Q: How do you know if you really believe in Christ?

This is a basic, but very important question. In essence, belief in Jesus means you receive Jesus for all that He is. The opposite of belief is, of course, unbelief. Unbelief is something Jesus encountered in his own life and is still prevalent today. When people don't believe in Jesus, or only believe some things about Jesus, then they don't truly receive Him as He really is. For instance, if you only believe that Jesus was a good, moral teacher, you have fallen into unbelief because Jesus claimed to be much more than a moral teacher - he claimed to be God. To believe in Jesus, therefore, is to trust in Him completely. This is especially crucial when it comes to salvation. Salvation is much more than mere head knowledge; it involves believing that you are a sinner and that Jesus died for you on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin. It's an act of the mind, will and heart (Romans 9:9-10).

That being said, how do you know if you really believe? I addressed this in my last sermon found HERE. Here's a written excerpt:

Dr. Victor Shepherd once said, "Our knowledge of someone is precisely the DIFFERENCE that person has made within us as a result of our meeting him/her. To know God is to be profoundly ALTERED by God through having encountered him."

The more you know a person, the more effect there is on your life. That's the principle. When you truly know a person, your life is made different forever. I'll give you an example from my own life. I've dated my wife for 13 years (we've been married for 5). I can confidently say that since I've gotten to know her, she's made the biggest impact in my life. I've been made different forever. If my life wasn't much different after 13 years, then I really couldn't say I know my wife. I may know facts about her (e.g. her favourite colour is blue; she likes sushi; she is the eldest child, etc.), but I don't really know her intimately.

With respect to our relationship with God, the same principle holds true. We know God when we have been made different forever through our encounter with Him. Sadly, many people know FACTS about God (e.g. believe that Jesus did this and that), but they don't know God PERSONALLY - God has not had a profound, everlasting impact in their life. When you know God, the direction of your life MUST change because that's the kind of IMPACT God makes on a person. He works in a person's heart, so she no longer desire to sin, but desire to live in holiness and obedience to Him. When you truly know God, your priorities; life direction; behaviour; words; innermost desires change as a result of your relationship with Him.

So friend, my question to you would simply be: Has your life changed because of Jesus? Would others who know you well agree?

[Answered by Pastor HM]

For further reading:

1. John Piper's message on "Believing in Your Heart." He writes this:

Therefore, believing in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead is much more than accepting a fact. It means being confident that God is for you, that he has closed ranks with you, that he is transforming your life, and that he will save you for eternal joy. Believing in the resurrection means trusting in all the promises of life and hope and righteousness for which it stands. It means being so confident of God's power and love that no fear of worldly loss nor greed for worldly gain will lure us to disobey his will. That's the difference between Satan and the saints. O might God circumcise all our hearts to love him and to rest in the resurrection of his Son.

2. John Walvoord's article entitled, "Do You Really Believe in Jesus?" He writes:

The Bible uses the word believe or the word faith hundreds of times to describe an act of trust. It is an act of the mind in that it involves comprehension of some truth, to at least a limited degree. The Bible indicates that the Holy Spirit works in our hearts and enables us to understand what we should believe to be saved (John 16:7-11).

Belief is also an act of the will because it involves a decision on our part (John 7:17). Are we going to trust the facts about the person and the work of Christ? The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ was the God-man — all that God is from eternity, and all that man is apart from sin. The Bible also repeatedly presents, in both testaments, the fact that God Himself provides Christ as the One who would die on the cross for our sins. He was the lamb of sacrifice (John 1:29). He died in our place. He "bore our sins in his body" (1 Pet. 2:24). He died "the righteous for the unrighteous" to bring us to God (1 Pet. 3:18).

Q: It is wrong to admire yourself?

A: It's not wrong to be proud of your accomplishments, but it is wrong to hold them above your God. We are all given gifts and talents in our lives and we use them to fulfill the purpose that God has created us for. It's not bad to be proud of the worship set that you just practiced, or the missions trip that you were just on. But is IS bad when you look upon those things and put them FIRST before God. Meaning; are you proud of the worship set because you honoured and worshiped God? Or are you proud that you were able to show off your talents in front of the congregation?

When we admire ourselves, we are associating the accomplishments that we have with our own ability. The Bible tells us that if we are to boast, let us boast in the Lord (1 Cor 30-31). Which means that while we can be proud of ourselves, we must always be grounded in remembering that every accomplishment we have, ever talent and gift that we possess, comes from the Lord.


[answered by Pastor KJT]

Q: Can a person ever sin too much or be too deep in sin that he/she cannot be forgiven and/or accepted by God?

A: The black and white answer to this question would be "no". You can never sin so much that God won't forgive you. God's grace and forgiveness extends till the day we die and as long as we ask for forgiveness, repent and make a decent effort to change our lives according to the teachings of the Bible, there is no sin in the world that God can't forgive.

Now, as I said, that's the black and white answer. But I'd like to go a little further and explain how a Christian should think regarding your question.

As Christians, we know that if we ask for forgiveness and repent of our sins, God will forgive us. That does not mean that we continue to live in sin, banking on the fact that if we ask for forgiveness one day, all those sins would be wiped away. We dont knowingly sin all our lives, and on our death bed, ask God to forgiveness; that is an irresponsible response to the Gospel.

We cannot perpetuate sin in our lives and then using God's grace as an insurance. The Bible has many passages about fleeing from sin (1 Cor 10:14 - flee from idolatry, 1 Tim 6:10 - 12 - flee from evil, 1 Cor 6:18 - flee from sexual immorality). What this says to me is that as Christians, we live in sin and then ask for forgiveness...we FLEE from sin and when we FAIL to do so, God will forgive us.

Also, the call to REPENT means to recognize the sin and learn from it. It means to pledge to avoid, to the best of your ability, the temptation of succumbing to that sin. Of course, we will fail sometimes, but that's where God's grace comes in. But we are never to abuse His love and grace.

[answered by Pastor KJT]

Don't be google for God, but find the answers you're looking for. Maybe here. Maybe elsewhere. But keep looking. This is what the ASK US Blog is about: Exploring our faith together.

Q: How can I learn to trust God more?

When I'm worried I pray to Him, but after that I still get worried. Also, I find it hard to trust others people. How do I know who God has sent for me?

There appears to be two parts to this question. First, there's the issue of trust. Pastor Kelly has written a great little post on this very issue. Read it here. Trust is a matter of character. You can only trust those who have proven themselves in the past. You can trust good friends because they have earned your trust (e.g. they keep their word; they don't cheat you; they don't gossip behind your back, etc.). You can trust God because God loves you and keeps his promises. He even suffered for you and died in your place, on the cross! If that doesn't show us a compelling picture of love, nothing will! When you pray, therefore, you need not worry because God will take care of you. He is trustworthy, good and pure.

Practically, I would suggest reading the Scripture and soak in the verses/stories that talk about trusting in God. For example, when David faced Goliath (1 Sam. 17); he put His trust in God, even though everyone laughed at him. When you read this story, it should remind you that God is trustworthy to you as he's been to thousands and millions of other individuals. I'd also recommend that you continually meditate on God's past grace in your life (e.g. past prayer requests that were answered; etc.). This will help remind you that God's character is the same. You can trust Him today and tomorrow. Lastly, when you pray - simply ask God to give you the strength, wisdom, patience and insight to trust him more. Sometimes it's difficult to be patient and trust God, and that's why we need his continual strength to do so.

As for your 2nd question ("How do I know who God has sent for me?"), God can speak to us through many different people and circumstances. Again, it comes down to the issue of trust. When you are unsure of something and you talk to another person about it, do you trust that person has your best interests in mind? Do they love God? Do they know what God desires (i.e. do they know what the Bible says about an issue)? This is not to say God cannot speak to you through non-Christians. When I was young, God spoke to me through a non-Christian friend who challenged me on my attitude. I'll never forget that day.

But when it comes to salvation and deep matters of faith/life direction/sin, I believe God speaks to us through those who know and love him. Those who truly know and love God are those who know the truth and have your best interests in mind. You can trust them for God has sent them as "witnesses" to you (see John the Baptist's example in John 1:6).

Hope this helps!

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: God hates me?

How do you respond to a person who thinks that God hates him because so much has happened in his life where he has prayed, but nothing has happened. Also, he has experience so much pain and death around him that he believes God has been idle to?

This is timely question as I'm sure some of those in Haiti are wondering the same thing. First, I'd encourage you to do is pray for your friend. You have to rely on God because there is nothing we can do or say - in our own wisdom - to make your friend believe in Jesus. Pray that God would open his spiritual eyes because your friend may believe nothing is happening, but this does not mean God has ceased to work.

We are human beings with finite senses and intellectual capacities. So when we pray, we often think that God only answers our prayers IF He answers them our way or when we can visibly see the results. This is simply untrue. I believe God listens to our prayers; and answers them according to His time and in His way. So I'd respond to your friend by telling him to be patient and wait upon the Lord.

The second thing is to point your friend to Jesus. Jesus came to our world to suffer with us and for us. When people suffer, there are two usual responses:

(1) “You’re suffering because God is judging you. You’re doing something bad, and God is angry with you.”

(2) “You’re suffering and that means there is no God. Or at least, He doesn’t care about us.”

When we look to Jesus, however, we see neither of these gods. We don’t see a condemning God; we see a God of love that bears the punishment for our sin. We don’t see a missing God. We see a God who is willing to enter a world of suffering to suffer with us and for us. No other faith or philosophical system makes such a claim. So whatever your friend is going through, let him know that Jesus has been there too. Jesus knows what it's like to betrayed; to lose a loved one; to be hated; to be beaten and to die horribly. And that's why when your friend prays to Jesus, he can rest assured that God is listening! He is not idle nor incapable. He is a compassionate God who listens to and answers prayers in his sovereign, perfect timing.

I'd also recommend you listen to this sermon & read this article - so you're equipped to handle your friend's questions about suffering in general.

Friend, God has given you the great gift of ministering to your friend in his/her time of need. Pray hard. Study hard. And listen attentively. Sometimes the way a person gets to know Jesus isn't through what you say, but what you don't.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: Divorced pastor?

How come in some churches when a pastor gets divorced they get fired, whereas in others they are still allowed to stay as an active pastor even after divorce?

We know, from Scripture, that a pastor can and should be removed from his role for two reasons: (1) Major theological error (1 Timothy 1:3) and/or (2) Moral failure (Titus 1:5-9). Divorce falls into the later category. If a pastor gets divorced, he should be removed from office for a period of time and rebuked for what has happened. However, there should also be a restoration period. If the pastor is truly repentant and commits to leading a life of moral purity, he can be restored to ministry. This is the principle outlined by Jesus in Matthew 18:16:

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother."

The church is doing everyone a disfavor if there is:

(1) No rebuke or correction (if the divorced pastor is not removed from ministry for a duration of time to seek counseling, etc.)

(2) No restoration (if the divorced pastor is not allowed to return to ministry - even if he repents)

A divorced pastor should be removed from ministry for a period of time, so he can seek counseling, support and reconciliation. If he truly repents, the local church should be gracious to him and restore him to active ministry. That's the principle. The pastor should not be fired without restoration in mind. But on the other hand, he should not be allowed to do ministry for a period of time after his divorce.

Friend, this is an issue dear to my heart as I know some of my pastor-friends have gone through this painful situation. Whatever happens, let us speak the truth in love (Eph. 5) and be gracious as God has been gracious to us.

For further reading, read more about divorce and remarriage here. Also read about pastoral restoration here.

[Answered by Pastor HM]