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Ever wonder what the Bible says about common questions we all have:
What's the meaning of life?
After experimenting and analyzing life, Solomon, known as the wisest man who ever lived, wrote: Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man (Ecclesiastes 12:13) Jesus said: I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10)
Why is human life valuable?
Human beings have God's stamp of approval: Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:26-27)
Why don't people get along?
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and vocet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures (James 4:13)
Why is the world in such a mess?
The great theologian and missionary Paul answered this way: For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools...(Romans 1:21-22)
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like (Galatians 5:19-21)
How can I get the wisdom I need?
Solomon said to go to the Source: For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 2:6)
And James agrees: If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him (James 1:5)
How can I resist temptation?
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it (1 Corinthians 10:13) Look for God's way out and take it.
What is real love?
Here's Paul's classic definition: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 13) John, known as the "apostle of love" adds: God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16)
How can I get along with others?
In a letter to the church in Philippi, Paul wrote: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others (Philippians 2:3-4)
Where can I turn when I am lonely?
King David knew times of desperate loneliness, but he knew that.... the Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth (Psalm 145:17-18) And Jesus said: "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you" (John 14:18)
How should I handle anger?
"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:26-27) Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires (James 1:19-20)
What does the Bible say about depression?
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from their troubles...A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all (Psalm 34:17, 19) I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord (Psalm 40:1-3)
How does God help us in our grief?
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18) Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet...For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:51-55) Brothers, we do no want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)
What about anxiety and worrying about things?
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? (Matthew 6:25-27) Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will gaurd your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6) Cast all your anxiety on him (God) because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7)
What can I do about guilt?
Through God's prophet Isaiah, we hear..."Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool" (Isaiah 1:18) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9)
How can I know God personally?
That is undoubtedly the most important question you will ever ask. And the great news is that there is an answer because God already knows you personally and intimately, and he wants you to know him too.
God Created you as a person of dignity and worth. For you created my inmost being: you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well (Psalm 139:13-14)
Not only did God create you, but he also loves you. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16)
And God wants you to know him. Now this is eternal life; that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent (John 17:3)
At this point you might ask: "If God loves people so much, why are they so far from him? Why don't I have a relationship with God right now? The answer is in a little word--sin. Sin separates people from God and keeps us from having a personal relationship with him. What is sin? It is doing what we know we shouldn't; it is not doing what we know we should; and it is a self-centered attitude.
The fact is that everyone has sinned; no one is exempt. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God... (Romans 3:23)
And our sins have cut us off from God. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear (Isaiah 59:2)
The ultimate result of this separation is God's death penalty--eternal separation from him. For the wages of sin is death...(Romans 6:23)
So what's the solution? How can we have a relationship with God and be saved from eternal death? God has provided the solution--Jesus Christ, his son.
Only through Jesus Christ can you have a personal relationship with God. Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6)
Jesus came to earth to take the penalty for our sins on himself. He died on the cross so that we might be forgiven. For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God (1 Peter 3:18)
Then Jesus rose from the dead to prove that he could give us eternal life. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures...he was buried...he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and ...he appeared to Peter; and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time...(1Corinthians 15:3-6)
So God has made his move, providing the solution to the problem of our sin and separation from him. The next move is up to us...to you. To begin your personal relationship with God, you must respond by trusting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
You respond by faith in Christ. This means believing that Jesus is God and that he died for you and rose from the dead. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9)
You respond by turning away from sin. This means admitting that your sins have separated you from God and that you are sorry for them. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord...(Acts 3:19)
You respond by turning toward Christ. This means turning away from your own way of living, trusting Christ, to come into your life, inviting Christ to come into your life, and allowing God to direct your life. This involves total trust--an act of your will. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12)
You can take these steps and begin a personal relationship with God by expressing your faith through prayer. This means talking to God and telling him about your decision to turn from sin, to turn to him, and to receive Christ. Use your own words, or you may want to use these:
Dear God, I know that my sin has separated me from you, and I confess my sin. I'm sorry. I know that you love me and that you sent Jesus to die on the cross, in my place, taking the penalty for my sin. Thank you. Right now I ask you to come in and take over my life. I give myself to you. Please begin to direct my life. Thank you for giving me eternal life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
If you prayed and received Christ, congratulations and welcome to the family--you are now God's child.
If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved (Romans 10:9-10) You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26)
This new relationship continues for a lifetime...and beyond. So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness (Colossians 2:6-7)
How can Christians be sure that God exists and that Jesus is God?
First, Christians do not believe in God because they can prove that God exists; they become sure that God exists as they believe and trust Him. Consider this: When are you really sure that a bridge will hold your weight--- before or after you cross it? Suppose you were out on the middle of that bridge, trusting it completely, and someone called from shore with the question, "How can you be sure the bridge exists?" How would you answer?
Second, believing in the existence of God is a requirement in order to become a Christian, but believing in the existence of God doesn't make you a Christian. You can admit that someone or something exists and still not want to have anything to do with him, her, or it. The Bible makes this point clear when it says, You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder (James 2:19).
Third, Christians are not people who believe they have discovered God, but people to whom God has revealed himself. Christians believe in a very specific God. This God has shown himself partly through creation, extensively through the Bible, and completely in Jesus Christ.
Fourth, Christians are fully aware that there are many questions created by the existence of God. In fact, they realize that without God, all questions become meaningless, leaving us without any ultimate reason for our own existence.
All of the questions and answers that have been discussed take for granted not only the existence of God, but also the fact that his is a God who allows himself to be known. Christians are sure that God exists and that Jesus is God because they have met him personally through the Bible and in their lives.
The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." (Psalm 14:1)
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