Did Jesus spend time in hell between the time of death and resurrection due to having all the sins of the world on His shoulders?

Jesus did not spend time in hell because of our sins. Hell — or more accurately “The Lake of Fire” is where unrepentant sinners will be punished for eternity along with Satan and the other fallen angels (Rev. 19:20; Rev. 20:14-15).

Just before dying on the cross Jesus said, “It is finished.” The sacrifice for our sins was paid in full. The full wrath of God against sin poured out on Him in our place. There was therefore no need for Jesus to spend time in hell.

Is Jesus still being crucified?

Emphatically no.

1 Pet. 3:18 ¹⁸For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.

Hebrews 9:26 ²⁵Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, ²⁶for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

What happened to Jesus between His death and resurrection?

Jesus led those who had died in faith, looking forward to the coming of the Messiah, into heaven

Jesus proclaimed His victory to two possible groups in Hades (which is the “holding tank” for those who have died outside of faith and are waiting to stand before the Great White Judgment Throne of God to be proclaimed guilty and cast forever into the Lake of Fire Rev. 19:20; Rev. 20:14-15).

1 Peter 3:19-20 ¹⁸For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, ¹⁹in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, ²⁰because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.

From the ESV Study Bible – There is much debate about the identity of these spirits. The Greek term pneuma (“spirit”), in either singular or plural, can mean either human spirits or angels, depending on the context (cf. Num. 16:22; 27:16; Acts 7:59; Heb. 12:23; etc.). Among the three most common interpretations, the first two fit best with the rest of Scripture and with historic orthodox Christian doctrine. These are:

(1) The first interpretation understands “spirits” (Gk. pneumasin, plural) as referring to the unsaved (human spirits) of Noah’s day. Christ, “in the spirit” (1 Pet. 3:18), proclaimed the gospel “in the days of Noah” (v. 20) through Noah. The unbelievers who heard Christ’s preaching “did not obey . . . in the days of Noah” (v. 20) and are now suffering judgment (they are “spirits in prison,” v. 19). Several reasons support this view: (a) Peter calls Noah a “herald of righteousness” (2 Pet. 2:5), where “herald” represents Greek kēryx, “preacher,” which corresponds to the noun kēryssō, “proclaim,” in 1 Pet. 3:19. (b) Peter says the “Spirit of Christ” was speaking through the OT prophets (1:11); thus Christ could have been speaking through Noah as an OT prophet. (c) The context indicates that Christ was preaching through Noah, who was in a persecuted minority, and God saved Noah, which is similar to the situation in Peter’s time: Christ is now preaching the gospel through Peter and his readers (v. 15) to a persecuted minority, and God will save them.

(2) In the second interpretation, the spirits are the fallen angels who were cast into hell to await the final judgment. Reasons supporting this view include: (a) Some interpreters say that the “sons of God” in Gen. 6:2–4 are angels (see note on Gen. 6:1–2) who sinned by cohabiting with human women “when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah” (1 Pet. 3:20). (b) Almost without exception in the NT, “spirits” (plural) refers to supernatural beings rather than people (e.g., Matt. 8:16; 10:1; Mark 1:27; 5:13; 6:7; Luke 4:36; 6:18; 7:21; 8:2; 10:20; 11:26; Acts 5:16; 8:7; 19:12, 13; 1 Tim. 4:1; 1 John 4:1; Rev. 16:13–14; cf. Heb. 1:7). (c) The word “prison” is not used elsewhere in Scripture as a place of punishment after death for human beings, while it is used for Satan (Rev. 20:7) and other fallen angels (2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6). In this case the message that Christ proclaimed is almost certainly one of triumph, after having been “put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit” (1 Pet. 3:18).

(3) In a third view, some have advocated the idea that Christ offered a second chance of salvation to those in hell. This interpretation, however, is in direct contradiction with other Scripture (cf. Luke 16:26; Heb. 9:27) and with the rest of 1 Peter and therefore must be rejected on biblical and theological grounds, leaving either of the first two views as the most likely interpretation. « Less

Do we have to believe that we are forgiven in order to be forgiven?

The example of Jesus, the teachings of Jesus, and the miracles of Jesus cannot save us. It is only the death of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection from the dead that can save. It is on believing that His death and resurrection is the ONLY way to be made right with God that we are saved.

Romans 10:9 ⁹because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Are Christians subject to God’s wrath… passive or active?

Absolutely not. We are subject to His divine discipline / correction, but NEVER His divine wrath. The PUNISHMENT for our sin was poured out on Jesus in the sacrifice of the cross.

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.

I’ve been told by a Roman Catholic that we need confession and other catholic religious ceremonies to be sure of our salvation. Are they correct, or is Jesus enough?

Jesus is not merely enough — He is the ONLY way to God.

John 14:7 ⁶Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Jesus said — “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me.

Acts 4:12 ¹²And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

OPEN – Questions
Incarnation: God Comes – October

1. Is it true that Mormons believe that Jesus was a man that BECAME God? If it is, how do they back that belief with scripture?

They don’t back it with Scripture and the CAN’T back it with Scripture. They use the Book of Mormon to explain their heretical beliefs.

2. Was God unable to relate to humans before the incarnation?

We begin with the understanding that God is omniscient — that is he knows all things — He never LEARNS anything. Thus, He knows everything about our humanity. In the incarnation He added humanity to His divinity — not to primarily for the sake of understanding us — but to be to be our kinsman redeemer, to stand as a man in the place of sinful man to endure the wrath of God that we deserve. Having said that, as a man, Jesus entered time and space and was also joined experientially with life in these tents of flesh — and thus we read in Hebrews 4:14-15

14Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

3. If Jesus became fully man, but without our sinful nature, how then could He fully understand what it is like to be tempted?

Before man’s original sin everything about his nature was “good.” In fact, God said that it was “very good.” Neither Adam, nor Eve, had a sinful nature when they were tempted. Jesus was conceived and came into this world without sin — even as our first parents came into the world without sin. He experienced temptation as fully as did Adam and Eve, yet without sin.

4. When Jesus became flesh and he was given a body, was he given a sinful nature?

The answer is no. Before man’s original sin everything about his nature was “good.” In fact, God said that it was “very good.” Sin did not cause Adam and eve (and us) to cease to be human. We are not less than human — we are still image bearers of God. But, the image of God is marred and stained and tainted. In our study of the Fall we learned about the concept of “Total Depravity.” Total depravity means that sin has affected the totality of a person; our thoughts — our feelings — our will — our emotions — our body. Every man and woman born into this world comes into the world in that spiritual condition. Jesus is the only exception. Jesus did not inherit Adam’s sinful nature, because He was born of a virgin and conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.

5. Was the census that Caesar ordered illegal according to Jewish law?

No — because they were

6. Is our sinful nature our basic human instincts? Was Jesus tempted because of those instincts?

Before man’s original sin everything about his nature was “good.” In fact, God said that it was “very good.” Sin did not cause Adam and Eve (and us) to cease to be human. We are not less than human — we are still image bearers of God. But, the image of God is marred and stained and tainted. In our study of the Fall we learned about the concept of “Total Depravity.” Total depravity means that sin has affected the totality of a person; our thoughts — our feelings — our will — our emotions — our body. Every man and woman born into this world comes into the world in that spiritual condition. Jesus is the only exception. Jesus did not inherit Adam’s sinful nature, because He was born of a virgin and conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore the humanity of Jesus was not stained and tainted by sin. That did not exempt Jesus from things like fatigue, huger, or emotions. When Satan Tempted Jesus the temptations appealed to those very real human feelings.

7. What was Jesus’ way of getting through His temptations?

When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness He constantly answered the suggestions of Satan with “It is written.” In response to the first temptation Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 to defeat Satan. Feeding on and obeying God’s Word is more important than consuming physical food. In fact, it is our food (John 4:32-34 ). IN response to His second temptation Jesus replied with Deuteronomy 6:16 : “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” We tempt God when we put ourselves into circumstances that force Him to work miracles on our behalf. We tempt God when we try to force Him to contradict His own Word. It is important for us as believers to read all Scripture, and study all God has to say, for all of it is profitable for daily life (2 Tim. 3:16-17 ). In the third temptation Jesus replied with Deuteronomy 6:13 : “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” Satan had said nothing about service, but Jesus knew that whatever we worship, we will serve. Worship and service must go together.

8. What’s an easier way to describe God in three parts to non-believers?

Actually, there is no EASY way to explain the Trinity. AUGUSTINE said – If you deny the Trinity you lose your soul — If you try to explain it you lose your mind!

So let’s take what the doctrine of the Trinity states, and then break it down

The doctrine of the Trinity states that: There is ONE God – Who eternally exists as three distinct persons – Father, Son and Spirit – Each FULLY and EQUALLY God

The Trinity is ONE God (monotheism)

Who eternally exists (never a time when the Father, Son and Spirit didn’t exist)

He exists as three distinct persons

“Person” does not mean that God the Father or God the Spirit became human beings. (God the Son did)

Rather, it means that each member of the Trinity thinks, acts, feels, speaks, and relates because they are persons as opposed impersonal forces.

And each member of the Trinity is equally God

Which means that they share the divine attributes, such as eternality — omniscience — omnipotence — and omnipresence.

Three distinct persons — Father, Son and Spirit — who are each FULLY and EQUALLY God

FULLY = Each possesses the fullness of Divine Attributes.

EQUALLY = One is not more God than the other

9. What is Jesus’ current state? Things like The Shack allude to a Jesus that is still human and God? Is his humanity currently gone?

First — The depiction of God in “The Shack” is Modalism (which is heretical). This heresy essentially says that there is one God who puts on three masks. It essentially states that in the OT he acts like the Father — In Gospels He acts like Jesus — From the Book of Acts forward He acts like the Holy Spirit.

In “The Shack” Papa says – “I am truly human in Jesus”. THAT is not true. THAT is Modalism. The Father was NOT born of a virgin — did not die on a cross. The Son did. The Doctrine of the Trinity declares that they are distinct persons

The Father SENT the Son.

The SON died for sin.

The Spirit was sent to regenerate and indwell us.

They are working together.

But they are distinct.

Second — Jesus is forever united with us in our humanity.

10. If Jesus was tempted as a man than why in James 1:13 does it say that God cannot be tempted? I know the bible does not contradict itself so can you explain?

Remember how we learned about the concept called the Hypostatic Union issued in the Chalcedonian Creed in 451 A.D. Hypostasis meaning that Jesus is one person with two natures. Jesus was not being tempted as God — rather as a man.

DOWNLOAD QUESTIONS / ANSWERS PDF

July OPEN Text Questions // God Pursues //

http://audiometro.s3.amazonaws.com/podcast/Open/OPEN-Richard.Cimino–Credo.God.Pursues.mp3

OPEN

Covenant: God Pursues – Questions

1) Why was Noah considered righteous? Why would it say that Noah was righteous unless it was significant in some way to the favor he received from the Lord?

Noah is called righteous because he FOUND FAVOR with God. That is the only way that ANY of us can be made righteous. Abraham is called the father of those who believe. He received righteousness – NOT by works or by the act of circumcision – but by faith.

Genesis 15:6 6And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Galatians 3:6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”

Roman 4:11-12 11He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, 12and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

2) Who is Brian McLaren?

He is one of the leading influences in the “Emergent” movement.

3) How does God’s choosing and blessing of Abraham and Noah reconcile with New Testament verses which say there is no partiality with God?

Partiality in the context of the New Testament has do to with giving special attention to someone on the basis of social, economic, political, or cultural status.
James 2:1-4 My Brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

With God – there is no such partiality. He is willing to save ANYONE who would come to Him through Christ. Jesus died for sinners – whether they are losers or winners in the eyes of man.
God’s choice of Abraham and Moses had nothing to do with any human measurement of status. God sovereignly chose these men – that is – He made the decision in and of Himself without any influence outside of Himself.

4) How does Brian McLaren rationalize having a problem with God’s so called favoritism if it is so clearly illustrated in Scripture?

He is the classic example of 2 Peter 3:15-16

15And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.

5) What does ‘covenant’ mean?

A Covenant is a life and death relationship with God on His terms.
In the covenants of Scripture, God sets out the terms of that relationship.

6) Can you address dispensationalism a little more? (Gal 3:28-29)

Dispensationalism is a system of interpretation that seeks to establish a unity in the Scriptures through its central focus on the grace of God. Although dispensationalists recognize differing stewardships or dispensations whereby man was put under a trust by the Lord, they teach that response to God’s revelation in each dispensation is by faith (salvation is always by grace through faith). Dispensationalists arrive at their system of interpretation through two primary principles: (1) maintaining a consistently literal method of interpretation, and (2) maintaining a distinction between Israel and the church.
The Moody Handbook of Theology

7) How much of an old covenant is valid when God initiates a new covenant?

Each of the covenants build upon each other. The next covenant does not do away with the previous. For example — the Mosaic covenant does not cancel the promise of God in the Noahic covenant (to never again destroy the earth by a flood.) Neither does the New Covenant, established in the blood of Jesus, do away with the Davidic Covenant and the promise of a king to sit on the throne of David and rule the world in righteousness.

The conditions of the Mosaic covenant (the Mosaic Law) are binding upon the nation of Israel.

EXAMPLE: Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread

Ex. 12:14-17 “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. 15Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 16On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. 17And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever.

Example: The Sabbath

Ex. 31:16 Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. 17It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”

NOTICE — These are binding upon ISRAEL and not the gentile world.

It is interesting to note that Ezekiel references sacrifices being offered in the Temple during the Millennium. Under the Old Covenant, the sacrifices prescribed by God through Moses POINTED FORWARD to the FIRST COMING of Jesus and how He would be “the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the World by the sacrifice of the Cross.

However, in the Millennium (1,000 year reign of Jesus upon the earth Rev. 20:6) these sacrifices are not offered looking FORWARD to the coming of Jesus as the lamb of God; rather they POINT BACK to the suffering of Jesus in His FIRST COMING, in order to identify the One who is seated on the throne of David, ruling in righteousness for 1,000 years, as the One who died for the sins of the world, who must even then be trusted for salvation.

DOWNLOAD QUESTIONS / ANSWERS PDF

July OPEN Text Questions // the Fall //

1. If Adam and Eve were perfect why did they sin? Do perfect people sin? More importantly why did God put the dumb tree there?

Remember — One of the things that makes men (and angels) morally perfect is freedom. God made us that way so that we could be like Him and love freely. God created the FACT of Freedom — as free moral agents we perform the ACTS of Freedom. God made Evil POSSIBLE — Men made Evil FACTUAL. Imperfection came through the abuse of our moral perfection.

2. Since original sin was when Satan rebelled against God, where did Satan’s sinful nature come from?

Essentially you are asking – What made Satan sin? That is like asking what caused the first cause. Nothing outside of his own free will caused him to sin. Satan himself was the first cause of his sin — and you can’t go back any farther than that. When WE sin — ultimately we (by our wills) are the cause of the evil we do.

3. Many people, even Christians, interpret the fall in mythological terms. Why is it important for us to interpret Genesis 3 literally and how do we defend this?

Jesus was very clear in referencing a literal Adam and Eve. Jesus was very clear in saying that EVERY WORD was inspired by God. The New Testament references the temptation deception of Eve in the Garden. Shame on professing Christians for not taking God at His Word. They have already fallen pray to the CHALLENGES of Satan in the Garden – Did God really speak?

4. Could Adam and Eve have possibly gotten saved?

We know that men and women of the Old testament were saved. Their salvation was on the same basis as ours – Believing God for salvation. As the history of the world progressed their was progressively more revelation concerning the coming of Christ and His saving work on the cross. Old testament men and women were saved by believing with their heart the promises of God concerning the coming of Christ. Adam and Eve were given the “protoevangelion” – the first Gospel message – by God himself. It was very general – but very clear – the seed of the woman would slay the dragon! Other Old Testament men and women were given more details concerning the coming Savior – He would be a descendant of Abraham —  His saving work pictured in the Levitical offerings. Their salvation depended solely on believing the promises of God concerning the coming of Jesus.

5. Why did God allow Satan to dwell on the earth with humans?

God created the FACT of Freedom — as free moral agents we perform the ACTS of Freedom. God made Evil POSSIBLE — Men made Evil FACTUAL. Imperfection came through the abuse of our moral perfection. The same is true of Satan. Some believe that Satan was permitted on the scene to become the agent whereby man would be given choice.

6. Did Eve sin when she felt the temptation, or, was it simply the act of eating?

Being tempted is not sin. Sin is choosing to give in to temptation to gratify ourselves at the expense of disobeying God.

7. When discussing God’s creation with my friends, a question I often encounter is, “How can God’s perfect creation do anything that is imperfect?”

One of the things that makes men morally perfect is freedom. God created the FACT of Freedom — as free moral agents we perform the ACTS of Freedom.

QUOTE: “A free choice leaves the possibility of a wrong choice.”

QUOTE: J.B. Phillips. “Evil is inherent in the risky gift of free will

Imperfection came through the abuse of our moral perfection.”

God made Evil POSSIBLE — Men made Evil FACTUAL.

8. Just to clarify, did you really say God doesn’t endorse blended marriages?

Incorrect. I was referencing the great pain and difficulties that exist in blended FAMILIES. I said that blended families are not what God intended. A “blended family” is not an ethnically mixed marriage – it is a family comprised of a husband and wife from a failed marriage(s) with parents dealing with children from their spouse’s failed marriage(s).

9. Are we born as sinners, or only with the potential to sin?
If the latter, at what point can we fall into sin, and what about those who die in infancy?

We are sinners by nature and sinners by choice (Romans 5). There is what is called the “age of accountability.” This is when an individual understands the moral consequences of his behavior. I believe that any child who dies before that goes to heaven. See 2 Samuel 12

10. Did Adam sin when he blamed Eve for eating the apple?

Yes – it was a sinful response to sin. It was also an accusation against God – essentially blaming God.

11. If Adam and Eve had free will which caused them to fall, what’s to keep this from happening again in heaven?

People will end up in heaven or hell because God has preserved freedom of choice. Each person will make his own free choice that will determine their eternal destiny. Evil is overcome once those who reject God are separated from all those who trusted Christ – everyone’s choice will be made permanent. Those who choose God will be confirmed in it and sin will cease. Those who reject God will be in eternal tormented quarantine and cannot upset the perfect world that has come about. Norman Geisler “When Skeptics Ask” p. 73

12. Where is the tree of good and evil now? Shouldn’t there be a sword going through it?

Good question. I don’t know. But the sword was not going through the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. Gen. 3:24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. We do see the Tree of Life again – Rev. 2:7; 22:2; 22:14; 22:19

13. How do we resist temptation?

1.) By the Word of God. Jesus — when tempted by Satan in the wilderness countered every temptation with ”It is written….”
2.) By the power of the Holy Spirit — Eph. 6:10 forward “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might that you might be able to stand…..”
3.) Prayer 2 Cor 10:4

14. If men are called to responsibility, what are women called to? And how should we respond when we sin, especially in a relationship?

Eve was called to HELP Adam. She was to support Adam in his role as head and leader. That is a HIGH thing. God is often referred to as our HELPER in the Psalms. The Holy Spirit is given the name “Helper” by Jesus. It was her sin that ruined that relationship and every woman since Eve has had a desire to rule and lead. When a woman sins she needs to do the same thing a man does when he sins – confess – repent and forsake the sin.

15. Why would God create man knowing that he would sin, knowing that so many terrible things would happen through sin?

Great question. The question you are asking is essentially: Couldn’t God have made a world without evil?

The Inference – God could have done a better job designing the world in the first place

The argument

God knows everything
So God knew evil would occur when He created the world
God had other non-evil possibilities. God could have

not created anything – this implies that nothing is better than something. What has no morality attached to it can neither better or worse.

created a world without free creatures – creatures without free will are nonmoral. A nonmoral world can not be a morally good world.

created free creatures that would not sin – It is conceivable that free creatures would never sin. Getting that to happen is another matter. If God tampered with those creatures in any way so as to prevent them from sinning they would no longer be free. Even if a sinful action is averted wasn’t there already an evil motive. Such a world is conceivable but not actually achievable. Beyond all of this – a world of freedom from evil would be morally inferior to the present world. The highest virtues and greatest pleasures are impossible to achieve if there is not opposition. Example: Courage can only exist in the face of fear or danger.

created free creatures who would sin but would all be saved in the end – God will not save men at any cost. He respects their freedom and concurs with their choice. He will not force men to believe or love Him. Forced love is rape. and that is not God.

Norman Geisler – When Skeptics Ask p.71-73

16. If we, being “post-Adam” have a proclivity to sin at birth, how do you explain Adam & Eve’s sin if they were living in complete and perfect harmony with God?

Great question. They were not born with the proclivity to sin. God created the FACT of Freedom — as free moral agents we perform the ACTS of Freedom.

QUOTE: “A free choice leaves the possibility of a wrong choice.”

QUOTE: J.B. Phillips. “Evil is inherent in the risky gift of free will

Imperfection came through the abuse of our moral perfection.”

God made Evil POSSIBLE — Men made Evil FACTUAL.

17. Does this mean that when we feel the Holy Spirit that it isn’t true?
My point is that everything that we FEEL is not necessarily true. Saying that I FELT the Holy Spirit does not mean that it WAS the Holy Spirit. It very well might be the Holy Spirit. For example – Mormons teach you that if you feel a burning in your chest it is proof that the God of Mormonism is true. We must always measure our FEELINGS against the Word of God.

18. So if adulterers, for example are saved the same as other “Christians”, why are they not Christians? Is saved not saved? Is a new nomenclature needed?

I’m not sure I’m getting the heart of your question. Adulterers CAN be saved. SO can MURDERERS or LIARS. By faith in Jesus they are SAVED from the penalty of sin and the power of sin. Upon believing with your heart on the Lord Jesus you are not just forgiven — you are also TRANSFORMED by the power of the Holy Spirit and given the power to live for the One who loved you and died for you. SAVED is SAVED!
.
19. I had a father that was just as you described, had a job, wife, and kids and then left. On the other hand that has made me want to be the best husband/father to my wife and kids. Do you have any advice for me when things get tough or rough besides praying to God?

Never use your failed dad as your excuse for failure. Remember what is NORMAL and NORMATIVE. Jesus is what we should look like. No doubt we can all say we had a bad father figure — Adam! We must look to the perfect example of Jesus as Groom and our Heavenly Father as dad.

20. What was the first sinful response to sin?

In our Credo study the first one listed was
1.) Some people love to minimize their sin number. It’s not that big of a deal, you totally are overreacting.

In Human History it was blameshifting. “The woman you gave to me….”

21. What is a Theologian?

Someone who studies theology
Theology is the study of God.
From theos which = ‘god’ and -logia = study

22. Was satan in chapter 3 a literal snake or figurative like the dragon?

It would appear that he possessed a serpents body.

23. Are demons utterly depraved? If not, why are they unredeemable?

1.) The Bible says that they believe in God – but they tremble. They are more convinced of the existence of God than any human – but they refuse to bow before Him.
2.) Jesus did not shed His blood to “redeem” fallen angels. He can redeem fallen man because He became a man – became our “kinsman redeemer” so that He might purchase us back to God with the price of His own blood.

24. If King David died the night he committed adultery with Bathsheba, would he have gone to heaven?

The bigger question would be — “On what basis can anyone go to heaven?” The Bible is consistent from cover to cover that we can only be justified (made right with God) through faith. “Abraham BELIEVED God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” You are not kept out of heaven for dying before confessing sin. You are kept out of heaven by not trusting in God to justify you.

25. If God separated Adam and Eve into two fleshes then wouldn’t God himself have initiated the first divorce.

God never divided them — Genesis tells us that God brought the woman to the man and the two became one.

26. I hear Christians excuse our mistakes by saying “it’s ok you’re only human.” Is this an unacceptable excuse if to be humans means to be in the likeness of God?

There are those who try to excuse their sin with “well I’m only human” – i.e. What else can you expect me to do since mankind is fallen?
Genesis 5:1 and 9:6 along with James 3:9 say that we still bear the image of God after the fall. Sin does not make us LESS than human. It makes us LOST and FALLEN humans in need of a Savior. In reality — part of what defines us as human is moral responsibility and accountability.

27. Thanks for the WORD Richard! :)

1. What about cavemen and dinosaurs? How do they fit in Biblically?
2. How do you explain the Biblical account of creation to an atheist who does not believe the Bible or in God?
3. How could there have been evening and morning on the days before the sun and moon were created?
4. How does one’s view of our origins affect our eschatology (view of the end times etc)?
5. What’s the explanation of the two different Genesis accounts of the creation of the woman? (ch 1 and ch 2)
6. What about those who say they are gay and are christian?
7. Is the Garden of Eden a real physical place?
8. Can you list or recap the 6 views of creation?