10 Questions a Christian Might Ask

1. Why did God create?


2. If adultery is against God's law, was it TRULY acceptable to have plural wives and concubines during old testament times?


3. Is it possible that Judas Iscariot was forgiven for his betrayal, as he was consumed with remorse and declared "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood" to the chief priest and elders?


4. How can Jesus' bloodlines be traced through Joseph's lineage, if Mary and Joseph did not have relations until after Jesus was born?


5. If Jacob only loved Rachel, why did he sleep with and produce so many children with Leah and their servants?


6. Why did the Apostle Paul receive the Holy Spirit BEFORE his baptism, and how can we be sure he was given a water submersion baptism?


7. If God does not want women to teach over men in modern times, why does He give some women (i.e. Beth Moore) the gift of teaching?


8. Why is it taught that Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, contradictory to what Jesus said, "No man has ascended up to heaven," and is anyone (besides Jesus) with God in heaven at present?


9. How does God respond to people's lack of faith, and how should Christians respond?


10. Can a truly saved person's salvation ever be lost or revoked for disobedience to God?

(Any helpful, constructive comments are welcome.)

POST SCRIPT

OK, this is for Kevin. I am going take a stab at it and to try to answer his questions. I don't have all the answers, and I don't consider myself a teacher, but this is good exercise for me to study Scripture when opportunity arises. After all, these are basic questions that a Christian should be able to answer.

He asked:

1. Why does He let bad things happen to good people?

When something bad happens to me, it's for a purpose. I have figured out that through adversity, God is trying to get my attention. I am not the most attentive person generally, and I need occasional redirecting. Before I was a Christian, I was basically a good person. Still, I believe that bad things happened to me in order to bring me to Christ. And it worked; when I came to Christ, I was broken. I was ready to let him "take the wheel," so to speak.

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:20)

2. Are ALL sins truly the same in His eyes?

A small sin weighs, to God, the same as a big sin. According to Scripture, there is only one unforgivable sin, and that is to reject the Holy Spirit.

"As it is written: 'There is no one righteous, not even one...'" (Romans 3:10)
"But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin." (Mark 3:29)

3. As his son died on the cross between the two thieves, why didn't God intervene. I mean, he still could have "re-written" history so that we could all be saved, right?

I believe that God wants us to have free-will, which includes making these kind of choices. He wants people to *choose* to be saved. It's kind of like forcing someone to love you. Do you want to force someone to love you? Wouldn't you rather they love you on their own? Without that choice, we'd all be like robots, and I don't believe that what He wants.

"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." (John 3:14-15)