404 Not Found

TK
Lima, OH

TK,

The Bible is clear that the way to heaven is a narrow way. While God is a God of forgiveness, He is also a God of justice. It matters not one bit that your Dad was part of a church, spoke in tongues and even performed miracles in Jesus’ name. The Word says that many will say in that day, Did I not do this and do that for you, Lord. And the Lord will say, Go away from me, I never knew you. Child abuse is sin. It leaves victims scarred for life and left with pain, misery and fear.

I pray God’s healing for you and all those affected by the evil works of a very twisted person. As to whether or not he is in Heaven or Hell? NOTHING he has done for the church or for the Lord will gain him entrance. True repentance is much more than just saying God please forgive me. Repentance includes seeing your sin as God sees it and finding it disgusting and wanting nothing to do with it ever again. Repentance is worked from the heart, not the tongue. Only God will know if his heart truly changed at the end of life. As far as heaven is concerned, IF your Dad found that forgiveness and wept over his sin, and not just said a prayer from his mouth. then he would be in Heaven.

The comforting news is that when you get there, you would not see your Dad as a perpetrator of evil works… that will have all been removed and the only thing remaining is the pure love that comes from a purified and glorified new body. You would see your Father in his perfected glorified state, I would expect him to express his remorse and regret for his actions on earth and offer you the love and relationship that never happened while he lived down here. That’s why heaven is so wonderful.

You would not behold your Dad of this life, full of twisted thoughts and consumed by evil works, but an entirely different and changed divine being clothed in the forgiveness and love of His Savior. You would be able to have the reunion of a lifetime free of fear and founded in God’s purest love.

As for your sister, she has legitimate right to act upon her hurt. It has not healed and until it does, do not expect her to act or think differently. My prayer is that somehow, through this Post even, that God’s Holy Spirit minister to her and touch the deep recesses of her heart that only He has access to and that she experience the joy of salvation coupled with the healing that comes from a loving Savior who was also hurt and abused by humanity.

Pastor Tim

GR
Lima, OH

GR,

First of all, we must realize that our physical condition is not God’s primary concern. I know we don’t want to hear that and I am not saying that God is not touched by our infirmities. Our Father’s first priority however is to prepare us for eternity because, face it, eternity is much longer than the few short years we have here. He is more concerned about our heart condition, the shape of our soul, the relationship we have with Jesus. When Jesus stepped into the public light and became anointed with the Spirit, his priority was not healing but to save the lost, destroying the works of Satan, and the preaching of the Good News. When his twelve disciples came back from an outing he sent them on, and they were all excited because they had healed people and cast out demons, Jesus told them to be more excited about their names being written in the Lamb’s Book Of Life. When the paralyzed man was lowered down through the roof to get to Jesus, Jesus’ first reaction was not to heal him but to forgive his sins. Healing came after.

Yet, Jesus could not walk through the cesspool of humanity without being moved by man’s condition, both spiritually and physically. He taught to open our eyes, but he healed out of simple compassion. God loves us. He cares deeply about us. His priority for us is eternity but he is still moved by the condition we live in, the diseases that attack us. So Jesus equipped his people to continue to act in compassion, to do what He did, to reach out in love, to bring relief to a suffering humanity. Look at his compassion. It is everywhere you read in the gospels, it became a big part of what Jesus did.

So why doesn’t God heal everyone? people ask. In compassion I believe God is willing to heal everyone, but I also must be resigned to His sovereign plan in each situation. God tells us through the prophet Isaiah that “My ways are not your ways and My thoughts are not your thoughts. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.” I do believe, however, that if we pray and intercede for healing, that healing will come in the way that God chooses. In John 11 verse 4, Christ reveals that Lazarus’s sickness was “not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified by it.” God desired to receive glory through that miracle. Its purpose was not so much for the life of Lazarus, nor for the love of Mary and Martha, as it was for the glory of God and His Son. Also in John 9:2-3 the rabbis asked about the blind man…”Who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither this man nor his parents, but that the works of God may be made manifest in him.”

Now, I have to admit that I don’t understand all of that and it is only through the eye of faith in the One I believe in that I can see that God sometimes has plans that far transcend human intellect. Our responsibility does not change however. We seek God relentlessly for the healing of our loved ones and even ourselves. We continually pray, faith believing in the One who is able to heal, which is Jesus our Lord. We bind the hand of the enemy and seek God’s direction each step of the way. Listen to the Lord as we pray. Trust his plan even when we can not see it!

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:16-21)

Pastor Tim

Amy
Salyersville, KY

Thank you Amy for your interesting piece. I suspect my response will be lengthy as there are several question here. Let me begin by disclosing what I know and have studied about the Apocrypha. The Roman Catholic Church did not officially canonize the Apocrypha until the Council of Trent (1546 AD). This was in part because the Apocrypha contained material which supported certain Catholic doctrines, such as purgatory, praying for the dead, and the treasury of merit.

Not one of them is in the Hebrew language, which was alone used by the inspired historians and poets of the Old Testament.

Not one of the writers lays any claim to inspiration.

These books were never acknowledged as sacred Scriptures by the Jewish Church, and therefore were never sanctioned by our Lord.

They were not allowed a place among the sacred books, during the first four centuries of the Christian Church.

They contain fabulous statements, and statements which contradict not only the canonical Scriptures, but themselves; as when, in the two Books of Maccabees, Antiochus Epiphanes is made to die three different deaths in as many different places.

The Apocrypha inculcates doctrines at variance with the Bible, such as prayers for the dead and sinless perfection:

Quote: And because he (Judas) considered that they who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grace laid up for them. It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins. (2 Maccabees 12:39-46)

The apocrypha also contains offensive materials unbecoming of God’s authorship:

Ecclesiasticus 25:19 Any iniquity is insignificant compared to a wife’s iniquity.

Ecclesiasticus 25:24 From a woman sin had its beginning. Because of her we all die.

Ecclesiasticus 22:3 It is a disgrace to be the father of an undisciplined, and the birth of a daughter is a loss.

It teaches immoral practices, such as lying, suicide, assassination and magical incantation.

The apocryphal books themselves make reference to what we call the Silent 400 years, where there was no prophets of God to write inspired materials. I believe it was God and not man that saw to it that these heinous writings find their way out.

As to the Dead Sea Scrolls. Those fragments found in the caves of Qumran are still being pieced together. Interestingly, I was able to see some of these actual fragments and believe me…it would be a scholars nightmare to mend these (with the exception of the book of Isaiah which was found nearly intact). Furthermore, the scrolls have to this day duplicated precisely the writings found in the Tanak (Masoretic Text) which proves again that God preserves His Word. It comes down to this: For you and I, either the Bible is held as the divinely inspired Word of God or it is just simply words that man has made up. I know one thing, it has stood the test of time! Man has consistently tried to stamp out His Word, but He promises that it shall remain until the very end. Praise God for that!

Pastor Tim

Elida, OH

LG,

Actually, there are no instances of infant baptism mentioned in the Bible. Every case of Christian baptism in the Bible involves older believers who have met a number of requirements before being baptized. These conditions require that a person have a certain level of understanding before consenting to baptism. The conditions for baptism, as set out by the Holy Scriptures, exclude infants as they are not capable of understanding the ordinance or consenting to it.

Repentance a Requirement for Baptism John the Baptist preached and baptized people to prepare them to meet the Messiah, Jesus Christ. His message was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” Matthew 3:2 (NKJV) When Jesus’ disciples went preaching and baptizing after Christ’s resurrection, they had the same message. “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let ever one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.” Acts 2:38

Learn What God Requires of You In His commission to the disciples when He met them following His resurrection, Jesus set forth another condition of baptism. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28: 19, 20 (NKJV)

Believe the Truth of God’s Word As part of the Great Commission, Jesus also said this, in conjunction with baptism. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” Mark 16: 16 (NKJV) Obviously, there’s no point in baptism if a person does not believe that God’s Word is true and that Jesus, His Son, came to give believers salvation.

How Old Should a Person Be Before Being Baptized?

Although the Bible does not specify any age that a person must be before accepting the rite of baptism, it is something that should be done as soon as possible, once the above requirements have been met. Paul, in recounting the story of his conversion, expressed an urgency to the rite of baptism. The Lord sent Ananias to restore Paul’s sight and deliver him a message. When he had done that, Ananias urged him to be baptized, saying, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” Acts 22:16 (NKJV)

Readiness for Baptism Based on Conditions

It is obvious that some important conditions must be met before a person can be baptized, but once the conditions have been met, it is important that a person be baptized as soon as possible. Remember that baptism is NOT A CONDITION OF SALVATION. WATER DOESN’T WASH AWAY OUR SINS…We are saved by repentance and receiving the grace of God through the atoning work of His Son at Calvary.

Pastor Tim

AMG
Lima, OH

AMG,

This matter of Christians not judging comes up again and again, but nobody ever seems to learn. So, here is my feeble attempt at straightening this out.

The source, for most people, of the idea that Christians should not judge comes from Matt. 7:1: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” If you read this single verse on its own, you may very well come to the conclusion that Jesus is telling people not to judge, but then comes the small matter of context. It turns out that sentences in the Bible, like every other written document ever produced, need to be read in context. We need to know what the surrounding verses say in order to understand this verse.

If you continue to read Matthew 7, through verse 5, you will see what Jesus is talking about. In verse 5, Jesus says, “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Here is the key to what Jesus means. He is speaking out against hypocritical and self-righteous judgments. He is not telling us to never judge; he is telling us how to judge rightly.

In fact, it would be extremely strange for Jesus to tell us to never judge in Matt. 7:1 when just a few verses later, in verse 6, he tells Christians to beware of “dogs” and “pigs” so that we don’t waste time giving them knowledge of God. The only way you can detect a metaphorical “dog” or “pig” is to judge other people’s actions! There are, in fact, many more verses in the New Testament that exhort believers to judge other people (e.g., Matt. 7:15-16; John 7:24; 1 Cor. 5:9; 2 Cor. 11:13-15; Phil. 3:2; 1 John 4:1; 1 Thess. 5:21).

To say that Jesus teaches us not to judge other people’s actions is obviously and plainly wrong. But how should Christians judge? Here are some biblical guidelines.

One should judge:

Consistently, not hypocritically
With Humility, not superiority
With Facts, not assumptions
Words and Deeds, not motive and intent
Biblical Issues, not personal preferences
Sins, not sinners
Temporal Matters, not eternal matters (salvation)
With a Goal to Show People Christ, not how good you are

Easier said than done, but that’s what our Lord commands. Rather than making the extreme claim that we should never judge, Christians need to figure out how to do it correctly. With God’s help, it can be done! Remember that our standard of righteousness is not measured by putting ourselves up beside the prostitute, drug dealer or even another Christian and feeling real smug. Put yourself next to Jesus and judge yourself according to His life…Ouch, that’s gonna hurt!

Pastor Tim

JD
Lima, OH

Dear JD,

I have been asked on a few occasions what does the Bible say about tattoos. Well to be totally upfront and honest with you my readers, I have to say that I am not above prejudice on this matter. However I always try to take my own preferences and tastes and put them on the shelf when I speak about a subject.

There is not a lot of direct biblical references to tattoos in the Bible. This is in part because the only people that practiced placing tattoos on their body during the times of the Bible were people outside the covenant of God. They were the people that practiced pagan religions. In Leviticus the Bible says Leviticus 19:28 (KJV)28 You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you. I am the Lord.

In this passage God is speaking to his covenant people Israel. He is specifically telling them to stay far from the religious practices of the surrounding people groups. The prohibited religious practices in these verses include eating bloody meat, fortune telling, certain hair cuts related to the priests of false cults, cutting or marking the body for dead relatives, cultic prostitution and consulting psychics.

All these practices would lead God’s beloved people away from Him and toward false gods that were not Gods at all. In the midst of this context we find the word translated “tattoo marks” in verse 28. It is important to note here that the context of this passage is not one of body décor but one of marking one’s self in connection with cultic religious worship. Bible commentaries tell us much about the eastern religious practices that God was warning His people to shun.

These prohibitions seem to relate to pagan religious customs which should be avoided, including pagan mourning rites (vv. 27-28) Sources: Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983–c1985). The Bible knowledge commentary: An exposition of the scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

The practice of making deep gashes on the face and arms and legs, in time of bereavement, was universal among the heathen, and it was deemed a becoming mark of respect for the dead, as well as a sort of propitiatory offering to the deities who presided over death and the grave. The Jews learned this custom in Egypt, and though weaned from it, relapsed in a later and degenerate age into this old superstition (Is 15:2; Je 16:6; 41:5). “nor print any marks upon you” (v:28 )—by tattooing, imprinting figures of flowers, leaves, stars, and other fanciful devices on various parts of their person. The impression was made sometimes by means of a hot iron, sometimes by ink or paint, as is done by the Arab females of the present day and the different castes of the Hindus. It it probable that a strong propensity to adopt such marks in honor of some idol gave occasion to the prohibition in this verse; and they were wisely forbidden.

“Make any cuttings in your flesh” (v:28): the reference here is to the practice of making deep gashes in the skin while mourning the death of a relative. This was done to provide life blood for the spirit of the dead person rather than to express sorrow. On account of the dead: as indicated above, this describes the purpose of all the actions in verse 27 as well as verse 28.

The “tattoo” marks described in Leviticus 19:28 were clearly related to false religious practices. The word translated tattoo in our English Bibles is the Hebrew word “qa aqa”, this word appears only one time in the Bible, here in this passage Leviticus. The word “qa aqa” means literally “to cut” but taken with the surrounding words indicates a cutting that left a mark imprinted in the skin. This could have been a form of branding, scarring, cutting or a process where ink was inlaid into the skin; there is not enough data to fully define exactly what this word meant. However we translate the word “qa aqa” though, in this passage, it is certainly used in the context of cultic religious worship. The prohibition against “qa aqa”, (translated tattoo) was to keep the Israelites from being involved or affiliated with cultic worship practices.

The tattoo of today is much different than it was for those who originally received the Pentateuch. Today tattoo is a decorative means of self expression and personal decoration. In our current culture people modify their appearance for beauty in many ways such as clothing choice, makeup, plastic surgery, haircutting and coloring, weight loss, body-building, and ear piercing. Some of these practices have a history in ancient ritual and false religion, but in our cultural context they do not denote a connection with evil or false faith. In the same way tattoos today do not link the wearer to cultic worship practices and is not generally practiced for ancient religious purposes, tattoos today are for ornamentation

So instead of telling you that tattoos are sin or that you are giving place to witchcraft or the occult by placing them on your body, I am instead going to ask you some questions that you will have to wrestle with the Lord about yourself.

What is your motivation for getting a tattoo? Is your motivation for getting a tattoo so that you are more accepted by the world? Are you trying to look cool? Are you trying to prove something either to yourself or others? Is it some type of statement of non-conformity? If so, then when you quiet your heart and sincerely go before the Lord, do you think that He is pleased with that type of motivation?

Do you think that this tattoo will make you more beautiful or attractive? Are you trying to improve upon what God has already called beautiful? Psalm 139:14 Is your desire to place markings on God’s creation due to some inner need that in all honesty will not be fulfilled no matter how many tattoos you get? Again, I am not pointing a finger at you or telling you what to do but before you get that tattoo don’t you think you should at least do some introspection and if there is a need for growth or healing of your inner image of yourself and how you view yourself then do that before making the life long decision of getting a tattoo?

What is it that is drawing you to get a tattoo? What is it that is making you want to place in in your skin for the rest of your life? My dear reader, my question to you is not one about right or wrong, but about how you are going to be led. Is this really the Spirit of Jesus that is drawing you to place that tattoo on your body? Or is it something else. If it is something else, then the real question is not whether or not tattoos are allowed in the Bible, but whether you are going to be led by God or led by someone or something else. It is the same question we all face in many areas of our lives. Whether it is materialism, intellectualism, emotionalism, or any other type of ism, we have to choose what we are going to allow ourselves to be led by. 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you are doing, let everything be done to the glory of God.”

Pastor Tim

MS
Elyria, OH

MS,

I appreciate your question and it is one that is dear to my heart. In 1989, I took the oaths of a Freemason, working myself through the chairs and the Lodge. I have seen a lot of good work for humanity done under the banner of Freemasonry and Scottish Rite, etc.

Where I must take Freemasonry to task is in 2 major areas that differ radically with Christianity:

All Religions Are One

Masonry tries to join all the monotheistic religions together as one under the umbrella of Freemasonry. In Masonry, all members are sworn to protect and uphold their “Brother Masons.” Each religion must give up the specific tenets of their faith that don’t agree withthe next person’s faith in order to be able to agree with their “brothers”. Open intolerance and at times hostility is displayed toward anyone who will not conform. Though Masonry teaches its beliefs as absolutes, in order to accommodate the beliefs of differing faiths, it allows its members to ascribe to higher or optional teachings as the individual desires. However, these are not allowed to be displayed in the lodge for fear of offending the brothers of other faiths. Thus, the use of the name of Jesus is highly discouraged in the Lodge. How Sad!

Freemasonry’s Method of Salvation

Freemasonry claims to be the repository for the Keys necessary to enter into that Grand Lodge Above, where God dwells. To be admitted, you must join the Brotherhood, learn the secrets of Freemasonry (the secret handshakes, secret tokens, and secret words), and become more and more virtuous. These qualifications have to do with a person becoming worthy of heaven by virtue of his own efforts. I discovered that salvation in Freemasonry was dependent upon being a nice person outwardly. This is in agreement with most monotheistic religions. However, it is absolutely opposed to the Biblical Christian method.

Masonry assumes there are two types of people: the good people and the bad ones. They seek to only have the “good” ones join them. Bad men will be “black balled” and not allowed to join. Masonry neglects to deal with the problem of sin. They reject the Biblical teaching that all men are sinners and therefore, before a perfect God, all men are bad.

The Bible says that man is sinful and cannot make it to Heaven by his own efforts. The Bible says that Jesus has to save us or we can’t be saved at all. Jesus gives all his followers eternal life for free. This is in direct contradiction with the method of Freemasonry. In the 28th degree, members are told that the true Mason…raises himself by degrees until he reaches heaven… In Biblical Christianity, no one can make it without Jesus. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one goes to the Father but by me.” Christianity is very exclusive in that there is no other way to be saved, other than by the innocent shed blood of Jesus the promised Messiah.

Conclusion

I served and lived as a Christian and Freemason at the same time. My salvation was not in jeopardy for having done so. However, once the Holy Spirit began to open my eyes and truly illuminate the roots and symbolisms of Freemasonry, I became convicted in my heart. Shortly afterwards, I approached the Lodge Master and explained my struggle. It was HE who advised me to bow out and follow my religious convictions. He said and I quote, “We would never want to come between you and your faith.” At his advice, I surrendered membership and left with a deep love and respect that I share today with all my “brothers” of Freemasonry. God’s Spirit convicts as He wishes and I would never pass judgment on them. Until they themselves experience that conviction, they are not in danger of sinning. “To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not… to HIM it is sin.” I hope I have helped.

Pastor Tim

RL
Lubbock, TX

Dear RL,

The Bible does not specifically mention the word abortion, but it has a number of significant things to say about unborn children. These Biblical statements indicate that the unborn are persons. Therefore, abortion is wrong since it is killing a human being. Here is my argument:

Premise #1: It is wrong to murder a person.
Premise #2: The unborn is a person.
Conclusion: Therefore, it is wrong to murder the unborn.

Premise #1: It is wrong to murder a person:

I think we would all agree that it is wrong to murder a person. Murder is the unlawful taking of someone’s life. For just a small sample of the Biblical passages forbidding murder, see Gen. 9:6; Mt. 15:19; 19:18; Mk. 10:19; Lk. 18:20; Jn. 8:44; Acts 3:14; and Rom. 1:28-29; 13:9.

Premise #2: The unborn is a person

Many in our culture argue the fact that the unborn is a person. However, the Bible clearly teaches that the unborn is a person due to the following reasons.

Possession of Personal Attributes

First, the unborn possesses personal attributes such as sin and joy. In Psalm 51:5, David says, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.” In Luke 1:44, “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.”

Described by Personal Pronouns

Second, the Bible also uses personal pronouns to describe unborn children. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Matthew 1:20-21 states, “But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’”

Jesus: A Baby at Conception

Third, regarding the conception of Jesus, Matthew 1:20 says, “But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.’” The fact that the angel tells Joseph that “the Child who has been conceived” is “of the Holy Spirit” indicates that Jesus certainly was a person at the moment of conception.

Called Children

Fourth, the unborn are called children. Luke 1:41 states, “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit (1:44).”

Protected by the same Punishment as for Adults

Fifth, perhaps the strongest argument against abortion from Scripture is the fact that the same punishment is applicable to someone who kills or injures an unborn child as for one who kills or injures an adult. Exodus 21:22-23 states, “If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide. But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life . . . .” This strongly indicates that the Mosaic Law viewed the unborn as persons worthy of the same protection and rights as adults.

Called by God before Birth

Sixth, the unborn are even called by God before birth. Almost echoing the prophetic commission of Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5, Isaiah 49:1 says, “Listen to me, O islands, And pay attention, you peoples from afar, the LORD called me from the womb; from the body of my mother He named me.”

Known Personally by God just like any other Person

Seventh, the unborn are known personally and intimately by God in the same way He would know any other person. Describing David, Psalm 139:15-16 says, “My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written; the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.” Describing the prophet Jeremiah, Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Conclusion

The Bible definitely teaches that the unborn are persons because the unborn possess personal attributes, are described by personal pronouns, Jesus is called a child at conception, the unborn are called children, are protected by the same punishment as for adults, are called by God before birth, and are known personally by God just like any other person. Since abortion is murdering a person, abortion is morally wrong (Gen. 9:6; Rom. 1:28-29). The Bible dictates to us the laws of morality vs the laws of the land. When the choice is given, Christians are to always live by the moral doctrines outlined in His Word.

Pastor Tim

Sources:
KJV Norman Geisler, Systematic Theology.

DP
Lima, OH

DP,

First, let me extend to you my deepest condolences for your loss. I hope this helps many who have wondered or have been mislead by an errant belief.

If you are truly a Christian, no matter how you die, whether suicide or homicide, whether accident or old age; If you are a Christian and you die by any method you will go to Heaven.

The mind is such a fragile part of human anatomy. I recall John the Baptist having recognized Jesus from afar and telling everyone that He was Messiah. His sandles he was not worthy to even buckle. John preached Jesus Christ and forgiveness of sins and spent much of his time preparing the way for the Kingdom of God.

Then…while in prison, ready to be beheaded, he asked one of the disciples… Go and ask Him if He really is the Messiah.

You see, John’s human mind had certainly failed him, but Jesus understood that.

Peter denied the Lord after having been with him for nearly all His ministry. In a moment of mental challenge, Peter caved. Jesus again understood the capacity for the mind to fail us.

No where in the Bible do you read that suicide is a sin that will keep you out of Heaven.

In fact, the Bible (Jesus Himself) is very clear that there is only ONE unpardonable sin and that is the sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:23-30).

Salvation is not a roller coaster ride where we are saved at 11 am and headed for Hell at noon. His grace reaches far beyond our comprehension and frankly…I AM SO GLAD IT DOES!

Pastor Tim