Ask a Bible Teacher

Easy Believism Or Saved By Grace?

Published: March 29, 2014
Q

I was doing my daily bible study the other day, and I started thinking about salvation. I know that we are saved by trusting in Jesus, who took all of our sins to the cross. I went online, and came across several sites that call this “easy believism”. So I looked at what they think the bible says about being saved, and they seem to say the same thing that easy believism supporters say, which is trusting that Jesus paid the price for our sins, so that we won’t have to suffer for them. I’m very confused; I can’t seem to find the difference between “easy believism” and “grace through faith”. I hope you can shed some light on this for me.


Clarifying Daniel 1 And 2

Published: March 29, 2014
Q

Kindly help me with this question. In the book of Daniel in the Bible, we read in chapter 1 that King Nebuchadnezzar ordered that Daniel and his friends were to be trained for three years before entering the king’s service. In 1:18 they were presented to the king for examination. But in chapter 2 we read that it was in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign as king that the dream issue and its interpretation came. How does one reconcile the timing?


The Watchers

Published: March 29, 2014
Q

I have been doing a lot of reading on your website and have learned from the questions and comments. Now I have a question. Who are the “watchers” mentioned in Daniel 4:17? Thank you for all the questions you answer.


I Knew You’d Come Back!

Published: March 28, 2014
Q

I have a question about this verse: “And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He is revealed, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him in His coming” (1 John 2:28).

So it is possible then that there will be Christian believers who at the rapture when they see Jesus they could be ashamed of something in their life? For instance, what if at the moment someone is raptured they were involved somehow in some sort of sin. Would we feel shame inside as soon as we see Jesus?


Rapture Safe

Published: March 28, 2014
Q

We have a family member who was brought to Christ as a child, but when she became an adult, turned away largely because of the legalistic teaching she lived under. Now, as an adult, she tends to embrace new age teachings and says that she no longer believes in the same God we do. In other words, she prefers the god she has adopted for herself.

The Lord assures me that she is His and that her salvation is secure. I take this to mean that she is still a part of His bride and will be raptured along with the rest of the church. If this is so, then it also holds true that someone such as Oprah, who passes on some very abhorrent teachings, is also rapture safe.

What would be your observations on this matter?


Real Locusts Or Demonic Beings?

Published: March 28, 2014
Q

We have been studying Joel recently and I wonder if you know if there was a fulfillment of the locust invasion in Joel’s time in which natural locusts ate everything, and if the locusts spoken about in 1:18-2:20 are the same ones spoken of in Revelation 9? The reason I ask is because in the beginning of the book of Joel it says that the locusts ate everything, but in Revelation 9 the locusts were told not to touch the grass or trees or any green thing. The locusts in chapter 2 of Joel must be supernatural as it says in 2:8 “when they fall on the sword they are not wounded.”

I have heard that Amos 7:1 is translated in the Septuagint differently than in our modern translations and that it mentions gog being the king of the locusts. The way I have heard it translated is : “And behold a swarm of locusts was coming, and one of the young devastating locusts was gog the king.” This seems to tie in with Revelation 9 where the king of these locusts is Apollyon or Abaddon, another name for Satan. Any thoughts?


Peter And The Temple Tax

Published: March 28, 2014
Q

Re: Matt, 17:27. What was the relevance/meaning/symbol of finding money in the fish’s mouth? Other than Peter being a former fisherman, I don’t get it.


Christian Hedonism

Published: March 28, 2014
Q

Can you tell me what a Christian Hedonist is and if it’s biblical? I know that hedonism is the pursuit of pleasure, but I’ve never heard of a Christian Hedonist.


The Sign Of The Son Of Man

Published: March 28, 2014
Q

Could the sign of the Son of Man appearing in the sky(Matthew 24:30) be the first appearance of New Jerusalem coming into view from Earth?


Raptured By Works?

Published: March 26, 2014
Q

I was recently directed to a web site and I was a little upset after realizing that this website seems to say that salvation is based on faith and grace, but that those that will be raptured is a reward for works. Those not considered worthy Christians would have to endure the tribulation. The site uses the 10 virgins parable to say that the 5 that didn’t make the rapture were not worthy enough. Is this true? I thought that true believers were raptured, and this was based on grace and faith, not works. If the messages from this web site is true, than this is very disturbing indeed.