BackSome Common Questions and Brief Answers
These answers are not long or
complete. They are simple starting points for you to think about.
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A. Is Christianity just one of many religions?
B. Are Christians claiming that they are the only ones who know the truth?
C. Why would such a powerful God be so narrow minded in providing only one way to Him?
D. If you are sincere in what you believe, does what you believe really matter?
E. Do you have to go to church to be a Christian?
F. If God made this world - why is it so messed up?
G. If there is a God - how can I know that He cares for me?
H. Times change, shouldn't our opinions and values change too?
I. If God cares - why do I still have problems?
K. Why are Christians so negative about sex?
L. Is it possible for me to be forgiven?
M. Why are there so many different types of churches?
P. What is this student ministry about?
Q. What
makes Baptists different?
1.
Is Christianity
just one of many religions? At a quick glance it certainly appears that way.
Many religions have a strong belief in a higher power, in a
creating and sustaining force or person that is the author of
life. Many believers of numerous faith groups even call that
creator, author and power by the name of god. Those outside the
Christian faith may be just as sincere in their belief system as
Christians … so what is the difference? Well, Christianity
is really not about religion. At the core of the Christian faith
is a relationship, a personal and intimate relationship with the
God of the universe. That relationship is made possible through
His Son Jesus. Many are bothered by the exclusive claim of Jesus:
"I am the way, and the truth and the life. The only way to
the Father is through me." That is very clear and very
exclusive. There is one way to the one true God. Now, before you
get mad … please read the rest of this brief answer. Which
is more exclusive (1) an entrance fee that requires a certain
standing, approval, income, talent and connections or (2) an
entrance cost that simply asks for all you have? Both options
cost very much but the first option automatically excludes many
because they do not and can not measure up - we just are not able
to comply. A relationship with God through Jesus means that we
don't have to worry about getting good enough standing before God
to get in … we just are not able. "I mean that you have
been saved by grace through believing. You did not save
yourselves; it was a gift from God. It was not the results of
your own efforts…" You can turn the gift down, you can
try to bargain but you can not escape this life without facing
the results of your acceptance or refusal of the gift.
Christianity is simply about surrender on unconditional terms to
the God who loves you, who seeks you long before you seek Him and
who gave His Only Son as the payment for your entrance into a
personal relationship with Him. We have a simple faith, not
simplistic, not easy but that is basically it. Christians are not
primarily good people or religious people … we are sinners
who simply have realized Who is really in charge … and we
have realized that He loves us. We do not claim that other faiths
and religions do not speak of some of the truth. We believe that
only through Jesus can anyone come to a saving and personal
relationship with God. Back
2.
Are Christians claiming
that they are the only ones who know the truth? No, Truth is truth regardless of who speaks that
truth and whether or not the person speaking even really believes
it. We believe that there is absolute truth and God is the author
of that truth. Not all beliefs are valid and true. The history of
the Christian church even has embarrassing moments when we took
stands that were unwise and even false. Yet the truth of God is
available to all people: "… some knowledge of him has
been made clear to them. Yes, God has shown himself to
them." Christians believe that although some truth of God is
available clearly to all - only through Jesus is the full
revelation that God gives available. Back
3.
Why would
such a powerful God be so narrow minded in providing only one way
to Him? When we
look at this planet we live on and consider the many forms of
life, climate and races … it would seem the belief that some
teacher who lived some 2,000 years ago is the only way to the
Creator is … well, narrow. When we then look at the universe
in it's vastness and consider the smallness of our planet,
Christian claims seems … well, small. The universe around us
is complex and a mystery even to the scientists that study it
from any angle. The fact that there is order, function and
complex interacting all point to intelligence. Some deny that,
most do not. There is a designer behind the design. If we have
such trouble in grasping mechanical functions of the universe
around us … even harder to understand is what is within you
and me: "More than anything else, a person's mind is evil
and cannot be healed. No one truly understands it." You may
not agree with the evil description but you would have to admit
that thoughts and feelings are complex. Is it more fitting for a
powerful Creator to provide many and changing ways to Him or to
clearly and simply declare the one path to Him? "The Word
became a human and lived among us. We saw his glory - the glory
that belongs to the only Son of the Father …" Behind
every complex formula, theory and movement is a simple building
block or statement. God is still mysterious and beyond us. Yet
Christians believe that God has revealed Himself in a simple and
clear way through Jesus because we are unable to grasp and
understand Him on our own. Back
4.
If you are
sincere in what you believe, does what you believe really matter?
I used to
believe in Santa Claus, really. Every noise I would hear on
Christmas Eve night was him waiting on me to sleep so he could
deposit the gifts under our tree. My heart would pound and my
mind race as I thought about him. He wasn't there … even
though I felt He was. I know … I know … some of you are
thinking that belief in some god is in the same category. My
point is only this … feelings can be true or false. Feelings
may come as a result of a pursuit, a reaction to an experience or
a lack of sleep or bad food. Feelings are a part of life in all
of it's fullness. Sincere feelings cannot stand up to truth that
reveals the inaccurate content of the feelings. Back
5.
Do you have
to go to church to be a Christian? No, but you will be a crippled
Christian if you do not. There are plenty of horror stories about
bad church experiences. If you have been wronged and wounded by a
group of people in a church, please do not let that end your
search for a church family to give and grow with. Forgive those
who have hurt you and ask God to help you find a church. Those of
us in the church sometimes focus too much on organization or
finances or tradition … but somehow, strangely in the middle
of our fumbling, struggling efforts God moves and works within
the church. The church matters to Him. There is no other
substitute on this earth for involvement in a local group of
believers. God loves you and loves His church: "Christ loved
the church and gave himself for it to make it belong to
God." Learning and love which bring intellectual and
emotional spiritual growth is designed to be experienced best in
church. Back
6. If
God made
this world - why is it so messed up? If you have asked that question, you have made an observation that many do not. Some
think that we are getting better and
better as we grow in technology and knowledge. It is hard to
reach that conclusion when you see the harm and hurt all around
us. But, could I ask you a question: If there is no God who is
good, Who desires that we seek the good and Who enables us to do
the good -where did you get the idea that any other option other
than our current condition is possible? "We know that
everything God made has been waiting until now in pain
…" The pain of all of life is a reality but there is a
greater promise: "that everything God made would be set free
from ruin to have the freedom and glory that belong to God's
children." The world in a lot of ways is really messed up -
but there are pockets of goodness, interruptions of the darkness
with light … and there is a rumor that there is a Hand that
holds the light and sends that light out. Back
7.
If there is a God - how can I know that He cares for
me? You can only
know that there is a Lover who really loves when the relationship
has personal cost and sacrifice that the Lover freely choices in
order to share love. We have all had friendships and
relationships that seemed great when the laughter was loud and
there was plenty of excitement and fun. Few are the relationships
that stand strong when the tears flow, when the angry words come.
Could I share with you what are words of strong love? "God
loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that
whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal
life." Put your name in that signature of love … God so
loves ME that He has given his one and
only Son so that I could believe in him and not be lost …but
be found and have never ending life. How can you know that
God's love for you is secure? He chose to have His son sacrificed
on a cross so that you could live and know His love. Because of
the passion and pain of Jesus, God not only knows what you are
feeling - He has felt your deepest moments of loneliness and
pain. Yet the mystery of God's love does not stop there, until
you take that one small step and give up to His love … you
are still without God, without never ending life: "Those who
do not believe have already been judged guilty, because they have
not believed in God's one and only Son." God could force you
to surrender. He will impress His thoughts on you, guide, push,
whisper and reveal Himself in many ways … but He loves you
enough to let you respond freely. After all, do you want to make
someone love you … or would you rather that your lover
freely choose you? The God of the universe choosing to let you
choose? He loves you. Back
8.
Times change,
shouldn't our opinions and values change too?
Change is often refreshing, sometimes good and keeps us from falling
into a boring rut. But if everything is changing, varying from
day to day; where can we stand to reach, to learn, to grow? If
commitment is not dependable, if truth depends on popularity and
opinion polls - will we be bold and dare to risk when we do not
know what to depend on? There are times when tradition, structure
and preferred methods become heavy burdens that keep us from
pursuing the best. Sometimes our chosen, comfortable and familiar
ways keep us from even being able to choose wisely in a
situation. That kind of refusal to change does not please God
either. He does not want us to put our trust in methods,
techniques or structures. The Father wants us to trust, depend on
and interact with Him. Yet His heart and ways do not change. Does
that make Him boring and out of touch? Look around you, watch the
waves at the beach, look at a mountain peak, take a look deep
into space through a telescope, enjoy honest conversation heart
to heart with a close friend. He does not change but He will
always be a challenge to us! Back
9.
If God cares -
why do I still have problems? I do not know. I do not know your problem and how it came about. Believers in Christ
have problems and those who do not believe have problems.
Sometimes our problems are caused by poor decisions (sin),
sometimes our discomfort and pain is caused by the sin of others,
sometimes our problems come because we are living in the
"not yet" - we are temporarily unable and limited, we
are waiting for a conclusion or a promise The answer which
disturbs many is that sometimes God brings the problem and pain.
His reasons could be many: to teach, to heal, to change a heart,
to correct, to leave an example. Get mad at God, He can handle
that. He is God. Just do not quit turning to God or you have an
even bigger problem. Could I quote an old, old Bible verse to you
from the Older Testament? "You have recorded my troubles.
You have kept a list of my tears. Aren't they in your
records?" Those words from Psalm 56:8 tell you that God sees
every tear that you shed and if you are His, if you trust Him
even through silence, anger and fear … God will touch the
wound that caused the tear. What will He do? I don't know. Back
10. Is God in control of life? Yes. Nothing that any person, army or power ever
does surprises Him or escapes His control. That may bother you.
It bothers me sometimes too. Yet God, who is in control, has in
His design given you freedom to make many choices within life. He
will empower you to pursue the good (His principles) and you will
not escape collision with those same principles when you ignore
them. That may still bother you. But if God is not in
control of even the smallest occurrence in your life then He is
not God and cannot be trusted in all of life's travels and
experiences. Back
11.
Why are Christians so negative about sex?
Some believers in Christ are disturbed
about sex because they see the cheap and ugly view of sex that is
so common in songs, film and TV. Some believers in Christ are
uneasy about sex because they were brought up believing that it
is dirty and secret. Maybe some are negative because of sexual
abuse in their life. The author of sex is not negative about sex.
God made Mankind and made us male and female. He designed us with
our sexual differences and attraction as part of who we are. When
He did that He said "Oh my Myself, what have I done?"
NO! He said "Very Good". Sex is not designed to be
dirty or negative … We have made it that way. God has
guidelines for sex that include one male and one female in the
commitment of marriage that can freely and completely give
themselves to each other physically, mentally, emotionally. God
is not concerned about you as a teenager going too far! He does
not want you to experience the heartbreak of selling yourself
short. Back
12.
Is it possible
for me to be forgiven? Yes,
with one condition, yes. No action, thought, habit or feeling is
strong enough, horrible enough to keep you from the God who loves
you. If … that is a conditional word. If you
are a believer that turns to God and away from your sin (doing
life your way). God does not often erase the results of our sin:
we remember, we have physical or emotional scars, others remember
and opportunities are lost. What cost do I have to pay to get
forgiveness? Nothing. Jesus has paid the price. On the cross
He spoke with some of His last gasps of life and said
"Finished". Trust God to enable you to change. Turn
from what does not please Him. Follow and obey what He has shown
you is good, true and right. Experience the joy that you have
been missing. Back
13.
Why are there so
many different types of churches? Vanilla ice cream may be your favorite but orange is
mine. God has given us a lot of room to express ourselves and
worship Him in different ways. Some Christians are very
emotional. Some of us are Mr. Spock type Christians - we like
logic and truth without a lot of emotion. God is not as hung up
on the methods and traditions as we are. Some churches have been
formed because of squabbles and fights with others. As long as a
church focuses on Christ and believes that He is the Only Son of
God, as long as the Bible is seen as the Word of God, as long as
the Holy Spirit is given freedom to move and change and as long
as that church teaches that it is God's grace (undeserved and
unending love and kindness) and not our impressive efforts that
makes anything that really matters possible - chances are this is
a pretty solid group of believers. Pretty good chance. They may
be different than what is your background or experience but they
may think you are pretty weird too. Back
14.
Does God laugh? I believe so. I hope so. Jesus wept, ate, got angry
and played with children. Children are not drawn to people who do
not laugh and smile. I have a theory: any God who made penguins,
belly buttons and nose hair probably laughs a pretty good bit. I
am not sure that He giggles. Back
15.
Who is Jesus? He
is purpose, peace, passion … Please read the words of author
Calvin Miller and the musical group the Newsboys:
Calvin Miller, Once Upon A Tree,
page 27, Baker Book House 1991
But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away from God are brought near through the blood of Christ's death. Christ himself is our peace.
Ephesians 2:13-14a New Century Version
Peter Furler and Steve Taylor, "Be
Still" recorded by the Newsboys 1994 Ariose Music/ASCAP
Get still and listen. Get a good new
version of the Bible (we have used the New Century Version) read
the verses from Romans and John (chapter 3). Contact David if you need to ask some questions. Back
16.
What is this
student ministry about? Building relationships and restoring broken ones. We
hope to encourage within our students a passion for God and
compassion for others. As we pursue the truth together we want to
change our lives as we follow our eldest brother Jesus. We want
our students to be honest when times are good and honest when
they are struggling and hurting. Back
17.
What makes Baptists
different? Probably
the amount of chicken and ham we eat at church suppers. We
believe in the Bible as God's Word to man. We believe that we are
to follow the example of Christ by being baptized by immersion
(you are going to get really wet). We do not believe that baptism
saves you or completes your relationship with Jesus. He said do
it so we do it. We also believe in remembering His sacrifice by
sharing the Lord's Supper together (the bread representing His
body, the juice representing His shed blood). We believe that
Jesus is the only way God has chosen to call us into a saving and
personal relationship with Him. There may be other differences
but these are the main ones. Back
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