Joe_Applegarth

Really inciteful questions... Why are Christians persecuted even if they haven't hurt others? Christianity is the only religion that actively confronts the sin in the world with the truth of Jesus’ message. When we refuse to simply accept sin and refuse to “go along” with the crowd because it’s easy we make the sinner look bad and feel uncomfortable. The easiest way for them to feel that they and not God are in control of the situation is to strike out verbally or attack us physically. At the global level, oppressive governments and/or misguided politicians view us as their enemy so they attempt to control any expression of our Christian faith. We are, in their perspective, seen as a powerful enemy, antagonistic toward them personally, unreceptive to their political views and a direct challenge to their authority. These are people who will go to any extreme in an effort to stifle Christian thought and principles simply because we refuse to deny our Christian values that puts God first and foremost and everything else in the world subordinate to Him. What about a faithful Christian's life threatens non-Christians? The non-Christian, i.e., unrepentant sinner, is at odds with God! Whether they choose to admit it or not (and most don’t), they feel turmoil and conflict raging deep within because of the sin that they carry with them. I believe that most people want to live a godly life but Satan is constantly at work in the heart of the unbeliever and so many of us find him impossible to resist. As Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians, “…you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.” Eph. 2:1-2. Now how’s that for a hard truth? When facing truth of that magnitude, I can understand their anger but the truth is still the truth and sin needs to be confronted. When confronted with the truth some people respond angrily while the same truth will bring others to God in repentance. Facing it is pretty scary at best but it can’t be ignored forever and eventually it will require an answer. As for the threat? To the unrepentant sinner, Christian morality and compassion for others is totally incompatible with, and a direct threat to, his/her immoral lifestyle. Personally, I believe the reason most people won’t come to Christ is simply because they live their lives in darkness and don't want to admit that they are in-fact a sinner. They’re ashamed because they know that if they do come out of the darkness their sins will be exposed for everyone to see. Why does Jesus warn his disciples that persecution will come? What happens to our testimony if we give in under mild persecution? What does it say to persecutors when we don't react to their persecution? Do they see us as weak or as strong? Openly acknowledging and confessing the good news about Christ Jesus incites and enflames contempt and animosity in the world. Jesus was fully aware that suffering persecution because of Him was the will of His Father. He knew that by living a godly life we would be (not might be) persecuted; thus His warning. If you don’t have the courage to stand up for what you believe in how can anyone possibly take anything that you have to say seriously? When I look at things that way, the one word that comes to mind is integrity and it’s your integrity that will be compromised if you don’t stand up for what you believe. Those who actively embrace the gospel have nothing to fear from persecution and, if you profess to be a Christian, you simply can’t afford to give in to the fear of criticism or rejection. When you do, anything that comes out of your mouth afterward won’t be taken seriously and you have failed yourself but more importantly, you will have failed Christ. I suppose if we failed to react to persecution it could be considered a weakness by those who are doing the persecuting but it’s a definite strength in the eyes of God. The question is, whose acceptance is more important to you?

What is required to be counted a "friend of Jesus"? All that’s required of us to be counted as a friend is to obey His commands and the greatest of course is to “Love each other as I have loved you.” (v. 15:12) What privileges do "friends" enjoy? He will no longer call us “servants”, He will make known to us everything that He learned from God the Father (v. 15) and we will become shareholders in His kingdom. What happens when we take for granted this privilege? To "take for granted" is to be complacent or neglectful. If we are obedient and love God, if we’re trying to live a godly, Christian life, our fruit will manifest itself positively. If we’re complacent or neglectful toward Him and fail to obey His commands, the fruit that we ultimately yield will reflect that as well. God always has a way of sending us a reminder when we’re taking Him for granted.

How are obedience and joy linked? Obedience is an essential component for living a Christian life and an unqualified expression of our love of God. “Obedience is the natural result of love;” true joy is a by-product of that love and the faith that is derived from our obedience. Peace and joy come from knowing that our ultimate reward will be to spend eternity with Him in Paradise. Is obedience an obstacle to a joyful relationship between you and the Lord? Obedience isn’t an obstacle at all, it’s the pathway leading to joyfulness and fellowship with the Lord. In order for our love for God to grow within us, we must constantly strive to know Him and obey His commands. When we finally come to understand and appreciate the abiding love that God has for us, we strive even harder to please Him. Obedience through our love of God brings with it a clear conscience and a clear conscience produces peace and joy in our lives… “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7 NIV)

What is the nature of the fruit that comes from being connected to Jesus? Paul provides us with the nature of the fruit in Galatians when he wrote, “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Vv. 5:22-23) Good fruit is our personal commitment ‘abide in Christ Jesus’, to obey His commands with faith and courage and to model ourselves in every way and in all things in His holy image. When we arrive at that point in our lives, the Holy Spirit will provide the spiritual understanding that will enable us to live up to God’s lofty expectations and live a godly life. God expects us all pray constantly, use our God-given talents in His service, to love one another, to be of righteous character and to do it all in abundance. Is it accurate to define fruit as "souls saved"? What is the danger in this definition? Satan is working tirelessly to keep people from the Lord but it’s not our responsibility to get them saved, only God can do that! The truth is, we don’t even have the power to save ourselves only He can do that, saving souls is His domain and... it’s He who does the soul saving. That said, if we are truly disciples of Christ Jesus, we are expected to “witness” to the nonbeliever by sharing our knowledge and understanding of God through His holy word. He expects us to “introduce” lost sinners and nonbelievers to Christ for their salvation, not to try to save them ourselves. The Bible tells us time and again that, if you are a true believer, the way you live your life will validate your faith to others. God expects us all to set a positive example in the way we live our lives so that the sinners and nonbelievers of the world will want to emulate us, accept Jesus and live his/her life in His service. The danger in defining fruit as “souls saved” is that we clearly fail to recognize that the repentance of others is beyond the scope of mere mortals and when we go down that road we have a tendency to glorify ourselves rather than God and that will lead to dire consequences. Matthew 5:16 says that God is glorified when we are a bold “witness” for Him: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Which is in heaven.”

What does Jesus mean when he says, "Apart from me you can do nothing"? He means that without a relationship with God we can (spiritually) do nothing on our own. Paul told the Galatians that “… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control...” (5:22-23) The bottom line is that if we don’t accept Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior it’s impossible to bear ‘spiritual’ fruit. There are a lot of people who actually do try to improve themselves spiritually through self-discipline or any of the glut of self-help programs but the simple truth is, it’s only through the Holy Spirit that we can develop a “godly” character and if we’re not ‘abiding’ in Jesus Christ the Spirit can’t do His work. What is the value of things done without Christ? What is the final end of things done without Christ? It’s often said in the financial world that a short-term gain generally leads to a long-term loss. If that’s true and our (long term) goal is to spend eternity with the Lord then we can reasonably conclude that, without Christ in our lives, there’s no value whatsoever in anything that we accumulate in this world. Here in this wonderful country of ours there is a glut of material things that we always seem to be seeking. A promotion or a better paying job, the next new big screen TV, the newest expensive cell phone, a new car or a more luxurious house. Even if we don’t admit it to ourselves we all have these desires and I suppose there’s nothing wrong with wanting to better ourselves (short term) but the truth is, we brought absolutely nothing into this world when we came and we’ll not take anything out of it when we go. Unfortunately in our quest for earthly “stuff”, more often than not, our Christian values often get trampled along the way and in our quest for earthly treasures we often lose sight of God. The only possession that we can ever hope to acquire while we're here, at least the only thing that has eternal value, is our relationship with Jesus Christ. Paul said it much better than I could ever hope to when he wrote, "But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith." (Philippians 3:7-9 NIV) So, what is the final end of things done in our lives without Christ? Just like Paul, I also consider them garbage that I may gain Christ and be found in Him. “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work." (1 Cor. 3:11-13)

What does it mean "to abide"? Abide (Greek, meno) means to remain, stay or continue. What is the doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints? How do these verses support it? “Perseverance of the Saints” is aCalvinist doctrine that says that once you’ve been saved, you’re always saved no matter what you do. Those who (wrongly) adhere to this doctrine are of the belief that once they’ve been saved they will never, under any circumstances, lose their salvation. They believe that even if they backslide into their former sinful lifestyle they won't forfeit salvation, believing instead that they’ll simply lose fellowship with Christ Jesus. Okay, so what’s flawed in that kind of thinking? Well to begin with, the Book of Hebrews tells us clearly to “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” (12:14) Personally, I don’t believe that Christ Jesus views our continuing to live a sinful life after being saved as being holy! In His own words in Matthew 7:21 He said that “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” There’s certainly no ambiguity in that now is there? The point that Jesus is making is clearly that, if you’re still sinning, you are not doing “the will of His Father” and at the end, He won’t know you! In his letter to the Romans (8:13), Paul says; “if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” The bottom line? Quite simply, if you continue to sin you are indeed living according to the flesh! Again, there’s not one iota of ambiguity in what Paul’s trying to convey with those words. In John 15:10 Jesus again tells us in His own words that, “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” If you’re continuing to sin, you most certainly ARE NOT keeping His commands and you ARE NOT going to “remain (abide) in His love! In John 15:6, here again Jesus leaves absolutely NOTHING to the imagination when he said, “If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” Think about that for a moment; if you’re still sinning you are most certainly not “remaining (abiding)” in Christ Jesus and He’s telling you exactly what’s going to happen to you! And…I’ll conclude with this; "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire ... a man deserves to be punished ... who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him ..." (Hebrews 10:26-29) If you are an adherent to this (false) doctrine I’ll pray for you; I’ll pray fervently that you’ll wake up before it’s too late. What does abiding have to do with "mutual indwelling," of a "personal relationship"? To abide in Jesus means to keep his commandments and love God just as Jesus commands in Matthew 22:37–39, “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” We “abide” in Christ and display our love of the Living God through our faith, prayers and personal commitment to Him ALWAYS! Indwelling means simply that we dwell in Him, and He in us. It means that there is a spiritual union, a “personal relationship” between God and us; God dwells in us in Spirit and grace and we in Him in faith and love. How well are you abiding? I have my faults but the Lord and I work on them every day so I guess you can say that (with His help) I’m doing pretty well for a mere human.

How are we pruned or cleansed by exposure to and obedience to Jesus' words? To be one with God, is totally unattainable if we are oblivious to His presence in our lives. Every word that Jesus spoke was specifically intended to communicate God’s love for His people and to bring us to Him. We are cleansed in our obedience to Jesus’ words because it’s only through His words and His actions that we can live our lives in union with Him and make living in the Glory of God our life’s goal. According to John 8:31-32, how does obeying Jesus' teaching bring cleansing and freedom from sin? In 8:31-32, Jesus said that if we hold to His teaching we will know the truth and the truth will set us free. To obey Jesus’ commands is to transform ourselves to the standards of spiritual perfection that He set by His words and deeds. In order for us to share in Jesus' love, we must also share in His reverent obedience to God. “But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:5-6)

How does judicious pruning benefit a grapevine? What happens to productivity and health when a vine is left unpruned? Judicious pruning improves the quality of the fruit and stabilizes production. Failure to prune the vines negatively affect the growth of the vine and the crop in the following season. What does God use to prune our lives? What does God use to prune our congregations? God uses the Word to cleanse and refresh us so that we can bear good spiritual fruit for His harvest. In John 15:3 Jesus said, “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.” and Paul reiterated that very same thing in his letter to the Ephesians when he wrote, “…Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word…” (Ephesians 5:26-27) He eliminates unproductive activities in the church in the same way and although He may cut away some things that hurt at the time, like a favorite activity or a change of leadership, through it all, He never, ever sacrifices quality for quantity. Why do we resist pruning? What can we do so that the eventual pruning isn't as severe? God prunes away the old to invigorate, freshen, revive and renew our lives and sometimes that pruning can be painful so we resist. To reduce the pain of pruning, we should be studying scripture, praying fervently and living our lives the way Christ Jesus expects us to live it.

How does Satan take advantage of our previous sins to control us or make us fearful? There’s an old adage, "an idle mind is the playground of the Devil" and that is absolutely, unequivocally true! When we allow our minds to be idle, we give Satan the foothold that he’s seeking. We are all, every one of us, engaged in a war between good and evil and it’s really unfortunate that so many people just simply refuse to believe that they are subject to Satan's power and authority. Our sin, no matter how inconsequential it may seem to us opens the door for Satan to enter our hearts and minds. The most tragic thing about that is that most people aren’t even aware of the weapons that Satan will use against them. More often than not, sins are first committed in our thoughts and minds and if we’re carrying around unrepentant sin, Satan will find it ever so easy to inject his lies into our mind. When we sin, we carry around with us a fear and dread that our sins will be exposed for the world to see. Satan is fully aware of that fear and he knows full-well that if we sinned yesterday and are continuing in that sin without confessing it and taking it to the Lord in faith, then we will in-fact continue to sin and he’s won. When we are alert and focused on Christ Jesus, Satan will not be afforded the prospect of subverting our minds with evil. As His disciples, Christ Jesus wants us to tell the world that if they will just turn to Him and admit their weaknesses, confess and ask His forgiveness for their sin and then simply trust in Him to forgive and strengthen them, He will do just that. How does Jesus stay free from bondage to Satan? He dutifully carried out His Father’s will by living a perfect, holy life in complete obedience. He did what He saw the Father do and He spoke the words that His Father gave Him to speak and that didn’t leave any room for Satan. (ref. John 5:19, John 8:28). How can we free ourselves from bondage to Satan and fear of exposure? When you are mired in sin, if you are one of those who actually has a conscience, you generally see yourself as evil and worthless. The truth is, you are! It’s totally impossible to live at odds with what you believe so you will live your life that way as well. If you are carrying around that kind of baggage then you will most likely be feeling guilt and Satan will turn that guilt against you and that’s what makes you feel so worthless. The only way to extricate yourself from bondage to Satan is to confess and repent your sins, accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and be baptized. When you do, you will have died to the old, sinful self and be re-born in Christ Jesus. The only way to free yourself from bondage and fear is by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and living your life for Him. Then, and only then, you will be truly free; you will have become an entirely new person!

Q4. (John 14:27) If it doesn't mean cessation of conflict in our everyday lives, what then is the peace that Jesus offers us now? By and large, we humans don’t always find peace with the Lord to be easily attained. Because of our humanity we quite often find ourselves at odds with Him simply because His will and ours are in conflict and when they are, we rebel. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we move beyond those conflicts and are no longer His enemy. In spite of our humanity, when Jesus went to the cross He provided that peace with His precious blood.

How is obedience to Jesus linked to loving him? Living in Jesus’ love is to keep His commands. Keeping His commands is confirmation of our love for Him and that love is revealed to the world around us not just in words but in our deeds as well. When separated, love and obedience will both die! When Jesus emphasizes obedience, what keeps this from being the heavy burden of a new legalism? Simply put, legalism is “Thou Shalt Not” period! Obedience to Christ Jesus isn’t legalism and the Bible isn’t simply a feel good document filled with sage advice that we can either choose to accept or ignore without consequence. Scripture tells us in no uncertain terms exactly what’s expected of us and the consequences for failing to obey. What differentiates it from legalism is that the Scripture also tells us how to avoid the pitfalls. By demanding obedience, Jesus isn’t set on our destruction nor is He trying to impose His will upon us by requiring obedience (even though He could). He loves us so much that He gave His own life for us and, rather than trying to destroy us, He’s simply trying to keep us from destroying ourselves. Undeniably, our love for Christ can’t exist without obedience, nor can we be truly obedient without that love. Salvation is reserved for those who obey the Lord's commands and when “we choose” to put our faith and trust in God, He will bring us to the understanding that He, and He alone, knows what is best for us and that He will never lead us astray. If we really love God, we'll always do what He asks of us but, we are all human and because we are we will never have the strength to obey under our own power, it’s only through the power, and strength of Christ Jesus that we can.

What do you think is the best way to describe the Paraklētos that Jesus sends? The Paraklētos is the Holy Spirit who was preordained to replace Christ with the apostles after his ascension. He would lead them to a more profound knowledge of gospel truth and provide the power that they would need to undergo the hardships and persecutions that they would have to endure. In what sense is the Holy Spirit "another" Paraclete? The Holy Spirit is God Himself existing inside us. He guides us in truth, serving as a constant reminder of everything that Jesus taught. The Spirit works within us, conveying the Lord’s peace and love and providing comfort and strength so that we too can live by the Spirit and not succumb to the desires of the flesh. Who was the initial Paraclete? Christ Jesus (1 John 2:1) In what way can the Holy Spirit replace him? I don’t believe the Holy Spirit was intended to “replace” Jesus, He is in fact Jesus’ intercessor. When we choose to give our lives over to Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. Without the Holy Spirit’s guidance it would be impossible for us to truly follow Jesus and receive salvation. He is Jesus’ ambassador, connecting us spiritually to God and to Christ Jesus.

What does it mean to pray "in Jesus' name"? In 1 John 5:14, the apostle writes: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” Prayers offered in Jesus’ name should always be prayers that honor and glorify Him. The words that we choose aren’t terribly important, what really matters is the intent and purpose behind the prayer. When we come to Him humbly and earnestly in the name of Christ Jesus we are praying with His authority and according to His will. Simply saying the words “in Jesus’ name” isn’t just some inconsequential proclamation that we feel compelled to add to the end of our prayers. When we pray “in Jesus’ name”, we are proclaiming to the Living God that the prayers that we offer are not in accordance with our will or for our own glory. When we pray in Jesus’ name, we are praying for His glory and according to His will. If not, we’re praying insincerely so simply saying the words “in Jesus’ name” is pointless. What happens to prayers that are out of his will and purposes? Simply put, insincere prayers are not answered. God knows our hearts before we open our mouths and when our prayers are filled with false humility and/or insincerity, He knows and will not hear them. Our prayers should always be filled with praise, honor and thanksgiving to the Father and should be offered with reverence and humility in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Are there any practical limits to this promise of answered prayer? Of course there are, if we pray insincerely and not in accordance with His will he will not answer but... that's a self-inflicted limitation. God's power is infinite and any restrictions or limitations that might be placed on our prayers are not put there by God, they are determined solely by our faith. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14)

What happens after Jesus' "glorification" that enables believers to do greater things than Jesus? This Scripture is often taken out of context by people who believe it applies to miracles. It’s important to remember to whom Jesus was addressing these comments (His Disciples). Their “miracles” were, in some instances at least, equal to but most certainly not “greater” than His. In addition to healing and raising the dead, Jesus walked on water, calmed a storm, fed the multitudes on a handful of fish and a few loaves of bread, died and was resurrected and then… He ascended into heaven! No one before or after has EVER come close to replicating those events; nor has anyone ever exhibited the power over nature that He did. In the miracle department, the apostles couldn’t hold a candle to Jesus; in the same way the average Christian simply can’t dispense miracles like the apostles did. Miracles isn’t what He’s referring to here, the “greater things” that Jesus is talking about is delivering His message, spreading the good news and winning souls to the Lord. Jesus saying “greater works than these” meant that the disciples (and us today) are to continue to develop a more widespread ministry. Why are Christians today uncomfortable with this promise? If you look at this from the perspective that He was actually talking about “greater miracles” then I can see how that would certainly make one feel more than a bit uncomfortable. None of the prophets, nor any of Jesus’ Disciples, were ever able to duplicate, let alone exceed, all of the miracles that Jesus performed. Jesus’ works were exceptional and He did (in His own words) “…works no one else did” (John 15:24). Personally, I don’t see how any sane person could even remotely consider the notion that he/she could possess the same power and abilities as Jesus? We are after all, human beings and because of our humanity, we are inherently sinners. It would be diminishing Jesus greatly if we actually thought that we could do the things that He did. Think about that for a moment; can we reasonably expect that, as sinful human beings, we should be able to do things that only the sinless Son of God could do? The “greater things” that Jesus is talking about is preaching the gospel and winning souls, not miracles. In fact, one of the last commands that He gave to His disciples was to go out and preach the Gospel. Even though they could, when required, perform miracles, Jesus ‘great commission’ wasn’t about miracles. It was about spreading the good news, preaching the gospel and developing a ministry that would spread throughout the entire world. And it did! The apostles took the good news, first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles and souls were won in vastly greater numbers than when Jesus was with them. The entire book of Acts is the story of how, from its meager beginnings in Jerusalem, Christianity grew and how it was carried “to the ends of the earth.” In the first century, Jesus gave the apostles a commission and the authority to preach the gospel and today, that same commission and authority falls to us.

In what sense is trusting Jesus the same as trusting God? How accurately does Jesus portray God's actions and words? Trusting Jesus is exactly the same as trusting God in that He and the Father are one. (John 10:30) He was given authority by God and speaks the Father’s words and the Father’s message. "The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work." (John 14:10) What does it mean that Jesus and the Father are one? Jesus didn’t profess to be simply a messenger or prophet of God, He openly stated that His Father (God) had sent Him (John 10:36) and that he had the same redemptive power as God. John 1:1 tells us in no uncertain terms that Jesus was with God in the beginning and that He was (is) God. His words are an open acknowledgment that He… 1) was sent by the Father, 2) He had full authority to act on His behalf and 3) He has been with God from the very beginning. The bottom line is that He is the Son of God, existing in perfect union and possessing the same power as God.

Is it intolerant to believe that no one comes to God except through Jesus? No, absolutely not! Jesus has the final word on this and He clearly said “No one comes to the Father except through me.” The Word of God is pure and He clearly tells us that Everyone will be judged by Christ Jesus on the last day. “To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.” (Titus 1:15) It is not our place to interpret God’s words, all we can do is believe and obey. Those who have “minds and consciences that are corrupted” will most certainly be condemned. How does Jesus' death and resurrection atone for the sins of the Old Testament saints? Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. In the Old Testament as well as the New, God's expectations are exactly the same: absolute righteousness. Meaning of course that ALL of mankind are commanded to live perfectly righteous lives according to His commandments in order to earn redemption. The blood of Christ washed away the sins of mankind and delivers, through God’s grace, the righteousness that He requires. Jesus Christ is the Messiah in whom the OT saints were promised. He died for their sins as well as for ours in order to escape condemnation of the Law. It is through their faith in The Living God, and the Messiah (Jesus Christ) that He promised to send, that the OT saints are saved and they too will be judged by Jesus Christ. Why are some Christians uncomfortable with the statement that "No one comes to the Father but by me"? I don’t know why anyone who professes to be a Christian would be uncomfortable with that. The truth is, if you are true, devout disciple of Christ Jesus, i.e., “Christian”, you certainly shouldn’t be ashamed or uncomfortable with anything He has to say. Paul said in Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes..." If you are a Christian, meaning of course that you truly believe Jesus Christ to be the one true Son of The Living God then you must believe His words to be true (without personal interpretation). Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ himself told us that the road to salvation is through Him and Him alone. The truth is, salvation can’t be conferred by Papal absolution, it can’t be conferred by a Buddha, Mohammed or any other person or deity no matter how well intentioned. It can’t be purchased by your money or your good deeds, nor can it to be acquired through any other religion known to mankind. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) There is absolutely, unequivocally no salvation except the salvation obtained through the grace of God through the blood of Jesus Christ. Those, Christian and non-Christian alike, who believe otherwise should heed Paul’s words in his letter to the Philippians, “Their destiny is destruction…” (Philippians 3:19)

In what sense is Jesus the Way to God? Jesus made unequivocal declarations that very clearly reveal him to be exactly who he said he was, the Son of the Living God! Not only did he tell us that the only way to God was through him, he also told us that he was one with God. Peter very clearly reiterated this for us in Acts 4:12 that “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved.” He not only said these things, he showed us exactly what he meant when he went to the cross to be the one and only savior for human sin. The road to our salvation is found in none other than Christ Jesus. What does it mean to "follow Jesus"? A true follower (disciple) of Jesus is one who believes beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is exactly who he claims to be and that He is the source of everything we’re seeking. The road to salvation is a life-long journey that requires a passionate love for God, compassion (and love) for our fellow man, humility and forgiveness. Following Jesus means doing everything in our power to emulate him through our worship, lots of prayer, diligently studying his word and by listening doing everything that he expects us to do. Every aspect of our lives must be a positive reflection of the things that we’ve learned as we follow Jesus personally. In what sense is Jesus in himself God's Truth? The Word of God is truth personified and John put it best when he wrote: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.” What we are is human; what we are not is Jesus Christ and it’s impossible for us to live the perfect life that Jesus lived. We can never be perfect as He was so we must put all of our faith in Christ Jesus as we face our daily responsibilities and interactions with others just as Jesus would, knowing full-well that when we fall short, He will be right there to pick us up and put us back on the right track.

What is the "Father's House"? Nowhere in Scripture does Jesus directly refer to heaven as “My Father's house” but he did refer to the temple as “My Father's house” in John 2:16. In Acts 1:11, Jesus said that he “will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” That being the case, he will not be in heaven when his disciples join him. Rather, fulfilling a multitude of Old and New Testement prophesies, Jesus will be on earth when that takes place. NOTE: That said, I’ve always felt that Jesus was (at least indirectly) referring to heaven in 14:2. What does verse 2 tell us about what Jesus will do, and what is provided for us? “Mansions” translates from the Greek word meaning a dwelling place. Jesus is saying that he is going to prepare a place of dwelling but he’s also saying that he is going to prepare the way for us to get there as well. How does that comfort us? It’s comforting to know that Jesus is not only preparing a place for us but he’s also preparing the way as well.

In what sense is love for one another an indicator to all of our status (or lack of status) as Jesus' disciples? Before Jesus ascended into heaven he left behind a new commandment. He declared that, just as he loves us, we should follow the example that He set and love each other for His sake. His infinite Love binds us as one body, in Christ Jesus, nourished by one soul. If we, as followers of Christ don’t show love toward each other we give the world cause to suspect our sincerity. Why do we sometimes avoid living in an intimate Christian community in favor of only a large-meeting expression of our faith? Our faith in and our love for Christ Jesus is at the very heart of who we are as a Christian. The love that we convey is an open expression of God’s unconditional love and I don’t believe the setting in which we are called to worship should matter. No matter what the setting, as followers of Christ we always need to be active, visible witnesses of God’s love. To the world, our faith and reliance on God’s grace make us all confessors of the gospel and, like it or not, that is precisely what Jesus expects us to be. When we put on Christ, our faith is put on display for all to see and it’s our moral fiber, our speech and our actions that define us. Whether we happen to be in a large or a small intimate setting, our Christian faith should always convey the wonder of God’s power at work in our lives. Why is it so difficult to love people in an intimate Christian community? I don’t believe it is. I’m an elder in a smaller, rural (Reformation Movement) Christian church and there are probably less than a handful of our congregation who are in the least bit hesitant to show their Christian love and affection for one another. How does your church or group measure up by the indicator of love for one another? How do you measure up? Our church measures up very well indeed. As for me, well I’m human but… I have Jesus in my corner so when I stumble He’s always there to pick me up and put me back on track.

Why is love exalted to the level of a command? Jesus demonstrated His love by willingly sacrificing Himself to the cross for our salvation. In doing so, He was simply obeying His Father’s commands just as He expects all of us to obey His. By making love a command He has put us all on notice that He EXPECTS us to demonstrate our love by caring and sacrificing for one another just as He has loved, cared and sacrificed for us and… there are no excuses if we fail to do so. The kind of love He’s talking about isn’t simply having nice, pleasant thoughts toward one another. He’s talking about the kind of “Christian” love that comes directly from the heart; proclaimed by our words and demonstrated by our outward actions every single day. How does love characterize Jesus' life? His love and respect for life was universal and in its essence is the absolute glory of God. His amazing love is deeply rooted in compassion and meeting the needs of both the earthly body and the soul. His love for mankind compels Him to reach out to sinners, harlots, tax-collectors, the indigent and the sick in order to minister to their physical and spiritual needs. He loved children so much that he raised them to shining examples for those who would enter the Kingdom and... He respected women; treating them in ways that were absolutely unheard of at the time. In what way does love fulfill the law and the prophets? Several New Testament writers underscore the commandment to love as the central law that we must all follow. Jesus command to love is in many ways the ultimate interpretation of the law. What I mean by that is that, in one word (love), Jesus aptly sums up everything that God conveys in the Scriptures. First and foremost, love is the ideology that shapes how God’s laws should actually be obeyed and serves to level the playing field between those who believe in Christ; the Jews who observe Mosaic Law and the Gentiles who don‘t.

How does habitual sin open us to greater influence from Satan? Succumbing to sin brings with it coveting, yearning and aspiration which make it increasingly harder to resist the next time temptation rears its head. No matter how slightly, if we open the door to sin we make room for Satan! Once that door is open he’ll do EVERYTHING in his power to make it easy for us to get sucked into the dreadful downward spiral of sin. “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:7-8) How did Judas eating Jesus' bread illustrate the magnitude of his betrayal? Judas had been a disciple and confidante of Jesus for three years. Jesus obviously loved and trusted him and even though He knew what was about to happen, it was probably difficult for Him to accept that one of His own would betray Him. John explicitly mentions that he (Judas) was next to the Lord at the table yet Judas rejected and refused to honor Him. Because of Judas’ betrayal, Jesus was arrested, publically humiliated, beaten mercilessly, and ultimately nailed to the cross to die a very painful death. Luke says that, as he ate the sop, the devil entered him, and it was at that moment that he made the final decision to betray Jesus. Judas never truly believed in Jesus and that made him highly susceptible to Satan’s temptation. Earlier in the evening Jesus acknowledged the state of Judas' heart when he told the disciples, "But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him." (John 6:64) God doesn’t force anyone to do good; nor does he force anyone to do evil! The bottom line is, God most certainly didn’t compel Judas to betray Jesus; he was acting on his own. Judas had made a conscious decision to betray the Lord and he made it of his own volition.

How is the Kingdom of God to be different? In the kingdom of God, the greatest serves the least. How has Pope Francis I set an example of humility? He seems to have made personal overtures and I’m sure he’s a well-intentioned man… I’ll leave it at that.

Why did Jesus go to such an extent in washing his disciple’s feet? He did this because it was considered such a humble task. Foot washing was generally carried out by a slave or personal servant so when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, He was telling them, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:15). Just as Jesus’ disciples emulated Him by serving one another in humility, we should be constantly living this out in the Christian community by ardently striving to build one another up in humility and Christian love. What value did he establish? The fundamental value to be gleaned from Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet is that it serves as a reminder for Christians everywhere that we are not above humble service any more than He was. The valuable lesson that we should all take from this is that we too must serve one another in exactly the same way that we are humbly served by Jesus Christ. Jesus’ words and deeds serve as a constant reminder that we are saved, not because of anything we might have done to make ourselves worthy, rather we are saved because Jesus himself has cleansed us through his word (cf. John 15:3). The value in all of this is the knowledge that Jesus knows us and He has accepted us into the brotherhood of His glorious love.

Baptism is, of course, the “full bath”. When a person accepts Jesus Christ as his/her Lord and Savior, the new Christian is baptized. (So there’s no misunderstanding about what baptism entails; the Greek word, baptizo, "baptism" means to dip or immerse a person into water for religious reasons, it doesn’t mean “to sprinkle”.) After we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and make a full confession (to Him), Baptism (immersion) is required to wash away our sin. We are still human and will continue to sin so we still need to repent and seek God’s forgiveness every single day in order to keep us in good standing with Him. This is what Christ communicated by the foot-washing service in 13:10)