Israel and the Promised Land

by Roger L. Leonard Because the Jews in the time of Jesus rejected the Old Testament prophets who foretold of Him and subsequently rejected Him as the Messiah, He said to them: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together,…

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The Witness

by Jefferson David Tant We are all familiar with the role witnesses fill in our lives. If we have a document that needs some verification, we go to a Notary Public and sign it, and then the notary places a seal on it as proof that the notary has been a witness to my signature.…

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Children According to the Promise

by Matthew W. Bassford The wisdom and subtlety of God truly are beyond our comprehension. Sometimes, though, we are privileged to get a glimpse of it in the Scriptures. This is the case with the story of Abraham and his descendants in Genesis, which only makes sense in the light of its New-Testament explanation. For…

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God’s Promises to the Faithful

by Matthew W. Bassford No matter how many times I read the Bible, I always find something new in it. Nor are these discoveries subtle or inconsequential. Often, they are magnificent! So it was with this week’s Bible reading. I’m familiar with Revelation. I’ve taught it several times and read it many more. However, never…

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My husband doesn’t want more children

Question: Hi Mr. Hamilton! My husband told me more than once that we could have another child, but then he said he can’t psychologically take on the responsibilities of having another child. I’ve openly and honestly told him why I would like another child and that it was hurtful for him to break a promise…

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Is the second coming the last promise to be fulfilled?

Question: Is the second coming of Christ the last prophecy to be fulfilled? Answer: The judgment comes after the second coming. Heaven or hell awaits after the judgment (II Peter 3:13; I John 2:25). Thus, there are other promises that happen after the second coming.

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Did the vows I made in my head marry me to someone else?

Question: Hi! Before I married the love of my life, I would read stories online where the reader would marry either a character or a real person in the stories. I cannot remember if any of these stories included vows that I may have read and given in my head as I read. I struggled…

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What constitutes a vow?

Question: Hi Jeffrey, What constitutes a vow is something I’ve been trying to understand. Can you help me understand from the Bible why you say it’s a commitment witnessed by others? It seems like these thoughts I have could be considered rash vows, or they could not be vows at all. I think of them…

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I compulsively want to make vows

Question: Hello, I have a question about vows. For a year or so, when I become concerned that something I’m doing or might do is sinful, I suddenly start to think a vow to God that I won’t do that thing. This happens with no time to think about the vow, about whether I want…

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Two Unchangeable Things

by Matthew W. Bassford In addition to the other things that make Hebrews challenging for us to follow, the writer assumes that his readership is familiar with the Old Testament. He jumps from allusion to allusion, rarely pausing to explain his references to the Law with more than a phrase or two. However, because our…

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Why can a broken vow to God be forgiven but remarriage remains adultery?

Question: If God can forgive someone who breaks a vow to Him, although we know that vows should never be made, then why is remarriage possibly considered adultery when they’re breaking a vow of marriage? What is the difference between a vow to God and a vow made for marriage? Answer: All sins that are…

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Can vows never be broken?

Question: I have a similar situation as some of the questions you received regarding OCD vows and also the one who sent his question about whether or not he must remain in poverty. Though, whether or not it was a passing thought is still a question for me, because I really don’t remember what happened…

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Is a wedding necessary since people don’t always keep their promise?

Question: Hello. I’m new to this website and I have an important question regarding premarital sex. My best friend and I love each other to the point where we like to show affection toward each other. We are 100% sure that we will stay together forever. I’m his first partner and so is he. However,…

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How does God forgive besetting sins?

Question: Hello, I have a question on how God forgives besetting sin. I have given my life to Christ about a year ago, and it has been the best thing I could have ever done with my life. However, I’m finding myself with a pattern of committing sin. I have gone through some periods of…

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Are promises the same as marriage covenant?

Question: Dear minister, I have been feeling torn, confused, really unsure of what to do at times, I have prayed, trying to trust God to help. In the context of understanding marriage, I have searched about promises compared to covenants, including some answers on your site, and from other sources. Before I became a Christian…

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Do I have to keep vows that I make because of my compulsive disorder?

Question: Hi, I would first like to mention that I often struggle with compulsive or intrusive thoughts. An issue that I’ve particularly been dealing with is a compulsion to condemn myself by making “deals” with God. These thoughts would often range from “If I do (random activity), then God please to that”. Recently I was…

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What are the consequences of breaking a vow?

Question: I made a vow to the Lord that I should die a painful death any day I do a certain thing. I have the urge to break the vow. What are the consequences of breaking such a vow? Will I be forgiven for breaking the vow? After seeking for forgiveness if the vow is…

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Can I treat promises I fear as void and non-binding?

Question: Hello again! I’ve been wondering: since I suffer from OCD, then are all my promises, which I’m struggling to avoid, nullified the very moment I make them? The problem is that I’m having trouble knowing when my OCD mind is playing games with me or when it’s really me making these promises. I’ve read…

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Does not being hasty in your heart mean that thoughts can be vows?

Question: Hello again, I’ve read again about what’s considered vowing, and saw a sentence in Ecclesiastes 5:2: “Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God.” Does the heart part mean after all, that our thoughts about vowing are taken as vows after all? Thank…

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Is it wrong to change your mind?

Question: Hey Jeffrey, I was reading Psalms 15, I noticed it speaks of a man who walks in integrity, and he “changes not his mind.” Does that mean it is wrong to change plans or reschedule with a friend or change one’s mind about doing something? My friend and I were supposed to go to…

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Are vows made because of OCD compulsions to be kept?

Question: Hello, I have a question about OCD and the Bible. I have been a member of the church of Christ for about five years. I have been diagnosed with OCD and most of my issues revolve around my faith. I went for a few years undiagnosed and untreated because I didn’t know what was…

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I am compulsively making vows in my mind. Do I have to keep them?

Question: Hi, I have been going through a time of struggles dealing with so many vows: some intentional and others intrusive or unintentional. I am sure this is greatly related to OCD, but sometimes it doesn’t feel that way. For example, one time I was praying and an intrusive thought came in my head, “I’m…

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Are you required to keep promises that you think about?

Question: Hi, I’m wondering if promises that randomly pop up in your head are considered valid. Are you required to keep the promises, even though they’re just thoughts? I have OCD and get these thoughts constantly. They cause me a deal of anxiety. Also, in order to treat OCD, am I allowed to purposefully think…

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Can you accidentally make a vow?

Question: About the question that asks about sinful promises: If we made a foolish or rash vow, are we to keep it? Also, can you “accidentally” make a vow? Like, if you keep thinking “don’t think about x… Don’t think about x” and then think it, is it binding? Answer: In general, a person is expected…

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I broke my promise and committed fornication. What can I do?

Question: Hi Jeff, I am happy I found your site and I have a question. I am in my late thirties, single, and had sex with just my ex-boyfriend in the past probably twice after four years. I have been through a lot in the past couple of years and God has blessed me in…

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Baptism of the Holy Spirit: A Promise?

by Carl A. Allen Through the years I have talked with, and debated with, Pentecostal preachers and it is not uncommon for them to take the position that the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit ” is a command. Many have been the times I have cited a passage to prove that the “Baptism of the…

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Will God hold a vow I made against me?

Question: Hi, I am a Christian. If you can answer this question for me, I would be very thankful. When I was a child I had an obsessive-compulsive disorder. In my thoughts, I would say things that I didn’t mean and sometimes things that I meant, but I could not control them. Now I am…

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If I said something that I later regret, do I have to keep my word?

Question: I’m having a hard time knowing whether or not I have made certain vows and if I ought to keep them. Someone explained to me that when Jesus says “Let your yes be yes and your no be no,” his point isn’t that vowing/swearing/making oaths are wrong (which is what some people have taken…

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Will God forgive me for not saying my prayers as I had promised?

Question: Hello, I’m 17 years old. My family has always been very secular. For a small period of time, my older sister went to a Catholic school, and I was sent to Sunday school. When I was little I was very much afraid of death and the concept of eternal nothingness. This fear led me…

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Could children’s pretend marriage ceremonies be considered real?

Question: Hi, I can’t even believe I am asking this, but I’ve been anxious about doing the right thing lately and have been reading your page a lot. When my husband was a child, his parents held a joke wedding ceremony between him and another little girl. They were no more than 5 or 6…

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