Bethany Bible Church

Author: Pastor Greg Allen

  • Smoking

    A visitor to our website writes:

    Question: Is it a sin to smoke?

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    Dear friend,
    Thanks for writing and asking your question.
    First of all, the Bible does not directly condemn smoking or using tobacco.  And though many people don’t realize it, several great and very biblically-minded Christians from the past have, therefore, felt the liberty to smoke.  Dr. D. Martin Lloyd-Jones—who was one of the top physicians of London in his day, and who later became one of the greatest preachers of the twentieth century—smoked cigarettes.  Another great preacher of London—the Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon—smoked cigars quite often.  The famous Christian writer C.S. Lewis, as well as the Dutch reformed theologian (later Prime Minister of The Netherlands) Abraham Kuyper, were both often seen with pipes in their mouths.  (I know of no preachers that chewed tobacco; but I’m sure there were some that did.  Hopefully not while they were preaching.)
    Such noted Christians should not be used as a justification for smoking, however.  They smoked before the health risks associated with smoking, and the addictive characteristics of tobacco, were as well-established as they are today.  The apostle Paul wrote, “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful [or “profitable”].  All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” (1 Corinthians 6:12).  Just because something may be biblically permissible, and may not be defined as a sin ‘directly’, that doesn’t mean that it’s a wise thing to do.  If we are to be good stewards of the bodies that God gave us, we should think very carefully about using something that brings harm to us.  Personally, I couldn’t say that an adult smoking a cigarette or two a day is much of a problem; but smoking a pack a day clearly suggests that tobacco has become a health-compromising addiction and has a greater hold on someone than it should.  (As someone once said, you can smoke and still go to heaven . . . in fact, you may even get there quicker if you do!)
    Another thing to consider in this would be the impact that smoking may have on other people.  It may not be a sin directly for you to smoke; but it is certainly a sin to do so if constant exposure to second-hand smoke affected the health and well-being of other people in your life.  What’s more, if a professing Christian smokes, and their doing so either hinders their witness to non-believers or causes a weaker Christian to struggle in their faith, then love would demand that such a Christian refrain from smoking.
    I suggest that the greater question, if we are truly Christians, is not “May I smoke?”—nor is it any other such question that seeks to define the outer-limits of our liberties.  Rather, it should be, “How can I please the Lord as much as possible?  How can I use my liberties so that I avail myself to Him — to the greatest degree—as His bondservant?”  “Therefore,” Paul writes, “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).  If we cannot smoke to the glory of God and fully yield ourselves to Him, then the question is settled.  We don’t smoke! We should seek to do whatever will honor Jesus Christ, and will best places ourselves in His complete service.  We should not let anything else control us but Him.
    I hope this helps.  Blessings in Christ’s love.
    Pastor Greg
    (All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version.)

  • Tattoos

    A visitor to our website writes:

    Question: Is it biblical for a Christian to get a tattoo?

    Dear friend,
    The Bible does have something to say about tattoos. But what it says about them directly is in the context of practices associated with paganism. Leviticus 19:26-28 includes it in a list of paganistic practices that were forbidden to the Israelites when it says, “‘You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor shall you practice divination or soothsaying. You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard. You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD.’” A similar prohibition was given to the priests, primarily with regard to how they engaged in mourning; “And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: “None shall defile himself for the dead among his people, except for his relatives who are nearest to him: his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, and his brother; also his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband, for her he may defile himself. Otherwise he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself. They shall not make any bald place on their heads, nor shall they shave the edges of their beards nor make any cuttings in their flesh. They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy”‘” (Leviticus 21:1-6; see also Deuteronomy 14:1).
    There were certain practices–common to the paganistic peoples of the land of Caanan–that the people of Israel were to abstain from; and tattooing and making marks and cuts on the body were among them. That does leave us with some questions about tattooing as it is understood in our modern culture; because they aren’t really a part of a paganistic religious ritual (at least, not very often). In fact, I’ve noticed that views about tattooing have changed in our culture quite a bit from what they were twenty or thirty years ago. It has become much more common; and is a far more accepted aspect of culture. (I understand, for example, that each cast member of the Lord of The Rings trio of films got a LOR tattoo when the filming was over, as a way of commemorating their involvement.)

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    When it comes to tattoos as they are understood in our culture today, I don’t think that it can be argued biblically that it is a sin in and of itself to have one. But it still may not be a good and wise thing to do. “All things are lawful for me,” Paul writes; “but all things are not helpful” (1 Corinthians 6:12). A few things come to mind in considering whether or not it is right for a Christian to get a tattoo.
    First, we should remember that we are to have a certain kind of regard for–and even reverence toward–our bodies as believers. We are reminded in the Bible that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit; and that we are not our own any longer (1 Corinthians 6:19). Our bodies are the instruments through which we are to glorify God (v. 20). A tattoo that contains images or words that contradict the principle of the sacredness of our bodies as the dwelling place of Jesus Christ, or that in some way celebrates sin, would most certainly be wrong to wear. That would be like spray-painting obscene graffiti on God’s sacred temple.
    There may also be, for some, a ‘vanity’ issue in all of this. A tattoo may be an expression of an inordinate emphasis on the body–not as a temple of God by which we bring Him glory; but rather in an effort to advertise our bodies and call undue and improper attention to them–using our bodies to bring glory to ourselves. Paul warned, for example, that women were to adorn themselves in a modest manner; “not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for womem professing godliness, with good works” (1 Timothy 2:9-10). Please understand; I don’t take that to mean that it is wrong for women to wear jewelry or have their hair done. Rather, I think that the principle is what’s important–that is, to express a godly modesty with our bodies. A tattoo, for either men or for women, may violate the spirit of that principle–particularly if it is worn in order to draw attention to the body; and especially to draw attention to parts of the body that it’s not very modest to draw attention to.
    And along with this is just the practical problem of the permanency of a tattoo. I have heard of lots of people later in life regretting that they have a tattoo; but I don’t ever remember hearing anyone laying on their death-bed bemoaning the fact that they NEVER got one.

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    Now; all of that being said, I have a couple of believing friends–very strong and vocal Christians–who have tattoos. One has a portrait of Christ on one arm with a Bible verse that testifies of his faith in Jesus; and on the other arm is a crown of thorns to remind him that he is crucified with Christ. Another friend has the traditional symbol for the Trinity tattooed on the back of his neck as an expression of his faith. I find it hard to argue with tattoos like that. (But I also know a man who’s in ministry; and he has a tattoo on his forearm that he got before he became a Christian. It has a picture of the devil with the words, “Raise Some Hell!” I’m sure that he wishes that he ever got it . . . although it’s quite a conversation-starter in some witnessing situations!)
    Here’s a good guiding principle to follow: “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). A tattoo can be like what Jesus said about words–they come out of from what’s in the heart (Matthew 15:18-20). On that principle, we should make sure that (1) what’s in the heart is right, and that (2) what’s on the body is an expression of what’s in the heart, and that (3) that expression is to the glory of God.
    Blessings,
    Pastor Greg
    (All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version.)

  • Worshipping Jesus

    A visitor to our website asks:

    “If, in Exodus 20, we are forbidden from worshiping any other gods but the one true God, then is it wrong to worship Jesus?”

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    Dear friend,
    In Exodus 20 – the passage in which we find the ten commandments (along with Deuteronomy 5), God gave this as the first commandment: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me” (Ex. 20:2-3). And He also gave this as the second commandment: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image – any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments” (Exodus 20:4-6).
    These commandments, of course, forbid us from ever bowing down and worshiping any god but the one true God; and they forbid us from ever making an image of the one true God and bowing down to it as if it were God. Your question, as I have understood it, is asking if that commandment forbids us from giving worship to Jesus.
    I suggest that behind your question is another question: Is Jesus the one true God? That’s the question to answer first; because if Jesus is God, then it is not only in keeping with the commandments to worship Him, but it would also be an act of disobedience to the commandments NOT to worship Him!

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    One of the doctrines that is clearly impressed upon us from the Bible – although not stated by name directly – is the doctrine of the Trinity. This doctrine teaches us that there is only one true God (Deuteronomy 6:4); but that the being of this one God exists in three Persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). This is not to say that there are three Gods. There is only one God. But this God is not one Person, but three.
    This doctrine is tough to express; but here’s my best attempt. The doctrine of the Trinity acknowledges what the Bible teaches about the nature of God: that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God; and that all three are equal in power and divine glory, sharing the same essence of being as one God. But the three are distinct in the state of their individual existence. In other words, the Father is not the Son, and the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father. They exist in perfect tri-unity as one God; but they exist in this tri-unity as three distinct Persons. (A good passage to demonstrate that is Matthew 3:16-17. There, we see Jesus – the Son of God – being baptized; and present at His baptism was the Father and the Holy Spirit.) It’s important to point out that as Christians, we do not worship “three Gods” – as some unbelieving people say; but rather, that we worship “one God in three Persons”.
    This is, I admit, a great mystery. There is nothing on this earth that is in any way analogous to the triune nature of God. We can’t think of anything that is “one” in essence and at the same time “three” in individual subsistence; so I never feel badly about the fact that my puny little mind can’t “understand” the Trinity. But it is what the Bible teaches us about the nature of God; and it is what Bible-believing Christians – including myself – believe.
    And the importance of this doctrine to your question is that it reminds us that Jesus – the incarnate Son of God, who walked upon this earth in human flesh – exists as the Second Person of the Trinity. He is every bit as much “God” as the Father and the Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches us that He existed as God with the Father and the Holy Spirit before the worlds were ever made (John 1:1-2). In fact, the Bible tells us that it was BY Him that the worlds were made (John 1:3). It tells us that “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consists. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Col. 1:15-20).
    Jesus presented Himself to the world as God in a very clear and unmistakable way. In Exodus 3, God introduced Himself to Moses by the name, “I AM” (Ex. 3:14). The Jewish people have always revered that name (YHWY in the Hebrew language); because it was the sacred, covenant name of God. But when Jesus was once confronted by those who opposed Him, He said this very amazing thing: “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58). The Jewish people who heard Him say this immediately picked up stones to stone Him to death, because they believed He had committed a great act of blasphemy – daring to call Himself by the name of God. And though He escaped from their hands; He did not correct them as if they had misunderstood His claim. He meant what He said.
    On another occasion, He was again talking to those who opposed Him. He told them, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). The people who heard Him say this understood Him to mean that He was as much God as was the Father; and they again picked up stones to execute Him. Jesus asked, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?” And they answered, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God” (vv. 32-33). They clearly understood Jesus’ words to be a claim that He was God – and again, Jesus didn’t correct them as if they misunderstood. There are other passages that show this; but the point is that, plainly, Jesus claimed to be God. And if His claim is true, then we owe Him our worshiped.
    Those who followed Him also understood Him to be God – the second Person of the Trinity. Jesus was once walking along with His disciples; and He turned to them and asked who people said that He was. The disciples told Him of many of the different things that people said about Him; but when He asked, “But who do you say that I am?”, Peter responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus didn’t correct Peter. In fact, He assured Peter that the answer He gave was the authoritative answer from the Father (v. 17).
    I believe that we have been given the greatest proof of all that Jesus was God in human flesh by the fact that He was raised from the dead. The apostle Paul said that He was “declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:4). In fact, after Jesus was raised from the dead, and the apostles watched Him ascend bodily to the Father in heaven, we’re told, “And they worshiped Him . . .” (Luke 24:52).
    Because these passages teach us that Jesus claimed to be God (and there are many others), and because He gave proof to that claim in many ways (including and especially the resurrection), then Jesus should be worshiped as God. We would only be breaking the first and second commandment in worshiping Jesus if He was NOT God; but because He is the Second Person of the Trinity – every bit God as the Father and the Holy Spirit – than it is not only ‘okay’ to worship Him, but would be a sin not to. As Philippians 2:10-11 teaches us, every knee will bow to Him, and every tongue will confess “that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

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    How should we begin to worship Jesus? Let me share a story with you that, I believe, teaches us how. Jesus once healed a blind man and then slipped away into the crowd. And after He had healed the man, and the man could see, Jesus met Him again. The man had never seen Jesus; but he had surely come to love Him, because He had given him his sight. Jesus found the man and asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” And the man said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” Jesus said, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.” And the man said, “Lord, I believe!” (John 9:35-38). And then the Bible tells us, “And he worshiped Him.” (v. 38). I believe the first step to worshiping Jesus – and we all SHOULD worship Jesus – is by believing all that the Bible teaches us about Him. You can’t worship Him and disbelieve in Him at the same time.
    I would recommend that you read through the Gospel of John. Read it very carefully, and in a translation of the Bible that you can understand easily. And every time it tells you something about Jesus, and reveals yet another proof to you that Jesus is the Son of God, stop right then in your reading and pray. Say something like this in your own words: “Father in heaven, I believe what this is telling me about Jesus. Thank you for showing me the truth about Him. I place my faith in what it says.” Do that as you read through the Gospel of John. It was written specifically “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). As you do this faithfully, you will soon find that – in reading, believing, and praying in this way – you will be worshiping Him. He is alive; and He loves you, and wants you to know the truth about Him so that you can indeed worship Him as you should.
    Sincerely, and in Christ’s love,
    Pastor Greg
    (All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version.)

  • Creation for the Birds

    Creation Question for the Birds
    A visitor to our website asks a questions about Creation:

    He reads these words in Genesis 1:20-21; “Then God said, ‘Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.’ So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.” Then, he asks this question:
    DID THE WATERS BRING FORTH THE BIRDS? AND DID THEY THEN MULTIPLE IN THE EARTH AFTER COMING OUT OF THE WATER (GEN2:19)? IN OTHER WORDS, WERE THE BIRDS BROUGHT FORTH FROM THE WATERS OR FROM OUT OF THE GROUND???

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    Dear friend,
    Thanks for your question. We’re not given the details of how God created the different forms of life. We’re simply told that He did it; and that He created them ‘according to their kind’ – that is, according to their differing species. But you were right to notice some details.
    In Genesis 1:20-21, there are two separate acts of creation being described. On the fifth day, God created the two forms of life that corresponded to His creative act on the second day (vv. 6-8). We’re told that on the the second day, He divided the waters below (the seas that covered the earth) from the waters above (the “firmament”; that is, the sky and the canopy of clouds that covered it). And then, on the fifth day, He created the life that corresponded to those two spheres: the waters below (marine life); and as a separate act, He created the life that corresponded to the “waters” above (the birds). In the one case, He said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures” (that is, marine life); and in the other, He said, “. . . and let bird fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens”. These were two separate acts in God’s creative work; and they seem to be stated as such in verse 21. And in verse 22 He seems to issue two separate commands to “multiply”.
    In other words, though the creation of marine life and bird life are mentioned as occurring on the same fifth day, they are really two separate acts (broadly speaking) of creation; both corresponding to the two separate spheres created on the second day. When God says, in verse 20, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures”, He is speaking of marine life – not bird life. There is no indication that bird life was created in the waters.
    Genesis 2:19 is consistant with this. God, as that verse tells us, created bird life from the ground, the same as He created the animal life that lives on the land. So I would answer your question to the negative: God did NOT create the bird life from out of the water; but on the land, from which they multiplied and filled the sky . . . although I have to admit that that’s all the details we are given.
    God is a God of great order; isn’t He? He didn’t create the bird life in the water; in which birds would have drowned before they could multiply on the land or fly in the sky. Nor did He create the marine life on the land; across which fish would have to flop, in order – hopefully – to fall into the sea before they would dry out and perish in the open air. Last of all, God created man from the ground and upon the land; so that he could name the animals and the birds that God brought to him. God created all living things in an environment consistant with the individual natures of each. How wise He is!
    Your question was an interesting one. I commend you for taking the words of scripture seriously and making such careful observations. If you would like to read a commentary that may help, I recommend “The Genesis Record” by Dr. Henry M. Morris (published by Baker Books). Dr. Morris is a scientist as well as a very knowledgeable Bible teacher and Christian; and his commentary is a very informative and spiritually enriching guide. May God bless your further study of His word.
    Pastor Greg
    (All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version.)

  • Unforgiveable Sin

    A visitor to our website asks this question about the “unforgivable sin”:

    “I’ve been told by different people different things about the “unforgivable sin”. Some say that it’s the sin of rejecting Jesus Christ when the Holy Spirit reveals Him to be the Savior. Others say that it’s the sin of attributing the miracles of Jesus Christ to Satan. While the latter is really bad, is it unforgivable? What would make it unforgivable? I can see how rejecting Christ becomes unforgivable; but what about the other?”

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    Dear friend,
    The question of the unforgivable sin comes up in Matthew 12:31-32 (also Mark 3:28-30; and Luke 12:10).
    The setting is very important to notice. It was at a time when Jesus was experiencing the growing pressure of opposition against Him from the Pharisees. He had healed a man on the Sabbath day in the Synagogue; and this greatly intensified the opposition of the Pharisees to Him. He had healed many people, of course; but as far as the Pharisees were concerned, this was the last straw. Clearly, He was proving Himself to be the Son of God; but they would not believe in Him or receive Him; and so, they began to plot together how to destroy Him (Matthew 12:14).
    In this particular passage from Matthew (12:22-24), Jesus healed a demon-possessed man. People were beginning to believe on Him; but the Pharisees quickly jumped in to accuse Him of being able to cast out demons “by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons” (v. 24). In other words, they saw Him perform a miracle of healing by the power of the Holy Spirit; and they also saw that people were begining to ask, “Could this be the Son of David?”; and lest anyone should believe on Him any further, they attributed that act to the power of the devil.
    It’s important to remember that this was an accusation they were making repeatedly; see Matthew 9:32-33). On this particular occasion, Jesus answered their accusation in many ways–proving that it was a ridiculous and untenable thing to say (vv. 25-30). But it was then that He lays it on the line and says; “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matthew 12:31-32, New King James Version).

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    How should we understand this? I tend to see it within the whole context of Matthew’s Gospel. He wrote this Gospel for Jewish people; and he intended in it to show them that Jesus was their long-awaited King (1 Samuel 7:12-16). But, as it says of Jesus in John 1:11, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” The religious leaders saw Him; but did not receive Him. They rejected Him as their Messiah, and would eventually crucify Him.
    Given that this was the response of the Jewish leaders to Him as their Messiah, Jesus was then offered instead to the Gentiles (see Acts 26:15-18). In this case, the opposition of the religious leaders had finally brought them to a point of no return. Their opportunity to receive their King was, in that respect, now lost. But even then, we should see the grace of God at work in that their rejection resulted in salvation being offered to all people–Jews and Gentiles; whoever would receive Him (Romans 11:11-32).
    My point, then, is that whatever this sin was, it must be understood in that particular context–that is, in the context of the religious leaders of the Jewish people seeing the work of the Holy Spirit being exhibited through the bodily presence of Jesus; but then, after being an eyewitness to that work, attributing that power to the devil. If we understand the “unforgivable sin” in any other way than that, we’re understanding it out of its context.

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    So, what about us today? In my opinion, the sin being described in this passage was a unique sin, committed at a unique time, by a unique people–which was why it received such a unique condemnation The leaders of that day rejected their King; which, of course, was terrible. But these particular Pharisees did even worse than that alone. They rejected Him AND blasphemed the Holy Spirit who was revealing Him.
    We should remember that it’s the Holy Spirit’s ministry to shine the spotlight on Jesus (John 16:14); and if these Pharisees were to have simply spoken against Jesus in His humanity alone, that could have been a forgivable matter of spiritual blindness and ignorance (see Acts 2:36-39). But these Pharisees not only rejected the One on whom the spotlight shined, but also cursed and blasphemed the spotlight for having revealed Him to them. In doing so, they were displaying a hardness of heart that knowingly and deliberately shut the grace of God out of their lives. They refused to even receive the witness of Christ from the Holy Spirit; and they even sought to prevent others of their own people from receiving the witness of the Spirit through the miracles that Jesus performed before them. (In fact, I believe Jesus spoke later of them when He said, “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in” [Matthew 23:13].) That’s far beyond just the usual ‘hardness of heart’! What hope was there for those who would so uniquely resist the grace of God?
    Personally, then, I don’t believe this passage is describing a sin that can be committed today–certainly not, at least, in the same way. Many people have become very distraught and fearful over this matter–worrying about whether or not they have said some certain set of words at some time in their life that constituted “blasphemy against the Spirit”, and thus committed the unforgivable sin. But the issue is not the saying of a set of words. The issue is that of a persistent, unrepentant attitude of heart toward the divine revelation of Christ. It was, strictly speaking, a sin that was committed when Jewish religious leaders continually witnessed the actual work of Jesus Christ in performing miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit in an undeniable way over and over again–and yet, out of hatred for Him, persistently attributed those miracles to the power and working of the devil. (See also Mark 3:30–where it says that Jesus spoke these words to the Pharisees “because they said, ‘He has an unclean spirit’”. The verb there translated “they said” is in the imperfect tense; which suggests an ongoing practice. It can be translated as it is in the New American Standard version: “. . . because they were saying, ‘He has an unclean spirit’.”)

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    When you really think about it, people who are fearful that they may have committed this sin, and worry that they will now never be forgiven, actually prove that they haven’t committed it at all! A man or woman who has such a fear about that sin–or any other sin, for that matter–is experiencing the gracious work of God the Holy Spirit; because apart from the grace of the Holy Spirit, we wouldn’t even feel the conviction of sin at all (John 16:8). This, it seems to me, proves that their heart is not hardened against God, and that they are open to the Spirit’s revelation of Christ.
    As you suggest, some people have said that the “unforgivable sin” is that of rejecting Jesus; and that so long as someone continues to reject Jesus, they cannot be forgiven. There’s certainly a sense in which this is true. I can be forgiven of any sin; but NOT so long as I persist in rejecting the only Savior from sin! If I reject Him; what hope of forgiveness can I possibly have? But I don’t believe that that’s what this passage is talking about. Jesus was quite clear–He was talking about a sin that can never be forgiven, “either in this age or in the age to come”. I myself lived for many years as a young man who rejected Jesus. But I repented and believed; and I was forgiven for that sin. I am forgiven today!
    Truly, any sin can be forgiven if we will turn to Jesus and believe on Him.
    Blessings in Christ’s amazing and gracious love,
    Pastor Greg
    Bethany Bible Church
    (All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version.)

  • Abram & Sarai

    A visitor to our website writes:

    I was recently talking to some friends about church involvement. One friend said that they consider their church an extension of their family, and they try to be as involved as possible in the church activities and family. The other friend said her family thinks of their church the same way they think of school and work: as a part of their lives, but not an extension of it. They go every Sunday, give their tithe, and participate in special events, but not much more.
    My question is: How important is the church family to our spiritual lives? Should we treat our church family as an extension of our family, nurturing and holding ourselves accountable to them; or do treat it the same as school and work – a desirable necessity, but not crucial?

    * * * * * * * * * *

    Thanks for asking. This is a great question.
    Let me start of by saying that I believe very strongly that one’s church family is very, very important. In fact, I’ll go out on a limb and say that it’s more important than one’s professional life. I heard once about a pastor who met a new couple who had just moved into the community and had begun attending his church. They had moved from another part of the country, and the pastor asked them if if was a job transfer that had brought them into the community. “No,” they said; “It was this church. We heard that God was doing some great things through this church family, and we felt strongly led by God to sell our home, and move here so that we can be involved with what God was doing.” And then they said, “By the way; do you know where we could find jobs?” Few people demonstrate that kind of devotion to a specific local church; but I think it reflects the correct priorities.
    One of your friends said that church ought to be looked on as an extension of their family. I agree with the spirit of that statement; but I would say that it needs to be kept in balance. To be honest, some people have used heavy involvement with their church family as a way of escaping from their family responsibilities at home – and that’s always wrong. There was a church I knew of in the Seattle area that had become cult-like; and its aggressive leader was demanding all of people’s time and energy. As a result, many folks were losing their jobs; some were getting complaints from their neighbors because their homes and lawns were turning into wrecks; and some even lost marriages. Aside from being a heretical church, it was also left a very bad impression on the unbelieving community. God gives us many responsibilities and obligations to manage; and He doesn’t call us to give ourselves so completely over to one legitimate God-given area of our lives to the extent that we destroy other legitimate God-given areas of our lives.
    But as you read the scripture, you can’t get around the fact that God calls us to become deeply involved and active in our church family. It’s not to be treated like a mere extra-curricular activity (such a golf on the weekends, or membership in the local Rotary Club.) Church (not the building, but the assembly of all redeemed people) is unlike anything else we can be involved in. It is a living, spiritual entity – one in which Jesus Christ dwells. We don’t simply “join” it; we are “baptized” into it by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13). The model that the New Testament gives us is that of the church being a Body and we as the individual members of it – all with Christ as the Head. In Ephesians 4:11-16, Paul writes: “And He [that is, Jesus] Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ – from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
    Look at that passage carefully. You can see that, for the church to function as God intends, the active involvement of each redeemed man and woman is essential. It speaks of each member of the body being connected by “what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share”. God designed the Body (the church) to function just like our physical bodies do: it grows only when every member of the body performs its God-designed task to the benefit of all the other members. God gave divinely-appointed leaders (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors/teachers) – not to do the work as ‘trained professionals’, but “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” When it is functioning as it should, the Body-life of the church makes all of its individual members grow to be more like Jesus Himself – thus making them better fathers or mothers, better husbands or wives, better employers or employees, better citizens or leaders or community servants.
    Today, many people treat church in the second way you described. It isn’t really very important to them. They attend only if it doesn’t get in the way of other things that are “more important” to them. Folks go from one church to another very easily nowadays; and they’ll leave an otherwise good church simply because they don’t like the drums, or because the preacher said something from the Bible that rubbed them the wrong way. An ungodly “consumer-mentality” has ruled how people commit themselves to their church – “What’s in it for me?” But that’s not the pattern God gives us in the New Testament. For the early Christians, church was a matter of unquestioned importance. It wasn’t an option. They drew together faithfully, and often at great personal cost and danger. It wasn’t “convenient” to do so, especially during times of persecution; but they were deeply involved in personal and active ways. A good picture of what “church involvement” was originally like is given to us in Acts 2:42-47: “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
    My personal experience is that the members of my church family are my best and dearest friends. I love them and would rather be with them than anyone else I know (with the exception of my wife and children). I have been in other churches, and have sometimes preached in them; and I always feel welcomed when I do. But I would much rather be “home” with my own church family. I willingly hold myself accountable to my brothers and sisters in it, and I covet their deep involvement in all areas of my life. If I didn’t have my church family, I would quickly become very weak and ineffective spiritually; and I certainly wouldn’t gain the benefit of all the giftedness and works of service that the various members of the Body render unto me – as well as the things I am gifted to do in service to them. It’s not a perfect church – the only perfect one is in heaven right now. But it is absolutely essential to the health of my soul – imperfect as it may be toward me and I toward it. The command of God in the scriptures is that we not forsake the assembling of ourselves together (Hebrews 10:25). Deep involvement in a good, Bible-teaching, Christ-worshiping, loving, serving church family is a command from God – not to be disobeyed without serious consequences to our spiritual health.
    Here’s a good guiding question to ask: Who is the Lord of my life? My suggestion is that, if Jesus Christ is on the throne of someone’s life, they will look upon church involvement with the same importance that He places on it. They will be submitted to its leaders as an expression of being submitted to Him. They will become as involved in the life of the church as He desires them to be; and they will find that doing so will be increasingly a blessing to them. But if Jesus Christ is NOT on the throne of someone’s life – if they’ve merely “asked Jesus to become a part of their lives”, but haven’t actually given their lives to Him; if they have tipped the hat, so to speak, to Jesus, but are still calling the shots for themselves – then they’ll give church as much importance as THEY desire it to have. They’ll be as committed to church as it is convenient for church to be to them.
    God has called the church into being through the cross of Christ; and He has given it to us as a great gift for our spiritual protection and enrichment. If Jesus is truly the Lord of our lives, then we will be as committed to and involved in our local church as He desires for us to be. So then, you can almost look at your church life as a pretty good indicator of who your life truly belongs to. The place to begin is to give ourselves completely over to Jesus Christ; and He will place us in the Body and make us as involved as He wants us to be.
    This was a very good question. Thanks.
    Pastor Greg

  • Old Names

    A recent visitor to our website asks: “Who was Cephus in the Bible?”

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    Cephus is actually someone you know very well, if you are a reader of the Bible. That’s just another name for the Apostle Peter. He is actually called by several names in the Bible; and that sometimes makes for a little confusion.
    ‘Cephus’ is his Aramaic name. Aramaic is the language that the Jewish people of Jesus’ day commonly spoke; and Cephus is an Aramaic name that means “rock”. ‘Peter’ (as we say it in English) is his Greek name (pronounced Petros in Greek). Greek was the language that the New Testament was written in; and it – like ‘Cephus’ – means “Rock”.
    Peter’s original name was Simon (which meant “God has heard”); and his father’s name was “Jonah” or “Jona” (which was also a common name in those days). If you read John 1:41-44, you’ll see all three names being applied to the same person. We’re told that Andrew, after having met Jesus, “first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, ‘You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephus’ (which is translated, A Stone).
    “The following day, Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.” So, you see; Jesus met Simon, the son of Jonah, and immediately gave him a new nickname: “Peter” (Greek) or “Cephus” (Aramaic), which means “Stone” or “Rock”. (If he were alive today, his nickname might have taken the modern form “Rocky”.) That’s why you sometimes find his name called “Simon-Peter” (see, for example , Matthew 16:16). (I don’t want to get too fanciful here; but isn’t it intersting that before he could be could be called Peter, “Rock”, he had to first be known as Simon, “God has heard”!)

    * * * * * * * * * *

    You might wonder why Jesus changed Simon’s name to Cephus (or Peter). Jesus, I suspect, did that often. You might remember that He even gave a nickname to the two feisty brothers James and John – “Boanerges, that is, ‘Sons of Thunder’” (Mark 3:17). Jesus, I believe, has a wonderful ability to capture the essence of a person and put it into a new name – both as an encouragement and as a gentle rebuke.
    He gave this nickname to Peter – I believe – because He was calling Peter by what he would actually become . . . and what he would have to strive to behave like. It was Peter’s testimony that would be the foundation upon which the church would be built; “. . . having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone” (Eph. 2:20). When Peter testified that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16), Jesus responded by saying, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter [that is, Petros – a single stone], and on this rock [and in this case, it’s a different Greek word petra – which means “bedrock” or “a massive rock formation] I will build My church . . .” (vv. 17-18).
    Peter was called “Rock” because it was upon the “massive stone” of the testimony he would one day give – that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God – that Jesus Himself would build His church. (Jesus didn’t build His church on Peter, as some have said; but rather on Peter’s testimony.) No wonder the Lord changed his name when He first met him!

    * * * * * * * * * *

    Peter didn’t always behave in a manner that was in keeping with the new name the Lord gave him, though. He didn’t always act as solid as a rock. In fact, it’s very interesting to notice the times when Jesus reverts to calling Peter by his old name.
    When dealing with Peter’s concern for paying taxes, for example, the Lord called him “Simon” (Matthew 17:25). When He prophesied of Peter’s eventual denial of the Lord, Jesus told him, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail . . .” (Luke 22:31-32; and by the way, I suspect the Lord has to say my name twice sometimes too – just to get my attention!). When Peter failed to stay awake with the Lord in the garden, Jesus said, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour?” (Mark 14:37). And after Jesus was raised from the dead and had a beach-side breakfast with the disciples – after Peter felt terrible conviction about his denial – we’re told that “Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” (John 21:15).
    This reminds me that Jesus has changed my life. He has truly redeemed me from my sins, and has given me a brand new destiny. I’m a brand new man in Him – with a brand new identity. But sadly, I still stumble and fall at times. I still end up behaving like the “old Greg” that I was – and not like the “new Greg” that Jesus has saved me to be. I can’t point too many accusatory fingers at Peter for having acted like the old “Simon”; because all too often, I do the same.

    * * * * * * * * * *

    The Bible tells us that, in heaven, the saints whom the Savior redeems “shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads” (Revelation 22:4); and Jesus Himself says of the one who will live in the New Jerusalem, “I will write on him My new name” (Revelation 3:12). Could it be that Jesus has a new name already picked out for each and every one of His loved ones – a whole new identity that reflects the marvelous work of His grace in making them into brand new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17) and God’s new “workmanship” in Him (Ephesians 2:10)? Personally, I suspect so. And if that’s the case, then I long to live up to my new name, don’t you? – less of a “Simon”; and more of a “Peter”!
    Blessings in Christ’s love,
    Pastor Greg Allen
    (old name; new name yet to be revealed)
    (All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version.)

  • Vengeance

    A visitor to our website writes with a question about “vengeance” in the Bible. He reads Romans 12:19 – “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.” He was told that to avenge does not mean vindictiveness, revenge, or retaliation; but that it means restoration of wholeness and integrity. He was told that cries to God for vengeance in the Bible are often cries for redemption, restoration, health, and healing. He writes to ask for clarification on this.

    * * * * * * * * * *

    Dear friend,
    The verse that you are pointing to, Romans 12:19, uses the Greek word edikeõ; which, in different forms, is translated “avenge” or “vengeance”. It can mean “to punish” (2 Corinthians 10:6); or “to avenge” sin (Revelation 6:10; 19:2). It can also refer to the act of bringing about justice for someone; as in Jesus’ parable, when a judge is compelled to bring about justice for a poor widow (Luke 18:3, 5). As it’s used in Romans 12:19, I believe it has the meaning of “seeking to avenge” one’s self, or “brining about justice” for one’s self. This is made clear by the fact that Paul urges that ‘place’ be given to God to act; because God says, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay”. (“Repay” is the Greek wordantapodidõmi; which means “to pay back” or “to give retribution”.)
    The apostle Paul is quoting loosely from Deuteronomy 32:34-35; and from the “Song of Moses”. It’s a passage that speaks of God’s judgment on Israel for having turned away from Him. In that passage, God says, “Is this not laid up in store with Me, sealed up among My treasures? Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; their foot shall slip in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things to come hasten upon them” (New King James Version). The Hebrew word translated “vengeance” in that case is nakãm; and it is also used in reference to God in Lev. 26:25; Deut. 32:41, 43; Psalm 58:10; Isa. 34:8; 35:4; 47:3; 59:17; 61:2; 63:4; Ezek. 24:8; and Mic. 5:15. The same Greek word as used in Romans 12:19 (edikeõ,) is used in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) of Deuteronomy 32:35. I suggest carefully reading the Old Testament passages above concerning God’s “vengeance” – each verse in its surrounding context – and see how the word is used.
    When you or I attempt to avenge ourselves, we can’t do it without bringing sin into it. We tend to do it with a wicked spirit of vindictiveness and revenge. And I would have to say that when it comes to God – though His vengeance is never sinful – it is not always redemptive or intended to bring about healing or restoration. Often for God, it is a matter of justice. God, however, is the only one who can bring about justice without committing sin. He alone knows all the circumstances and the motives of all the hearts that are involved; and He knows how to bring about perfect justice in a way that is truly just. And yet, sometimes, I believe it is intended by Him to bring about healing or restoration or holiness. But the sobering fact is – at least, so it seems to me – that God’s “vengeance” is not always “redemptive”.
    I would say, though, that that’s the thing we need to leave to God. Anything that we do toward someone who does us wrong needs to be genuinely redemptive, or to bring about restoration or wholeness. We are to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44), and leave the rest to God. Perhaps this was what Paul had in mind when he said what he says in Romans 12:20-21!
    I hope this helps.
    Blessings,
    Pastor Greg

  • Revelations Revisited

    A visitor to our website writes:

    “When will the events described in the Book of Revelation happen?”

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    Dear friend,
    Thanks for your question. Ever since we started the “Questions to the Pastor” section of our website, it’s been surprising to me how often people write to ask about the Book of Revelation.
    Let me begin with a basic answer. I believe that the Book of Revelation is describing events that will take place in the future. Much of the book uses highly symbolic language; but it is symbolically describing literal future events. When the Apostle John was given a vision of the Lord Jesus at the beginning of the book, Jesus told him, “Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this” (Rev. 1:19). This gives us the basic outline of the Book of Revelation: “the things” which John “saw” refers to the vision of Jesus he had in 1:9-20; “the things which are” refers to the letters to the seven churches in chapters 2-3; and “the things which will take place after this” refers to the main body of the letter, from chapter 4 all the way to the end.
    If you look at the first verse of chapter 4, you’ll read, “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, ‘Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” And so, whatever those chapters speak of refers to events that take place after the context of the seven letters to the seven churches.
    If the Book of Revelation is describing future eventsI believe that’s very important to remember, by the way. Many very foolish predictions have been made, and many false teachers have arisen.
    Things that people often associate with the ‘end of the world’, were things that Jesus said are NOT necessarily signs that the end was near. He said, “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these things are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:4-8).
    When the attacks of 9/11 occurred, many very upset people were calling and asking me if I thought it was the end of the world. It was a horrible time that we’ll all always rememberThat’s not to say that Jesus hasn’t given us some signs to watch out for, however. He described many events that would indicate that the time was drawing near. Jesus went on to say, “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another” (vv. 9-10). One indicator is, I believe, a world-wide and intense hatred for believers. It will be a desperate time of persecution and tribulation. The church has always suffered persecution somewhere in the world; but when we see this beginning to happen in an unprecedented, world-wide, and murderously intense scale, we should consider this a sign that Jesus’ return is soon to occur.
    Along with that persecution will be the rising up of an unprecedented number of false prophets and false teaches who lead people into intense lawlessness and ungodliness. “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (vv. 11-12). The end-times will be characterized by an overwhelming departure from the truth. When the prevailing culture becomes characterized by a complete loss of love and compassion for one’s fellow man; and when false doctrine so prevails that it seems as if the truth is about to be crushed into exinctionA third signJesus described other events that are signs His return would very, very immanent. These would include the existence of the Temple in Jerusalem, and the setting up of an abominable idol in that Temple. Many of the signs already mentioned would occur during that time, but would be greatly intensified (vv. 15-28). And there will also be disturbances in the heavens: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (v. 29). The most obvious indication of all is contained in these words: “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (vv. 30-31).
    Jesus indicated that there would be a general carelessness about the times; and that people would be living as if His return was never going to happen at all (vv. 37-41). The apostle Peter, who was present to hear those words from the lips of Jesus, also said the same thing: “. . . that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation’” (2 Peter 3:3-4). He said, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night . . .” (v. 10). The apostle Paul likewise said, “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3). I believe that a general disbelief in the Lord’s literal return would prevail during the time just preceeding that return. When people increasingly mock the idea of His coming, they don’t realize that they’re becoming a sign that His return is very near!

    * * * * * * * * * *

    So; those are the signs of His return that the Lord has given us. But I stress that they only indicate the general character of the end-times to us. They do not give us a specific date or an era. Jesus has told us only what we need to know in order to live faithfully for Him in the present, and to keep on looking toward His return. I suspect that that’s by design. If we knew the specific date, my guess is that we would be living carelessly and unfaithfully up until the last minute. We should be grateful that the Father has kept that date to Himself.
    And by the way; that ought to lead us to the thing Jesus wants us to do in response to all He has told us about the end-times. He hasn’t told us a specific date for His return; but He has commanded that we be continually on the alert and “watch”. I believe that that one word sums up what we’re to be doing<“watch” in a spirit of faithful readiness. He said, “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:42-45). He told His disciples, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matthew 25:13). And His words include you and me: “And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mark 13:37).
    “Watching” doesn’t mean we have our heads cocked backwards, staring up into the clouds. It refers to an attitude of faithfulness and expectancy in the way we live. Paul summed it up for us very well: “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefor comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:4-11).
    May we keep on the watch until He returns!
    In Christ’s love,
    Pastor Greg
    (All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version.)

  • Does it take a tragedy?

    A visitor to our website writes that the mother of a friend of his came to Christ as a result of a tragedy. His friend’s niece lost her life in an auto accident; and as a result of the girl’s death (the girl was a believer), the friend’s mother’s heart was softened to the Lord and she trusted Him for salvation and was baptized in a church.
    In other words, it took a tragic accident to awaken this woman to her need for a Savior. And the visitor to our website struggles with this. He knows that the girl who died is now safe in the arms of Jesus; and understands that, from God’s perspective, such a tragedy isn’t a completely bad thing. But our visitor is resentful of the fact that it took something so grievous to cause his friend’s mother to see her need. This visitor writes: “I love Jesus so much and want everyone to be saved, but I don’t want bad things to happen before someone believes. I myself was ‘jolted’ back to Jesus after my marriage fell apart and was denied custody of my daughter.
    “It says in God’s word that it is hard for a rich man to get into heaven; … Why? Why do bad things have to happen before we wake up???”

    * * * * * * * * * *

    Dear friend,
    I sense from the tone of your letter – and certainly because you mention that you yourself went through the terrible trial – that this is a pretty important and perplexing matter for you. I think it is summed up in your question: “Why do bad things have to happen before we wake up?” Why does God, it seems, have to use such terrible trials to cause some of us to realize our need for Jesus and trust Him? Why can’t we just trust Him because of the good things He brings into our lives?
    I’m going to confess something to you; I don’t feel as if I have suffered very much in my life. So please understand; whatever I say in answering your question is not going to come from my own experiences of suffering. What I have learned about suffering is from what I have read in the Scriptures or from talking to others who are “seasoned sufferers”. I hope that, because of this, you’ll be patient with my stumbling attempts to answer you. In fact, I have to tell you that I think you’re asking about a great mystery – and I’m quite sure I CAN’T give you a full answer! But let me at least share a few thoughts.

    * * * * * * * * * *

    First of all, let’s consider that passage you mentioned. That was from the story in the New Testament of Jesus’ encounter with the Rich Young Ruler. Jesus, you’ll remember, turned to His disciples after the young man walked away and said, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:23-24). The disciples were greatly astonished at this; and declared, “Who then can be saved?” They rightly concluded from what Jesus said that, if it were left to being a matter of one’s own power, or stature, or resources, no one would ever be saved! And Jesus then gave a very important answer. He looked at them and said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (v. 26).
    The reason I think that this relates to your question is because it involves the whole matter of what it takes for someone to be saved. Salvation is, as Jesus said, an utter impossibility for men. But it is not impossible for God to save a man. In fact, with God, all things are possible. I think that, for some people, God uses trials and terrible suffering to bring them to Himself. In the case of other people, He works in a completely different way. In the end, it’s not the circumstances that make our salvation happen; but rather the grace and power of God that brings us to salvation. Like John the apostle says; “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe on His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).
    So at least a part of the answer to your question, “Why do bad things have to happen before we wake up?” would have to include the idea that it’s not our circumstances – bad or good – that ultimately cause us to wake up. In the final analysis, it’s God’s sovereign grace that causes us to wake up. Unless God gives the grace to believe; then no amount of hardship will ever make someone believe.

    * * * * * * * * * *

    Now; along with saying that it’s God’s sovereign grace that ultimately causes us to be awakened to our need and enables us to trust Jesus for our salvation, we also have to affirm that God has chosen to use a variety of circumstances to do this. The God who ordains the end (our salvation), also ordains the means to that end (that is, our circumstances). And, as it seems to me you have said, the fact that God sometimes uses tragedy or trials to do this isn’t in itself a bad thing.
    When I think of this, I think of the Old Testament story of Joseph and of how his brothers sold him into slavery. Because they had done this evil act to him, he was able to rise up to a position of great power in Egypt and serve as their protector and provider during a time of famine. He comforted them and told them, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for God, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (Gen. 50:20). Look at that carefully. Joseph didn’t say God took what they meant for evil, and “turned it around” for good. Rather, it says that God “meant” it for good. He meant the same circumstance as those twelve brothers meant; but He intended a completely different purpose in it than they intended.
    We have to call a thing “good” or “bad” not just on the basis of its immediate impact, but also by it’s ultimate result; and if bad circumstances result (through God’s sovereign love and mercy) in eternal blessedness in Christ, then those “bad circumstances” are really wonderfully good. You could put it this way: If our trial brings us closer to Jesus, then the second most precious gift God could ever give us – second, of course, only to Jesus Himself – is our trial! What a blessed gift such a trial, then, truly proves to be!!

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    We’d also have to say that not all hardship is intended to awaken people to salvation. Sometimes – and this is a very difficult thing to say – God allows hardship in order to harden some people in their unbelief. The apostle Paul mentions this in his letter to the Romans. He spoke of the Pharaoh during the time of Moses, and said, “For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth’ [here quoting from Exodus 9:16]. Therefore, he has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens” (Rom. 9:17-18).
    Just as the Ten Plagues God administered on Egypt through Moses only served to harden Pharaoh’s heart, God permits some trials in the lives of some hardened unbelievers in order to harden them further. If we were to ask why God would do that, the only answer Paul gives us is this: “But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ Does not the potter have the power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? (Rom. 9:20-24).

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    These passages, I believe, give us some scriptural perimeters within which to think about the question, “Why do bad things have to happen before we wake up?” But I realize that it doesn’t entirely answer the question.
    I’m going to suggest to you, friend, that it’s one of those questions that we’re not going to get a full answer to; and that we’re just going to have accept what little we know about it from God’s word, and trust that God will always prove to have done what is right in the end. It’s something about which, as one theologian has said, we need to have a ‘learned ignorance’ – that is, a knowledge of what we cannot and may not know until we get to heaven.
    But though we may not have a full answer right now, we can – and should – give God a full response right now. We may not get a satisfactory answer to the question, “Why do bad things have to happen before we wake up?”; but we should praise God, and say, “Thank You, O heavenly Father that – however it happened – I woke up!! Thank you that Your Son underwent the worst “bad thing” on the cross for me; and that You gave me the faith to believe. It was all Your doing; and through it, You proved to be wonderfully good to me; and I will praise You forever because of it!”
    And what’s more, I think that you can look at your friend’s mother and say the same thing: “Thank you, Lord, that – however it happened – You allowed her to wake up too!” If she truly believes; then one day, you and she – and your friend’s niece – and your friend, too – will all praise Him in heaven together. There wont be any tough questions then about why it happened the way it did – just eternal praise and thanks to a sovereign God who always does what is right and just.
    Again, that may not be an entirely satisfying answer to your very good question; but I truly believe it’s the best one we can have on this side of eternity. I suggest that, when we find that God has so limited things for us that we can’t get the answers we want, we should at least make sure He gets from us the response He desires and deserves.
    God bless you,
    Pastor Greg
    (All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version.)