus. How can this be when the Bible says no one has ever seen God?
The Bible says that "Jesus was tempted in every way like as we are", but I'm curious. He is God, and unlike us He did not have a sin nature, so doesn't that mean that Jesus was incapable of saying "Yes" to those temptations or even considering them?
Who is Jesus?
Why should I believe in God?
Heaven, Hell, and Death
After we die, are we going to be perfect?
Can our relatives and friends who have passed on help or know what is happening on earth, and can God use them in our lives?
Does the Bible say anything about "near death experiences"?
I'm confused about when Jesus was crucified and He told the man to His right that believed in Him, "Today you will be with Me in Paradise." Yet the Bible also says that Jesus spent three days and nights in "the belly of the earth", so what is the chronology of these events? Which happened first?
In the resurrection, what happens to people who gave body parts for science or donated organs?
Is hell real, and if so, who will go there?
Is there life after death?
What are the differences between heaven and the 1,000 year kingdom?
What does John 5:25 mean? Are they talking about the dead who are unsaved, will they get a second chance?
What does it mean in Matthew 27:51-53 when it says some Old Testament saints were raised from the dead when Jesus was raised?
What is the Day of Judgment? Is it one particular day, or one 24-hour day?
What is the difference between the Lake of Fire and Hades?
Why should I believe in heaven?
Will our dead pets be resurrected to be with us in heaven?
Is Jesus the Only Way?
Hypocrites in the Church
Old Testament Questions
If Solomon was so wise, why did he disobey God? Does this mean wisdom cannot keep us from sin? How does the wisest man in the world disobey God's very own words, spoken to him personally? It doesn't make sense.
Moses killed an Egyptian. Did he ever get punished for it?
What is the meaning of Exodus 20:25, and does it have any application to us today?
What is the meaning of Exodus 21:23? Why does God seem so harsh?
What is the name of the place where Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac, and then God provided a ram in the thicket?
Psychics and the Occult
Resisting Temptation
I'm exposed to too many unbelievers here, and I feel "dirty" - like I'm swamped in dirty, obscene, lurid, vulgar speech and conversations. What can I do to battle this?
If a sin still oppresses and habits still linger, should I try fasting, and for how long? What about a veggie diet, like for detoxification for cleaner thinking, purifying the spirit? Three days? Three weeks? Not just a health thing, but with prayer and reading the Bible.
Is alcoholism and drug addiction a disease?
Second Coming of Christ
Do you think that the anti-Christ will be a Muslim since he's so much anti-Christian and anti-Jew?
Does America become anti-Israel after our rapture?
Jesus says 'as in the days of Noah so will it be when the Son of Man returns' but how bad was it in the days of Noah? How can we know how similar we really are? Do you think the term 'giving in marriage' could mean living as if you are married when you are not?
So in reality there will ultimately be a 3rd coming and this is the one when Jesus exacts judgment on the earth, right? Do we participate in this destruction?
What are the differences between heaven and the 1,000 year kingdom?
What does it mean where Jesus said "He who endures to the end shall be saved"?
What is the "abomination of desolation" mentioned in Matthew 24 and in Daniel?
The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares seems to suggest the unsaved are gathered first, before the saved, so how do you maintain a "rapture theory" of believers being raptured first and the unsaved being left behind?
When is Jesus coming back? How is the Second Coming of Jesus laid out in the Bible?
Where does the "rapture" fit into Matthew 24?
Who are the "elect" mentioned in Matthew 24?
Why did the Jews misunderstand the prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah by thinking the battle of Armageddon would happen when He came?
Sin and Assurance of Salvation
Can a person turn their back on Christ and become unsaved?
I don't feel like God loves me - I feel like God has left me.
It is my belief that once a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior, that this person is now to be considered a "saint". Does this mean we are no longer a sinner? Is it possible to be a sinner and a saint at the same time? I do believe that a saint can still make a mistake, yet the saint has an avenue of asking for forgiveness, a sinner does not.
Once a person is saved, is he always saved?
Somewhere in the Bible it states that a son cannot be blamed for what his father does, and a father can't be blamed for what his son does. But in another place, it talks about where the father did something wrong and his whole family was killed. How is that?
What do I really need to do to make sure my name is recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life?
What does it mean in Matthew 12:31-32 to "blaspheme against the Holy Spirit"? Is there an "unforgivable sin"?
What happens when a Christian sins? Some people say we believe in "cheap grace" if we say that God will forgive us no matter what we do, so what is our incentive for living a holy life?
What is "sin unto death" in I John 5:16?
What is our conscience?
Where does it say in the Bible that God's law is put in our hearts by Him, even before we've accepted Christ?
Women and the Bible
Miscellaneous
How do you get roots into God instead of man, like Jeremiah 17:5-10?
How do you have good soil and an open heart to receive God's word, instead of it falling on rocks, growing and being parched by the sun and withering?
I don't understand Jesus' teaching in Luke 16:1-13 about the shrewd manager.
In Luke 9:62, what does "looking back" mean?
Is creation right?
Is it true a real Christian would never have had a homosexual relationship?
The Bible mentions having faith as a child. If we grow in our walk, how do we keep our child-like faith pure?
What Does the Bible Say About Drinking?
What exactly is a "Charismatic"? I think they're more or less like drama freaks. Can you give me a proper description?
When people say, "I feel God is telling me you need to...," is that right for others to think they can prophesy your life?
Where in the Bible does it say that gambling is a sin?