PASTOR
PASTOR
PASTOR
Covenant United Reformed Church
Ultimate Life Questions
Many questions arise as we begin searching scriptures and applying Biblical truths to our lives. We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions below with brief answers. Additional links are provided within the answers. Please contact us to ask any additional questions or to help provide you with Biblical resources.
This is an important question that all people should ask. There is overwhelming evidence that the Bible is the true and infallible Word of God.
It is geographically correct. No other religious book includes precise places or distances, but the Bible is incredibly accurate.
There are thousands of copies and manuscripts dating back to ancient times. The amazing part is that there are only small grammatical differences among them, without any doctrinal discrepancies.
At the core of Christianity is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. There are documents written by historians living at the time Jesus walked on Earth that record events surrounding His life, death, and resurrection.
For further study:
Is the Bible True? 5 Reasons Why the Answer is Yes
How Do We Know the Bible Is True?
“Jesus said ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me.’” (John 14:6)
“For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens.” (Psalm 96:4-5)
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
For further study:
Many people say: if God has the power to rid the world of evil and He doesn’t do it, then He is not good or loving. On the other hand, if God is good and loving and wants to rid the world of evil but doesn’t have the power to do it, then He’s not all-powerful. How confusing! How can we understand this?
We must go back to Creation. “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31a) The world was perfect. Unfortunately, it didn’t stay that way. Sin entered that paradise through rebellion against God. Evil and suffering appeared, affecting not only people, but the whole creation. But God, in His great mercy, had a plan to eventually make all things new.
Jesus Christ, His Son, who lived a sinless life as true God and true man, sacrificed himself on the cross to pay for the sins of those who believe in Him. He was raised on the third day and ascended into heaven to show that God accepted the payment. He now sits at God the Father’s right hand and will someday return. After the final judgment is complete, He will make all things new. No tears, no sin, no suffering, no death, only pure joy!
Until then, we live under the curse of sin. But if we confess our sins and trust in Christ’s atoning death, He gives us the right to join Him in paradise.
For further study:
R.C. Sproul: What Is Evil & Where Did It Come From? - YouTube
How Can a Loving God Allow Evil? by Burk Parsons from Always Ready: Answers to Tough Questions
Since Jesus defeated sin, death, and the devil, why are we still battling these enemies?
When people ask this question, they are not so much concerned about the process of dying but the destination. Is there life after death? If so, will how we live in this life impact the life to come?
The Bible teaches that all of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Therefore, we all deserve God’s wrath and eternal punishment (Romans 1:18ff).
Yet God so loved the world that He sent His son into the world to save it (John 3:16). Jesus willingly suffered the punishment for sin for all who believe in Him, giving them eternal life.
Those who do not believe in Him and repent will suffer the eternal punishment due to them for their sin (John 1:29; Matthew 25:46).
So, after death there is one of two destinations for each human being. Those who believe that Jesus is their Savior and trust His sacrifice and righteousness to cover their sins will be welcomed into the glories of heaven. Those who do not believe in Jesus, refusing to be reconciled to God through Him and worship Him will suffer God’s just judgment. After Christ returns, believers will live with God in the new Heavens and the new Earth, while unbelievers will spend eternity with the devil and his minions in Hell (Revelation 21:1-8).
For further study:
What Happens to Your Soul When You Die?
When you are exposed to the powerful message of the Gospel, three life-altering steps need to be recognized and embraced in order to be saved.
We must recognize that each of us is a sinner to the very core of our being, and without the work of Jesus Christ, we will spend eternity in Hell. There is not enough good in us nor good deeds we can do that could bring us to Heaven. “As it is written: None is righteous, no not one.” (Romans 3:2) We need the shed blood of Jesus Christ to save us from our path to eternal damnation.
Jesus Christ came to earth to save sinners. Believe in Jesus Christ as the only way to be reconciled with our Heavenly Father (John 14:6). It is not Jesus Christ in addition to our works or anything else, but only the work of our Savior Jesus Christ and His love for you. There is no other way!
Live for Him out of thankfulness and gratitude for the grace and mercy our eternal Father has given us! Strive through the help of the Holy Spirit to put away sinful tendencies and put on the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24).
Through the Bible, preaching, and prayer, the Holy Spirit fills our hearts with comfort and the assurance of our salvation. We must always look to Jesus Christ and have faith in Him, believe in Him, and trust Him as the only means of our salvation! It is not Jesus in addition to anything. If we trust in anything else, we are deceived and can have no assurance.
For further study:
How can I obtain assurance of salvation?
What is Salvation? (In 2 Minutes) - Paul Washer
Having Assurance of Salvation When I Don't Feel As Godly - Paul Washer & Michael Durham
The only source of real forgiveness is God. Thankfully, God is quick to forgive. In fact, one of the few absolute promises that God makes to us is that if we confess our sins to Him, He will completely and surely forgive those sins (1 John 1:9). God has promised that if you confess your sins, He will forgive you of your sins and cleanse you of your unrighteousness. You must not live by your feelings but by His truth. Your feelings are subjective; His Word is objective. If God says, “I forgive you,” you are forgiven, no matter how you feel.
The way to silence the Accuser (Satan) is to confess our sins before God and believe the Word of God. The truth of God gives us the power of resistance. Our guilt should drive us to search for the way of forgiveness and reconciliation that God provides for His people. It should drive us to the cross, where Christ paid the price for our transgressions.
The simple truth is that if God forgives us, we are forgiven. That doesn’t mean that we were never guilty. But forgiveness releases us from the punishment that we justly deserve because of our guilt. Through it, we can be restored to a healthy and loving relationship with God.
For further study:
What Can I Do with My Guilt?: R.C. Sproul - Paperback, Book | Ligonier Ministries Store
Guilt and Forgiveness: Pleasing God with R.C. Sproul - YouTube
Have you ever asked yourself “Why am I here, and what is my purpose in life?” You are not alone! The good news is that there is an answer.
The Bible teaches that when God created us, we had perfect fellowship with Him. He gave us a mandate to work in the creation, having dominion over all things in a way that would glorify Him (Gen 1:26-28). Thus, we were made to find our joy and fulfillment in fellowship with God and service to Him as we work in the creation, reflecting His character. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says that we are to glorify God in whatever we do, even in our eating and drinking. Psalm 73:25-28 tells us that there is no higher desire we can have than God himself. This is because He is our maker and eternal God.
So, we are here to be good, righteous, and just in all we do, as He is. We are to find our joy and delight in knowing Him, worshiping Him, loving Him, and seeking to glorify Him. If we do not, we will find ourselves floundering, lost, and confused about our purpose. Because of our sin, we tend to focus on self-pleasure and advancement and have little interest in living according to our true purpose. Only by confessing our sin, putting our faith in Jesus as our Savior, and following Him as the exact reflection of God (Hebrews 1:3-6), can we begin to live as we ought. This is only by the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word. His two greatest commandments for us are to love Him with all of our being and to love our neighbor as ourself (Matthew 22:37-39). As Christians, we are also witnesses of the good news of salvation in Jesus alone (Acts 1:8).
For further study:
Being part of the Body of Christ has been mandated by God through Scripture. To be part of the body, we need to be connected to each other. In the Old Testament, God established the Tabernacle, the priesthood, the sacrifices, the feasts, and later the Temple, all in extreme detail, for the purpose of corporate worship. Through the apostles in the New Testament, God established churches with designated leadership. Why? Because His people need to meet together to hear the Word preached, pray corporately, and offer accountability to each other.
It is in corporate worship that:
We gather to worship the Father in spirit and in truth. (Psalm 95:6, John 4:23, Ephesians 3:21)
We are lifted to the foot of God’s throne. (Psalm 99:5, Hebrews 12:22)
Together as the Body of Christ we can glorify and praise His holy name. (Psalm 29:2, Psalm 34:1, Psalm 99:5, Psalm 100:1-5, Psalm 150:1, Revelation 4:11)
Together as the Body of Christ we are fed God’s Word and discipled together. (Acts 2:42, Colossians 3:16, Psalm 73:17)
We find comfort as we are joined together as the Body of Christ. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
We are held accountable to the Christian walk of life. (Ephesians 5:15-20, 1 Timothy 3:15)
We are in the presence of the very lifeline to Christianity and are nurtured and strengthened to go out into the world as His disciples. (1 Peter 2:9)
Jesus is among us. (Matthew 18:20)
We are gathered with the host of angels, the first born registered in heaven, God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant. (Hebrews 12:22-24)
We are unified as brothers and sisters in the Lord, which is a bond that holds us together. (Hebrews 10:25)
For further study:
Why Should I Join a Church?: R.C. Sproul - Paperback, Book | Ligonier Ministries Store
We know certain things about God’s will that He has provided for our information in the Holy Bible. But because we are limited creatures, we do not understand the total dimension of divine knowledge or the divine plan. If our mission is to access the hidden parts of His will, then we have embarked on a fool’s errand. There is a very real sense in which the secret will of the secret counsel of God is none of our business and is off limits to our speculative investigations.
Christians are allowed, in a sense, to attempt to know the will of God by means of illumination by the Holy Spirit and by validation through circumstances that we are doing the right thing. However, the search for Providential guidance must always be secondary to our study of the revealed will of God.
Through Jesus’ perfect sacrifice we have become righteous in God’s eyes. However, that righteousness does not give us the permission to do as we please. We must still seek to do God’s will, especially as we face the moral, ethical, and social issues of our time.
For further study:
Can I Know God's Will?: R.C. Sproul - Paperback, Book | Ligonier Ministries Store
Knowing the Will of God for Your Life: Ultimately with R.C. Sproul
We know certain things about God’s will that He has provided for our information in the Holy Bible. But because we are limited creatures, we do not understand the total dimension of divine knowledge or the divine plan. If our mission is to access the hidden parts of His will, then we have embarked on a fool’s errand. There is a very real sense in which the secret will of the secret counsel of God is none of our business and is off limits to our speculative investigations.
Christians are allowed, in a sense, to attempt to know the will of God by means of illumination by the Holy Spirit and by validation through circumstances that we are doing the right thing. However, the search for Providential guidance must always be secondary to our study of the revealed will of God.
Through Jesus’ perfect sacrifice we have become righteous in God’s eyes. However, that righteousness does not give us the permission to do as we please. We must still seek to do God’s will, especially as we face the moral, ethical, and social issues of our time.
For further study:
Can I Know God's Will?: R.C. Sproul - Paperback, Book | Ligonier Ministries Store
Knowing the Will of God for Your Life: Ultimately with R.C. Sproul
All human life is sacred, created in the image of God and given by God. (Psalm 139:13-16, Genesis 1:27, Exodus 20:13) Scientifically, life begins at conception. The infant's heart begins to beat on day 24. When this life is so vulnerable, it depends on its father and mother to protect it. When an abortion is administered for selfish reasons, it is the murder of an innocent, living child who has no way of escape. Can you ever be right with God if you’ve already had an abortion? The answer is a resounding “Yes!” (Luke 7:48-50, 1 Timothy 1:13-15, Ephesians 1:7)
For further study:
Most people considering suicide are trying to escape a problem in life and believe that life is not worth living. Here are three things to think about if you are considering suicide.
You are made in the image of God. God forms each person individually and knows him or her personally. He made us for the purpose of reflecting His image. Killing oneself would be killing that image. (Genesis 1:26-28) This is particularly true if you are a Christian because your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit; you do not belong to yourself; you were bought with the price of Jesus’ blood. (1 Corinthians 6:20)
Suicide is selfish. A person who takes his own life thinks only of himself and not of those who would be affected by that decision. Those left behind will suffer.
God promises help. (Matthew 11:28-30) He doesn’t promise to take our problems away but to help us through our problems. Remember the disciples in the storm on the sea. When they cried out to Him in their distress, Jesus was with them and calmed the storm. (Mark 4:35-41)
If you are considering suicide, please seek help! Call a helpline or our church to receive pastoral guidance. There is hope, and others are here to help you.
Christians in Crisis: 1-844-472-9687
For further study: