Category: free will

Posted on

I have some tough questions about my faith that have brought me anxiety and sadness

Hi, My name is Eric, I am 19. I have been a Christian for 3 years now and just recently I have started asking my self some very tough questions which in turn has left me very doubtful of my faith and left me often times in despair. Such as couldn’t God have saved us another way, why is there evil, did God create evil. These question have left me paralyzed and in despair. I question my faith, and that leads to anxiety and deep sadness. I don’t want to fall into indifference and give up. I even wonder if I am even elect because I am even asking these questions. I fear that through these thoughts I may lose my faith completely but I keep asking for grace and understanding. I don’t expect these questions to be answered but it would be nice to know if anyone else has gone through this and what I should do to get through this. Is it wrong to ask these questions? It has produced tons of apathy in my spiritual life…

~ Eric

Answer

Eric,

Yes, others have asked similar questions, myself included. One of those questioners was John the Baptist. You will remember that John the Baptist had the assignment of preparing the way for the Messiah. He was busy doing that when he got thrown into prison because he spoke out against King Herod who had taken his brother’s wife and married her (Mark 6:17-18). You can readily see how difficult prison life would be for anyone, especially someone like John who was an outdoors-man. He preached in the open air and baptized people in the Jordan River. John ate locusts and wild honey (Mark 1:6).

Matthew records John sending his followers to Jesus to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:3, NIV). This question was put to Jesus while John was in Herod’s dungeon. It must have been a dismal time for John. He wasn’t where he wanted to be and he wasn’t doing what he felt he was called to do. Negative thoughts no doubt plagued him. John, like all of us, had to battle the flesh, the devil, and the world. His incarceration made those battles all the more difficult.

So, what did John do? He took his doubt to Jesus. He went ahead and asked the question burning in his mind. In the process John also asked the right person, Jesus Himself, and Jesus answered him (Matthew 11:2-5).

For you and me, Jesus is still the right person to ask for answers. He gives us answers to life’s questions in the text of the Bible. The Bible is “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16). Therefore, we prepare our hearts and minds for Jesus’ answers by gaining a thorough understanding of the scriptures. So, prayerfully read the Bible. Ask the holy Spirit to illumine its words to your heart and mind (John 16:13-14).

As to your question concerning salvation, remember that God is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). Since all of us are unholy (Romans 3:23) and cannot make ourselves holy, we need help because “without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14b). God solved this problem at the cross. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NIV). “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, NIV). When we place our trust in Christ alone for salvation, His righteousness is transferred to us and we become children of God (John 1:12). “…if Christ is in you…your spirit is alive because of righteousness” (Romans 8:10, NIV). We are justified (made right before God) by faith in Christ. This salvation is available to everyone (John 3:16).

As to your question about evil, God did not create it. Lucifer chose to rebel against God, which is sin. Lucifer then became Satan and tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve listened to Satan who was disguised as a serpent. They chose to disobey God and sin entered this world.

God did not create evil, but He does permit it…for a time. It will not always be so. Evil will be put away forever in eternity (Revelation 20:10; 21:3-4; 22:14-15). The triumph of Jesus at the cross reveals God’s love and justice. God’s love for us was on full display as Jesus laid down His life for us and sin was judged.

What an amazing God! What an amazing plan! And now, “to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ!” (Romans 16:27, NIV).

~ Pastor Chris

Posted on

Can you explain free will and the age of accountability?

Hi Pastor Chris, 

We have a small group that meets once a month and we are studying Job. In our discussion came up the following questions:

Is there an age of innocence/accountability (with our understanding that it is around age 7) with kids? Is that biblical?

If a child dies before age 7 (which seems to be what people say is the end of age of innocence and they can make their own decision for Christ) do they automatically go to heaven? 

Where does free will come into play?

What of the Muslim/Jewish, etc. child who has never heard of Jesus? What of them? 

Of course all of the women in this group are moms so this one is very dear to our searching hearts.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to answer these.

 

In Christ, 

Cheryl

 

 

ANSWER

 

 

Cheryl,

Wow! You and your group are really digging! Great questions! 

I believe that the age of accountability is not fixed at a certain year. Children mature at different rates. This is true even within the same family. The Jews set a chronological age for the age of accountability, but I disagree. For instance, I have met children as old as 10 or 11 that could not tell me what sin is. I remember two girls in a previous pastorate that were 10 and 11 and they had no clue about right and wrong. I have also met children who had a finely tuned sense of right and wrong as early as 4 or 5. No doubt environment plays an important part here. My rule of thumb is this: if a child is old enough to sin knowingly that child is old enough to believe savingly.

Remember, when Adam and Eve sinned it was a deliberate act of disobedience. God had given them clear instructions and they understood them. They chose to disobey God. 

I always ask a child about sin. I ask them what sin is. That is quite revealing. Then, if they know what sin is, I ask the child if he or she has ever sinned. That is quite revealing, too. If a child admits to having sinned, I ask the child how he or she felt when the sin was done. If they have gotten to this point they will usually tell me that they felt bad when they sinned. If they do not say that they feel bad about the sin, then I know that they are still innocent because that Holy Spirit will make them feel bad about the sin. If they do not feel bad then the Holy Spirit has not yet convicted them and therefore they are innocent. 

Yes, I believe that a child who dies innocently will go to heaven. Such a one has not committed a willful sin. Willful sin is the issue here. All children do childish things. Childishness is not sin. It is when a child deliberately does something that he or she knows is wrong that sin happens. When a child sins deliberately, knowingly, he or she is then accountable. 

When King David had a child that died he said, “I will go to him, but he will not return to me” (2 Samuel 12:23). King David was a believer. We know that David went to heaven after he died. Therefore, the child went to heaven before David. 

As to free will, the same parameters come into play. A child is not accountable for having a free will until he or she knowingly, deliberately, chooses to sin. Ps. 19:13, “Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.”

As to Moslem children (or Hindu, Buddhist, etc.), the same parameters apply. If they are truly innocent (as defined above) and they die, they will go to be with the Lord. If they sin willfully then they are accountable to God the same as anyone else. Many years ago Billy Graham wrote a book titled How to be Born Again. In that book is a story of a man that came to one of Billy’s crusades from far out in the country. (If I remember right it was India.) This man hiked something like 50 miles to attend the crusade. He accepted Christ. He said that he always knew that there was something more. He was never satisfied worshiping trees or his ancestors. The Holy Spirit was at work in his life drawing him to Christ.

God puts a divine spark in every person. He also puts an empty place in every person that only He can fill. Part of the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to work in the world to empower our witness for Christ. Here is how Jesus spoke of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in John 16:7-8, “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilta in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.” The Holy Spirit is called the Counselor in those verses.

I hope these thoughts are helpful to you. They questions you raise are important. Remember, God is full of mercy and grace. He will always do what is right in these cases. He is also omniscient (all-knowing). He knows ahead of time who will respond to Him and who will not. There is mystery here. One thing is for sure, we can trust Him!

 

Sincerely,

 

Pastor Chris