Let’s first agree on what faith is. The Bible doesn’t say, “Throw your mind away and believe in someone or something blindly.” Rather, it says, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). The two important words there are assurance and conviction, which stem from personal knowledge. You have faith that planes are safe, for example, because of FAA rules that keep them flying. You had faith in a parent who cared well for you. You have faith that the sun will set and rise. The Israelites put their faith in God after seeing Moses perform numerous miracles.

Our faith in Christ grows from our knowledge of him. Despite not being able to touch, hear, or see him, you can trust that he loves you and is working for your good by getting to know his character, his heart, and his desires for you. This knowledge allows you to draw close and dig deep during the times your faith is tested by the hardships of life.

Scripture tells us, “These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – and your faith is far more precious to God than pure gold” (1 Peter 1:7). How are you handling those fires?

Each test, even the ones you fail, are drawing you closer to reliance on God’s unwavering love. Your faith is allowing God to transform your life – and the lives of those watching your Christian walk.

Question: Why does the bible say it’s impossible to please God without faith? (Hebrews 11:6)
Question: What area(s) of your life are easiest and hardest, when it comes to trusting God fully?

Content adapted from Josh and Sean McDowell’s book, 77 FAQs about God and the Bible.

A racist is one who believes that a certain human race is superior to any or all others, and that it is endowed with an intrinsic superiority, which makes the racial discrimination justified. Based on this definition, some say that God is a racist. They cite, as an example, that throughout history God has favored a chosen race, the children of Israel (the Jewish people). Another example of God’s alleged racism is when he cursed the descendants of Ham, Noah’s son, with being “the lowest of servants to his relatives” (Genesis 9:25). As the descendants of Ham were thought to be Africans, it was thought that God discriminated against all generations of Africans, condemning them to slavery.

Both of these charges against God come from misinterpreting and misunderstanding biblical narrative.

First, he never cursed Ham for what he had done — it was Noah who spoke the curse. And Noah didn’t curse his son Ham, but rather Ham’s son Canaan. It is true that at least two sons of Ham, Cush and Mizraim, settled in Africa (see Genesis 10:6-20). But Canaan’s descendants settled just east of the Mediterranean Sea, in a region that later became known as the land of Canaan—present day Israel (see Genesis 10: 15-19). So it is absurd to claim that God is a racist based upon a complete misinterpretation of passages in Genesis.

And what about God’s view of the Jewish people? It is true that he made a special covenant with Abraham and his descendants—and for good reason. He prophesied in his word that a perfect sacrifice—the Lamb of God—would be born out of the descendants of Abraham (see Matthew 1: 1-17). And it was the God-man, Jesus, who came to redeem all who would receive him, both Jew and Gentile. So, God’s choosing Israel wasn’t simply about Israel — it was about his making his name known and offering salvation to the rest of the world. God has always judged Israel as he did other nations (see 2 Kings 17). He was not playing favorites. Whether Jew or Gentile, we all equally must give an account to God.

Question: Does this post help you to understand that God favors his followers equally, even though in Scripture he speaks of the Jewish people as being his beloved people?
Question: What does it mean that “Whether Jew or Gentile, we all equally must give an account to God”?

Content adapted from Josh and Sean McDowell’s book, 77 FAQs about God and the Bible.

As Christians, we view God through a completely different lens than the rest of the world. Nonbelievers portrayed God in many distorted ways, including misogynic (woman-hating), chauvinistic, patriarchal, and sexist. In doing so, they take Scripture completely out of context. Take the accusation of sexism, for example. God is not a sexist. This is not to say that historically the church and some Christian men have not treated women as inferior. Sexist behavior has plagued us for centuries. But God does not consider women inferior to men.

God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us …male and female he made them” (Genesis 1:26-27). Men and women equally share God’s image. The Bible also says that God made women as man’s “helper.” Some say this proves women are to serve. But the Hebrew word translated “helper” is ezer. It denotes one who surrounds, protects, or aids. It is the same word that Jacob used of God when he said, “May the God of your father help you” (Genesis 49:25). Moses used it when he said, “The God of my ancestors was my helper” (Exodus 18:4). Even David used it repeatedly in passages like, “We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield” (Psalm 33:20). This is no lowly servant role. It is a lofty role to bring help to one who needs it.

While the New Testament does say that wives are to submit to their husbands, this is by no means oppressive. In fact, Scripture commands that we all submit to one another (see Ephesians 5:21). And finally, throughout Scripture we see that God elevated women to places of authority and godly leadership. A sexist would not do that. Jesus, the Son of God, affirmed the rights of women when he spoke to the Samaritan woman (John 4:1-42). He affirmed Mary as she sat at his feet as a disciple. He gave great praise to the women who anointed him before his death (Mark 14:3-9). To Jesus, women were equals in God’s eyes. Relationally God sees no human status difference between male and female.

Question: What roles have women typically held in churches you’ve attended? Did you sense that women were considered inferior to male leaders?
Question: When you read the bible, do you sense that God values women as much as men? What examples can you share?

Content adapted from Josh and Sean McDowell’s book, 77 FAQs about God and the Bible.

You have probably heard someone say, “Well, that may be true for you, but it’s not true for me.”

Behind this phrase lies a deep-seated confusion between the concepts of truth and belief. Clearly, we are all entitled to our beliefs. But does that mean that we have our own respective truths? No. Truth is independent of belief. Beliefs, on the other hand, are necessarily personal.

This is the same when it comes to moral truths. God and his Word become the standard of what is morally true or not because moral truths stem from his character. So while moral truths are not up for consideration as personal or subjective, beliefs can be. In Romans 14, the apostle Paul makes it clear that issues outside of the universal moral law of God—such as what to eat and when to worship—are between an individual and God. Specific to worship, he said, “You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable” (Romans 14:5).

Personal beliefs are sometimes called “personal convictions.” Some people feel, for example, that it’s wrong to buy products on Sunday. Other feel that it’s wrong to enroll their kids in public school. Many of these people don’t condemn those who do otherwise, but they feel these are convictions they must follow.

Paul made this point clear when he referred to the Jewish regulations on what foods were pure or impure. “I know and am convinced,” Paul wrote, “on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But is someone believes it is wrong [for them], then for that person it is wrong” (Romans 14:14). Personal conviction should be arrived at, then, after great care, study of Scripture, and the wise counsel of other mature Christians.

Question: Explain the difference between moral truth and personal conviction.
Question: Do you have any personal convictions about anything that God doesn’t specifically address in the bible?

Content adapted from Josh and Sean McDowell’s book, 77 FAQs about God and the Bible.

First, let’s start by defining truth.

Typically, two definitions are offered to explain the same concept of truth. Webster defines truth as “fidelity to an original standard.” You and I can argue about which of our watches is correct. But to know for sure, we’d have to measure our watches against the international standard where all time is measured. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is world time and the basis of every world time zone. Whichever of our watches matches GMT is the correct time. Applying that same truth definition to moral truth, we assert that God is the absolute standard for all moral truth.
The second definition of truth is “that which corresponds to reality.” This is roughly the idea that a truth statement is true if it matches up with the way the real world actually is. A statement can be proven true if it matches with reality. When we apply this definition to moral truth, we assert that moral truth conforms to the reality that God has created.
Some people, however, say “There is no truth.” The problem with this phrase is that it’s self-contradictory. The sentence refutes itself through its very existence. The statement “there is no truth” is a truth claim about at least one thing—namely that “there is no truth.” Yet this statement contradicts itself by claiming that truth does not exist. “We cannot be sure about anything” is another sentence that refutes itself, as does “Never say the word ‘never.’” Thus, the most important question becomes not if we can know truth, but what is truth? God is not only our standard of moral truth, but he has gone to extraordinary lengths to form a relationship with us. And relationship is key in knowing and living the truth.
Question: What is your reaction to the statement “There is no truth”?

Scientists say matter is spread over a space of at least 93 billion light-years across. There are probably more than 100 billion galaxies in the observable universe, with countless planets. That blows the mind! And it may cause us to wonder, are we the only intelligent beings God created in this vast universe?

There are many books and studies and reports that claim to have credible evidence substantiating the existence of extraterrestrial beings. And there have been just as many books and reports to refute and counter those claims. Only one thing seems certain—if there were extraterrestrials capable of visiting earth, they haven’t elected to make their presence known widely to the public. Nothing in Scripture reveals that there is intelligent life on other planets. We are told there are demons, angels, seraphim, and cherubim, but there is no reference to other intelligent life.

But if there is life on other planets, it would not seem to contradict Christian beliefs. God is the creator of the universe, and if he created other life — forms and didn’t tell us about it—that’s his prerogative. And just because he doesn’t tell us doesn’t mean there aren’t other intelligent beings out there. We just don’t know.

Question: Are you curious about life on other planets?
Questions: If aliens visited earth today, would you ask them about their knowledge of God?

Content adapted from Josh and Sean McDowell’s book, 77 FAQs about God and the Bible.

Did God create humans because he was needed someone to relate to? Was he bored and one day got really creative and produced a universe that included people?

Some speculate that God wanted or needed human relationships, so created us to remove his own aloneness. One big problem with this thinking is that it implies something is lacking in God. And yet God is perfect, nothing can be lacking. The other problem with this notion is that God has never been alone. Consisting as he does of three persons, he has existed eternally as relationship within the Godhead of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

So why did God create humans if he wasn’t lonely? He did so to give himself glory. God created us to live and enjoy relationship as he did. Jesus said, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11). God in effect is saying, “Become intimate with me, allow my joy to be in you, and through our close relationship you will experience the true joy of living, for you will bear the fruit of my nature—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (see Galatians 5:22-23). And in doing so you will reflect my presence and give me glory!”

“Everything comes from him,” Scripture states, “and exists by his power and is intended for his glory” (Romans 11:36). “Give to the Lord the glory he deserves” (I Chronicles 16:29). The Bible admonishes us to “do it all for the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31), “so that in all things God may be glorified” (I Peter 4:11). To bring glory to God—that is, to exalt him, lift him up, give him praise, to reflect upon him honorable—is in fact our purpose in life.

Question: Is it hard for you to get your head around an almighty God desiring a relationship with you?
Question: If you’ve felt that your life’s purpose has eluded you, is it reassuring to know that living a life that brings God glory is all that he asks?

Content adapted from Josh and Sean McDowell’s book, 77 FAQs about God and the Bible.

The reality is that God is merciful, but that isn’t quite the same as being tolerant. There is a reason God can’t stand sin. You see, his core nature is holy and pure. (See Deuteronomy 32:4, Isaiah 54:5, and Revelation 4:8.)

So a holy God cannot be in relationship with sin in any manner. He is so holy that he “cannot allow sin in any form” (Habakkuk 1:13). To do so would violate the very essence of who he is. So our sin naturally separates us from God. And a relational separation from him causes spiritual death. “The wages of sin,” the Bible says, “is death” (Romans 6:23). It is this death or separation from God that preserves his holiness. And yet because he is a God of love, the Bible declares that he delights to show mercy (Micah 7:18). So what is he to do?

The answer lies in the combination of his loving mercy and his perfect justice. Sin has to be paid for. And that is where God’s justice comes in. Instead of being tolerant of our sin, God’s sense of justice combined with mercy makes the payment for it. He paid for our sin with nothing less than the life of his only Son.

His holiness is satisfied because Jesus was sinless—a perfect sacrifice without sin. We are “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood (Romans 3:24-25). God paid a very high price to grant us forgiveness.

Question: How does the sacrifice Jesus made for you make you feel about God, sin, and mercy?
Question: What do you think about a God who would sacrifice his only son for mere humans?

Content adapted from Josh and Sean McDowell’s book, 77 FAQs about God and the Bible.

From infancy, it appears, we struggle for control to get what we want, when we want it, and in the way we want it. This independent drive to be in charge lies behind every struggle for power, every prejudice, every conflict, and every abuse of relationship since the dawn of time. But where does this inner compulsion — which started with Adam and Eve — come from?

Because Adam sinned, says Scripture, “sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned” (Romans 5:12). This means we start off from birth with a self-centered, self-serving nature. So it’s not the devil, or anyone else, who makes us sin. Our sinful nature exists because of our broken relationship with a holy God. People often say that terrible acts caused by humans are “inhumane and inhuman.” The reality, however, is that they are thoroughly human —- the result of people’s depraved nature. The human race has an unimaginable capacity for evil. Scripture says, “All have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!” (Psalm 14:3). The cause of sin is from within, not from outside forces.

The good news, however, is that God sent his only Son to forgive us of our sins and purify our hearts. Though we continue to sin because of our sinful natures, we can daily approach God with confidence because Jesus has bought those sins through his death. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:80). God knows of your struggles with sin. He doesn’t ask for perfection, but a contrite spirit that earnestly seeks after him.

Question: Do you believe that your sinful nature is the root of sin —- or would you prefer to blame it on the devil?
Question: If you have a heart after God, are you sometimes surprised at just how spiteful, unkind, and selfish you can be? What does that tell you about man’s sinful nature?

Content adapted from Josh and Sean McDowell’s book, 77 FAQs about God and the Bible.

Evil is the corruption of that which is good.

Humanity first experienced evil when Adam and Eve chose to exercise their freewill and eat of the forbidden fruit. Evil is the corruption of free will, which God gave us in order that we might have the choice to believe he is the arbiter of right and wrong, and knows what’s best for us. When Adam and Eve decided he did not know what was best for them — which was corruption of a particularly good thing — evil was born. Evil, then, is the corruption of that which is good.
This means that evil is a parasite upon good. Evil depends upon the existence of good in a way that good does not depend upon evil. Just as the concept of “bentness” requires “straightness,” the existence of evil requires that good be previously in existence. Evil became a reality for us when there was 1) a rejection of what God said was truth and worthy of obedience, and 2) an act in opposition to God’s command. God wants us to trust and obey him. He purposely designed us to live fulfilled and meaningful lives by worshipping him and living in right relationship with him. When we chose to not trust in God and follow his ways, evil becomes a reality.Tweet
Question: We live in a fallen world. Do you daily feel the struggle to choose God’s way over your way?
Question: What are some ways you have found that help you to surrender to God and trust him fully?

Content adapted from 77 FAQs about God and the Bible.