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Getting at the Bigger Questions, Part 1

Who, What, When, Where, Why and How

In teaching the Christian Worldview Studies class here at the Focus on the Family Institute, students ask me a lot of questions. Due to the nature of my class, these aren't petty questions. Usually they're big questions. Deep questions. Theological queries that tend to stump people — even me, sometimes.

In my job I travel a decent amount too. I speak to students all over the country. All over the world, in fact. Just a few short weeks ago I was in Egypt, meeting with student leaders there. It seems no matter where I go, they're raising these same sort of questions.

That's why I'm going to devote the next several articles to a Truth Lab series in which we'll tackle some of these tough issues. Here's a sample of what we'll be talking about:

• How could a loving Creator allow people, His creations, to go to hell? How is that loving?
  
  
• I believe that God is all knowledgeable and that predestination exists — not just on the salvation level, but in the details, too. I also believe completely in free will. I believe God is big enough for both, actually. I came to this conclusion simply by what I see in Scripture. Do you find this too illogical? Am I reading the Bible incorrectly?
  
  
• Is it ever possible to lose my salvation? Is there anything I could do or say that could jeopardize that?
  
  
• Can you explain Old Testament law in context of today — and why do we not still apply it to ourselves?
  
  
• Can you logically explain God to a non-believer who wants proof? If so, how?
  
  
• What part does emotion play in the salvation process and the Christian life? The church has a tendency to "throw out" emotion completely ... or embrace it as the only basis for Christian faith. Where's the balance?
  
  
• Is God's will directly affected by our prayers? If not, other than improving our relationship with God, why pray for healing, for people to come to salvation and so on? Why pray at all, really?

Ask Away

Again, let me say that these questions are hard even for me to answer. I wrestle with some of them myself. I will be giving you some answers, but that doesn't mean I'm the last word on these subjects. I encourage you to seek out answers for yourself; don't just take my word for it. Be like the Bereans of Acts 17, who "examined the Scriptures every day" (v. 11) to see if what they were being taught was actually true.

Let me end this short Truth Lab installment by saying that it's OK to ask questions. Perhaps you've never felt free to ask those tough questions; you're told simply to believe, to have faith. But as confusing and daunting as your questions may seem, it's important that you ask them. Socrates once said that the unexamined life isn't worth living. I agree with him, and I'll even go so far as to say that the unexamined faith isn't worth believing.

C O F F E E  S H O P

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What questions about the Christian faith do you have?

Join the discussion!

To that end, I personally invite you to come share with us your questions over in the Coffee Shop. Got one swimming around in your head? Let us know. Have a take on one of the questions I listed above? Share it with us.

So with that, ask away.