S. Michael Houdmann - Questions about the Bible : the 100 most frequently asked questions about the Bible

QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE
BIBLE

THE 100 MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BIBLE

S. MICHAEL HOUDMANN
GENERAL EDITOR

Copyright 2015 S. Michael Houdmann

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Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version. niv. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. ( www.zondervan.com ). The niv and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved.

Scriptures marked kjv are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scriptures marked nkjv are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scriptures marked nasb are taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. ( www.Lockman.org )

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-7800-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-7801-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015906509

WestBow Press rev. date: 6/3/2015

CONTENTS

T HIS BOOK IS dedicated to the more than 500 individuals who have served as volunteer writers for Got Questions Ministries in the past thirteen years. Their hard work, commitment, and passion are what make this ministry possible.

Special thanks goes to Kevin Stone, Rebekah Largent, MeLissa Houdmann, Kristi-Joy Matovich, and Gwen Sellers who contributed greatly to this volume in writing, editing, organizing, and inde xing.

All the glory goes to God, For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 1 1:36)

E VERY DAY, MORE and more people turn to the Internet to find answers to their questions about spiritual matters. Topics related to spirituality are the second-most searched subjects online. Sadly, websites that present false teachings far outnumber those that proclaim the truth of Gods Word.

In February of 2002, www.gotquestions.org was launched to help fill this gap and meet the needs of millions of spiritually-minded Web surfers. Since our launch, we have personally answered over 420,000 questions that have been submitted to us. Tens of millions of people have found answers to their questions via our Frequently Asked Questions archives, giving us a unique understanding of what questions are truly on peoples m inds.

This volume is a collection of the most important and/or most frequently asked questions about the Bible. Each question is answered directly from the Bible, if the Bible specifically addresses the particular issue. Where the Bible is silent on an issue, biblical principles are used to lead to a solid and correct understanding. The Lord Jesus Christ is our passion, and declaring His Word is our mis sion.

Mission Statement of Got Questions Minist ries:

Got Questions Ministries seeks to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by providing biblical, applicable, and timely answers to spiritually-related quest ions.

Question: What does it mean to be a born-again Chris tian?

Answer: What does it mean to be a born-again Christian? The classic passage from the Bible that answers this question is John 3:121. The Lord Jesus Christ is talking to Nicodemus, a prominent Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin (the ruling body of the Jews). Nicodemus had come to Jesus at night with some quest ions.

As Jesus talked with Nicodemus, He said, I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. How can a man be born when he is old? Nicodemus asked. Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mothers womb to be born! Jesus answered, I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, You must be born again (John 3 :37).

The phrase born again could be literally translated born from above. Nicodemus had a real need. He needed a change of his hearta spiritual transformation. New birthbeing born againis an act of God whereby eternal life is imparted to the person who believes (2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:14). John 1:1213 indicates that being born again also carries the idea of becoming children of God through trust in the name of Jesus Ch rist.

The question logically comes, Why does a person need to be born again? The apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:1 says, And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins ( NKJV ). To the Romans he wrote, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Sinners are spiritually dead; when they receive spiritual life through faith in Christ, the Bible likens it to a rebirth. Only those who are born again have their sins forgiven and have a relationship with God.

How does that come to be? Ephesians 2:89 states, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faithand this not from yourselves, it is the gift of Godnot by works, so that no one can boast. When one is saved, he/she has been born again, spiritually renewed, and is now a child of God by right of new birth. Trusting in Jesus Christ, the One who paid the penalty of sin when He died on the cross, is the means to be born again. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17).

If you have never trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, will you consider the prompting of the Holy Spirit as He speaks to your heart? You need to be born again. Will you pray the prayer of repentance and become a new creation in Christ today? Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of Godchildren born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husbands will, but born of God (John 1:1 213).

If you want to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and be born again, here is a sample prayer. Remember, saying this prayer or any other prayer will not save you. It is only trusting in Christ that can save you from sin. This prayer is simply a way to express to God your faith in Him and thank Him for providing for your salvation. God, I know that I have sinned against you and am deserving of punishment. But Jesus Christ took the punishment I deserve so that through faith in Him I could be forgiven. I place my trust in You for salvation. Thank You for Your wonderful grace and forgivenessthe gift of eternal life! Amen!

Have you made a decision to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior because of what you have read here? If so, please send us an email at .