Theology Q&A
By Dr. J. Rodman Williams
Theologian
Dr. J. Rodman Williams answers theological questions, exclusively on CBN.com.
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from Dr. J. Rodman Williams
12. Christian Living
- In John 21:15-19, why does
Jesus ask Simon (Peter) if he loves Him three times? He knows Peter's
heart, so why ask him three times? What point, if any, is Jesus trying
to make here?
- I'd like your opinion
of the book, The Purpose Driven Life.
- Why do sometimes when I pray and
sing to the Lord I laugh or smile? I feel there is a joy inside me.
Am I overreacting or is it something normal? I have such a peace inside
me. It feels so good.
- How do we abide in Jesus?
- What is required for a person
to go to heaven? (For example, what must their life be like and what
must they believe?)
- In John 13:1-20, Jesus washes
the feet of His disciples and commands them to do so to one another.
I see the Catholic Church observes this command. Why is it not done
in the Pentecostal denominations and other churches?
- What are the Christian holy
days of God that we should observe?
- Does John 3:8 mean that a
sign of walking in the Spirit of God is creativity?
- Do we preach an unbalanced
gospel by forgetting the work of His Spirit?
- When we pray, we shouldn't
use vain repetitions... What does that mean?
- Why does God love me?
- I heard that celebrating birthdays
is wrong as a Christian. Is this true?
- How do you forgive others
when they have hurt you so badly?
- Why does God allow the early death
of a Christian?
- What is the will of God? How does
an individual know the will of God?
- If I have wronged someone, what
is my responsibility to that person?
- Is it wrong to ask for healing
for myself? Is this selfish in the eyes of God?
- If you pray and get a clear sign,
should you still hang on if it's been a long time?
- There
are times that I rarely feel His presence. Is something wrong with me?
- If we don't keep the 10 Commandments
are we in danger of losing our salvation?
- Do you believe in "storehouse
tithing"?
In John 21:15-19, why does Jesus ask Simon (Peter) if he loves Him three
times? He knows Peter's heart, so why ask him three times? What point,
if any, is Jesus trying to make here?
This vivid scene of the risen Lord questioning Simon Peter three times
calls to mind the earlier dreadful occasion when three times, out of fear
and cowardice, Peter denied all relationship with Jesus (see Matthew 26:69-75;
Mark 14:66-72; Luke 22:55-62; John 18:25-27). So Jesus' threefold questioning
of Peter was not for information, but most likely to give Peter threefold
opportunity, against the background of his former denials, to affirm deep
love for Jesus.
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I'd like your opinion of the book, The Purpose Driven Life.
An excellent book -- both deeply spiritual and practical.
Order
your copy of The Purpose Driven Life on Shop CBN.
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Why do sometimes when I pray and sing to the Lord I laugh or smile? I
feel there is a joy inside me. Am I overreacting or is it something normal?
I have such a peace inside me. It feels so good.
A fine testimony indeed! You speak of a prevailing joy and peace that
should be the situation of every follower of Christ. His words: "Peace
I leave with you; My peace I give to you" (John 14:27); "these things
I have spoken to you that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may
be made full" (John 15:11). May Christ's joy and peace be multiplied to
you!
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How do we abide in Jesus?
We abide in Him by allowing His words to abide in us and letting His
Spirit control our daily walk. Of special importance is the matter of
ongoing obedience and forsaking all sin.
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What is required for a person to go to heaven? (For example, what must
their life be like and what must they believe?)
John 3:16 is an answer to your question: "For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should
not perish, but have eternal life." To believe in Christ means to trust
in Him as your Savior from sin and the only hope for eternal life in heaven.
Living a life that is pleasing to Him must surely follow.
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In John 13:1-20, Jesus washes the feet of His disciples and commands them
to do so to one another. I see the Catholic Church observes this command.
Why is it not done in the Pentecostal denominations and other churches?
It is to be noted that just following Jesus' washing the disciples' feet
He said, "For I give you an example that you also should do as I did to
you." Menial service was the example that Jesus set, even washing dirty
feet. It was an example, not literally to be followed, that we should
always be humble servants of one another.
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What are the Christian holy days of God that we should observe?
There are no particular "holy days." In various ways, certain
ones--especially Christmas and Easter--have been established by tradition,
but they are not so designated by Scripture. Paul even warns in Galatians
4:10 against people who "observe days and months and seasons and
years," saying, "I fear for you." It is not that such observances
are wrong, but they may substitute for the real thing.
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Jesus said about the Spirit, look at the wind...from where
it comes to where it goes you know not, so it is with those who are born
of the Spirit (John 3:8). Does this mean that a sign of walking in the
Spirit of God is creativity and spontaneity? Would the reverse be equally
true, Christians who are tend to lack creativity and spontaneity are not
walking in the Spirit?
The answer to your interesting question is yes. To be born of the Spirit
is to be born of the Spirit of new life. This surely includes creativity
and spontaneity. We sometimes fail to recognize this and allow legalism
to come back in. Of course, there are limits, but we should not quench
the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a creative Spirit. So should be all who
are born of Him.
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Do we preach an unbalanced gospel by focusing on what God
did through the Lord (i.e., righteousness) and forgetting the work of
His Spirit in our lives to fulfill all of these commandments the Lord
spoke here on earth?
I answer your question with a strong affirmative! God's work in redemption
needs always to be supplemented by His work in sanctification whereby
the Holy Spirit enables us to fulfill the Lord's commandments. Otherwise
there is an unhealthy imbalance between faith and works in our Christian
walk.
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In Matthew 6:7, Jesus says when we pray we should not use
vain repetitions as the heathen do. What exactly does He mean? I often
pray about the same thing over and over until it is answered. Does that
mean I can't pray about the same thing persistently?
"Vain repetitions" refers to the empty use of the same words
or expressions in prayer. Such repetitions will not bring about genuine
results. Such speaking is worthless and meaningless. On the other hand,
we are enjoined by Scripture to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians
5:17). God delights to hear the many prayers that spring from a devout
heart, for even the same words repeated may emphasize true earnestness.
There cannot be too many prayers of that kind!
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Why does God love me?
Basically, God loves you-and me-because His own nature is love ("God
is love" 1 John 4:8). His love is also very particular. You have probably
heard it said, "God loves each individual as if He had only one to love."
So, no matter where you are or your position in life, rest assured God
loves you. How can you measure the love of God? God's love is so vast
that in Christ He died on the cross, bearing the full weight of our sin
and pain.
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I am learning to live a Christian life, but I heard that celebrating
birthdays is wrong as a Christian. Is this true?
Celebrating birthdays as a Christian is certainly in order. By so doing,
it represents thanksgiving for God's act of creation in bringing forth
new life and sustaining it. How precious in the sight of God are all His
human creatures!
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How do you forgive others when they have hurt you so badly?
I suggest that you contemplate the words of the crucified Jesus who cried
out to His torturers, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they
do" (Luke 23:34). Now compare the hurts you have received to what happened
to Christ and try to respond the same way He did. It will be both a blessing
to those who hurt you and to yourself.
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I am from Congo-Zare, but I live in Toulouse in south of France.
I do not speak English very well and am a girl 24 years old. My question
is this: Why does God allow the early death of a Christian? Is it the will
of God or Satan's plan?
In the New Testament, we find numerous examples of Christian believers
dying. Most of them were young at the time. Take Stephen, a young man
known as the first martyr. As he died, the Bible says that his face shone
"like the face of an angel" (Acts 6:15). Thus his death was according
to God's will and for His glory. Jesus Himself died young as part of God's
plan. Satan was involved, but it was not his plan. The early death of
a Christian can surely glorify God.
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What is the will of God? How does an individual know the will of
God?
I have outlined in my Renewal
Theology several steps to knowing God's will. In summary: First,
we must be ardent seekers. After the manner of Jesus, we must say, "I
seek not my own will but the will of Him who sent me." "Seek" is the key
word. Second, we need to pray much. Again, we need to follow the example
of Jesus who often spent the whole night in prayer seeking the Father's
will. Third, we must constantly hear God's word in Scripture. As the psalmist
declared, "Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm
119:105). Fourth, to know God's will we often need the help of other believers.
Through the fellowship of others and their words, we may gain further
insight into the will of God. Fifth, we need to have a personal ongoing
renewal of the mind. Paul instructs, "Do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove [by
testing] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and
perfect" (Romans 12:2). One whose mind is being constantly transformed
is better qualified to know the perfect will of God (see Renewal
Theology, 2 :pages 414-17 for fuller details).
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If I have wronged someone, what is my responsibility as a Christian
to the person I have wronged? Can I simply ask them to forgive me and
leave it at that? Do I give my responsibility for these wrongdoings only
to God?
Even though your first responsibility is to God, it is not enough to
pray for His forgiveness alone. A sincere asking the person wronged for
forgiveness is basic. Also there must be genuine repentance for the wrong
done else the asking for forgiveness will be superficial.
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I have menengitis of unknown origin and suffer severe
headache pain continuously for about 2 years now. I believe we can be
healed but I was taught that one should not ask for personal gifts, rather
we should ask for help for others. Is it wrong to ask for healing for
myself? Is this considered selfish in the eyes of God?
It is surely not wrong to pray for healing for one's self. In the New
Testament, Jesus healed many persons who came to Him. Physical healing
for those who believed was part of His mission. There are also instances
of healing being done for others upon the request of individuals. So to
pray for healing for one's self and for others is proper in the sight
of God.
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If you pray for something and you feel like you get
a clear sign from God, but it has been a long time and no answer, should
you still hang on?
If a clear sign has been given, you should surely persist in prayer.
There is frequent reference in the New Testament to praying for something
"night and day" (see, for example, Luke 18:7; 1 Thessalonians
3:10; 1 Timothy 5:5). This may cover a long time. It is not that God is
reluctant to answer, but His time may be different from ours, and we may
need to be better prepared for the answer when it does come. So hold on!
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When I received Christ into my life, my whole life changed.
There is a time when I rarely pray to him and eventually it's like I don't
feel His presence. Is there something wrong with me?
If you "rarely pray," you are not likely to feel God's presence.
Paul says, "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians. 5:17). If
you continue to pray like this, God's presence will be increasingly known.
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If we don't keep the 10 Commandments, are we in danger
of losing our salvation?
You have implied that we should keep God's commandments (i.e., the
Ten Commandments). Therefore must we keep the Sabbath as within the context
of the Ten Commandments, and if we don't, are we in danger of losing our
salvation even after accepting Christ?
Keeping the Ten Commandments, including the Sabbath, is vital to the
true ordering of human existence. They were given by God through Israel
for the benefit of all mankind. This stands out vividly in the Sabbath
command to rest after labor: "Six days you shall labor and do all
your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; in it
you shall not do any work" (Exodus 20:9-10). What a boon to mankind
when the commandment is truly kept. Moreover, it is grounded in the very
nature and activity of God who commanded it: "For in six days the
Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them,
and rested on the seventh day" (verse 11). Surely the human creature
made "in God's image" (Genesis 1:26) all the more needs labor
and rest!
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Do you believe in "storehouse tithing"?
Please give me your opinion as to where the tithes should be given.
Do you feel it goes ONLY to the church to which you belong, or do you
think part of it can be given to other ministries that "feed you"?
Do you believe in "storehouse tithing"?
The tithe belongs to the Lord! Primarily, it should go to the local church
(the "storehouse") of which one is a part, but by no means be
limited thereto. One may surely give as a part of the tithe to any true
ministry of the Lord.
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