Ray Pritchard - FAQ : frequently asked questions about the Christian life

Glen and Mia Gale

and

Davis and Kathy Duggins

Trusted colleagues

Beloved friends

With gratitude and muchaffection

It issometimes said that preachers answer questions that no one is asking. Severalyears ago I decided to tackle that problem head-on by asking my congregation tosubmit a list of questions they would like answered from the pulpit. To mysurprise (and delight) we received more than six hundred questions coveringvirtually every area of theology, Bible knowledge, and the spiritual life.Since they came from the congregation at large and were unsigned, they ran thegamut from detailed theology ("Why is the Trinity so important?") tostraight Bible questions ("What does Hebrews 6:46 really mean?") toquestions about specific doctrine ("Can I lose my salvation?") toquestions about controversial issues ("Can a Christian believe inevolution?").

Many questions tugged at the heart, such as "Myparents fight all the time. What can I do about it?" and "How can Iraise teenagers who love the Lord?" There were questions from people whowere clearly searching for the Lord and the occasional unusual query about UFOsand the Bible. A few questions were of the "angels on the head of apin" variety, but most were very practical.

Out of that survey came a sermon series in which Iattempted to answer the most important questions. Not long after that I wasasked to be an occasional guest host on a national radio call-in program. Onthose broadcasts I talk to listeners scattered across America and (via theInternet) around the world. Many of the questions touch on the need for verybasic instruction in the Christian faith. Most people have sincere questionsabout troubling Bible passages or ask for help with things like prayer,temptation, and knowing God's will.

From listening to my own congregation and by talkingwith people on the air, I have put together the most important questions in aneasy-to-read format. You need to know right up front that I believe the Bibleis the Word of God and is, therefore, the only reliable source for answeringthe greatest questions of life. The Bible does not tell us everything we couldknow on every subject, but it tells us everything we need to know about who Godis and how we can live in a way that pleases him. We need to hear what he hasto say.

I wrote this book for new believers, young Christians(both in age and in years knowing the Lord), and for any church member whoneeds a refresher course in the Christian faith. It helps to remember thatcoming to Christ is not like taking up a new hobby. Becoming a Christian meanstaking a journey that starts on earth and ends in heaven. Each chapter of thisbook will help you stay on course as a Christian.

The first chapter discusses the difference between areligious person and someone who is truly born again. The next few chaptersdiscuss eternal security, the kind of church you should join, the filling ofthe Spirit, knowing God's will, and how to pray. Then there are chapters ontemptation, suffering, spiritual warfare, and sharing your faith. The finalthree chapters move into the future as we discuss death, heaven, and the secondcoming of Christ.

No single book can answer all your questions. There ismuch more to learn about spiritual disciplines, Bible doctrine, and how tohandle your daily problems. But this book will help you get grounded in yourfaith. It's like basic training in the military. In these pages you'll learnvital information that prepares you for the next step in your walk with theLord.

Two final words: First, I hope you won't read thisbook straight through. You can do that, of course, but most people will gainmore by reading a little bit at a time. You may want to use it as part of yourdaily quiet time with the Lord, or you might enjoy reading it as part of asmall group Bible study or a Sunday school class. I think you'll probably growfaster if you study it with other Christians who are also committed tospiritual growth. Feel free to underline the text and to jot down questions inthe margin. This is your book and I want it to help you. Second, each of the thirteenchapters deals with one major question. And each chapter ends with a truth toremember, a few questions to ponder, and a section called "TakingAction" where I suggest a project that will help you apply what you haveread to your own life.

I am grateful to Len Goss of Broadman & HolmanPublishers for his encouragement and wise insights. David and ClarLyn Morrisloaned me their cottage so I could get away for a few days to write the firstdraft of this book. And I am especially thankful to my wife Marlene and to mythree boys, Josh, Mark, and Nick, for giving me everything that makes lifeworth living.

No question is more basic than finding out what itmeans to be a real Christian. You may think you already know the answer, ormaybe you're not sure. Either way, this is where we all need to begin. In orderto discover the answer, let's step back two thousand years and listen in asJesus has a nighttime conversation with Nicodemus. If you'd like to know whatJesus said to a very religious man, turn the page and let s get started.

what is the difference between a real christian and areligious person?

Let'sbegin with a simple question. What percentage of people in America believe inGod? You probably won't be surprised to know that the number is very high. Onerecent survey puts it at 94 percent.

A study of the poll results suggests something likethis: Almost everyone believes in God and most people consider themselvesChristian. It appears that for many people being a Christian is primarily amatter of birth ("I'm a fourth-generation Presbyterian.") or churchaffiliation ("I joined a Baptist church twenty years ago.") orperhaps even of citizenship ("I'm an American and this is a Christian

nation,so I must be a Christian, right?"). When the question is asked, "Doyou consider yourself to be 'born again' or evangelical'"? . the percentageanswering yes drops to 46 percent. Evidentlythere is a big difference in the minds of many people between being a Christianand being "born again."

And that brings us to the question posed in thechapter title: What's the difference between a real Christian and a religiousperson? The question itself comes from an unsigned slip of paper turned in bysomeone in my congregation. Whoever wrote this question deserves an A+ forcreativity and for getting right to the point. The wording suggests that thereis a fundamental difference between being religious and being a "realChristian." Many people have trouble with that concept because they thinkthat if you are religious, then you must be a "real Christian." Ifyou asked such people, "Are you a Christian?" they would reply,"I'm a church member" or "I've been baptized" or "I goto Sunday school" or "I go to Mass every week." But thoseanswers raise another important question: Is being a Christian simply a matterof outward activity?