Is it wrong for a couple to live together before marriage?

The answer to this question depends somewhat on what is meant by
"living together." If it means having sexual relations, it is
definitely wrong. Premarital sex is repeatedly condemned in Scripture,
along with all other forms of sexual immorality (Acts 15:20; Romans
1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:13, 18; 7:2; 10:8; 2 Corinthians 12:21;
Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:3;
Jude 7). The Bible promotes complete abstinence outside of (and
before) marriage. Sex before marriage is just as wrong as adultery and
other forms of sexual immorality, because they all involve having sex
with someone you are not married to.

If "living together" means living in the same house, that is perhaps a
different issue. Ultimately, there is nothing wrong with a man and a
woman living in the same house—if there is nothing immoral taking
place. However, the problem arises in that there is still the
appearance of immorality (1 Thessalonians 5:22; Ephesians 5:3), and it
could be a tremendous temptation for immorality. The Bible tells us to
flee immorality, not expose ourselves to constant temptations to
immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18). Then there is the problem of
appearances. A couple who is living together is assumed to be sleeping
together—that is just the nature of things. Even though living in the
same house is not sinful in and of itself, the appearance of sin is
there. The Bible tells us to avoid the appearance of evil (1
Thessalonians 5:22; Ephesians 5:3), to flee from immorality, and not
to cause anyone to stumble or be offended. As a result, it is not
honoring to God for a man and a woman to live together outside of
marriage.

What does the Bible say about a Christian staying single?

The question of a Christian staying single and what the Bible says
about believers never marrying is often misunderstood. Paul tells us
in 1 Corinthians 7:7-8: "I wish that all men were as I am. But each
man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.
Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay
unmarried, as I am." Notice that he says some have the gift of
singleness and some the gift of marriage. Although it seems that
nearly everyone marries, it is not necessarily God's will for
everyone. Paul, for example, did not have to worry about the extra
problems and stresses that come with marriage and/or family. He
devoted his entire life to spreading the Word of God. He would not
have been such a useful messenger if he had been married.

On the other hand, some people do better as a team, serving God as a
couple and a family. Both kinds of people are equally important. It is
not a sin to remain single, even for your entire life. The most
important thing in life is not finding a mate and having children, but
serving God. We should educate ourselves on the Word of God by reading
our Bibles and praying. If we ask God to reveal Himself to us, He will
respond (Matthew 7:7), and if we ask Him to use us to fulfill His good
works, He will do that as well. "Do not conform any longer to the
pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his
good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:2).

Singleness should not be viewed as a curse or an indication that there
is "something wrong" with the single man or woman. While most people
marry, and while the Bible seems to indicate that it is God's will for
most people to marry, a single Christian is in no sense a "second
class" Christian. As 1 Corinthians 7 indicates, singleness is, if
anything, a higher calling. As with everything else in life, we should
ask God for wisdom (James 1:5) concerning marriage. Following God's
plan, whether that be marriage or singleness, will result in the
productivity and joy that God desires for us.

What is the difference between praise and worship?

Understanding the difference between praise and worship can bring a
new depth to the way we honor the Lord. Throughout the Bible, the
commands to "praise the Lord" are too numerous to mention. Angels and
the heavenly hosts are commanded to praise the Lord (Psalm 89:5;
103:20; 148:2). All inhabitants of the earth are instructed to praise
the Lord (Psalm 138:4; Romans 15:11). We can praise Him with singing
(Isaiah 12:5; Psalm 9:11), with shouting (Psalm 33:1; 98:4), with the
dance (Psalm 150:4), and with musical instruments (1 Chronicles 13:8;
Psalm 108:2; 150:3-5).

Praise is the joyful recounting of all God has done for us. It is
closely intertwined with thanksgiving as we offer back to God
appreciation for His mighty works on our behalf. Praise is universal
and can be applied to other relationships as well. We can praise our
family, friends, boss, or paperboy. Praise does not require anything
of us. It is merely the truthful acknowledgment of the righteous acts
of another. Since God has done many wonderful deeds, He is worthy of
praise (Psalm 18:3).

Worship, however, comes from a different place within our spirits.
Worship should be reserved for God alone (Luke 4:8). Worship is the
art of losing self in the adoration of another. Praise can be a part
of worship, but worship goes beyond praise. Praise is easy; worship is
not. Worship gets to the heart of who we are. To truly worship God, we
must let go of our self-worship. We must be willing to humble
ourselves before God, surrender every part of our lives to His
control, and adore Him for who He is, not just what He has done.
Worship is a lifestyle, not just an occasional activity. Jesus said
the Father is seeking those who will worship Him "in spirit and in
truth" (John 4:23).

In Scripture, praise is usually presented as boisterous, joyful, and
uninhibited. God invites praise of all kinds from His creation. Jesus
said that if people don't praise God, even the "stones will cry out"
(Luke 19:40). When the Bible mentions worship, however, the tone
changes. We read verses like, "Worship the Lord in the beauty of
holiness" (Psalm 96:9). And, "Come let us worship and bow down" (Psalm
95:6). Often, worship is coupled with the act of bowing or kneeling,
which shows humility and contrition (2 Chronicles 29:28; Hebrews
11:21; Revelation 19:10). It is through true worship that we invite
the Holy Spirit to speak to us, convict us, and comfort us. Through
worship, we realign our priorities with God's and acknowledge Him once
more as the rightful Lord of our lives.

Just as praise is intertwined with thanksgiving, worship is
intertwined with surrender. It is impossible to worship God and
anything else at the same time (Luke 4:8). The physical acts often
associated with worship—bowing, kneeling, lifting hands—help to create
the necessary attitude of humility required for real worship. Wise
worship leaders know how to structure a worship service to allow
participants to both praise and worship the Lord. Often, services
begin with joyous praise songs and transition to a quieter, more
introspective opportunity for worship.

Worship is an attitude of the heart. A person can go through the
outward motions and not be worshiping (Psalm 51:16-17; Matthew 6:5-6).
God sees the heart, and He desires and deserves sincere, heartfelt
praise and worship.

Why pray? What is the point of prayer when God knows the future and is already in control of everything. If we cannot change God's mind, why should we pray?

For the Christian, praying is supposed to be like breathing, easier to
do than to not do. We pray for a variety of reasons. For one thing,
prayer is a form of serving God (Luke 2:36-38) and obeying Him. We
pray because God commands us to pray (Philippians 4:6-7). Prayer is
exemplified for us by Christ and the early church (Mark 1:35; Acts
1:14; 2:42; 3:1; 4:23-31; 6:4; 13:1-3). If Jesus thought it was
worthwhile to pray, we should also. If He needed to pray to remain in
the Father's will, how much more do we need to pray?

Another reason to pray is that God intends prayer to be the means of
obtaining His solutions in a number of situations. We pray in
preparation for major decisions (Luke 6:12-13); to overcome demonic
barriers (Matthew 17:14-21); to gather workers for the spiritual
harvest (Luke 10:2); to gain strength to overcome temptation (Matthew
26:41); and to obtain the means of strengthening others spiritually
(Ephesians 6:18-19).

We come to God with our specific requests, and we have God's promise
that our prayers are not in vain, even if we do not receive
specifically what we asked for (Matthew 6:6; Romans 8:26-27). He has
promised that when we ask for things that are in accordance with His
will, He will give us what we ask for (1 John 5:14-15). Sometimes He
delays His answers according to His wisdom and for our benefit. In
these situations, we are to be diligent and persistent in prayer
(Matthew 7:7; Luke 18:1-8). Prayer should not be seen as our means of
getting God to do our will on earth, but rather as a means of getting
God's will done on earth. God's wisdom far exceeds our own.

For situations in which we do not know God's will specifically, prayer
is a means of discerning His will. If the Syrian woman with the
demon-influenced daughter had not prayed to Christ, her daughter would
not have been made whole (Mark 7:26-30). If the blind man outside
Jericho had not called out to Christ, he would have remained blind
(Luke 18:35-43). God has said that we often go without because we do
not ask (James 4:2). In one sense, prayer is like sharing the gospel
with people. We do not know who will respond to the message of the
gospel until we share it. In the same way, we will never see the
results of answered prayer unless we pray.

A lack of prayer demonstrates a lack of faith and a lack of trust in
God's Word. We pray to demonstrate our faith in God, that He will do
as He has promised in His Word and bless our lives abundantly more
than we could ask or hope for (Ephesians 3:20). Prayer is our primary
means of seeing God work in others' lives. Because it is our means of
"plugging into" God's power, it is our means of defeating Satan and
his army that we are powerless to overcome by ourselves. Therefore,
may God find us often before His throne, for we have a high priest in
heaven who can identify with all that we go through (Hebrews 4:15-16).
We have His promise that the fervent prayer of a righteous man
accomplishes much (James 5:16-18). May God glorify His name in our
lives as we believe in Him enough to come to Him often in prayer.

Is it good to have close friendships with unbelievers?

As Christians, we have to constantly face temptations and the attacks
of the world around us. Everything we see, read, do, hear, put in our
bodies, etc., affects us somehow. That's why, to maintain a close
relationship with God, we have to put aside our old ways of doing
things—the things we watch on TV, old bad habits (excessive drinking,
smoking, etc.), the activities we participate in, and the people we
spend our time with. People are divided into only two categories,
those who belong to the world and its ruler, Satan, and those who
belong to God (Acts 26:18). These two groups of people are described
in terms of opposites all through the Bible; e.g., those in
darkness/those in the light; those with eternal life/those with
eternal death; those who have peace with God/those who are at war with
Him; those who believe the truth/those who believe the lies; those on
the narrow path to salvation/those on the broad road to destruction,
and many more. Clearly, the message of Scripture is that believers are
completely different from nonbelievers, and it is from this
perspective that we must discern what kind of friendships we can
really have with unbelievers.

The book of Proverbs has a few wise verses on believers befriending
non-believers: "The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for
the way of the wicked leads them astray" (12:26). We should stay away
from foolish people (13:20, 14:7), from people who lose their temper
easily (22:24), and from the rebellious (24:21). All these things
represent those who have not been saved. "Do not be yoked together
with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in
common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" (2
Corinthians 6:14). First Corinthians 15:33 tells us that bad company
corrupts good character. Unbelievers are slaves to sin (John 8:34),
and Christians are slaves to God (1 Corinthians 7:22). If we become
deeply involved (either by friendship or a romantic relationship) with
non-Christians, we are setting ourselves up for turmoil. It can (and
does often) cause the Christian to stumble in his walk, fall back into
a sinful life, and also turn others away from God (by misrepresenting
God and Christianity). Another detrimental effect of closeness with
unbelievers is our tendency to water down the truths of Scripture so
as to not offend them. There are difficult truths in the Word of God,
truths such as judgment and hell. When we minimize or ignore these
doctrines or try to "soft pedal" them, in essence we are calling God a
liar for the sake of those already in the grasp of Satan. This is not
evangelism.

Although these close relationships are not recommended, it does not
mean we turn our noses up and ignore unbelievers, either. Second
Timothy 2:24-26 tells us that as servants of the Lord, we are to be
kind to and not quarrel with anyone. We should gently teach those who
oppose the truth, and be patient with difficult people. Matthew 5:16
tells us, "Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that
everyone will praise your heavenly father." We should serve
unbelievers so that they may see God through us and turn to Him in
praise. James 5:16 says that there is great power in the prayer of a
righteous person, so bring your concerns for unbelievers before God,
and He will listen.

Many people have been saved because of the prayers and service of
Christians, so don't turn your back on unbelievers, but having any
kind of intimate relationship with an unbeliever can quickly and
easily turn into something that is a hindrance to your walk with
Christ. We are called to evangelize the lost, not be intimate with
them. There is nothing wrong with building quality friendships with
unbelievers – but the primary focus of such a relationship should be
to win them to Christ by sharing the Gospel with them and
demonstrating God's saving power in our own lives.

Are u a Christian glorifying Christ or bringing stain to Christ

In the apostle John's account of the Lord miraculously raising Lazarus
from the dead, there's a short statement that never fails to make
church kids smirk. Always with an eye for practicality and propriety,
Lazarus's sister Martha urgently warned Christ, "Lord, by this time he
stinketh: for he hath been dead four days" (John 11:39 KJV).

As we've already seen in this series, Lazarus's resurrection is a
vivid depiction of God's work of salvation in the believer's life. And
even in his revived state, Lazarus—still draped in his foul grave
clothes—bears a distinct similarity to the believer's new life in
Christ.

The story of Lazarus offers a particularly graphic illustration of our
predicament as believers. We have been raised to walk in newness of
life (Romans 6:4). We "joyfully concur with the law of God in the
inner man" (Romans 7:22). Yet we cannot do what we desire (Galatians
5:17). "The wishing is present in [us], but the doing of the good is
not" (Romans 7:18). We are held prisoner by the remnants of the very
fallenness from which we have been redeemed (Romans 7:22). It is as if
we were still bound in our grave clothes.

Our predicament, however, cannot be resolved so quickly. It is not
just a linen shroud that fastens itself to us, but a full-fledged
carcass—Paul calls it "the body of this death" (Romans 7:24). It is
the fleshly sin-principle that casts its pall over our glorious new
lives throughout our earthly pilgrimage. It befouls our spiritual
atmosphere, surrounding us with the fetid stink of sin. It no longer
can dominate us like a ruthless tyrant, but it will plague us with
temptation, torment, and grief until we are finally glorified. Even
though we've been transformed through Christ's redeeming work, we
still bear the stains of our sinful past. Last time we considered how
the Lord, through the Holy Spirit's work of sanctification, diminishes
the effect and influence of our sinful past.

But not all professing believers willingly submit to the refining work
of sanctification. In fact, many reject the predicament altogether,
instead adopting a cavalier attitude toward their sin and eschewing
any rebuke or condemnation for it.

In past generations, defending that position usually meant invoking
the idea of "carnal" Christians. Based on a misunderstanding of Paul's
rebuke in 1 Corinthians 2 and 3, many Christians have been led to
believe that there are two classes of Christians—carnal and spiritual.
Spiritual Christians display the evidence of their status through
their godliness—righteous living and mature faith. On the other hand,
carnal Christians make professions of faith, but remained mired in the
sin and corruption of the world.

God's grace does not mean holiness is optional. There have always been
people who abuse God's grace by assuming it grants leeway for sin.
Paraphrasing that philosophy, Paul writes, "What shall we say then?
Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?" (Romans 6:1). If
grace abounds most where sin is worst (Romans 5:20‑21), then doesn't
our sin only magnify the grace of God? Should we continue in sin so
that God's grace can be magnified?

"May it never be!" Paul answers in a phrase so emphatic that the King
James Version renders it "God forbid!" The notion that anyone would
use such an argument to condone sin was clearly offensive to Paul.
"How shall we who died to sin still live in it?" (Romans 6:3).

Sadly, this corruption of God's grace isn't restricted to the fringes
of the church. It's coming from some of the most popular speakers and
authors in the evangelical movement today. And it's a threat to the
spiritual growth and godliness of the countless men and women caught
up in its deception.

What does the Bible say about confession of sin to a priest

The concept of confession of sin to a priest is nowhere taught in
Scripture. First, the New Testament does not teach that there are to
be priests in the New Covenant. Instead, the New Testament teaches
that all believers are priests. First Peter 2:5-9 describes believers
as a "holy priesthood" and a "royal priesthood." Revelation 1:6 and
5:10 both describe believers as "a kingdom of priests." In the Old
Covenant, the faithful had to approach God through the priests. The
priests were mediators between the people and God. The priests offered
sacrifices to God on behalf of the people. That is no longer
necessary. Because of Jesus' sacrifice, we can now approach God's
throne with boldness (Hebrews 4:16). The temple veil tearing in two at
Jesus' death was symbolic of the dividing wall between God and
humanity being destroyed. We can approach God directly, ourselves,
without the use of a human mediator. Why? Because Jesus Christ is our
great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-15; 10:21) and the only mediator
between us and God (1 Timothy 2:5). The New Testament teaches that
there are to be elders (1 Timothy 3), deacons (1 Timothy 3), bishops
(Titus 1:6-9), and pastors (Ephesians 4:11) – but not priests.

When it comes to confession of sin, believers are told in 1 John 1:9
to confess their sins to God. God is faithful and just to forgive our
sins as we confess them to Him. James 5:16 speaks of confessing our
trespasses "to one another," but this is not the same as confessing
sins to a priest as the Roman Catholic Church teaches. Priests /
church leaders are nowhere mentioned in the context of James 5:16.
Further, James 5:16 does not link forgiveness of sins with the
confession of sins "to one another."

The Roman Catholic Church bases their practice of confession to a
priest primarily on Catholic tradition. Catholics do point to John
20:23, "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do
not forgive them, they are not forgiven." From this verse, Catholics
claim that God gave the apostles the authority to forgive sins and
that authority was passed on to the successors of the apostles, i.e.,
the bishops and priests of the Roman Catholic Church. There are
several problems with this interpretation. (1) John 20:23 nowhere
mentions confession of sin. (2) John 20:23 nowhere promises or even
hints that apostolic authority of any kind would be passed on to the
successors of the apostles. (3) The apostles never once in the New
Testament acted as if they had the authority to forgive a person's
sin. Similarly, Catholics point to Matthew 16:19 and 18:18 (binding
and loosing) as evidence for the Catholic Church's authority to
forgive sins. The same three above points apply equally to these
Scriptures.

The ability to forgive sins is God's and His alone (Isaiah 43:25). The
better understanding of John 20:23 is that the apostles were given the
responsibility of declaring with utmost certainty the terms on which
God would forgive sins. As the church was being founded, the apostles
declared that those who believed the gospel were forgiven (Acts 16:31)
and those who did not obey the gospel faced judgment (2 Thessalonians
1:8; 1 Peter 4:17). As the apostles proclaimed salvation in Christ
(Acts 10:43) and exercised church discipline (1 Corinthians 5:4–5),
they were wielding the authority Christ had given them.

Again, the concept of confession of sin to a priest is nowhere taught
in Scripture. We are to confess our sins to God (1 John 1:9). As New
Covenant believers, we do not need mediators between us and God. We
can go to God directly because of Jesus' sacrifice for us. First
Timothy 2:5 says, "For there is one God and one mediator between God
and men, the man Christ Jesus."

Dealing with negative people—what does the Bible say?

We all have occasions that require dealing with negative people. There
are two categories of negative people: those who believe in Jesus as
their Lord and Savior and those who do not. These two types of
negative people require different approaches. The Bible offers insight
and wisdom on how to handle both kinds.

First, though, what do we mean by "negative people"? Negative people
tend to focus on others' faults (or their own faults). They may
regularly point out shortcomings with their comments, attitudes, and
frowns. Negative people will approach situations from a pessimistic
viewpoint, assuming the worst in any given situation. Sometimes
negative people disguise their negativity by using humor or sarcasm,
but it still ultimately results in someone being or feeling put down.

In dealing with negative people, one serious consideration is whether
or not there is a church structure in place in which to handle them.
If the negative person is a member of your church or someone at work
who has expressed a desire to walk in a Christian manner with you,
then he or she should be treated as a believer. For dealing with
negative people in the believer's category, we turn to Matthew
18:15–17. That passage clearly lays out the progression of how fellow
Christians should deal with each other in regard to sin. A negative,
fault-finding, bitter attitude is a sin; Israel sinned against God in
the wilderness by complaining about their circumstances (Numbers
11:1). You have a responsibility as a brother or sister in Christ to
lovingly "point out their fault just between the two of you" (Matthew
18:15). Again, this is a responsibility all believers have to each
other.

For non-believers, it's different, since they do not fall under the
rules of church discipline detailed in Matthew 18. How you approach
negative unbelievers must be decided on a case-by-case basis. To
reemphasize, you do not have a responsibility to "show them their
fault" according to the Bible. But there are still some godly tools
that can help you proceed in the best manner.

Humility, prayer, wise counsel, and tact are great assets in
successfully handling a negative person. Not proceeding with wisdom
can be dangerous. The apostle Paul said, "Brothers and sisters, if
someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore
that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted"
(Galatians 6:1).

First, humility is crucial, and your perspective is critical to
handling the person how Jesus desires. Try not to view the person as a
"negative person" but rather as a creation of God who is caught in a
sinful habit. He still deserves your respect, attention, and love. Do
not violate his dignity—no matter how aggravating he is or has been.
Before approaching the person, try to determine, through prayer and
counsel, if you have a "plank in your own eye" (see Matthew 7:3–5).
This will help you walk in love toward the negative person and handle
the issue in a loving fashion. Confronting someone will be much easier
once your "eye" is clear. Additionally, there may be something in
you—an attitude, an assumption, etc.—making it harder for you to deal
with negative people. Once you have given that to God, dealing with
negativity may become easier.

Next, it's important to pray for the negative person in question.
Also, pray for wisdom and for God to reveal to you what to do next.
It's always smart to get wise counsel from a pastor or a trusted
believer who will also pray about how to proceed. Just be careful not
to turn "getting counsel" into a time to complain and gossip. Then,
once you have a clear plan of action, be tactful in your approach.
Meekness is part of wisdom (James 3:13).

Be aware that the best way to deal with a negative person may simply
be to limit your contact with him, if possible. However, God gives
wisdom to those who ask (James 1:5), so hearing from Him and other
trusted, godly people in your life is the best place to start.

Is it a sin to cuss / swear / curse?

It is definitely a sin to swear (curse, cuss, etc.). The Bible makes
this abundantly clear. Ephesians 4:29 tells us, "Do not let any
unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for
building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those
who listen." First Peter 3:10 declares, "For, whoever would love life
and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from
deceitful speech." James 3:9-12 summarizes the issue: "With the tongue
we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been
made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.
My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water
flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or
a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water."

James makes it clear that the lives of Christians—the
"brothers"—should not be characterized by evil speech. By making the
analogy of both salt water and fresh water coming from the same spring
(which is uncharacteristic of springs), he makes the point that it is
uncharacteristic for a believer to have both praise and cursing come
from his/her mouth. Nor is it characteristic for us to praise God on
one hand and curse our brothers on the other. This, too, is
uncharacteristic of a true believer.

Jesus explained that what comes out of our mouths is that which fills
our hearts. Sooner or later, the evil in the heart comes out through
the mouth in curses and swearing. But when our hearts are filled with
the goodness of God, praise for Him and love for others will pour
forth. Our speech will always indicate what is in our hearts. "The
good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart,
and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his
heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks" (Luke
6:45).

Why is it a sin to cuss / swear / curse? Sin is a condition of the
heart, the mind, and "the inner man" (Romans 7:22), which is
manifested in our thoughts, actions and words. When we swear and
curse, we are giving evidence of the polluting sin in our hearts that
must be confessed and repented of. Thankfully, our great God is
"faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). When this happens, we receive a new
nature from God (2 Corinthians 5:17), our hearts are transformed, and
our speech reflects the new nature God has created within us.

is saying 'OMG' or words like geez still taking the Lord's name in vain?

The idea of "taking the Lord's name in vain" is first found in Exodus
20 when Moses receives the Ten Commandments. The third commandment
states, "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for
the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain"
(Exodus 20:7). What does this mean? How does it apply to terms like
OMG and geez?

Taking the Lord's name in vain is to speak of God with irreverence or
disrespect. Many have traditionally understood the exclamation "Oh my
God!" to be sinful, because it has nothing to do with a proper,
reverent use of God's name.

The same principle is true when a person uses an acronym such as OMG
or a word like geez (the first syllable of Jesus' name) or gosh (a
modified form of God). If the intended meaning is to be disrespectful
toward God and His name, the word should not be used. However, some
people use OMG without any thought of its connection to God's name,
and that's what makes this question difficult.

We could all use the reminder that our words carry meaning. As people
who follow Christ, we care deeply about helping others and honoring
God. We must ask ourselves, "Do these words help others and honor
God?" If we are honest, we will probably admit that words such as gosh
do not. It may not be easy to change a long-standing habit, but we
must seek to speak words that build up one another (1 Thessalonians
5:11) and honor the Lord.

James 3:9-10 speaks of the tongue as a powerful part of the body:
"With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who
are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and
cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so." Our goal is to
be consistent in our use of words, so they would serve as a blessing
to God and to others.

Paul wrote, "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in
the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through
him" (Colossians 3:17). This stands as our basis for evaluating terms
such as OMG and geez. Does using these words give "thanks to God the
Father"? If not, begin working to remove these words from your
conversations and texts in order to honor God "in word and deed."

What are the biblical solutions for solving marriage problems?

Marriage is the most intimate relationship two human beings can
experience, second only to a relationship with God. Marriage brings
out the best and the worst in most people, as two separate individuals
struggle to live as "one flesh" (Matthew 19:6; Mark 10:8). At the root
of most marriage problems is selfishness. When one or both partners
choose to live as though his or her needs deserve top consideration,
conflict results.

There are specific verses that address behavior of both husbands and
wives. Some of those are 1 Peter 3:1-8, Colossians 3:18-19, and Titus
2:3-5. Although not addressing marriage directly, Philippians 2:3-13
is an excellent recipe for resolving marriage problems. This passage
tells us to adopt the attitude Christ demonstrated when He set aside
His rights and privileges as the Son of God and came to earth as a
humble servant. Verses 3 and 4 say, "Do nothing out of selfish
ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than
yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests,
but also to the interests of others." When that exhortation is applied
to marriage, almost any obstacle can be overcome.

Certainly, seeking counsel from a pastor or Christian marriage
counselor is a biblical thing to do (Proverbs 19:20). Getting
counseling is an excellent way to clear misconceptions about marriage
roles, to see a situation from another viewpoint, and to distinguish
between God's standards and those of the world.

Ephesians 5:21-33 gives specific instructions for both husbands and
wives. A husband is to love his wife "as Christ loves the church and
gave Himself for her" (verse 25). Such self-sacrificing love creates
an atmosphere in which a wife can more easily submit to her husband's
leadership. When a husband is committed to demonstrating love for his
wife, and a wife is committed to graciously allowing her husband to
lead, the marriage will work.

It is also wise to pay close attention to the verses just before the
specific marriage instructions. Verses 18-21 say, "Do not get drunk
with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving
thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God,
even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ."

Notice all the commands that precede the marriage instruction. All
Christians are to

• refuse to get drunk
• be filled with the Spirit
• encourage each other
• sing hymns and songs of praise
• have an attitude of continual worship
• live in a spirit of gratitude
• submit graciously to each other

We miss vital truth when we skip straight to the marriage instruction
without applying the practical guidelines in the preceding verses.
When each spouse applies those truths to his or her personal life and
strives to make his or her relationship with the Lord the primary
focus, marriage problems take a back seat. When two committed
Christians purpose to seek God's heart and follow His will no matter
what, there is no problem that they cannot work through.

How can I take control of my thoughts?

Many Christians struggle with this issue, especially in our highly
technological world, but taking control of our thoughts is essential.
Proverbs 4:23 states, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the
wellspring of life." The "heart" includes the mind and all that
proceeds from it. Someone said that every sin we commit, we commit
twice, once in our thoughts and again when we act upon those thoughts.
It is easier to rid our lives of sin if we attack it at this
fundamental thought level rather than waiting for it to become rooted
in our lives by our actions and then try to pull it out.

There is also a difference between being tempted (a thought entering
into the mind) and sinning (dwelling upon an evil thought and
wallowing in it). It is important to understand that when a thought
enters our mind, we examine it based upon God's Word and determine if
we should continue down that path or reject the thought and replace it
with another thought. If we have already allowed a habit to form in
our thought lives, it becomes more difficult to change the path of our
thoughts, even as it is hard to get a car out of a deep rut and onto a
new track. Here are some biblical suggestions for taking control of
our thoughts and getting rid of wrong thoughts:

1. Be in God's Word so that when a sinful thought enters our mind (a
temptation), we will be able to recognize it for what it is and know
what course to take. Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4) responded to
each of Satan's temptations with Scripture that applied to the
direction He knew His mind should take instead of beginning down the
path of the sinful thought. When tempted to meet His physical need
(turn stone into bread), He recited the passage about the importance
of relying upon God. When tempted to serve Satan in order to obtain
the glory of the world, He brought up the passage that says we are to
serve and worship God alone and speak of the glory that belongs to Him
and those who are His. When tempted to test God (to see if God was
really there and would keep His promises), Jesus responded with
passages that stress the importance of believing God without having to
see Him demonstrate His presence.

Quoting Scripture in a time of temptation is not a talisman, but
rather serves the purpose of getting our minds onto a biblical track,
but we need to know the Word of God AHEAD of time in order to
accomplish this. Thus, a daily habit of being in the Word in a
meaningful way is essential. If we are aware of a certain area of
constant temptation (worry, lust, anger, etc.), we need to study and
memorize key passages that deal with those issues. Looking for both
what we are to avoid (negative) and how we are to properly respond
(positive) to tempting thoughts and situations—before they are upon
us—will go a long way to giving us victory over them.

2. Live in dependence upon the Holy Spirit, chiefly through seeking
His strength through prayer (Matthew 26:41). If we rely upon our own
strength, we will fail (Proverbs 28:26;Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 26:33).

3. We are not to feed our minds with that which will promote sinful
thoughts. This is the idea of Proverbs 4:23. We are to guard our
hearts—what we allow into them and what we allow them to dwell on. Job
31:1 states, "I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I
look upon a young woman" (NKJV). Romans 13:14 states, "But put on the
Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its
lusts." Thus, we are to avoid periodicals, videos, websites,
conversations and situations that will set us up for a fall. We should
also avoid spending time with those who would encourage us down these
wrong paths.

4. We are to pursue hard after God, substituting godly pursuits and
mindsets for sinful thoughts. This is the principle of replacement.
When tempted to hate someone, we replace those hateful thoughts with
godly actions: we do good to them, speak well of them, and pray for
them (Matthew 5:44). Instead of stealing, we should work hard to earn
money so we can look for opportunities to give to others in need
(Ephesians 4:28). When tempted to lust after a woman, we turn our
gaze, praise God for the way He has made us—male and female—and pray
for the woman (for example: "Lord, help this young woman to come to
know you if she does not, and to know the joy of walking with you"),
then think of her as a sister (1 Timothy 5:2). The Bible often speaks
of "putting off" wrong actions and thoughts but then "putting on"
godly actions and thoughts (Ephesians 4:22-32). Merely seeking to put
off sinful thoughts without replacing those thoughts with godly ones
leaves an empty field for Satan to come along and sow his weeds
(Matthew 12:43-45).

5. We can use fellowship with other Christians the way God intended.
Hebrews 10:24-25 states, "And let us consider how we may spur one
another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting
together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one
another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Fellow
Christians who will encourage us in the changes we desire (best if of
the same gender), who will pray for and with us, who will ask us in
love how we are doing, and who will hold us accountable in avoiding
the old ways, are valuable friends indeed.

Last and most important, these methods will be of no value unless we
have placed our faith in Christ as Savior from our sin. This is where
we absolutely must start! Without this, there can be no victory over
sinful thoughts and temptations, and God's promises for His children
are not for us, nor is the Holy Spirit's power available to us!

God will bless those who seek to honor Him with what matters most to
Him: who we are inside and not just what we appear to be to others.
May God make Jesus' description of Nathanael true also of us—a man [or
woman] in whom there is no guile (John 1:47).

Can Satan read our minds or know our thoughts?

First, it is important for us to remember that Satan is not
omnipresent—he cannot be in more than one place at a time. Only God is
everywhere, and only God knows everything, while Satan must rely on
his army of demons to do his bidding.

Can Satan and/or his demons read our minds? No. First Kings 8:39 says
that God alone knows every human heart. There is no one else who has
that ability. God knows what we will say before we can say it, while
the thought is still formulating (Psalm 139:4). Jesus, being God
incarnate, exhibited the divine quality of knowing men's thoughts: "He
knew what was in each person" (John 2:25; cf. Matthew 9:4; John 6:64).

The Bible does teach us that Satan is powerful. Likely he was the
highest of all the fallen angels, as he was persuasive enough to
convince one third of the angels to join him in his rebellion
(Revelation 12:4). Even after his fall, not even Michael the archangel
dared to confront him without the Lord's help (Jude 9). Satan is the
"the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in
those who are disobedient" (Ephesians 2:2b). However, Satan's power
has its limits, and reading our minds seems to be beyond his ability.

For Satan and his demons to read our minds would take omniscience,
which they do not have. God is the only One who can know our thoughts.
However, Satan and his demons have been observing and tempting human
beings for thousands of years. In addition, they can overhear our
speech when we talk to others (and to ourselves!). Surely, they have
learned a few things about us over the years. Even without the ability
to know our thoughts, they can make a well-educated guess as to what
we are thinking and then attempt to use that to their advantage. That
is why we are commanded to "submit yourselves, then, to God" (James
4:7a), before we are told to "resist the devil" (James 4:7b).

Do Christians have the authority to rebuke the devil?

There are some Christians who believe they not only have the authority
to rebuke the devil, but also they must be about the business of
rebuking him continually. There is no biblical basis for such a
belief. Satan, unlike God, is not omnipresent. He can only be in one
place at a time, and the likelihood of his personally harassing
individual Christians is miniscule. Of course, he has legions of
demons who do his bidding, and they are everywhere seeking to destroy
believers' testimonies. It should be noted here that the Christian
cannot be possessed by a demon in the same way people in the Bible are
described as being possessed.

As Christians, we need to be aware of the reality of the presence of
evil. As we struggle to stand firm in our faith, we must realize that
our enemies are not merely human ideas, but real forces that come from
the powers of darkness. The Bible says, "For our struggle is not
against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers,
against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual
forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).

Clearly, God has allowed Satan significant amounts of power and
influence over the earth, at least for now, and always within God's
sovereign control. The Bible tells us that Satan prowls around like a
lion in search of prey, looking for victims to devour (1 Peter 5:8).
Satan is the power at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey
God (Ephesians 2:2). Anyone who is not under the control of the
sovereign God is under the control of the devil (Acts 26:18; 2
Corinthians 4:4). Born-again Christians are no longer enslaved to
Satan or to sin (Romans 6:6-7), but this does not mean we are immune
to the temptations that he puts before us.

The Bible does not give Christians the authority to rebuke the devil,
but to resist him. James 4:7 says to "submit yourselves, then, to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Zechariah 3:2 tells us
that it is the Lord who rebukes Satan. Even Michael, one of the most
powerful of the angels, did not dare to accuse Satan, but rather said,
"The Lord rebuke you" (Jude 1:9). In response to Satan's attacks, a
Christian should appeal to Christ. Instead of focusing on defeating
the devil, we should focus on following Christ (Hebrews 12:2) and
trust that He will defeat the forces of evil.

It is not necessary for a Christian to rebuke Satan because God has
given us His full armor to stand against evil (see Ephesians 6:10-18).
The most effective weapons we have against the devil are our faith,
wisdom, and knowledge about God and His Word. Christ, when tempted by
Satan, answered him with Scripture (see Matthew 4:1-11). To gain
victory in spiritual matters, we must maintain a clear conscience and
have control over our thoughts. "For though we live in the world, we
do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not
the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to
demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that
sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every
thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

Why did God rest on the seventh day of creation (Genesis 2:2)?

In Genesis 2:2 we read, "And on the seventh day God finished his work
that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work
that he had done." If God is omnipotent—if He has all power—it doesn't
make much sense that He would need to "rest." After we've had a busy
week, we take a nap—but God?

First, we should quote the verse correctly. It doesn't say God
"needed" to rest; it simply says that He did. Also, it is clear from
Scripture that God did not rest because He was tired. Genesis 17:1
calls God the "Almighty God." Psalm 147:5 says, "Great is our Lord,
and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite." God is
all-powerful; He never tires and never needs to rest. As Isaiah 40:28
says, "The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the
earth, neither faints nor is weary." God is the sum of perfection; He
is never diminished in any way, and that includes being diminished in
power.

When God said, "Let there be light," the light appeared. He simply
spoke creation into existence (Genesis 1:1-3). Later, we read that
Jesus Christ "is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact
imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his
power" (Hebrews 1:3). Forget the image of Atlas straining under the
weight of the world on his shoulders. It's not like that. The entire
universe is held together by Jesus' word. The creation and maintenance
of the universe is not difficult for God. A mere word will suffice. As
Psalm 33:9 declares, "For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded,
and it stood firm."

The Hebrew word translated "rested" in Genesis 2:2 includes other
ideas than that of being tired. In fact, one of the main definitions
of the Hebrew word shabat is "to cease or stop." In Genesis 2:2 the
understanding is that God "stopped" His work; He "ceased" creating on
the seventh day. All that He had created was good, and His work was
finished.

The context of Genesis 1–2 strongly affirms the idea of God's "rest"
being a cessation of work, not a reinvigoration after work. The
narrative tells us which things God created in each of the first six
days. His power is displayed through the creation of light, mountains,
seas, the sun, moon and stars, plant and animal life, and, finally,
humanity. There are many parallels between the first three days of
creation and the second three days. However, the seventh day is a
sharp contrast. Instead of more creating, there is shabat. Instead of
God "doing" more, He "ceased" from doing.

God did not merely "rest" on the seventh day; He "stopped creating."
It was a purposeful stop. Everything He desired to create had been
made. He looked at His creation, declared it "very good" (Genesis
1:31), and ceased from His activity. In the Jewish tradition, the
concept of shabat has been carried over as the "Sabbath." The Law of
Moses taught there was to be no work at all on the seventh day
(Saturday). Because God ceased from work that day, the Israelites were
to cease from their work on the Sabbath. Thus, the days of creation
are the basis of our universal observance of a seven-day week.

Simply put, God's "rest" was not due to His being tired but to His
being completely finished with His creative work.

Does God require Sabbath-keeping of Christians?

In Colossians 2:16-17, the apostle Paul declares, "Therefore do not
let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a
religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are
a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is
found in Christ." Similarly, Romans 14:5 states, "One man considers
one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day
alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind." These
Scriptures make it clear that, for the Christian, Sabbath-keeping is a
matter of spiritual freedom, not a command from God. Sabbath-keeping
is an issue on which God's Word instructs us not to judge each other.
Sabbath-keeping is a matter about which each Christian needs to be
fully convinced in his/her own mind.

In the early chapters of the book of Acts, the first Christians were
predominantly Jews. When Gentiles began to receive the gift of
salvation through Jesus Christ, the Jewish Christians had a dilemma.
What aspects of the Mosaic Law and Jewish tradition should Gentile
Christians be instructed to obey? The apostles met and discussed the
issue in the Jerusalem council (Acts 15). The decision was, "It is my
judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the
Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them,
telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual
immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood" (Acts
15:19-20). Sabbath-keeping was not one of the commands the apostles
felt was necessary to force on Gentile believers. It is inconceivable
that the apostles would neglect to include Sabbath-keeping if it was
God's command for Christians to observe the Sabbath day.

A common error in the Sabbath-keeping debate is the concept that the
Sabbath was the day of worship. Groups such as the Seventh Day
Adventists hold that God requires the church service to be held on
Saturday, the Sabbath day. That is not what the Sabbath command was.
The Sabbath command was to do no work on the Sabbath day (Exodus
20:8-11). Nowhere in Scripture is the Sabbath day commanded to be the
day of worship. Yes, Jews in Old Testament, New Testament, and modern
times use Saturday as the day of worship, but that is not the essence
of the Sabbath command. In the book of Acts, whenever a meeting is
said to be on the Sabbath, it is a meeting of Jews and/or Gentile
converts to Judaism, not Christians.

When did the early Christians meet? Acts 2:46-47 gives us the answer,
"Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They
broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere
hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the
Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." If there
was a day that Christians met regularly, it was the first day of the
week (our Sunday), not the Sabbath day (our Saturday) (Acts 20:7; 1
Corinthians 16:2). In honor of Christ's resurrection on Sunday, the
early Christians observed Sunday not as the "Christian Sabbath" but as
a day to especially worship Jesus Christ.

Is there anything wrong with worshipping on Saturday, the Jewish
Sabbath? Absolutely not! We should worship God every day, not just on
Saturday or Sunday! Many churches today have both Saturday and Sunday
services. There is freedom in Christ (Romans 8:21; 2 Corinthians 3:17;
Galatians 5:1). Should a Christian practice Sabbath-keeping, that is,
not working on Saturdays? If a Christian feels led to do so,
absolutely, yes (Romans 14:5). However, those who choose to practice
Sabbath-keeping should not judge those who do not keep the Sabbath
(Colossians 2:16). Further, those who do not keep the Sabbath should
avoid being a stumbling block (1 Corinthians 8:9) to those who do keep
the Sabbath. Galatians 5:13-15 sums up the whole issue: "You, my
brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to
indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The
entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as
yourself.' If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out
or you will be destroyed by each other."

Should a Christian use a Christian dating service to find a spouse?

The Bible doesn't talk about Christian dating services. In fact it
doesn't even tell us how to "date" or "court," whichever we call the
process we use to get to know a potential mate. In the Bible times,
these did not exist in the same form that we see them today. Back
then, families helped young women and men meet and become engaged and
often chose their children's mates for them. Today, singles are more
on their own to find a mate. Some singles don't bother to look for a
spouse, believing God will bring the person to them, while others are
forever on a feverish search for one, fearing they may miss him or
her. There should be a balance, as we remember that God is perfectly
loving (Ephesians 3:18; 1 John 3:16-18) and perfectly sovereign over
every situation, desire and need (Psalm 109:21; Romans 8:38-39).
Unless we are rebelling against God, we can be sure that He is not
punishing us through our singleness and that He is very likely
bringing the right man or woman our way…eventually! God uses our
choices, other people, and sometimes even modern technology, to bring
about marriages.

Before a Christian single considers any of the "newer" methods of
finding a spouse like using a Christian dating service, it's helpful
to consider whether we may be engaging in any self-defeating behavior.
Is it possible we are being too picky, looking for the fairy-tale
prince or princess, and by doing so, limiting the possibilities of
what God may know is best for us and which we have not yet considered?
Are we not being picky enough, forgetting that God calls all
Christians to marry only other Christians (2 Corinthians 6:14), or are
we considering someone who is stuck in a serious, life-altering sin
that could endanger the marriage? A Christian man should take the lead
in relationships and making sure their relationship glorifies Christ
in all things. A Christian woman should let the man take the
initiative as the leader God made him to be. And, finally, as
believers, we should be able to stand on our own two feet, relying on
the Lord to fulfill us rather than feeling a need to be married in
order to be whole. Once we have these common struggles sorted out, we
can begin to pursue a woman, or be pursued by a man, with an eye
towards marriage.

As in all decisions, we should ask God to direct us clearly. It can be
difficult to meet single Christian men and women, especially if most
of our friends have already married. We can put ourselves in a
position to meet other Christians by looking for a church singles
group. We may want to volunteer for a cause we care about or join
other groups, being sure that we are doing it because we enjoy it, not
just because we want to meet as many potential mates as possible. Some
people prefer to meet their spouse through friends, family, or in a
chance meeting out in the world, and many do just that. But others
believe they are limited in the people they meet because of their
profession, the size of their city, or the nature of their activities.
For these people, it may be wise to consider other methods. Some of
the modern methods of finding a mate include internet or online
dating, professional matchmaking services, and speed dating. Each has
its pros and cons, and none is right for everyone. Before beginning
any of these methods, we should begin in prayer, asking God whether it
is the step He wants us to take.

Internet dating is currently the most popular alternative way to meet
singles. There are Christian dating services, including
www.togetherchristian.com. There are secular dating websites that
allow you to limit your search to Christians, and they (like the
Christian sites) often let you specify the denomination you are
looking for as well. Some of the most popular websites are
www.match.com, www.cupid.com, and www.eharmony.com. (Please note that
Gabriel Peter Ministries does not personally endorse any particular
secular or Christian dating service or site.) eHarmony is unique in
that it uses an extensive personality test to provide customized
matches to each person, though each user must only choose from the
matches given to him or her—they cannot communicate with anyone they
choose. Most of the other sites (Christian and secular) provide
various ways that men and women can quickly assess compatibility
before beginning any form of communication. Most sites charge a
monthly or yearly fee, ranging from a few dollars to twenty or thirty
dollars a month. eHarmony requires that members proceed through
several "steps" of communication before they are allowed to e-mail and
exchange phone numbers. The other sites offer quicker communication.
While it is easy to meet new people on all of the websites, anyone
trying out internet dating must be very careful.

One major downfall of internet dating is that you can never be sure
who is being honest and who is pretending to be someone they're not.
The result of a deception can be humorous or even deadly. It's a good
idea to never answer any communication from someone from another
country, unless you are able to conduct an extensive background check
on him or her. Some of these people are trying to con the men and
women they meet. Always begin by meeting the person in a public
place—never allow them to drive you anywhere or take you somewhere
where you will be alone. It is wise to plan a double date, so that a
close friend can offer his or her opinion on this (let's face it)
complete stranger. Listen to your instincts and get away fast if you
ever feel you are in any danger. Warnings aside, though, many happy
Christian marriages have come out of internet dating.

Professional matchmaking services are usually safer than internet
dating, but are less popular, and don't always have a very large pool
of people to choose from. They can also be more expensive, usually
involve more extensive applications, and require some type of
background check. Speed dating is where singles circulate
systematically through a room of tables in order to assess a potential
date in only a few minutes per rotation. At the end of the night, they
turn in a card that indicates whom they would be willing to be matched
up with. The couples who have mutual interest will receive each
other's contact information. Professional matchmaking and speed dating
can be just as dangerous as internet dating, but, if done safely and
wisely, can potentially lead to a successful Christian marriage.

In all of the choices we make, though, it's crucial to remember that
it is God—not us—who brings us together with a spouse. As simple as it
may sound, we shouldn't have to work to find our spouse; we should be
living out our lives with any desires for a spouse on the back burner
and our desires for knowing God at the forefront of our hearts. Men do
need to take the initiative in a relationship and pursue the woman,
but God is still the one who brings the couple together. Seek God and
He will fulfill (or change) your desires (Psalm 103:5; Romans 12:2) in
His perfect way and His perfect time (Romans 5:6; Romans 8:26-27).
Would we want it any other way? Look at the story of Isaac and Rebekah
and how God brought them together (Genesis 24). It was sovereignly
planned and controlled by God. The marriage of two people is nothing
short of a miracle, but, then again, the same could be said of our
birth and of even our living to see the next day. God holds our every
moment in His hands (Psalm 31:15), and He will not let us slip through
the cracks of His gentle fingers. He cradles our lives and our hearts
in His hands, and He will not forget His children.

Reasons Why The World Hates Christians And Christianity

I hate Christians, Christians are stupid, Christians are annoying,
Christians are judgmental bigots. If you are a believer I know that
you have heard words such as these before. The question is why do
atheists hate Christians? Why are we hated by the world?

Before we find out why below, I would like to say that it doesn't
matter who you are. If you profess Christ as your Lord and Savior, you
will be persecuted.

In other countries some people are dying because they don't want to deny Christ.

If you feel bad because you have never been persecuted for your faith
in Christ, don't worry it's coming.

Beware, there are some people who go out their way to be hated by people.

Scripture never condones this. I've watched videos of so-called
Christians purposely provoking and being confrontational towards
unbelievers.

Yes, when evangelizing we should stand firm and preach the whole
truth, but there are some people who go out their way to be hated just
so they can say look I'm being persecuted. These people are hated not
because of Christ, but because they are fools.

It doesn't take much for you to be hated. All you have to do is open
your mouth. Some people are cowards. They will never preach against
sin. They will watch people go to hell and be silent.

These are the type of people the world likes. People who say they're
Christians, but don't rain on the wicked parade of others. The world
likes worldly Pastors, Prophets etc. These people condone wickedness
and never talk about sin, or hell. They are friends of the world. Luke
6:26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how
their ancestors treated the false prophets.

•The world hates us because we are not part of the world.

John 15:19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged
to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come
out of the world, so it hates you.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, a people to be his very own and to proclaim the wonderful
deeds of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous
light.

James 4:4 You adulterers! Don't you know that friendship with the
world means hostility with God? So whoever wants to be a friend of
this world is an enemy of God.

Psalm 4:3 But understand this: the LORD has set apart the godly for
himself! The LORD will hear me when I cry out to him!

•We are hated because we follow Christ.

John 15: 18 If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.

Matthew 10:22 And all nations will hate you because you are my
followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved.

Matthew 24:9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to
death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.

Psalm 69:4 Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my
head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me.
I am forced to restore what I did not steal.

•The world hates God. We remind them of the God they hate so much.

Romans 1:29-30 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness,
sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious
behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent,
proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey
their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are
heartless, and have no mercy.

John 15:21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they
do not know the one who sent me.

John 15:25 This fulfills what is written in their Scriptures: 'They
hated me without cause.'

•The darkness always hates the light.

John 3:19-21 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but
people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the
light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by
the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that
what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

Matthew 5:14-15 "You are the light of the world–like a city on a
hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it
under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives
light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds
shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly
Father.

•People hate the truth.

Romans 1:18 For God's wrath is being revealed from heaven against all
the ungodliness and wickedness of those who in their wickedness
suppress the truth.

Amos 5:10 There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in
court and detest the one who tells the truth.

Galatians 4:16 Have I now become your enemy because I am telling you the truth?

John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

•The world hates us because of our mission. Unbelievers love their
self-righteousness. We have to tell people who think they're good and
have been doing the things society thinks will take them to Heaven
that their good works mean nothing and their good deeds are just
filthy rags. Pride is killing us. They think how dare you say I'm not
good enough. How dare you call me evil. I've done way more good things
than you. God knows my heart.

Romans 10:3 For ignoring the righteousness that comes from God, and
seeking instead to establish their own righteousness, they did not
submit to God's righteousness.

Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we
not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in
your name perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, 'I
never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is
not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so
that no one can boast.

•Because they believe in lies. There are so many people who don't know
the Bible, but yet they still want to debate the Bible. They harden
their heart to the truth and they say things like God condones
slavery, this, that, etc.

Psalm 109:2 For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,
speaking against me with lying tongues.

2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 And for this cause God shall send them strong
delusion, that they should believe a lie:

•They mistake love for hate.

I've seen Christians preach on homosexuality in the kindest most
loving manner. They explained there is hope in Christ if the
homosexual would repent and trust in Christ alone. Yet, I still saw
unbelievers who said wow Christians are so hateful. I was so shocked.
It did not get any more loving than this preaching. In today's
society, if you say nothing and allow someone to go to hell that is
love. If you say in a loving matter that something is a sin, that is
being hateful. True hate is watching someone who is on their way to
eternal pain and torment and saying nothing.

Proverbs 13:24 Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the
one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.

Proverbs 12:1 To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate
correction.

Proverbs 27:5 An open rebuke is better than hidden love!


•Because everybody else hates us and people of the world are
followers. Without even getting to know Christianity people agree with
others. If someone says that Christians are bigots someone will repeat
that false information. They go off of what others say.

Proverbs 13:20 Whoever keeps company with the wise becomes wise, but
the companion of fools suffers harm.

Luke 23:22-23 For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime
has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death
penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him." But
with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and
their shouts prevailed.

Exodus 23:2 "Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give
testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the
crowd,

•The world thinks Christians are stupid.

1 Corinthians 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to
shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the
strong.

•We are hated because of false teachers. Many people sit in churches
and all they hear is love, love, love, and no repentance. When they go
out and find a true believer who says sin, they say Jesus preached
only about love. You're wrong! False converts sitting under a false
teacher hate real Christians.

Matthew 23:15-16 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you
hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and
when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell
as you are. "Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by
the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the
temple is bound by that oath.

•They don't like the true Christ. They want to keep their life. They
want one foot in and one foot out.

Luke 14:27-28 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after
me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a
tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have
sufficient to finish it?

Matthew 16:25-26 Those who want to save their lives will lose them.
But those who lose their lives for me will find them. What good will
it do for people to win the whole world and lose their lives? Or what
will a person give in exchange for life?

•They want to keep their sins and they don't like their sins being exposed.

John 7:7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify
that its works are evil.

Ephesians 5:11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and
darkness; instead, expose them.

•Satan has blinded the world.

2 Corinthians 4:4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of
unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that
displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Ephesians 2:2 that you once practiced as you lived according to the
ways of this present world and according to the ruler of the power of
the air, the spirit that is now active in those who are disobedient.

•They hate us because we are not doing evil with them. They believe
that we think that we are better than non-Christians, which is not
true. We're not better, we're just better off.

1 Peter 4:4 Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no
longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do.
So they slander you.

Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the
Lord. Live as children of light

•They hate the Bible

John 14:24  Anyone who doesn't love me will not obey me. And remember,
my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who
sent me.

•They don't want to be held accountable for their sin.

Romans 14:12  Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.

Romans 2:15  They show that the requirements of the law are written on
their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their
thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending
them.)

•They are ignorant and they refuse to learn.

Ephesians 4:18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from
the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened
their hearts against him.

Matthew 22:29 Jesus replied, "Your mistake is that you don't know the
Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God.

•The ones who hate Christianity are the ones who admire the devil.

John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry
out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not
holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he
speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

1 John 3:10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who
the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is
not God's child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and
sister.

•We have Christ's Spirit within us.

Romans 8:9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are
controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you.
(And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living
in them do not belong to him at all.


•They hate the gospel of Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who
are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the
very power of God.

•God said we would be persecuted. No Word of God will ever fail.

2 Timothy 3:12 Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in
Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

1 John 3:13 Brothers and sisters, don't be surprised if the world hates you.

•We are foreigners and foreigners are always mistreated.

Hebrews 13:14  For this world is not our permanent home; we are
looking forward to a home yet to come.

Philippians 3:20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus
Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our
Savior.

•Because of the actions of fake Christians or immature believers.

Romans 2:24  No wonder the Scriptures say, "The Gentiles blaspheme the
name of God because of you."


• Christians are bad for business to the wicked. Clubs, abortion
clinics, pornography sites, casinos, prosperity preachers, physics,
etc. We fight against things that are evil, which is a problem for
those who seek dishonest gain.

Acts 19:24-27 Demetrius, a silversmith, was in the business of making
silver models of the temple of Artemis. His business brought a huge
profit for the men who worked for him. He called a meeting of his
workers and others who did similar work. Demetrius said, "Men, you
know that we're earning a good income from this business, and you see
and hear what this man Paul has done. He has won over a large crowd
that follows him not only in Ephesus but also throughout the province
of Asia. He tells people that gods made by humans are not gods.
There's a danger that people will discredit our line of work, and
there's a danger that people will think that the temple of the great
goddess Artemis is nothing. Then she whom all Asia and the rest of the
world worship will be robbed of her glory."

Acts 16:16-20 One day when we were going to the place of prayer, a
female servant met us. She was possessed by an evil spirit that told
fortunes. She made a lot of money for her owners by telling fortunes.
She used to follow Paul and shout, "These men are servants of the Most
High God. They're telling you how you can be saved." She kept doing
this for many days. Paul became annoyed, turned to the evil spirit,
and said, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of
her!"As Paul said this, the evil spirit left her. When her owners
realized that their hope of making money was gone, they grabbed Paul
and Silas and dragged them to the authorities in the public square. In
front of the Roman officials, they said, "These men are stirring up a
lot of trouble in our city. They're Jews

Luke 16:13-14 "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and
love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You
cannot serve both God and money." The Pharisees, who dearly loved
their money, heard all this and scoffed at him.


***You will be hated. It's cool these days to mock Jesus in a music
video. The world loves false religions because they're of their father
Satan. Christianity is the most hated religion for a reason. When we
suffer for Christ we share in His suffering. Rejoice in persecution.
Pray for those who hate and persecute you. Continue to preach the
gospel with love. Show others the love of God. Just like Jesus saved
Paul, who used to murder Christians, He will save anyone. Repent and
Trust in Christ alone for salvation.

Matthew 5:10-12 They are blessed who are persecuted for doing good,
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. "People will insult you and
hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you
because you follow me. But when they do, you will be blessed. Rejoice
and be glad, because you have a great reward waiting for you in
heaven. People did the same evil things to the prophets who lived
before you.

Are we to love the sinner but hate the sin?

Many Christians use the cliché "Love the sinner; hate the sin." This
saying is not found in the Bible in so many words; however, Jude
1:22–23 contains a similar idea: "Be merciful to those who doubt; save
others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed
with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh."
According to this, our evangelism should be characterized by mercy for
the sinner and a healthy hatred of sin and its effects.

We are to have compassion on sinners for whom Christ died, and we are
also to keep ourselves "from being polluted by the world"—part of what
constitutes "pure and faultless" religion (James 1:27). But we also
realize that we are imperfect human beings and that the difference
between us and God in regard to loving and hating is vast. Even as
Christians, we cannot love perfectly, nor can we hate perfectly (i.e.,
without malice). But God can do both of these perfectly, because He is
God. God can hate without any sinful intent. Therefore, He can hate
the sin and the sinner in a perfectly holy way and still lovingly
forgive the sinner at the moment of repentance and faith (Malachi 1:3;
Revelation 2:6; 2 Peter 3:9).

The Bible clearly teaches that God is love. First John 4:8–9 says,
"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is
how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into
the world that we might live through him." Mysterious but true is the
fact that God can perfectly love and hate a person at the same time.
This means He can love him as someone He created and can redeem, as
well as hate him for his unbelief and sinful lifestyle. We, as
imperfect human beings, cannot do this; thus, we must remind ourselves
to "love the sinner; hate the sin."

How exactly does that work? We hate sin by recognizing it for what it
is, refusing to take part in it, and condemning it as contrary to
God's nature. Sin is to be hated, not excused or taken lightly. We
love sinners by showing them respect (1 Peter 2:17), praying for them
(1 Timothy 2:1), and witnessing to them of Christ. It is a true act of
love to treat someone with respect and kindness even though you do not
approve of his or her lifestyle or sinful choices.

It is not loving to allow a person to remain stuck in sin. It is not
hateful to tell a person he or she is in sin. In fact, the exact
opposites are true. Sin leads to death (James 1:15), and we love the
sinner by speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). We hate the sin
by refusing to condone, ignore, or excuse it.

How will I know when I have found the perfect spouse for me?

The Bible does not address how to find the "perfect spouse," nor does
it get as specific as we might like on the matter of finding the right
marriage partner. The one thing God's Word does explicitly tell us is
to make sure that we do not marry an unbeliever (2 Corinthians
6:14-15). First Corinthians 7:39 reminds us that, while we are free to
marry, we should only marry those who are acceptable to God—in other
words, Christians. Beyond this, the Bible is silent about how to know
we are marrying the "right" person.

So why doesn't God spell out for us what we should look for in a mate?
Why do we not have more specifics about such an important issue? The
truth is that the Bible is so clear on what a Christian is and how we
are to act that specifics are not necessary. Christians are supposed
to be likeminded about important issues, and if two Christians are
committed to their marriage and to obeying Christ, they already
possess the necessary ingredients for success. However, because our
society is inundated with many professing Christians, it would be wise
to use discernment before devoting oneself to the lifelong commitment
of marriage. Once a prospective mate's priorities are identified—if he
or she is truly committed to Christ-likeness—then the specifics are
easier to identify and deal with.

First, we should make sure that we are ready to marry. We must have
enough maturity to look beyond the here and now and be able to commit
ourselves to joining with this one person for the rest of our lives.
We must also recognize that marriage requires sacrifice and
selflessness. Before marrying, a couple should study the roles and
duties of a husband and wife (Ephesians 5:22-31; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16;
Colossians 3:18-19; Titus 2:1-5; 1 Peter 3:1-7).

A couple should make sure they know each other for a sufficient amount
of time before discussing marriage. They should watch how the other
person reacts to different situations, how he behaves around his
family and friends, and what kind of people she spends time with. A
person's behavior is greatly influenced by those he keeps company with
(1 Corinthians 15:33). They should agree on issues such as morality,
finances, values, children, church attendance and involvement,
relationships with in-laws, and employment. These are areas of
potential conflict in marriage and should be carefully considered
beforehand.

Finally, any couple considering marriage should first go to premarital
counseling with their pastor or another trained Christian counselor.
Here they will learn valuable tools for building their marriage on a
foundation of faith in Christ, and they will also learn how to deal
with inevitable conflicts. After all these criteria have been met, the
couple is ready to prayerfully decide if they desire to be joined
together in marriage. If we are earnestly seeking the will of God, He
will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).