Posts Tagged ‘God’
Why does God punish?
Question: So when God punishes someone, with what intention does He do so? With the intention of getting payback? Or is it to correct us from something? For example, punishing us so we can repent and learn a lesson? Or does He do it to see us suffer for doing something bad? Answer: “‘Do I…
Read MoreCouldn’t Jesus’ use of Lord for YHWH be due to later tampering of the text?
Question: In “Why is YHWH translated LORD?” you said: Some, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, object to using LORD in place of YHWH. However, they are ignoring God’s own translation of His name. For example, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:5 in Matthew 22:37, “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all…
Read MoreIs it wrong to refer to God as Jehovah in a prayer?
Question: Is it wrong or scripturally incorrect to refer to God as Jehovah? For instance, when you pray to Him, to address Him as Jehovah. In Matthew 6:9, Jesus is showing the disciples how to pray. He starts with “Our Father in Heaven.” Since Jesus never refers to God as Jehovah and when instructing His disciples how to pray…
Read MoreWhy do you believe in God? If God loves us all, why doesn’t He let us all in heaven?
Question: Why do you believe in God? If God loves us all, why doesn’t He let us all in heaven? Answer: Why do you believe there is a Sydney, Australia? Assuming you have never been down under, what makes you believe it exists? There are multiple interlocking reasons why believing in God makes sense. I have…
Read MoreWith God
by Kelsey Harris I like to be by myself, but I can’t stand being alone. I love the dark, but I hate not being able to see. I enjoy meeting new people, but I hate being with strangers. I want my voice to be heard, but I despise talking loud. I want to be in…
Read MoreGod cannot be tempted, but Jesus was tempted; so, is Jesus not God?
Question: My friend, who is an Arian, gave me this puzzling logic: God can’t be tempted, but Jesus was tempted; therefore, Jesus is not God. Is this true? Answer: For a Christian, it would be easy to spot this line of reasoning as a falsehood because it ends with a statement that contradicts the Bible.…
Read MoreIs God’s sovereignty absolute?
Question: I want to ask you about some verses a Baptist friend asked me. I hope you can help me understand these verses. Do these verses teach that God’s sovereignty is absolute and that He predestined all things which happen, either good or bad? Isaiah 45:6-7; Exodus 4:11; Deuteronomy 32:39; I Samuel 2:6-7; Ecclesiastes 7:13-14;…
Read MoreIs God’s presence felt in hell?
Question: I’m having some trouble explaining how God’s presence works without conflicting scripture. Some would argue that it’s impossible to be away from God’s presence, understanding He is omnipresence, as taught in Psalms 139:7. However, when you take this verse – “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from…
Read MoreDo you have other material on YHWH?
Question: I enjoyed and agree with your article on “Understanding the Tetragrammaton.” Thank you very much for your research and study on this important issue of the Divine Name, Yahweh (Exodus 3:15; Psalm 83:18). Can you send me any additional information on the YHWH? Do you have any more articles related to the sacred name? Answer:…
Read MoreHow can such a loving God condemn people who have never heard of Jesus or the Bible?
Question: I came across an old teacher of mine today and we started talking. She tells me I should join the service or go to college. So I started telling her my views of how I think that the Rockefellers and other rich families run this world and have influence in all the educational outlets and…
Read MoreRespect (Scott)
by Carey Scott “In that day a man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will have respect for the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 17:7). A quality that is lacking in our society is respect. I think everyone would acknowledge such, but few think about it. Many wish it would return to our society,…
Read MoreWhen I pray to God, am I praying to the Father or the Son?
Question: I am reading your lesson on Who is God? Let me see if I am understanding this. God is three beings: The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is God’s Son, but when we refer to God in prayer or in time of need, so am I praying to God? Or Jesus?…
Read MoreWhat is Man?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/WhatIsMan.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 8:3-9 I. Job faced a severe trials as Satan tried to get him to turn against God A. It wasn’t just the suffering that Job wrestled with. B. Trying to understand what lead to his plight also caused Job to raise other questions as well. C. One that Job asked is…
Read MoreRemember to Magnify His Work
Text: Job 36:24-33 I. In outlining the sins of the people of the world, Paul noted that the Gentiles could be justly charged with sin – Romans 1:18-23 A. No one has the excuse of not knowing that God exists. B. He and even His nature can be seen in the things God has made, leaving all…
Read MoreCould God have two wills, one that tells man what to do and a hidden will where He makes some men sin to accomplish His other will?
Question: I have heard a popular Baptist preacher named John Piper preach about predestination. He talked about the two wills of God. He said that there is a revealed will of God and there is also a decreed will. The former, according to him, is his will of command. Meaning, all his commands that he…
Read MoreCan we bribe God?
Question: Can we bribe God? For example, you have sinned, like you got something that is not yours and without permission, then you want something that only God can give. If you read the Bible after this, is it bribery? Answer: God cannot be bribed for two reasons: First, everything belongs to God. “For every…
Read MoreGhosts of Aaron
by Steven Harper Once again, a religious leader from the world’s largest ‘Christian’ denomination has conceded to the pagan religions of the world in an effort to appear all-inclusive, non-confrontational, and “loving.” According to the Associated Press, a Roman Catholic ‘Bishop’ from the southern diocese of Breda [the Netherlands] “has proposed people of all faiths…
Read MoreDoes God exist outside of time and sees all of time at once?
Question: First, I wanted to thank you for the web site. I come here often whenever I find that I have a problem that needs addressing. Anyway, on to my question. Lately, I’ve been wondering about something after something my preacher told me. He once told me that God is not confined to time as we…
Read MoreJust Justices
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/JustJustices.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 10:22-38 I. Many times Jesus faced a mob set to stone him for his words. A. In our reading, the thing which upset them was Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God. B. They understood that this was not a light claim, but one of a direct relationship. They…
Read MoreDid you ever study the life of Christ? Then you would not that it’s impossible for God to kill
Question: Why is it you claim to be Christian? You, no doubt, don’t even come close to knowing the truth about God. Did you ever study the life of Christ? Did He ever kill anyone? Yet Jesus said, “you have seen me you have seen the Father”. If you knew God you would know that…
Read MoreWhat Saves Us from Sin?
by Clem Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 57, No. 28, July 11, 2008 We are not saved by one thing to the exclusion of all others, for there are many factors that work out our salvation. Rather than focus on just one passage that speaks of our being saved, we must learn the truth of…
Read MoreRemember (Hamilton)
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/Remember.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ecclesiastes 12:1 I. At times I get teased about my memory. A. A researcher at Johns Hopkins noted the things people most often forget. 1. Names – 83% 2. Where something is – 60% 3. Telephone numbers – 57% 4. Words – 53% 5. What was said – 49% 6. Faces – 42% 7. Whether you’ve just…
Read MoreWhere was God before He created the heavens and the earth?
Question: Where was God before He created the heavens and the earth? Answer: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:2). In this simple statement are many implications. Since it was “in the beginning,” it is implied that time did not exist before this. So thus, time was created at this…
Read MoreI’m scared that God has made me believe a lie. How can I know His way?
Question: A sister in Christ shared this note with me and decided to try and address this young man’s concerns. You showed us that Scripture in II Thessalonians 2:11, “And for this cause, God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie.” That’s made me scared of God ever since. How, if…
Read MoreWhy would God turn His back on the world?
Question: Hello, I’ll begin by describing my situation. A few weeks ago I stopped attending church. I felt that something was wrong, but I wasn’t exactly sure what. It was as if I felt that I didn’t belong. It’s possible that somewhere inside I knew what it was then, but didn’t want to admit it…
Read MoreWhat does “put my tears in your bottle” mean in Psalms 56:8?
Question: Can you help me with the meaning of Psalms 56:8, especially the part “tears into thy bottle?” Answer: “You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?” (Psalm 56:8). Each phrase is a reference to God remembering or recording what has happened to David. This particular Psalm,…
Read MoreWhat does “the unsearchable riches of God” mean?
Question: There is a phrase used that I’ve heard which I am not sure I understand. The unsearchable riches of God. Why do people say, “unsearchable riches?” By reading and study of the Bible, we can learn what God wants and learn what Jesus did, said, and taught. But “unsearchable riches” must mean more than…
Read MoreIf God knew men would sin, why did He create the world?
Question: I am wondering why God made everything: creation, mankind, and allowed everything to happen as it did in the Bible, especially since He knew what would eventually happen — sin, unfaithfulness, redemption, etc. I guess this also relates to why God even created us? Answer: When I was walking to the building today I…
Read MoreDoes the concept of right and wrong come from the nature of God?
Question: From past study, I have come to the conclusion that that morality, right and wrong, are bound up in the nature of God himself. Things are not right or wrong “just because God said so,” – that is, God does not arbitrarily declare a thing to be wrong that would otherwise be permissible, nor…
Read MoreGod Overthrows the Wicked
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/GodOverthrowsTheWicked.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. Do not trust in men – Psalm 146 A. Even a high ranking man is not trustworthy B. Men die. Even with good intentions, they cannot always accomplish what they desire. C. God, however, can do all things. D. It is important to remember that men are very limited in power II. David is opposed…
Read MoreWho is God to decide my life?
Question: So who is God to decide and what mechanism do I have to protest that He is wrong? Being male is not enough to suggest He is all-knowing. Why put me on this earth with an overwhelming sense that I don’t belong here. Why keep dragging me back to now when He knows I…
Read MoreWhy did God allow slavery or commit genocide?
Question: Why did God allow the Israelites to commit actions which are clearly wrong, by His command, such as allowing daughters to be sold into slavery (Exodus 21:7) or committing genocide upon the peoples of Canaan (Joshua)? If the Bible is infallible, is this the kind of moral code that God wants us to apply…
Read MoreDoes a change in the Law mean God changes His mind a lot?
Question: Since God changed His Law, then apparently God changes His mind a lot. Answer: Actually God planned the change all along. The Law of Moses defined sin and bound it to mankind, but it could not in itself save. It spoke only of future salvation. “For the law made nothing perfect; on the other…
Read MoreGod’s Image
by Shane Williams via The Lilbourn Light, Vol. 8, No. 4, Aug. 2007. Marcus Terentius Varro (116-27 B.C.) is described in the Encyclopedia Britannica as “Rome’s greatest scholar.” He wrote more than 400 books on many subjects. Among his writings is this statement: “They who first introduced images of the gods removed fear and added error.” This…
Read MoreHow did light reach the earth from the stars when God created the world?
Question: I was wondering regarding the star that appeared at Jesus’ birth, so I talked with a teacher about red shifting and the Doppler effect (that has many different flaws in it). Did God just make a new start or did the light just hit the earth after traveling for so long? My theory is…
Read MoreIs God bound by time?
Question: We had a small discussion in our college group last week and I wanted your thoughts. Is God bound by our time? What I mean is angels are waiting to see things unfold; I think that’s somewhere in Hebrews. And then Job, of course. God calls the angels to Him twice, so we see…
Read MoreThe Name of God
Text: Exodus 3:10-17 I. The Jehovah’s Witnesses have gone out into the world declaring that God’s name is “Jehovah.” A. A reader of our website wrote to ask why this claim is made since he was only able to find less than ten instances of the name “Jehovah” in his Bible. 1. The KJV uses this name…
Read MoreDoes God hate all adulterers and fornicators?
Question: Does God hate all adulterers and fornicators? Are they all destined to burn for all eternity in the fires of Hell? Answer: Your question is misleading in that it doesn’t consider the possibility of sinners leaving their sins behind. We are warned, “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and…
Read MoreWhy does God feel so distant to me?
Question: I have read the articles on blasphemy and they have given me a better understanding of what it is. But I am still not sure if a person can think blasphemous thoughts not speak them and still be condemned. I feel that God is so distant from me and that this is because His…
Read MoreWhy did God kill many people in the Old Testament?
Question: Why did God kill many people in the Old Testament, such as: “But God struck down some of the men of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the LORD had dealt them” (I Samuel…
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