Q. When I was 12, 1 was baptized. I thought I loved the Lord, but I was influenced by my friends. I’m now 22 and am afraid I have gone too far to ever be a Christian again. Please can you give me some hope?

A. Yes, I can. I have good news for you. In the years you have been unfaithful to God, He has never deserted you.

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed” (Deut. 31:6,8; see also 2 Peter 3:9; Joshua 1:5; Heb. 13:5).

When I was a youth, I saw my hard-drinking profane, Irish grandfather, give his heart to Christ            at the age of 81 and become transformed by His grace. I knew it was the power of the gospel and the long patience of our God.

“Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Heb. 7:25).

No doubt Satan will test you sorely. He will seek to discourage you: he will suggest that you are hopeless. But when you cast your life upon Jesus you can confidently affirm that “Jesus died to save me not to destroy me.”

Some wonder if they have committed the unpardonable sin, the sin a against the Holy Spirit (Matt. 12:31). This occurs when we have irreversibly turned our back upon the pleading of the Holy Spirit so that 1000 years of more opportunities wouldn’t make any difference. But your very question makes it clear that the Holy Spirit is still active in wooing you back to Christ. Yet, I must warn you that it is very dangerous to continue to resist the loving appeals of the Holy Spirit. Now is the day of salvation. (Romans 13:11; Luke 19:9; 2 Cor. 6:2).            

Vol.12 No.2

Q. On September 11, many people seemed to have miraculously escaped death, while others didn’t. Why? It just doesn’t seem fair.

A. While some people seem to get more than their fair share of heartache, no one ultimately escapes it in this life. Here are at least five biblical reasons why God doesn’t always intervene.

1. To wean our affections from this temporary, fallen world: God has never promised to end evil and tragedy in this life. What He has promised is to take His children to a land where “… there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:4.

   In the Bible, those who long for heaven are called “strangers and pilgrims.” Because “they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly … God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.” Hebrews 11:16.

2. To develop our hatred for sin and its consequences: The devil sells sin with slick packaging.

   He doesn’t disclose the horrible consequences, especially for innocent sufferers like crack babies, child prostitutes, and AIDS orphans. Proverbs 16:25.

   The results of sin should so outrage us that we want to rid our world of evil! But without God’s intervention, this is impossible. By nature we are allied with the devil. Hebrews 2:14, 15. While some are more evil than others, we all need the Holy Spirit’s power to fight evil in the world and in our own lives. Ephesians 6:10, 11.

   The terrible consequences of sin were most graphically demonstrated by the incarnation and death of God’s innocent Son for our sins. But because of His life and death, we may choose eternal life. John 3:16.

3. To help us choose spiritual over temporal growth: When things go well, we often forget God. But when we suffer, we cry out to Him. Our suffering does not please God, but if we can benefit eternally by it, He may allow it.

   If fruit trees are not pruned, they bear little fruit. Likewise, if the pressure of acquiring possessions, raising families, or pursuing careers stunts our spiritual growth, He may prune us through hardships. Jesus said, “I am the true vine and my father is the husbandman.… every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” John 15:1, 2.

   If we doubt God’s love, His pruning will not profit us. Instead, our bitterness and distrust will separate us from Him.

4. To respect our free choices: Truthfully, most suffering results from our poor choices. When we continue destructive lifestyles, God does not suspend the law of cause and effect. Yet, He still pities us, and the fact that we generally suffer less than we deserve, reveals His great mercy.

   To help us avoid needless suffering, the Bible records the lives and moral failures of the Israelites, and Paul exhorts us, “Now all these things … are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” 1 Corinthians 10:11.

   If we continue destructive attitudes and lifestyles, God cannot save us. He pleads with the wicked, “Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin … For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God…” Ezekiel 18:30, 32. To those who repent, God is gracious.

   While God longs to end evil on this earth, He loathes the thought of destroying the guilty. Yet, He will never force anyone to choose eternal life.

5. To demonstrate our loyalty to God: In the book of Job, when Satan claimed rulership of the earth, God pointed to Job’s faithfulness. Satan then countered, accusing Job of serving God for material benefits. So God removed Job’s protection and allowed the devil to bring tragedy into his life.

   But like a star on a dark night, Job’s loyalty to God only shined brighter. Job boldly declared, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him …” Job 13:15.

God still needs us to be His faithful witnesses today. If we are called to bear affliction for God’s cause, let us choose to shine like Job.