If the only way you can be saved is through Jesus' blood, then how were people saved previous to Jesus?  I understand the Jews had animal sacrifices which rolled their sins forward.  But what about the non-Jews?

Sincerely,
Who’s Paying For This?

Dear Who’s Paying For This,

The Bible doesn’t tell us much about the Gentiles that lived before Jesus, but what little we do know tells us that God didn’t forsake them.  When God called Abraham out from amongst his people (Gen 12:1-2), everyone that wasn’t descended from Abraham became a ‘Gentile’.  The Old Testament follows the descendants of Abraham and God’s covenant with them; that is why there isn’t much said about the other nations that lived on this planet.  Here is what we know:

1. God praised and blessed honest Gentiles.  Melchizedek is called a ‘priest of God’ (Gen 14:18), and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, was the priest of Midian (Ex 3:1) and worshipped God.  We don’t know exactly what arrangement God had with these men, but we know that they were pleasing to God and not a part of the Jewish nation.  Another great example of a godly Gentile was Cornelius.  God blessed and heard Cornelius’ prayers (Acts 10:1-4).
2. Some Gentiles were blessed by God through conversion to Judaism.  Rahab and Ruth were both Gentile women that turned to God by becoming Jews.  Both of these women are mentioned in the lineage of Christ (Matt 1:5).
3. We have a single statement in the book of Romans that hints at what kind of law the Gentiles were under.  Rom 1:14-15 says that the Gentiles had a law of conscience written by God on their hearts.  This doesn’t tell us much, but it does point out that God had a system for judging the Gentiles… it was just different than the system He used for judging the Jews.

All of this just gives a glimpse at the pre-Christian Gentile world, but it is enough to paint a picture that God had a plan; we just don’t know exactly how it worked.

Does the Bible say hell is for real?

Sincerely,
Afraid Of Fire

Dear Afraid Of Fire,

Mk 9:47-49 says that hell is a place where “the worm never dies and the fire is not quenched”.  Jesus also told the story of a rich man that died and went to torments (Lk 16:22-23).  In torments, the rich man was in constant burning anguish without relief (Lk 16:24).  Abraham told the rich man that he would remain in anguish and that there was a great gulf eternally fixed between those in Paradise and those in torment (Lk 16:25-26).  Though some good brethren believe that hell is not an eternal location and that the wicked are destroyed at death, we don’t believe that this holds up to biblical scrutiny.  Hell is a real place, and you really don’t want to go there.  Examine yourself and ask, “If I died today, would I be ready to meet God?”  If you aren’t sure, read “What Must I Do To Be Saved?”

I saw a vision when I gave my life to Jesus that I was preaching to millions of souls on a stage and crusades.  I praise the Lord who used me to bring at least sixty souls.  When will my whole vision come to pass?

Sincerely,
Visionary

Dear Visionary,

The days of dreams and visions have passed.  In the past, God spoke to various people through dreams, visions, and prophecy, but today He speaks to us through His Son, Jesus Christ (Heb 1:1-2).  Now that we have the complete and perfect Bible – there is no need for God to give people individual dreams or visions.  It is through the Word of God that we learn how to live faithfully (Rom 10:17).

We are sure that your dreams mean something, but they don’t mean anything supernatural or prophetic.  What you had was not a vision.  Prophets have visions, and there are no more prophets since we have the perfect and complete Word of God (1 Cor 13:8-10).  The human mind is a complex and wondrous thing (Ps 139:14).  It is perfectly normal for our minds to make mental connections as we pray, study, sleep, etc.  Those mental images aren’t visions; they are just your own thoughts as your mind meditates upon what you have said, read, or heard.

We recommend you read “I Dreamed A Dream” for more information.

Where in the Bible does it say it is wrong to use tobacco?

Sincerely,
Fired Up

Dear Fired Up,

Anything that purposefully poisons our bodies is wrong to use.  There was a time where the facts were not clearly known about the effects of cigarettes, pipes, and cigars on human health.  Those days are long since gone.  The data is exceptionally clear that smoking is always harmful to the human body and that smoking has no positive health benefits.  God tells us to treat our bodies as a temple (1 Cor 6:19).  Our bodies are a gift from God, and life is something to be cherished.  When we purposefully abuse our bodies with unhealthy lifestyles, we rebel against God and show ungratefulness for the life He has given us.  Present your body as a living and holy sacrifice to God (Rom 12:1).  Who knows what work He has prepared for you in the days and years that would be lost if you died from the effects of smoking?

Baptism needs to be rethought.  If that is a condition, then Moses, David, Samson, and a host of others needed to be baptized.  The thief on the cross needed to be baptized.  If we use Scripture to prove Scripture, then you can't account for any child, including David's child out of sin, to enter heaven.  You must correct yourself now and share this with all who lean on you for correct information.  Just as communion is a physical act that helps us spiritually, so baptism is a physical act because we are physical beings hoping to become more spiritual – and we do with maturity.  Some can't even be baptized.  Do not lay this burden on people. God bless and do so soon.

Sincerely,
Very Dry

Dear Very Dry,

We would never want to lay a burden on someone that isn’t found in the Bible, but we also want to make sure that we don’t take away a command that God has given us.  We should never add or subtract from God’s Word (Rev 22:18-19).  Having said that, baptism is definitely a command and requirement for salvation (Mk. 16:16).  There are dozens of verses that reinforce this teaching (1 Pet 3:21, Acts 2:38-41, Matt 28:19-20, Acts 8:12, Acts 22:16, Rom 6:3, 1 Cor 12:13, Gal 3:27… just to name a few).  The verses requiring baptism for salvation are many and clear – so now let’s deal with your concerns.

1. Moses, David, and Samson didn’t need to be baptized because they lived under the Old Testament law.  They didn’t need to be baptized, just like christians don’t need to be circumcised and don’t need to make animal sacrifices.  They lived under a different contract (‘testament’ means ‘contract’).  Under the Old Testament, baptism wasn’t a requirement.  Under the New Testament, it is.
2. The thief on the cross didn’t need to be baptized because he didn’t live under the New Testament law either.  Jesus’ church didn’t come into existence until the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-6 and Acts 2:38-41).  For more detailed information on the thief on the cross, read “The Thief On The Cross”.
3. Children aren’t saved by baptism because they aren’t old enough to be held accountable for their sins; every child goes to heaven.  Read “Baby Bath” for specifics on the spiritual purity of children.
4. Communion is a physical act that has spiritual consequences, just like baptism is a physical act that has spiritual consequences.  The apostle Paul specifically said that if someone doesn’t take the Lord’s Supper properly, they will be guilty before God (1 Cor 11:23-27).  We live in a physical world, and the choices we make here have eternal ramifications.  Baptism is exactly like communion – if we don’t do it right, we will be guilty before God.

Hopefully, these verses give you some comfort that we are preaching and teaching exactly what the Bible says.  It is our goal here at AYP that no one will ever miss out on heaven because we failed to properly preach the whole counsel of God – and that includes the requirement of baptism.