I have a question about Romans 8:17. If we do not suffer for Christ or share in his sufferings, does that mean we will not have eternal life at all? I kept struggling with the thought that if I do not suffer for Christ or share in his sufferings, I felt that I do not belong to him at all. If we suffer for Christ, does that result more in eternal rewards or both salvation and eternal rewards?

In Genesis 20:1-7 God himself states that it was He who did not let Abimelech sin and touch Sarah. Now I know it says Abimelech had some very strong integrity which I assume to mean that he had some “fear of God” but even so, some of the “greats of faith” had a fear of God and still sinned. I also find throughout Scripture other instances where God “acts and/or intervenes” in certain circumstances. So how does this line up with mankind having complete free will/agency?

The Bible refers to Satan as being an angel of light in 2 Corinthians 11:14-15. And in my Nelson’s Student Bible Dictionary it refers to Lucifer as Morning Star and I believe Jesus has been referred to as the Day Star. This is all a bit confusing. First are there Angels of Light that are Angels of God and are good and still exist? and second, is Satan also the Morning Star and is Jesus the Day Star?

Sometimes before I go to sleep at night, I imagine a God who is absolutely fair and loving to all his creation equally,with no hint of hatred, or jealousy, condemnation, etc. The kind of God who truly loves his creation, and sees to it that we have the best of what life has to offer, and that it happens every day, forever. I imagine a God who created everyone equally with one language and one tone of skin, where every man and woman is beautiful with no flaws, whether physical, mental, or emotional. I dream that God would appear to me in person and honestly show himself to me (in real life,not by faith) and offer to take me to be in His awesome world with Him. Believe me, I would gladly depart from this world to start a new life of inexpressible joy in His world. Is it a sin to fantasize like this?

Our reward when we get to heaven is to rule and reign. My question is, to rule and reign what? Satan is vanquished. The only people there are ones that “passed the test”and received the reward of heaven. Its not like they need someone to keep them from robbing banks or stealing the asphalt. I myself would not be comfortable ruling over Christians or setting myself above them in any way. What am I missing here?

Re: Phil. 2:12-13 “Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” I read an article where the author uses these verses to deny OSAS. He agrees we are saved by grace and cannot earn or deserve our salvation. But we must do our part to receive and keep it, or else we’ll lose it.

In many of your answers to questions you’ve said that no man has an excuse for not believing because God has made Himself known obviously in many ways, including putting that knowledge in the hearts of men from birth. The way you said this makes it sound like people that have never heard the Gospel can still get to Heaven if they believe that there is a God. Is this correct and, if so, why would it matter if they believe in Allah, Buddha, or whomever?

I have a question concerning our free will, and God’s foreknowledge about our future. First of all, I know that each one of us comes into this world through our parents. And at the moment of conception we are given a “soul” by God (not by our will, but His will). The question I have is, was I really given a choice to either exist or not exist? Would any part of this decision have been mine?

Please help me to understand something about the Millennial Kingdom. According to descriptions of the Kingdom in Isaiah and elsewhere, it will be ruled by Jesus Himself from Jerusalem. It will be characterized by peace, and “they will neither hurt nor destroy…”. How can that be if the people will be mortal and still have their sin nature to the degree that, when Satan is released 1,000 years later, the people will rebel again, bringing about a new Gog-Magog war? When do they begin to “hurt and destroy” again? What does omniscient/omnipotent Jesus do about it? This would seem to be a time when we, the Church, will be called out of the New Jerusalem to police the people (about which Scripture is silent).

I have a question regarding other religions. I would like to know how these religion came into existence. And whom will these people support in the end of days?