Question:

How do you honor and obey non-christian parents? I have struggled with this issue for years. My parents and I have always had a good relationship but some of the advice they give me I have a hard time taking because it contradicts the Bible.

Answer:
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. (Ephesians 6:1-3).

Thus the Scriptures teach us that children are to obey their parents as long as they can do this “in the Lord.” And we are told that this is the first commandment “with promise.”

Do you know what that promise is? Look at Exodus 20 where the ten commandments are given. “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee” (Exodus 20:12). This promise was given to God’s earthly people, Israel, but the Spirit of God tells us that this promise is for us today as well.
Notice that it is “right” to obey our parents, not because they are saved, but because they are parents. God has given us our parents to teach us and provide many things for us especially when we are young. One of the most important things we can learn from our parents is to obey those in authority over us. If we don’t learn to obey our parents, we will find it very difficult to obey the teacher in school, the policeman, etc.We also are told to “honor” our parents because they are our “father and mother.” Romans 13:7 tells us to “Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due…honor to whom honor.” There may be situations where you cannot obey your parents because their advice is contrary to the Word of God. But you can still honor them by being respectful to them and adhering to their wishes as much as possible, explaining in a respectful way why you can’t obey them in a particular situation.

Question:
How do you honor and obey non-christian parents? I have struggled with this issue for years. My parents and I have always had a good relationship but some of the advice they give me I have a hard time taking because it contradicts the Bible.

Answer:
You obey them much like you do Christian parents: you seek to conform to their desires unless these desires are contrary to the directions God has given us in His Word. Then, we should obey God rather than man. “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, ‘We ought to obey God rather than men’” (Acts 5:29).

Question:
What happens to aborted babies? Do they just miss their chance living on earth?

Answer:
Yes, you could say that, because all who die before the age of accountability (or before they know right from wrong) go to heaven.

The Lord said: “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels [spirits] do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost” (Matthew 18:10,11).
For those who are older, like Zacchaeus, Jesus said: “For the Son of man is come to SEEK and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). He didn’t have to “seek” the little ones who are lost, He just saves them. David also said about the baby that died shortly after he was born: “I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me” (2 Samuel 12:23).

Question:
Does God plan everything, like that boy’s arm getting amputated, and me forgetting my car keys?

Answer:

Yes, God does plan everything. Ephesians 1:11 says that He “worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.” And we are told that: “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose…to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:28, 29).

All things do not work together for “good” for those who do not love God. And all things are not good, but all things work together for good for those who love God. The main “good” is that we become more and more like Jesus!

Question:

Does God plan everything, like that boy’s arm getting amputated, and me forgetting my car keys?

Answer:

God does know everything, but He has given to each of us a mind capable of reasoning and determining our own course, if we so choose. There is God’s active will and His permissive will. God’s desire is that all men be saved (see 2 Peter 3:9), but He also tells us that “men…shall wax worse and worse” (2 Timothy 3:13), which is definitely not His desire for us.

When God allows bad things to happen to anyone, even if it is not His active will, He has a purpose in allowing it. “All things work together for good” to them who please the Lord, and that boy’s arm getting amputated, and [you] forgetting your keys were allowed for the benefit of someone affected by those events.

Question:

Why does God put murderers, rapists, and other awful people on the earth if He knows that they will just hurt us and won’t be saved anyway?

Answer:

God did not put people like that on the earth: they were babies when they entered their earthly existence. We were all born with a sinful nature, and we learned either to have respect for God and our fellow man, or we learned to despise and hate both as we matured. These characteristics are merely some of the things that we can become if we leave God and our fellow man out of our thoughts and considerations.

Question:

Why are we here if God already knows what will happen to us, and who will be saved?

Answer:

Each one who has trusted in Christ has “eternal life” (John 5:24), so he is as good as in heaven right now. But one reason God has left us here is to tell His good news of salvation through Christ to others so they can be saved. He has chosen to use, not angels, but His redeemed people to spread His marvelous message that He loves all mankind and desires all to be saved from their sins by faith in Christ. Jesus “said unto them [disciples], Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

The Christians’ “Conversation [citizenship] is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20, see note in Mr. Darby’s translation). As ambassadors we are left in this world to represent heaven, as Paul said: “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20). Though God knows who will be saved, He keeps sending out the message of salvation through His people to “whosoever believeth” (John 3:16), because He “is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9).

Another reason believers are left in this world is to teach us more of our wonderful Saviour and Lord, so we will praise Him (Revelation 4:11). He has also left us here to learn to trust Him for every step of our pathway here. We are told four times in the Scriptures: “The just shall live by his faith.” This is first mentioned in the Old Testament in Habakkuk 2:4. It is also quoted in Romans 1:17, where the word “just” is emphasized. In Galatians 3:11 the word “live” is emphasized, and in Hebrews 10:38 the word “faith” is emphasized. It is true that we receive eternal life by faith in Christ, but this verse tells us that God is determined to teach us that if we are made righteous or “just” by the blood of Christ, we will learn to “live” our lives in this scene by “faith” in Him and in His Word.

Romans 8:28, 29 tells us another reason that Christians are left in this scene for awhile before He takes them to heaven. These verses tell us that everything in the life of those who “love God” works together for the “good” of conforming us into “the image of His Son.” In other words, each event (each thing that happens to us) is designed to make us more like Jesus!

How this comes about is by not being “conformed to this world:but [by being] transformed by the renewing of [our] minds, that [we] may prove [experience] what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2). It is only as our minds are renewed by the Scriptures that we will experience the kind of life God has for us here on earth. And just think of it! He wants nothing less than that we experience the very ”will of God” in our lives, and His will is “good, and acceptable, and perfect.” Let us not miss experiencing His will that He has for us, for His will is the very best, and we merely need to keep our minds renewed by His Word to experience it! How wonderful He is!!

Question:

What will happen after the rapture to the people who don’t know Christ as their Savior?

Answer:

First Thessalonians 4:13-18 tells us about the rapture of all believers. The Lord shall descend to the atmosphere over this earth, and believers (dead and alive) will be “caught up” to meet the Lord in the air and ascend with Him to glory. This is the next event on God’s calendar. And then “the day of the Lord,” which is the time of judgment for this earth will begin. Second Thessalonians 2:1-12 tells us what will happen on this earth after the rapture of believers.

If you have a J. N. Darby translation, you will find it helpful when considering this portion and also others portions of Scripture. You will notice in 2 Thessalonians 2:2 that the correct translation is not “the day of Christ,” but “the day of the Lord.” When you see in Scripture “the day of the Lord” it is speaking of judgment (Joel 2:1-3). Notice also the last part of verse 2. The correct translation for “is at hand” is “present.” Seeing the correct translation of these verses helps us to understand that we are being told in this portion about the time of judgment.

Now considering the verse: Some had written letters to the Thessalonians saying that “the day of the Lord” was going on at that present time when Paul wrote the epistle, but the apostle Paul says that this is not true. He says that before “the day of the Lord” came there would be a “falling away” (or apostasy) first. We see today many who have turned away from the truth they once held. Paul also says that “the man of sin” (the antichrist) would be revealed when the day of the Lord had come. So we know that we are not living in the day of judgment today but the time is soon to come for we see the “falling away,” though the antichrist is not yet revealed.

Now look at verse 7. The KJV reads: “He who now letteth, will let, until He be taken out of the way.” “Letteth is old English word that means to hinder or restrain. Mr. Darby translates this verse: “For the mystery of lawlessness already works; only there is He who restrains now until He be gone.” Who is it that “restrains” or hinders “iniquity”? It is the Spirit of God who indwells every believer today and who has baptized each one into the “one body,” the church (1 Corinthians 12:13). When the Spirit of God, who is in the church, is “taken out of the way” at the rapture, there will be no more hindrance to the evil in this world. And it is at that time that the antichrist will be revealed: “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming:(2 Thessalonians 2:8).

Now to your question: “What will happen after the rapture to the people who don’t know Christ as their Savior?”

The unsaved people who are living after the rapture will believe that this man (the antichrist) who does wonders by Satan’s power is Christ. And everyone who had heard the gospel of God’s salvation through Christ before the rapture, and did not believe on Christ, will believe this lie that this man is the Christ instead of Jesus who died for our sins. We are told that this lie becomes a strong “delusion”: “That they ALL might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (verse 12). So those who had not believed the truth, will believe this lie and will be damned. They will go through the terrible judgments told us in Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and will eventually die after calling on the mountains and rocks to fall on them (Revelation 6:16). After the thousand-year reign of Christ over this earth, God will give them a fair trial at the great white throne judgment and then they will go to the lake of fire for all eternity (Revelation 20:11-15).

Question:

In Romans 11:17-22, what does grafting and the olive branches represent? How will a person be cut off?

Answer:

One of the symbols used in the Old Testament Scriptures for Israel as a nation is the olive tree. “O Israel…His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon (Hosea 14:1, 6).

A careful reading of Romans 11:11-25 clearly shows that the Spirit of God is speaking here, not of blessing to individuals, but of blessing to the nation of Israel and to all Gentiles (which includes all peoples who are not Israelites). Therefore, this Scripture is a message to us Gentiles, telling us that though Israel has been set aside and God’s blessing is now going out to the whole world (v.12, 15), yet there is coming a day when Israel’s blessing will be restored to her.

The illustration that is used to explain this is that the branches (Israel) have been broken off “because of unbelief,” and “a wild olive tree” (Gentiles) has been grafted in. So the message that God has to say to us is that “If God spared not the natural branches [Israel], take heed lest He also spare not thee [Gentiles]” (verses 15-21).

So, Romans 11:22 is a warning that the Gentiles will be “cut off” (just as the Jewish people were removed from God’s blessing) if they do not continue to honor Him. “Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them [Jews] which fell, severity; but toward thee [Gentiles], goodness, if thou [Gentiles] continue in His goodness: otherwise thou [Gentiles] also shalt be cut off” (Romans 11:22).

We are then told one of the precious truths, or “mysteries,” of Scripture, that Israel (in the soon coming day) will once again enjoy all the blessings of being God’s earthly people as soon as “the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.” Romans 11:25 says: “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.” The next verse tells us this will happen when the Lord comes, and: “All Israel shall be saved,” and the nation of Israel will be born in a day (Isaiah 66:8).

Question:

In 1 Timothy 3:6, what is the verse referring to when it refers to “falling into the same condemnation as the devil”? How does this verse tie in with Romans 8:1?

Answer:

1 Timothy 3:6 is quoted from the New King James Bible: “Not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.” The King James Bible, and as far as I can see in my Greek translation, the word same does not appear.

The reason this is important is because the ultimate condemnation that the devil will face includes being cast into the lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 20:10). The word condemnation in 1 Timothy 3:6 is the Greek work KRIMA. According to Vine’s expository dictionary of New Testament Words KRIMA denotes (a) “a verdict and the decision resulting from an investigation.” Whereas in Romans 8:1 the word for condemnation is KATAKRIMA. Here the word includes “the sentence pronounced with a suggestion of the punishment following.” As Christians we must remember that indeed we are guilty and deserving of punishment for sin but our punishment was paid in full by our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:8,9).

If there is a condemnation that a “novice” may fall into, it is the shame that might occur to this individual if he is “lifted up with pride.” This can occur more easily in a newly converted, or young believer. Remember though that any Christian of any maturity level can fall into “the condemnation of the devil” if we act with characteristics that are attributed to and similar to those of the devil. If we are saved we could, for a while, fall from our usefulness in God’s service. The good work that is described in 1 Timothy 3 is the office of a bishop. It’s not so much a position or title but the action of caring for the sheep (1 Timothy 3:5).

The devil lost his created place as the anointed covering cherub when the iniquity of pride, because of his beauty, was found in him (Ezekiel 28:14-17). In a lot of ways those involved in the good work of caring for the church of God may be hindered if it is made evident that pride and arrogance are seen in them. I believe that this is the type of condemnation that may be included in verse 6 of the third chapter of 1 Timothy. “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6). “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up” (James 4:10).

In no way does 1 Timothy 3:6 suggest loss of one’s salvation. It does mean though that the same shame and characteristic of pride might be seen in this individual.

The second part of the question asks: “How does this verse tie in with Romans 8:1?”

The condemnation in this verse is the Greek word KATAKRIMA. As stated before it includes the verdict of guilt and the punishment that follows. None who are in Christ Jesus will suffer this condemnation.

Some who believe that a Christian can lose everlasting life after they have it have said that Romans 8:1 teaches that to have no condemnation one must walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. The verse as read in the King James Bible and born out of the Greek translation that I have says: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” It does not say, ”If they walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

So this clause as rightly understood is not a conditional qualifier for salvation, but rather a properly believed presupposition that this is in fact what will follow true believers. One need only read the next two verses of chapter 8 for more confirmation that Christ has indeed secured us by what He did for us and not by anything we do for Him.

It is right to believe that a Christian will not walk after the flesh but after the Spirit. The main thrust of Romans 8:1 is that those that are in Christ Jesus will never suffer the punishment of hell, which I believe is the condemnation referred to in this verse. The condemnation in 1 Timothy 3:6 is not the same, but is the shame caused because God cannot use us because of pride that caused the devil “reproach and the snare” (verse 7), and which may be found in any individual, saved or unsaved.

Question:

Why does God put murderers, rapists, and other awful people on the earth if He knows that they will just hurt us and won’t be saved anyway?

Answer:

Even though man has chosen to sin, from Adam on down, yet God will have glory from even those who rebel against Him throughout eternity in “outer darkness: [where] there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:30). We are told that “The LORD hath made all things for Himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil” (Proverbs 16:4). “For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to Whom be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36).

So everything will eventually bring glory to God! He is in control of everything for He “worketh all things after the counsel of His own will” (Ephesians 1:11), and since He loves us “unto the end” or right through everything (John 13:1), we know that nothing can happen to His children except that which is for our good and His glory. He has promised: “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Hebrews 13:5, 6).