Do we confront people who claim to know Christ and love Him but have no fruit?

QUESTION: As a Christian, do we confront people who claim to know Christ and love Him but have no fruit?  No Christian friends, do not attend church, live in sin?

ANSWER SUBMITTED BY PASTOR STACEY WEEKS:

Tough questions tend to be yes and no answers, and this question is another one of those!

Yes, we are called to gently correct others in love.  Galatians 6:1-2 provides a great road map for this:

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:1-2, NLT) 

In breaking down this verse and looking at all the pieces, there are some things we clearly cannot do as we gently correct people.  That is where the ‘no’ part of my answer comes in.

First, this is to be used for believers.  This is not for those who have not professed Christ with their mouth.  If you are not sure on this point, ask the person!

Second, ask yourself if the person is ‘overcome’.  Is the sin is overwhelming their life in some way?  Was it a momentary poor choice or is it affecting their relationship with others or themselves?  

Ok, with those elements spelled out, here comes the No part of the answer:   

-Do not fall into the temptation to sin in correcting another.

-Do not do this to break relationships apart or do other damage.

-Do not be abrupt, angry or prideful as you speak with the person.

I strongly recommend bringing the confrontation to God in prayer.  Pray over it for some time and ask God to prepare your heart and to provide you the words.  Remember what Jesus taught and walked: love the person and despise the sin.

The reality is that we will all be corrected over sin at points in our Christian walk and some sins may need repeated correction conversations.  

This is our legacy from the Fall and part of being a human being on this Earth.  It does not make God love the person receiving the correction any less or the fellow sinner speaking the truth any more.

After all, God sent Jesus to die on the cross for sinners.   He died for each of us and all of us.

Do those mentally incapable of accepting/comprehending Christ or God go to heaven?

Question: Do those mentally incapable of accepting/comprehending Christ or God go to heaven?


Answer submitted by Erik Neilson:
This is one of those things that people wonder about but seldom discuss. I'm grateful for this question and the spirit behind it because it raises some deep theological issues. People often wonder, "What happens to babies that die? What about children? What about those who are mentally ill? What about those who have never heard?"

At face value these seem like honest questions from people who are really wondering. I suspect most of us wrestle with these matters because we know someone who fits into one of the aforementioned categories. Let me speak directly to the question and then bring up a few additional thoughts.

The doctrine of "original sin" supposes that all people are born already guilty of sin. I feel safe in saying that the majority of Christian scholars and pastors (at this point in American Christianity) subscribe to this notion. I personally do not believe that we are born already guilty of sin, but would say with 100% certainty that we are born predisposed to sin and will all inevitably sin. Romans 3:10 says, "No one is righteous, not even one." Similar statements are made in Rom 3:23, 1 John 1:8, etc. Because of the doctrine of original sin some people believe that everyone who dies without formally entering into a relationship with Christ will go to hell...no exceptions. That would include babies, mentally ill people, etc.


But...most pastors and scholars I've spoken to and read believe in something commonly called the "age of accountability." This is simply the idea that children (or those with childlike minds) are not held accountable for their sins because of their age and level of understanding. They are incapable of grasping their own sinfulness, unaware of the fundamental problem between wickedness and righteousness. Essentially, they have a childlike innocence which protects them in the event of their death and subsequent judgment. There are a few passages in Scripture that would seem to support that idea:

-In Matthew 19:4 Jesus said, "“Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.”
-When David's son died he said, "I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me.” (2 Sam 12:23)
-In Matthew 18:3 Jesus said, "“I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven."

I feel safe in saying that these passages seem to indicate some kind of different status for children and perhaps those who are childlike in their thinking. I would caution that this a gray area and there is no definitive age or clear criteria given us by which to apply this principle. What we discover, if we trace this out far enough, is that God will be the final judge of each person and their inclusion or exclusion for heaven is his call. It is, after all, his kingdom.

To close I would like to suggest that we consider the motivation behind these types of questions. Often times people ask questions like this without really being honest about their motives. Behind these questions often lies some serious doubts. We say with are lips, "Will babies who've died go to heaven? What about the mentally ill?" But what we're really wondering in our hearts is "Can I trust God? Is God really fair? Is God really good?" It's ok to have honest doubts about matters of faith, but it's dangerous to take a critical angry posture toward God. There are no easy answers or "one-size-fits-all" approaches to difficult questions like these. As we ponder, pray, study and talk about who will and won't enter the Kingdom of God we should first remember the foundations of our faith. God is love. (1 John 4:8) God doesn't want anyone to perish. (2 Peter 3:9) God is Lord of all and we aren't! (Isaiah 45:9) Some abandon their faith over relatively obscure issues while completely ignoring the bedrock truths of our faith. Honest doubts draw us deeper into prayer, Scripture and the fellowship of believers. A critical spirit inflates our own self-righteous opinions while pulling us farther from the God of truth.

Question: Does all sin carry the same weight?

Question: Does all sin carry the same weight?

Answer: That is a great question. I feel I am being baited a little because the answer seems simple, but I feel like you may be wanting a little more.

Sin is humanity’s universal problem. We are all guilty on some level of committing cosmic treason against the Creator. We are rebels at heart. But, we are not rebels without a cause. We desire to replace God with our own gods. Ones of our own choosing. There are consequences for this. I believe that is what caused the Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, to pen these famous words:

“For the wages of sin is death,…” - Romans 6:23 NLT

This is a concept that is played out through the entire Bible. Starting in Genesis when God told Adam that he would surely die if he disobeyed the one restriction he was given. Eve was deceived into rebellion Adam walked right into it with both eyes open. They did not die physically that day, but now there was separation between them and their Creator. They had cut themselves off from the only Source of life. They died spiritually that day. 

However, God in His amazing grace and mercy pronounced judgment laced with the promise of redemption. Physical death eventually found Adam & Eve and every descendant of theirs after that and it continues to this day. 

So, the simple answer to the question is, “Yes, all sin carries the same weight, it keeps us separate from God. The Author & Sustainer of Life.”

While we walk this Earth, we will commit sin. And, whether you are a believer in Jesus Christ or not, your sins have consequences. But I believe that their are different weights in the consequences of our sins. 

For example, if I chose to have an affair and violate my marriage covenant, the consequences of my actions would cause “death” to the trust between my wife & I. It would likely cause separation in my family. It would destroy the confidence that my children have in me as a man of faith and as a father who keeps his word. 

However, if I choose to steal a car, the consequences are going to be quite a bit different if I get caught. My integrity would take a hit and I would likely face fines and jail time. 

There is quite a bit of difference in the weight of the consequences of my actions in those two examples. 

Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, we avoid the weight or wages of sins. But, sometimes we still have to endure the consequences of the sins. People who have not trusted in Jesus as Lord and Savior are still left to pay or bear the weight of sin. They receive justice for being rebels. People who have trusted and accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord do not have to pay for or bear the weight of their sin. They receive grace despite being rebels. 

That is why when I sin against God, I am quick t confess it to Him. Then I ask Him for help in dealing with the consequences of my actions. I am forgiven and He has forgotten it, but sin is very rarely personal in who it effects. It is like a rock thrown into a pond. Ripples radiate out from where the rock landed and the ripples closest to the entry point are the most intense. People closest to us feel the effects of the consequences of our sins. 

Thats what Paul meant when he wrote this from Romans 6:16-23 NIV

“Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness…Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

So, we must be sensitive to our forgiveness from God and allow that to shape our thinking so that it changes our actions to the kind of things that will benefit us leading to Holiness. Not shame us and lead to guilt. 

Great Question!

Literal 7 Day Creation

QUESTION: Some scientists think that the story of creation can be confirmed if one of God's days is actually 750,000 year long. Is this true?

ANSWER SUBMITTED BY ERIK NEILSON:

This is a commonly discussed issue that concerns the origins of life as we know it. To answer this question completely we'd half to delve into the realms of astrophysics, biology, chemistry and beyond. For the sake of this post we will break it down a little more simply.

First we need to understand that the two primary camps concerning the origins of life are the creationists and the naturalists. Creationists are those who believe that life on earth was created by a powerful and intelligent being. This is primarily a religious view though some scientists are open to the idea of intelligent design. Naturalists (also referred to as evolutionists) are those who believe that life simply originated by natural process over millions and millions of years. This is primarily a scientific view though some Christians believe that God started the evolutionary process; that view is called Theistic Evolution.

Many scientists are closed to the possibility of intelligent design and many Christians are closed to the idea of any kind of evolutionary process. We can't possibly discuss all the ins and out of that here. But, some people of faith with scientific minds have proposed a kind of blending of the two camps. How do they blend the millions of years that scientists believe are necessary for evolution with the Biblical notion of a 7 day creation? They suggest that the 7 days described in Genesis are not literal 24 hour time periods, but symbolic of longer time frames. These people often cite 2 Peter 3:8 which says, "that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day." While I understand the sentiment here, I can confidently say that Peter wasn't writing this passage regarding the creation-evolution controversy!

So how should Christians think about this creation vs evolution issue? The simple answer is that we should think carefully and critically about this complicated issue. Name calling, insults, and worn out cliches don't really help bring clarity! Here's some food for thought:

Many Christians have simple faith regarding this issue and have no trouble trusting the Biblical account of 7 literal days. I myself believe that if God can raise the dead back to life that he would have no problem creating the heavens and the earth! (Gen 1:1) For some people faith in God is all they need to believe in the literal 7 day creation account of Genesis 1 & 2.

Other Christians have trouble accepting things so easily and wrestle with what they've studied in the various scientific disciplines. While I believe in the 7 days of creation many Christians do not. Let me be quick to point out that this is not a salvation issue. People can be right/wrong on this issue and still go to heaven.

There are intelligent and informed people on both sides of this issue and there are no simple answers to the myriad of questions that arise when we're discussing this. While we may not ever get people to agree on all the critical points of this multifaceted issue we shouldn't simply ignore it. Being able to answer people's questions and objections on this topic may effectively remove the last barriers to their saving faith in Jesus.

If you really want to study this issue more there are some great resources I'd be happy to recommend.