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I wouldn’t have chosen to be born, if I knew the struggles and temptations I would be facing
Question: Hello, I’m writing in response to the question sent in in regards to choices. I was a little confused by the response: “Nor can you claim that life is unfair because you now decide that you don’t what to live by your choices. It is the same as the child who refuses to help in…
Read MoreHow can I avoid panic attacks?
Question: I have recently read the thread on your page about OCD-religion and have a few questions. I have recently developed this disorder. Though never diagnosed, I’ve struggled my whole life with anxiety. I grew up a Christian (saved at a very young age) and attended a Christian school where I was taught God’s Word daily. I…
Read MoreWhat is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?
Question: I was wondering what exactly is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? Could you please help me with this? Answer: What Is Blasphemy? Blasphemy is a transliteration of a Greek word: blasphemia. Literally, it combines the Greek words for hurt and speech. It means to speak evil of someone or to slander another person. It contains…
Read MoreShould I go to a Thanksgiving dinner hosted by my homosexual sister?
Question: My sister is homosexual and before that, she was baptized but turned her back on God and now is “married” to another woman. Am I allowed to go visit with her like when she holds family dinners and things? Or where exactly do we draw the line? I have some family that says I’m…
Read MoreI cheated on my girlfriend and got another woman pregnant. What do I do?
Question: Good day, I have been dating the girl I love for over a year now and have cheated on her many times. Lately, I met a girl from my home town. We dated and started engaging in unprotected sex for the next eight months. She got pregnant. Now I don’t know what to do…
Read MoreWhat is the difference between idolatry and obsessions?
Question: Hello! I just read a question answered on your website about idolatry: Is having a symbol of Christianity idolatry? In it, idolatry was defined as “anything you turn to for guidance or security.” While that makes sense, to what level of guidance and security are you describing? You see, I still sleep with my Blankie,…
Read MoreIs it true that a couple who commits fornication cannot get married?
Question: I have had sex with the girl I proposed to marry. Now we are very close to our wedding. Her pastor became aware that we have had sex by virtue of her confession. She was told that I am not her husband and as such, can not get married since we slept together. Sir,…
Read MoreHow could Michal have five sons when another verse said she had none?
Question: Please, I need an answer. Can you see any contradiction between II Samuel 6:23 which says Michal had no children to the day of her death and II Samuel 21:8 which says Michal had five sons? Answer: “So David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me above your father and…
Read MoreDoes the language in which the Bible is read change the way we interpret certain passages?
Question: I have a question about the Bible that I’d like to ask. Does the language in which the Bible is read change the way we interpret certain passages? Answer: Translating a text from one language to another ideally expresses the same ideas in both languages. However, there are always difficulties in translating because in…
Read MoreWas Achan punished because he did not confess his sin to Joshua?
Question: Can somebody be punished for not telling their leaders about the sin they have committed, like how Achan was punished for not telling Moses about his sin until God found him out? Answer: “But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of…
Read MoreWhy is sex so bad if we are going to get married soon anyway?
Question: Hello, I have been dating my boyfriend for almost three years now. We absolutely love each other and have talked about getting married in the future a good bit. We are in no rush to get engaged yet because we are both still in school and don’t have the money for that yet. I…
Read MoreDoes God expect us to do our part?
Question: When Simon helps carries Jesus’ cross in Mark 15:21, does it have any special meaning? I remember a pastor talking about how Jesus told Christians to deny ourselves and take up our own cross (such as in Luke 9:23), but He could not carry His own cross. Simon had to carry it for Him.…
Read MoreWhat do we do if our daughter tells us she is gay?
Question: I suspect that in the very near future my middle-aged daughter is going to tell my wife and me that she is gay. She was raised in the Church of Christ but left when she went to college, graduated, and lives in the college town. We don’t get to see her much, she does…
Read MoreAll I want to do is get married
Question: I am a 23 years old female. I am Christian but I’m struggling with sexual immorality with different partners because when things are bad I break up with one and try another one thinking that he might be the one or he might be better than the previous one. I have been trying to…
Read MoreMy daughter claims she doesn’t have to get married to have sex
Question: Hello, I came across your website and I have read several articles pertaining to the subject of premarital sex but I have a very unique situation for which I cannot find an answer. My daughter and her fiancé have engaged in premarital sex. When I confronted her about this and gently told her that…
Read MoreIsn’t the Spirit supposed to comfort me?
Question: I’m 26 but my body already seems to be falling apart. I can barely get out of bed these days. If the cause of this is heart problems or cancer or something, can I just resist treatment so I can go home and be with Jesus? I’m so depressed. I can’t be a good…
Read MoreHow do I get my dad to see that his church isn’t good enough?
Question: I have a problem I have been dealing with my father, and he simply does not understand. For many years we’ve been going to this small church. The people are nice. I would describe the church as traditional because it is Baptist. The majority of people who like to attend are seniors and a…
Read MoreYour article contained the answers I was looking for
Question: Hello, I am going through some trouble right now. I have been dating my girlfriend for a year now and have been trying to ease her into the church. She has not been grounded in any denominational doctrine, but she still has some trouble accepting the truth. Recently, she had asked me to visit…
Read MoreIs it ever too late to be forgiven?
Question: Is it too late to ever be forgiven and saved with Jesus Christ? I would love to move forward and let go, but sometimes I feel as if I’m too late because of my past. I feel like it’s just me saying this to myself and not what God says. I let my past…
Read MoreI’ve been having a lot of nightmares this week
Question: I’ve been having nightmares a lot this week. Just last night I had a nightmare about a horrible dark creature behind me and looking at me. I woke up screaming! And I didn’t sleep very well after that because I had another nightmare. I guess that’s why I am kind of tired. It wasn’t…
Read MoreWhat does “This thing is from Me” mean?
Question: My sister was in jail and while there she took an interest in religion. But when she got out of jail, she no longer has any interest in Bible study or religion. That makes me sad. Only when she was locked up and away from distractions was she focused on our Lord. As for…
Read MoreMy boyfriend doesn’t want to get married and have a family, but I do
Question: My boyfriend and I have been dating for over a year now. We are still young, in our early twenties, and have different goals in our life. We both live with his parents, in separate rooms of course, but I am ready to take the next step of commitment in our lives. I told…
Read MoreIs it a sin to shave off one’s beard?
Question: Is it a sin to shave off one’s beard? I heard an argument that God gave men beards to differentiate them from women and that they shouldn’t shave them off because that’s saying to God that He made a mistake on their faces? Answer: The problem is that the argument is not one that…
Read MoreWhat does “the fullness of Christ” mean?
Question: I thank you for the website. I’ve gotten a better understanding of some things. I am writing you because I don’t quite understand when the Scriptures say “the fullness of God” or “the fullness of Christ” in Colossians 2:9; Ephesians 4:13; Colossians 1:19; Romans 15:29 and John 1:16. Answer: “Fullness” means to fill up…
Read MoreHow did sin spread if it was not inherent in men?
Question: Hello! I agree with your belief that the Bible does not speak of inheriting a “sin nature” from Adam. If you wrote your own version of the Bible, how would you translate Romans 5:12? Or, can you explain how death “spread” to all men, since it’s our own personal sin that brings death? How…
Read MoreThe verses in your study pricked my heart
Question: Hello! I just wanted to mention how I came across your church’s website and found your studies section. I really appreciate this resource you guys have. I have been a Christian for over five years and have struggled to read my Bible, but I am trying to improve on that. I read one of…
Read MoreShould a Christian attend a university operated by a denomination?
Question: I really like all of the information that you have on your website. I have used it as a reference many times in the past. I teach the teenagers in our congregation and have a question about colleges. One of our kids is planning on attending a Catholic university next year. When she told…
Read MoreDidn’t Jesus die for our sins?
Question: This is hard to wrap my mind around for some reason, but didn’t Jesus “die for our sins?” I thought that Jesus dying on the cross meant that all our sins were forgiven if we believe in him. Answer: It isn’t a hard concept, but I can see the difficulty when you grow up…
Read MoreWhy does James say we will be judged by the law of liberty?
Question: I’m having some difficulties understanding James 2:8-13. When he talks about the royal law in verses 8-11, it clearly refers to some of the ten commandments. But I get confused in verse 12 “So speak and so act, as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.” How does this verse…
Read MoreIs it wrong to benefit from something that came about because of sin?
Question: I’ve written to you a few times and have used the website a lot. I have a different question I’d like to ask. How do you deal with things that aren’t sinful, when they resulted from sin? I know the Bible doesn’t say that, for instance, if a woman gives birth before she is…
Read MoreWhat made God say that Abraham will be the father of the nation?
Question: What made God say that Abraham will be the father of the nation? Answer: God promised Abraham that he would become the father of many nations. See: How was Abraham famous? God didn’t have to offer that promise. He chose to make that promise and through that promise we see God’s power. “And we desire…
Read MoreYour answer was too complex and misinterpreted the Scriptures
Question: Mr. Hamilton, I read one of your website answers to the question, “What must I do to go to Heaven when I die?” As a pastor, you should have known the answer would be quite simple, one that would easily have pointed the individual in a single direction — to the Lord. Instead, your…
Read MoreWhat is the difference between moral and immoral sins?
Question: What is the difference between a moral sin and an immoral sin? Also, what are the moral sins, and what are the immoral sins? Answer: “Sin” is breaking the law (I John 3:4). “Moral” refers to the standards of correct behavior. There are a few people who what to make a difference between what…
Read MoreWould a person be saved if he hadn’t gotten around to being baptized before he died?
Question: If someone was a believer, repented, and followed Jesus’ teachings, and was planning on getting baptized eventually but never got around to it before they died an accidental death like a car crash, would they still be saved? Answer: That would be up to God. I can’t judge the motives, but someone saying they…
Read MoreDoes the “restoration movement” imply that the church was destroyed?
Question: I want to thank you guys once more for the Question and Answer section of your website. It is a great format! My question has to do with the “restoration movement.” I recently noticed that a local church of Christ referred to itself as a restored church of Christ on its website. I know…
Read MoreHow can Jesus not judge those who believe if we are all judged?
Question: Why is it that, even though we are supposed to do God’s will to be saved supposedly, why does Jesus say that those who believe will not be judged, even though you were saying we are all judged? In that case, then it’s like a paradox because everyone is judged even those who are…
Read MoreHow do I grow as a Christian? How do I handle my abusive father?
Question: I’m 18 years old. I’m new to religion and seeking wise words and maybe some answers to where to start. I have a girlfriend who, after a while, convinced me to become religious. She lives far away, so she can’t really teach me much. There is also a small language barrier because what she…
Read MoreI was excommunicated because I had committed fornication several years ago
Question: Hi, I am a Christian and was baptized, but later I fornicated. I repented, it was about two years ago. We were having a discussion with a church elder since I was sick, and we believe that sickness is due to sin and that we should confess our sins and God will heal us.…
Read MoreCan I get baptized even though I’m still living with my boyfriend?
Question: I have been with my partner for 19 years, but we are not married. I started going to church three years ago, but my partner isn’t a believer. Some in the church say that in the eyes of God we are married and, therefore, I should be baptized. However, others say I should be…
Read MoreIs one permitted to interpret God’s commandments to bolster one’s point of view?
Question: I came across your web site and find it interesting that We are not to add to or take away from God’s commandments. and God also sanctioned self-defense as we read of the young David slaying both lion and bear in defense of his flock in I Samuel 17. In verse 37 David said…
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