Tough Questions part 1:
At True Hope we have identified four 'ways of being' (based in Acts 2:42-47) that we strive to live out in the everyday stuff of our lives:
Living transformed by the Gospel: preaching the truth of the Gospel to our hearts daily to overcome the enemy's lies and live into our true identity as sons and daughters of God. (Galatians 3:1-14)
Living devoted to God's Word: Psalms 119 says it best, "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments. I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."
Living committed in community: Why? Consider Hebrews 10:24-25, "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Acts 2:42-47)
Living relentless in prayer: Prayer is our connection to God, his direction, and his power. We seek to live relentless in prayer to ensure we are connected to the heart and will of the Father. (Phil. 4:6, Eph. 6:18, 1 Thes. 5:17, James 5:16, Matt. 26:41, Matt. 6:9-13)
I want to start with this shortlist because these four ways of being will place us in the best possible posture to wrestle with these and other tough questions. How we engage, these four practices will shape how we look at the tough questions in front of us. They will also activate the work of the Holy Spirit to allow us to benefit from his leadership, wisdom, and discernment in any given situation.
With this blog post, we are starting a series called Tough Questions, where we will post about the questions you have. Each month our goal is to pick one or two questions and wrestle with them. As we do, we would love for you to respond in the comments below to transform this blog into a conversation instead of just information.
For this post, I would like to start the conversation around 3 of the questions. If your question isn't here, don't worry - we will answer every question. If this post prompts more questions, please reach out. We have pastors, spiritual formation coaches, and counselors wanting to help if that is something you need or desire.
Question 1: Is it necessary to be baptized to be God's child and go to heaven?
Response: This is an excellent question, and the short answer is no. Baptism is a lot like a wedding ring. I don't have to wear my ring to be married to my wife, Andrea. But, it is a public declaration of the commitment and love I have for my wife. Baptism is a public display of an inward decision to love and live committed to Jesus as Lord. It is something we do in church because it connects us to other believers to honor our 3rd way of being above. You can read about baptism by clicking here for more information.
Question 2: How do you discern if you're following "a dream" or "a calling?" the World says chase your dreams...while God says follow Him. Can you chase your desires if it's not necessarily in ministry?
Response: While I understand and wrestle with this question myself, I want to adjust it a little to what I see the real issue is. Before I do, let me explain by starting with Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." God wants you to have dreams, and he wants you to experience the joys of those dreams being fulfilled! How do I know that? Matthew 7:11 says, "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
God is not a cosmic killjoy or a dictator. His "rules," and I hope you saw me doing air quotes with that statement, are not designed to control us but to lead us into abundant living. Meaning, God has dreams for you and plans that you will love. Those dreams are centered around a specific design in how he made you and will be fulfilling. Quick sidebar-that doesn't mean it will always be easy, or include rainbows and unicorns.
The issue with the conflict between my dreams and God's dreams is found in Psalm 37. Am I delighting myself in the Lord? Do I trust and believe that all I hope and long for will be and are found in him? Or do my dreams exist because I am pursuing something or someone other than him?
This is where we can take the gifts of God and put them on the throne that was meant only for God. It is here that the vale of confusion and desire unsettle our hearts and can lead us astray. It is here that our common enemy which to entrap us.
The bottom line is, if you are living out the truth of Psalm 37:4, then your dreams and God's calling will be in sync. If we are not, then the conflict can arise. In the end, our dream should be connection with the Father because of the work of Jesus and through the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. Here and only here is true satisfaction.
Question 3: If a believer takes their own life, do they go to heaven?
Response: This is not an easy question to ask, and I appreciate the courage it took to ask it. Let's begin with what does it mean to be "saved." Salvation is all about trust and who we put our trust in. When we say yes to Jesus, acknowledge and trust Him as Lord of our life, and confess our need for him, salvation is ours.
But it is more than that too. Our salvation is a genuinely secure thing. I will share one passage, John 10:28-30 "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
While it is tragic to have someone take their life, I do not believe scripture teaches it is a deal-breaker. That makes God smaller, and our theology should always choose that which makes God bigger. This passage above teaches that once we say yes to the Father, we are his, and he is ours. PERIOD.
The real tragedy is that people are suffering and don't see, feel or experience the value of their own life. Their heart doesn't recognize that Jesus' work on the cross makes them priceless. Our goal should be to display the value-giving love of Jesus so we can help others find freedom from the bondage of such pain.
We will be answering more of the questions that came in over the coming weeks.