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| Questions Asked By Students Topic: ETHICS AND MORALITY
Does God care about what kind of music we listen to?
Yes, God does care what we listen to. The things we listen to affect us, for better or for worse.
Music by itself is not bad; in fact Heaven is and will be full of music. God made us with the ability to compose and enjoy music. What makes music bad is the content; obviously when music has bad words, it’s bad. Keep in mind that music with a bad message is bad, too. Music is a tool for teaching; in pre-school we learn the ABC song, in church we learn about God, and often on the radio we learn about having sex outside of marriage, murdering people, stealing and the list goes on.
This is what God has to say about someone who brings a false message. Note that the message is not directly against God, on the surface, but it is against God.
Jeremiah 23:16-18 The LORD Almighty said to the people of Jerusalem, "Do not listen to what the prophets say; they are filling you with false hopes. They tell you what they have imagined and not what I have said. 17 To the people who refuse to listen to what I have said, they keep saying that all will go well with them. And they tell everyone who is stubborn that disaster will never touch him." 18 I said, "None of these prophets has ever known the LORD's secret thoughts. None of them has ever heard or understood his message, or ever listened or paid attention to what he said. TEV
“They are filling you with false hopes”. So many say you don’t need anyone else, just believe in yourself. It sounds like a “Positive Message” but keep in mind that this no one else also includes God, that’s a bad message.
“They tell you what they have imagined and not what I have said”. Many modern musicians have their own way of looking at life. They often teach things that go against what God has said in His Word.
“All will go well with them”. They say: "it’s all good, no one will go to hell for disobeying God, keep having fun".
“They tell everyone who is stubborn that disaster will never touch him”. That is a lie; the reality is that all those who rebel against God to do their own thing will be separated from God for all eternity in hell.
Music teaches us and moves us. So I say listen to those things that will teach you good things and listen to those things that will move you to good works. You will find that the more you think about godly things through song, the more you will want to know about God Himself. Think about these verses and be encouraged to meditate on things that will bring you closer to God.
Philippians 4:8-9 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. NKJV
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22 Avoid every kind of evil. NIV
Romans 16:19 …but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. NIV
Does God control what we do or do we make our own choice?
God does not control us (like a little boy controls a remote control car), He has given us a free will, that is, the ability to make choices between good and evil.
The Bible teaches that God is absolutely in charge and can do whatever He wills to do. So in His doing (creating), He chose to make man with the freedom of making his own decisions. We see this in the Garden of Eden; God puts man in a perfect place with the choice to obey and live in harmony with God forever, or disobey and experience death and separation from God.
Genesis 3:6-7 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. NKJV
God has given to man the ability to choose so now it’s up to man’s choice; will he choose to obey or disobey? Every day we decide what we will do with the freedom God has given us. Some will choose the love and forgiveness of God through the work of Jesus, others will reject Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. NKJV
John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. NKJV
Some teach that God is absolutely in charge of everything including man and man’s decisions. If this were true, then why would God allow man to deny Him? If God is the one in charge of making man do everything, why would God make man steal, murder, lie and even rape, and then judge him for it? You can see really fast that this is not the nature of the God of the Bible. The Bible describes God as loving, just, and fair, among other things.
God doesn’t want any to go to hell:
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. NKJV
God cannot provoke evil or make people sin. it goes against his nature:
Psalm 145:17 The LORD is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works. NKJV
James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. NKJV
Job 34:10 "Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God to do wickedness, and from the Almighty to commit iniquity. NKJV
God doesn’t make man sin nor does God violate man’s freedom and make him do good. He only motivates man to do what is right by showering us with His love. Man makes his own decisions and God will rightly judge him for it.
Romans 2:4-8 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who "will render to each one according to his deeds": 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness — indignation and wrath, NKJV
BACK TO THE TOP is all fighting sin?
No, not all fighting is sin; the Bible is full of battles and wars that were fought for just reasons. On a spiritual level, the Bible commands us to fight against sin.
James makes a note in his letter that fights come from selfish people, which is true but we also see in the Bible God commanding His people to go and fight. God commanded His people to fight. Victory in the battle field was a way to show believers and non-believers that He is God.
James 4:1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? NKJV
Wars that come from just causes are something that we should be a part of. God commands Gideon to fight against the enemy to deliver His people from oppression.
Judges 6:14 Then the LORD turned to him and said, "Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?" NKJV
God fought for His people, and to show the rest of the nations that He is the True and Living God. The reason why God wants the world to know that He is God is not an insecurity issue, it’s a salvation issue. People will only go to heaven if they are forgiven by Him, the True and Living God.
Exodus 14:13-14 And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."
Exodus 14:18 Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen." NKJV
BACK TO THE TOP Is it a sin to marry some one of another race?
No, it is not a sin.
In the Old Testament, God prohibited the children of Israel from marrying other nations. One reason was to protect them from the corrupt ways of those nations. They worshiped false gods and committed gruesome sins in their worship to those false gods.
Deuteronomy 7:3-4 Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. 4 For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly.
Again the problem is not in the color of your skin or the cultural difference. What makes for problems is when you marry someone who doesn’t share the same heart and devotion towards God and His Word. Marrying such a person will cause your love and devotion for God to die down. Eventually you will begin to live the same life they live in order to keep them happy.
Psalm 106:35-38 But they mingled with the Gentiles And learned their works; 36 They served their idols, Which became a snare to them. 37 They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons, 38 And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with blood.
In the same way, the New Testament warns us about the danger of marrying someone who doesn’t have the same heart for the Lord. God warns us against marrying or even being united with an unbelieving person.
2 Corinthians 6:14-16 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?
What is a Yoke? A Yoke is a big piece of wood that was placed on the shoulders of an ox. It would unite him to the farmer but it would also allow the farmer (who is weaker) to control the ox (who is stronger). It would also work to unite two animals together forcing them to walk in the same direction at the same speed.
Hopefully you can see that it is not good to be joined together with a person that doesn’t want to walk with God. Or even some one who doesn’t want to walk with God like you do, at the same speed.
1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."
God warns us today about unequal unions for the same reason that he warned the children of Israel in the past: to preserve our love and devotion to Him. It’s commonly seen with Christians who marry “Non Christians” that they stop going to church in order to keep peace with their spouse, and they even leave God all together.
Is it okay to say bad words or bad thinGs to people? No, it is not okay; it is sin and it grieves (bums out) the Spirit of God which lives in us. You know what kind of fruit tree you have in your back yard by what kind of fruits come from it. In the same way, “bad” people say bad things and “nice” people say nice things. What kind of person are you? Before you answer that, think of what kind of things come out of your mouth. If you are a Christian you should speak like Christ; consider What Would Jesus Say? Matthew 12:33-37 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." NKJV
The Bible teaches us that as Christians we are to stop saying hurtful things. We should be looking for ways to encourage each other and the people around us. When people are around you they should feel loved and refreshed like they spent time with Jesus, since you are a representative of His in this world. Ephesians 4:29-32 Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you. 30 And do not make God's Holy Spirit sad; for the Spirit is God's mark of ownership on you, a guarantee that the Day will come when God will set you free. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, passion, and anger. No more shouting or insults, no more hateful feelings of any sort. 32 Instead, be kind and tender-hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ. Today’s English Version
The Bible says it is sin to talk in this way. It also warns us not to think of such speech as no big deal and excuse it as normal talk.
People need to know about Jesus. God probably wants to use you to tell them about the great thing Jesus did for them on the cross. Watch what you say so that when you tell them of the love of God, they can relate it to all the times you showed loved to them and others with your words. BACK TO THE TOP When we do something bad (sin), is it Satan’s fault?
No, Satan cannot make us do anything, he can only try to influence us in making bad decisions. In the end, we decide what path we will take.
Let’s go to the Garden of Eden and take a look at the first sin and see if we can find out whose fault it was. When God put Adam and Eve in the Garden, He radically blessed them with all kinds of trees to eat from. Man only had one restriction while in the Garden:
Genesis 2:16-17 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." NKJV
Satan comes into the scene in Genesis Chapter 3. Note that the things Satan did in Genesis, are the same tricks he is using on us today.
Satan brings in doubt to God’s word:
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" NKJV
Satan comes in bringing lies:
Genesis 3:5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." NKJV
Satan came only with words, never did he make them sin. God teaches us in Romans that the fault for that sin in the garden fell on Adam, not Satan:
Today it’s the same way Satan will work through the world to hook you so you will make bad decisions. Most of the time, we sin because we make bad decisions, one after the next, till we do something bad (sin).
James 1:14-15 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. NIV
In order for us to fight off sin, we need to think about what we see and participate in. It’s true; garbage in garbage out, well, the same is true on the flip side, good in good out. Read, Believe and Live Out the Word of God and you will do what is right. David said it’s by reading the Word of God and living out what you read that will help us make the right calls.
Paul tells the Christians to put off the old ways (non-Christian conduct), and thing about godly things. BACK TO THE TOP Where Do Newborn Babies Go When They Die?
Babies go to heaven.
In these two verses we know God sees children as not knowing the difference between good or evil and thus will not hold children accountable (responsible) for sin. Obviously a newborn child doesn’t know either. I think it’s safe to say that all newborn children that die will be in heaven.
Deuteronomy 1:39
"Moreover your little ones and your children, who you
say will be victims, who today
have no knowledge of good and evil,
they shall go in there; to them I will give it, and they shall
possess it."
In the story of King David, it was told to him that his son was going to die. David prayed for a miracle while the child was alive, once the child died he stood to his feet and went on with life. David was confident that he would see his son again in heaven.
2 Samuel 12:16-23 David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.17 So the elders of his house arose and went to him, to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with them. 18 Then on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. For they said, "Indeed, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not heed our voice. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He may do some harm!"
19 When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?"
And they said, "He is dead."
20 So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate. 21 Then his servants said to him, "What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food."
22 And he said, "While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?' 23 But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me."
For those of us who have lost a newborn baby in our family or for those unwanted babies that were aborted by someone we know. We have confidence that our loving God has welcomed those little ones into His presence with great rejoicing. We too can be as confident as King David that they are in the loving arms of God. BACK TO THE TOP Why did God allow Cain to marry his sister?
God allowed it for necessity only for a time then he gave rules against it
· Genesis 4:16-18 Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.17 And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son -- Enoch.18 To Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael, and Mehujael begot Methushael, and Methushael begot Lamech.
God gave the command to mankind “be fruitful and multiply”. So Adam and Eave began to multiply. They had more than the two sons mentioned hear. But the Bible is only going to focus on the line of Promise.
In order for mankind to multiply Cain or Able would have had to marry their sister. This is not wrong for many reasons. One, because the genetic pool of man at this point was still very close to perfection (the exception being sin). Two, Genetic mutations did not exist at this time, also they had Gods protection. Three, God had not said that marrying your sister was wrong, or sin.
God would bring in the law later:
· Leviticus 18:9 The nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home or elsewhere, their nakedness you shall not uncover
· Leviticus 18:11-12 The nakedness of your father's wife's daughter, begotten by your father -- she is your sister -- you shall not uncover her nakedness.
· Leviticus 20:17 'If a man takes his sister, his father's daughter or his mother's daughter, and sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a wicked thing. And they shall be cut off in the sight of their people. He has uncovered his sister's nakedness. He shall bear his guilt
· Deuteronomy 27:22 'Cursed is the one who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.' BACK TO THE TOP Is Abortion Wrong? Yes, Abortion is wrong and considered Murder. Children are a reward and a treasure if someone says that children are an inconvenience they are not looking at life through God's eyes Genesis 9:6 (we get the basis for thou shalt not kill from this passage, because we are made in God's image. Genesis 25:21-23 (The bible calls them children, people, and nations) Job 3:3 Job 3:11-19 (miscarried child ends up in same resting place as adults) Jeremiah 1:4-5 Luke 1:15 Luke 1:41-44 (the word for baby in the greek is Brephos, and it is used for born and unborn children. As you can see the “born” child in Luke 2:16 uses the same word for baby in the womb. Bible does not make a distintion.) Luke 2:16 Psalm 139:13-16 |