In the Beginning...God Answers Part 2

Note: Some of the below questions were answered live in church, but not in each service.

What does omnipotent mean?
Omni means "all" and potent means "powerful."  Therefore, ominipotent means "all-knowing."

If we are in God's image and we all look different then what does He look like?
Because God is a spirit, we cannot see Him.  Jesus was the physcial form of God while He walked the earth.  In a prophecy concerning the coming Messaiah, Isaiah writes that Jesus was average looking.  Isaiah 53:2 says, "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him."  Many have speculated as to whether this meant Jesus was indeed, average looking.  If He were, it would make sense.  It would have been another example of God being more concerned about the heart of a person and not the exterior look.  1 Samuel 16:7 says, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."  But even if Jesus was average looking, this doesn't mean God is average looking.  As we talked about in one of the sermons, God is so holy, angels even had to hide their eyes at His glory.  All I know is, when we get to heaven, God will look just fine!  In regards to us being made in His image, this has more to do with our inner being than it does out outward appearance.

Is it OK to focus more on the aspects of one name then the others?
As I said in the final Q and A Sunday, Jesus is the perfect manifestation of all the names of God.  So by focusing on Christ, you encompass all the names for God.  However, I think it is fine to specifically call upon God by using one of the names we studied given the particular situation.  For instance, if you are in need of healing, I think it would be fine to address God as Jehovah-rophe.  Having said that, I would not recommend keeping your focus on one name of God, because you limit your appreciation for who He is.

Can a person be demon possessed?  If so, how can you tell?  Have you ever been involved in an exorsim?
Yes, according to the Bible, a person can be demon possessed.  There are several examples while Jesus walked the earth.  In today's society, in order to be sure someone is demon possessed, a doctor can run tests to see if there is a mental imbalance of somekind, etc.  If a doctor is unable to diagnose the problem, then the odds increase you may be looking at demon possession.  Some things to look for would include a change in mental state.  A radical change in physical strength.  A radical change spiritually, such as someone becomes violent or hostile towards the name of Jesus Christ.  You might even notice voices that differ from their normal voice.  I personally have seen people that were possessed by a demon, but have never taken part in an exorism.  As a believer, we may be "influenced" by demons, but we cannot be possessed by a demon because our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  1 Corinthians 3:16 and 17 says, "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?  If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destory him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple."

Answers to Questions for the "In the Beginning...God" Series

Why would a loving God let Satan torture a servant and destroy his life, just to prove his faithfulness?
This has always been a difficult concept.  I assume this question deals with the story of Job.  Something we have to keep in mind when we read stories like Job, is that these are isolated examples God gave us.  We can't look at a story like Job and assume every time something bad happens to us, it's because God is allowing Satan to attack us.  We also have to remember that life is all about bringing glory to God, not to ourselves. And in the end of the Job story, glory is brought to God.  He restores Job far beyond what he had before the tragedy struck.  And through  it all, God still had boundaries that Satan could not cross, proving He was still sovereign and in control.  We also learn a great deal from this story.  How many of us would be able to keep the faith Job did under similar circumstances?  We want life to be perfect and when it isn't, we blame God.  But where are we when times are good?  We often forget about God when everything is going well.  It's in times of despair that we finally seek God.  So as difficult as hard times can be, they are often used by God to draw us closer to Him.  The question is, will it draw you closer, or will you be one of those that walks away?  If you stay close to Him, you will find peace.  If not, your life will be miserable.    Read Galatians 6:7-8.

Who are the people Cain dwelt with after he was marked by God?
This question often comes up because we clearly read about Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel.  But when the Bible says there were other people around, where did they come from?  We have to remember that people lived a lot longer back then than they do now.  For instance, it was not unusual for someone to live 500 to 900 years.  Genesis 5:5 tells us Adam lived 930 years.  So during that time frame, a lot more children would have been born and therefore, populated the earth.  Genesis 5:4 tells us that Adam and Eve had other sons and daughters.  Incest was not an issue in the beginning of time because the world had to get populated.  Close inbreeding in ancient times would not have come with the genetic problems we see today.  So the other people Cain would have encountered would have been relatives that were populating the earth over a period of a lot of years.

Do you have to be baptized in order to get to heaven?
This could be a long answer, but I'll try to give you a short version.  The answer to that question is "no."  By adding anything to what Jesus did on the cross, you are diminishing what He did.  It's very dangerous to ever say, "In order to go to heaven, you must believe in what Jesus did on the cross, make Him Lord of your life AND..."  When you start adding anything beyond belief and lordship, you are walking in dangerous territory.  People who believe you have to be baptized will point to a number of Scriptures that mention baptism along with belief in Christ.  For instance, Peter in Acts 2:28 said, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins."  The idea here is that Christ takes away sin by what He did on the cross, NOT baptism.  Notice the passage says, "in the name of Jesus Christ."  Everything points back to what Jesus did on the cross.  If baptism was essential for salvation, then it would have to be mentioned every single time faith in Christ is mentioned for salvation, and it is not.  For instance, Romans 10:9 says, "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."  Where is baptism in this verse?  Every passage that talks about salvation mentions belief in Christ, not baptism.  That's because faith in Christ is essential to salvation, not baptism.  Having said that, we believe baptism is extremely important and is a command for believers.  The Bible is clear that we are to be baptized.  So for me, the question becomes, even though baptism is not tied to salvation, why would you avoid it?  What is the big deal?  It's a wonderful opportunity to make a public proclamation of your faith and to symbolically bury the old life.  Our baptism services are the highlight of my year.

I have a friend at school who is a Methodist.  How can I talk to him about believing that the Bible is the only way to God and eternal life?
First of all, as discussed in the last question, it is not the Bible that saves, but rather faith in Christ.  I think you know this, you just worded the question differently.  Second, if your friend is a Methodist, there is nothing wrong with that.  The Methodists would believe what we do on most accounts.  If he is truly a Methodist, then he should believe in the Bible as God's Holy Word and that Christ is the only way to salvation.  But just because he is Methodist, doesn't mean he understands this.  I would keep having discussions with him and discover what he believes and then go from there.

Why would a loving God ask man to kill his child just as a test of faith?

For this answer, listen to the sermon I gave on February 13 during this series. The explanation for this will be found during the part covering Jehovah-jireh. You can buy the CD at the Information Center for $2.00 or find it for free on our website at countylinechurch.org.

If someone is saved in their 20's and later in life fall into an addiction and die while being still addicted, will they go to heaven or hell?
I love questions like this.  It shows people are really thinking things through.  Fortunately, God is the judge and I am not.  Only God can judge what is truly in someones heart.  So I cannot say for sure whether someone is going to heaven or not.  I can tell you what it takes to get to heaven, but whether someone believes that in their heart, is only discernible by God.  On the surface, addictions can be a chemical imbalance in someones brain.  I would hope God shows grace to people who have a chemical imbalance that causes an addiction. But like I said, that's not my call.  One could also say, if the person is addicted to something, then that addiction has become their lord over Christ.  And if anything become lord over Christ, you are in a danger zone.  I'm sorry I can't give a more definitive answer, but only God knows their heart.

If I'm accepting of God's will, why pray for it?
I thought about this question several different ways trying to discern what was being asked.  There are so many ways to go with this question.  I don't think this person is asking, "Why pray at all?"  I think they are saying, "I'm good with whatever God's will is in my life, so I won't bother praying for Him to reveal it to me."  We must remember that prayer is more about communion with God than it is about answers.  You cannot grow in a relationship with someone without consistent communication.  Hence, the same goes with our relationship with God.  He wants to hear your heart, not a bunch of empty words.  While it is fine to be OK with God's will in your life, He still wants you to pray about all things.  God doesn't want you to pick and choose what you pray about.  Ephesians 6:18 says, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests."  Notice it doesn't say, "Pray on all occasions except for God's will in your life."  Jesus prayed a lot.  He prayed, as the passage in Ephesians says, on all occasions.  Even in the garden before His crucifixion, He prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42)  Notice Jesus prays His request, but still submits to the Father's will.  As Jesus as our example, let us not withhold any types of prayers, but pray "on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests."