Questions Part 2

How do we get right with God? How do you get in a right relationship with Him?

Other religions say that you have to do something in order to get right with God.

Hinduism says that you have to do all these things in order for God to honor you and care for you.

But Christianity you don’t have to do works to be right with God

In order to become right with God you just have to come to him

Ephesians 2:8 NIV

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

But with this faith it is supposed to drive us to something. If that faith doesn’t cause repentance and bear fruit then it can’t be real faith

Luke 13:1–9 NIV

1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” 6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ 8 “ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ ”

As a Christian, what should we pray for everyday? How do you pray?

We should about everything in or lives

Philippians 4:6 NIV

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

We should pray about everything in our life.

Prayer is just like a conversation with someone we are close with

For me I try my best not to just have a to do list prayer

How do you see the doomsday clock in regards to spirituality?

I don’t know if I am being honest.

There are many scriptures that point to it and talk about it.

But there has been many speculations in many different times. WW2 Hitler

The one thing that I know from reading end time prophecy is that we need to be ready

Matthew 24:44 NIV

44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

How do we know which parts of the Bible (esp old testament) “don’t really apply to us anymore?”

Matthew 5:17 NIV

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

Jesus came to fulfill the Law

There were three kinds of laws in the Old Testament

Moral Laws - Ten commandments

Ceremonial Law (Worship) - Dietary Laws, Sacrificial Systems, Festivals

Civil Law - Legal and social rules for Israel as a nation

So each one of these kind of laws are different and had a different purpose.

Moral Laws -

These continue because this continuation of these moral laws is part of the fulfillment of the law and they reflect the character of God

Romans 13:8–10 NIV

8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Jesus even further explained these Moral laws because they did not understand

Matthew 5:27–28 NIV

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Ceremonial Law -

These laws did not continue because they were fulfilled in Christ and their purpose was to point to Christ.

Colossians 2:16–17 NIV

16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

Civil Law -

These were directly for Israel as a nation. This is because they were a nation that was ran by laws given by God. They had a covenant with God that was established by Moses

But when Jesus brought in the new covenant he fulfilled the old one and redefined God’s people

God’s people was not just a nation now it was a global church sitting under many different governments

These laws were temporary and cultural specific.

Deuteronomy 22:8 NIV

8 When you build a new house, make a parapet around your roof so that you may not bring the guilt of bloodshed on your house if someone falls from the roof

So why do we need to read them and study them now?

Because there are principles that lay behind the law that are still in affect today.

Leviticus 19:28 NIV

28 “ ‘Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.

This is a Ceremonial law that I believe doesn’t apply anymore

The verse about building railing

This is a Civil Law

What are your thoughts about customs like head coverings or not wearing shoes some do at church? Is it just a cultural thing or does it have Biblical background?

1 Corinthians 11:2–6 NIV

2 I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. 3 But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.

Exodus 3:5 NIV

5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

In my opinion we don’t have to do these things. This is why it is important for us to know the difference between descriptive and prescriptive. And written to us and for us.

I & II Corinthians C. Responsibilities to Heads (11:4–12)

In the Roman Empire, men commonly covered their heads with their togas as they performed pagan worship rituals. It is not known for certain that this practice had reached Corinthian pagan worship. But it seems likely that Paul at least warned against adopting this practice in the church.

In a word, for a man to cover his head in the worship of Christ was to worship in the same way pagan men worshiped their gods. Imitating this practice mixed false religion into the worship of Christ, and therefore dishonored him.

I & II Corinthians C. Responsibilities to Heads (11:4–12)

Many commentators have suggested that, in the Mediterranean world of Paul’s day, it was customary in some circles for women of good repute to wear a veil or head covering in public, and that this practice honored husbands. While this was certainly true in some areas, there is some reason to doubt that this was the case in secular Corinth. It was, however, for reasons not entirely clear, a practice which honored husbands in the church, and which the churches of God universally practiced (11:16).

Exodus 29:5–6 NIV

5 Take the garments and dress Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself and the breastpiece. Fasten the ephod on him by its skillfully woven waistband. 6 Put the turban on his head and attach the sacred emblem to the turban.

We see here that God commanded Aaron to cover his head while they were consecrating the priests.

Why did God give people such strong sex drives if he doesn’t want us to sin?

First of all sex is a good thing. It is something that honors God when it is used in the right way and in the right context of a man and a women that are married

People are born corrupted by sin so they can have higher sex drive than God intended them to have

Also, we can do thing to increase our sex drive

Just like when we eat more sweets our cravings for sweets go up

How to deal with sexual temptations? Every time I try to pray it away it drags me right back./How to overcome temptations effectively?

Romans 12:2 NIV

2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Scripture

Accountability

What You Are consuming (You are what you eat)

Matthew 15:11 NIV

11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

Is it okay to like a boy/girl of a different religion?

1 Corinthians 7:29 NIV

29 What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not;

2 Corinthians 6:14–16 NIV

14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

Why does it feel like having friends can be a distraction from my faith?

Could Jacob have been fighting an Angel?

Genesis 32:28–30 NIV

28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” 29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. 30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

Tell us a time in your life where you didn’t know what the Lord had planned for you but you still followed him.