If one has a bad habit (tobacco) and has the habit from before they are saved to while they are saved, it is a besetting sin or is it practicing Sin? Regardless, I’m OSAS since day one and more secure with the help of your answers to questions in the past. I love God’s Word and love telling people about the Lord when I get the chance and look forward to His return, my conscience is sharp when I know I’ve hurt someone or done wrong. It sometimes feels as if I’m not changing much though. How can I tell that God is still making me holy (sanctified)?

I’ve been surfing your site, and have been reading questions and answers concerning creation, gap theory, the garden. When God created the atmosphere on the 2nd day, he does not state anywhere “that it was good”. The other 5 creation days are declared good. Would you share your views on this?

I have a question about when Paul circumcises Timothy in Acts 16:3 because of the Jews. Just before that there was a big deal made about not requiring the Gentile believers to follow the law and they even held a committee on it. Several leaders in the faith sent the decision out to Antioch and it was decided that the Gentiles were not required to be circumcised. Paul was a part of this group. Right after that Paul circumcises Timothy whose father was greek. Why on earth would he do such an about face?

Thank you so much for this website. I really appreciate the opportunity to ask Bible-based questions!

My question is about the manner I assume for prayer. Sometimes I have a quiet time put aside for prayer. Other times, I pray while I am doing other “light” things, such as showering or housework. Occasionally I wonder if this is being disrespectful to God or I am just being old-fashioned? Do you have any thoughts or opinions on this?

Can you help me with the following question, who is Lucifer or Satan, can you provide me a biblical understanding? I was reading an article and it said Lucifer was only mentioned one time in the Bible but we seem to glean that he and Satan are one in the same?

While discussing the Bible with an Atheist, we were on the topic of sin. I explained how thru Adam, we inherited sin which my Atheist friend had some difficulty with. She felt that there are times when we have no choice but to sin. I asked her to give me an example, this is what she offered.

If a family, during WWII, was to hide a Jewish family from Nazi soldiers, and when asked by those Nazi soldiers if they know of any Jews around, and the family says no, did they lie? Would that be considered a sin since they were protecting the lives of the Jewish family? Would that family have to repent? My Atheist friend thinks this is a good example of a situation where doing the right thing should not be considered a sin, thus, there are gray areas to God’s commandments. How would you respond to this example?

Thank you so much for your site. Your insight and teaching are invaluable to me.

My question regards the concept of that which any two men agree upon will be done in heaven–what if two men agree on one thing and two other men agree on the opposite? Lots of people believe lots of things and most don’t match up, I’ve noticed.

I am fairly new reading your site and enjoying it tremendously. Have a question that intrigues me. Why did Jesus choose Judas Iscariot to be His disciple? The word tells me that Jesus does nothing unless the Father does, and so I would presume that it had the Father’s okay in choosing Judas as a disciple. Having said that, and that God knows everything about each one of us, past, present and future, why? I know that the Father and Jesus do not make mistakes, so there has to be a good reason for having chosen him. Was it necessary to have him in the position to identify Jesus prior to the crucifixion? Thanks for your thoughts on this.

In response to what you wrote in ‘Satan in our minds‘, I was wondering how Satan has access to our thoughts and deeds if he isn’t omniscient or omnipresent.

In following on from this thought, I have also begun to wonder whether Satan is allowed by God, to be physically in the presence of believers – or whether having ‘Christ within’ prevents him from doing so.

I have a question that a lot of people don’t know how to answer but I’m pretty sure you do, can the devil get into your mind or more precisely put thoughts into your mind? People get the idea that this is possible because of what Christ said.

Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

The Bible also records, in the Matthew and Mark gospels, how Jesus rebuked Peter with the same words at his suggestion that Jesus would not be raised from the dead.

Matthew 16:23. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

Where in the Bible does it indicate this being possible?