I am very glad that you teach that you can lose your salvation.  However for those churches that teach eternal security could they be considered false prophets?

Sincerely,
True Or False?

Dear True Or False,

Yes, they would be considered false teachers.  It is no different than the false prophets of the Old Testament that cried, "Peace, peace" when the people should have been concerned about danger (Jer 6:13-14).  Those who teach eternal security are telling people they need not be concerned about their salvation or drifting away, but God tells us that we need to live deliberately so that we don't become disqualified (1 Cor 9:27).

     Can you divorce a spouse for committing homosexual acts with another person and remarry? If they don't technically commit intercourse because it's not physically possible, is it still adultery?  We are having a big debate on this subject at my church, and I would like some insight please.

Sincerely,
Divided Over Doctrine

Dear Divided Over Doctrine,

Matt 19:9 allows divorce for ‘fornication’.  Jesus never took the time to define what fornication was because the Jewish audience He was talking to had their Old Testament to read and could easily find out what fornication was by reading what the Old Testament said about the subject.  So let’s do what they would do!
Leviticus chapter twenty spends a lot of time talking about sexual immorality.  Sexual acts like laying with another man’s wife (Lev 20:10), incest (Lev 20:17), bestiality (Lev 20:15-16), and homosexual acts (Lev 20:13) all fall under the category of sexually immorality and are fornication.  So, yes, homosexual acts would be divorceable behavior.

Why would you say that angels could aid us, but not the Holy Spirit?  Where are the verses that specifically tell us the Holy Spirit does not act outside of scripture?  Seems like the Holy Spirit doesn't have a role any longer if that is the case, because scripture isn't living, but already written.  Is one third of the Godhead dormant?

Sincerely,
Where Did He Go?

Dear Where Did He Go?,

We here at AYP have never meant to imply that the Holy Spirit wasn’t able to help us – just because the Holy Spirit doesn’t perform visible miracles such as the parting of the Red Sea or the instantaneous healing of the lame, doesn’t mean He isn’t active.  Since the Holy Spirit is God (1 Cor 2:11, Gen 1:2) just as much as Jesus and the Father are, He is capable of being involved in our lives in a variety of ways.  The Holy Spirit’s primary task was to bring the gospel to mankind.  As you mentioned, He is why we have the Bible, and that is how the majority of His impact is made upon mankind.  Here are some examples of things that the Holy Spirit does through the Word:

1. He shows us God’s love for us (Rom 5:5).
2. He teaches us how to be born again (Jhn 3:5).
3. He dwells in our hearts (Rom 8:9) as we allow His words to lead us (Rom 8:14).
4. He bears witness for the saved before men (Rom 8:16).
5. He tells us what is on God’s mind (1 Cor 2:10).

By inspiring the writers of the Bible, testifying of their divine authority by miracles, and preserving their words through all history, the Holy Spirit has made Christ’s sacrifice available to all of mankind.

The Holy Spirit also actively does a few things that don’t directly relate to the Bible.

1. He makes sure our prayers are understood (Rom 8:26).
2. He intercedes for us with God (Rom 8:27).
3. He acts as our guarantee from God of eternal blessings (2 Cor 5:5).  One way to think of this is that God sent Him to be with us- sort of like a downpayment on His promise to spend eternity with us in heaven.
4. He grieves when we sin (Eph 4:30).

There can be no doubt that the Holy Spirit is actively preserving and distributing God’s Word, watching over our lives with providential care, and intimately caring about how you live and where you will spend eternity.

(This is a follow-up to “New To Us”.)

     What are the exact Scriptures that spell out the new laws Christ established?  If I had a list of the laws, it sure would be easier to make sure I'm following them.  It seems like every time I visit services, my preacher finds something in Scripture I must follow that I didn't see before.  If he weren't delineating all the laws for me to follow, I'm sure I would be lost. How do I know when a principle has been followed well enough and followed to absolute truth?  Seems like doing my best isn't good enough when I'm told I can always be more right.

Sincerely,
A minus

Dear A minus,

The whole New Testament is the compiled set of laws that Christ established.  Christianity isn’t just a short set of rules that can be quickly mastered.  The Bible is a life-changing book that you will spend a lifetime applying to your heart, mind, and actions.  The apostle Paul said that it was like an athlete carefully preparing his body for a match – we must shape our entire being around Christ (1 Cor 9:25-27).

Ps 119:160 says that the sum of God’s Word is truth.  If there were a short list of things you needed to do to be like Christ, we wouldn’t need the whole Bible.  The Bible is exactly the size it needs to be to convey all the ideas and principles God knows we need.

But don’t despair!  God understands that you don’t know everything and that we are all works in progress.  Being a Christian is like growing up – we start as babies and take baby steps until we get stronger (1 Pet 2:2).  Instead of feeling dismayed at all the things you don’t know yet, think of every new principle you will learn like a precious gem that God gives us along the way to heaven.

Which laws of the Bible are still laws that we should go by?

Sincerely,
Legally Binding

Dear Legally Binding,

The laws and commandments of the Old Testament are no longer binding.  When Jesus died on the cross, He blotted out the ordinances of the Old Testament that condemned us (Col 2:14).  The New Testament has surpassed and replaced the Old Contract written on tablets of stone (2 Cor 3:3-8).  The Old Testament was designed to lead mankind to Christ, but now that Christ has come, we are no longer under the Old Covenant (Gal 3:24-25).

That does not mean that the Old Testament has no relevance.  The Old Testament is the history of God’s interaction with mankind over the centuries.  The laws and lives of those people are given to us as an example and a written lesson of how to live (1 Cor 10:11).  The prophets’ lives are examples of perseverance and suffering (Jas 5:10).  Israel is given to us as an example of disobedience (1 Cor 10:6-10).  Hebrews chapter eleven is an entire chapter devoted to the faithfulness of people who lived during the Old Testament times.  The Old Testament has immense depths of wisdom to be plumbed.

The Old Testament also provides the background to Jesus’ life.  Jesus was born a Jew, and He lived under the Jewish Old Testament law.  When we understand that law, we have a deeper understanding of Christ’s life.  The Old Testament also contains hundreds of prophecies about Jesus’ life.  Isa 53:1-7 is just one example of an Old Testament verse that gives details about Jesus’ life and sacrifice.