In this section you will find answers to hard to ask questions... Any questions not covered, ask us. Asterisk denotes copyright permission. Publisher's Info. Sexuality / Dating   Why should I wait until marriage to have sex? There are many reasons to wait until marriage to have sex. First, by waiting, you do not have to be concerned with sexually transmitted diseases, birth control, or an unwanted pregnancy. But more importantly, the Bible tells us that our bodies belong to God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), and that we should control our bodies and live in holiness and honor. (1 Thess. 4:3-4). But also look at it this way, if your partner respects you and honors you enough to wait until marriage, then once you're married, you know that person has enough self control to remain faithful. If they can control themselves with you, the one person they really love, then they will be able to look away from temptation outside of your marriage, as the bible instructs. (Hebrews 13:4) If we are not supposed to have sex until we are married, what can we do? Most importantly, you can get to know one another. Spend time together in Christian groups so you can learn how the other person relates to others. You need to help each other avoid the temptations that are all around(Galatians 6:1) (James 5:19-20) (1 Corinthians 10:32). By not putting yourselves in a situation that is an invitation for trouble, you are showing how much you respect each other. You can also develop a closer and more personal relationship with Jesus. Then as you learn to let the Holy Spirit lead you in every situation, you will find yourself wanting to do the things God desires you to do. (2 Corinthians 7:1) (Galatians 5:16-18)You will know the answer in your heart when you ask yourself, "Would it please God if I did such-and-such?" What if I've already "done it"? We are all human, and we have all sinned. That's why God sent his one and only son to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16). If you are in a relationship with someone that you have already had sex with, it is important that you stop, repent and ask forgiveness.(Isaiah 1:16,18) We need to remember that God forgives us of all of our sins, including sexual sin, as long as there is true repentance, which involves turning away from that sin and seeking forgiveness* - (Acts 13:38-39) (Romans 6:6,13).   If lust doesn't involve actual physical behavior, why is it wrong? When we allow lust to take up residence in our minds, it tends to consume our thoughts, and the light of God gets pushed aside.* (1 John 2:16-17)(Luke 11:34) Lust is one of the things of this world. We need to focus on the promise of a future in heaven, rather than letting ourselves get caught up in the short-term pleasures of this world (Colossians 2:8) Is homosexuality wrong? The bible tells us that God views homosexual behavior as a sin (Leviticus 18:22)(Romans 1:24-27)(Leviticus 20:13). We all struggle with some type of temptation, some struggle with heterosexual temptation, while others struggle with homosexual temptation. One behavior may seem more normal than the other may, but the truth is, if either temptation is acted on in an improper fashion, it becomes sin. Being tempted is not the sin, but pursuing it and acting on it is (James 1:13-15). Struggling with temptation is something we all do everyday, and we all have our own difficult areas to deal with -alcoholism, drug addiction, sexual temptation, etc. We need to remember that no matter what our temptation is, God has promised that He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can stand (1 Corinthians 10:13). If you or someone you know is struggling with homosexual feelings remember that God loves you no matter how you feel, what you've done, or how deep you are in, and he wants to help you. The only help for freedom from these feelings is though Jesus (Proverbs 28:13). Find a Christian leader or good friend to help lead you in the right direction.*** Drugs & Rock n' Roll   Does the bible say it is wrong to drink or smoke marijuana? The bible does not directly refer to marijuana, but it does talk about being under the control of the Holy Spirit. If you are under the control of any substance, alcohol, marijuana, or any other drug, then you cannot be under the control of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:5-6) (Ephesians 5:18). Your body belongs to God and is where the Holy Spirit lives.** (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) God wants you to be free of everything that pollutes your spirit and body. Don't compromise your freedom for a cheap escape. Compromise is like tooth decay. You don't feel it at first, but if you don't deal with the problem, the day will come when your whole mouth is rotted out. My friends go out and party, is it ok to go to parties with them just to have fun? Going to parties isn't going to do any harm to you physically as long as you don't drink or do drugs that change the way you think and act. But when you spend time in an atmosphere of sin and compromise, you get used to it. You become desensitized to what is going on. Before you know it, you find yourself justifying the compromise in your mind. Eventually you become trapped in that compromising behavior yourself. [(Proverbs 25:26) As a Christian, God calls us to come out and be separate from the world (1 Peter 1:14-16). We are supposed to be examples of how to live (Romans 13:13-14). If your friends are participating in illegal or harmful activities, you should do all you can to persuade them to stop. If they won't listen, you may not be able to keep their friendship. You need to seek out new friends who share Christian values and beliefs.** What's wrong with R rated movies,T.V., and videos? I've heard and seen it all before. By the time someone reaches age 17 today, they probably have heard and seen it all including explicit sexual situations and violence. But just because you've already been exposed to it does not make it right.(3 John 1:11) By repeatedly exposing yourself to these types of influence, you become so used to seeing them, that it doesn't really seem wrong anymore. If we think about sin long enough, we'll desire to sin (James 1:13-15). Christians should not be entertained or amused by watching people do what is wrong.** (Ephesians 5:11) Always try to fill your mind with Godly thoughts to keep you from being negatively influenced. (Philippians 4:8) I love to listen to rock music - is that wrong? Music is an expression of emotion, whether it is rock music with a fast beat, or classical music, it can change the way you feel just by listening to it. Have you ever noticed how you could be in a sad mood, but then you hear your favorite song, and you suddenly feel happy?(1 Samuel 16:23) Music can affect you in other ways too. For example, music can promote values or behaviors -both good and bad. The lyrics to some songs encourage sexual promiscuity, violence, drug abuse, or involvement in the occult. Listening to that kind of music can negatively affect you.** When we listen to worldly music, our minds are being conformed to the world and its ways (Romans 12:2). Music can move and motivate - the words sink in and can fill our minds and influence our actions.** By listening to Christian rock music, you can still get the same lift from upbeat rhythms, but your mind will be filled with spiritually motivating lyrics((Colossians 3:16-17). It is up to you to decide what kind of music and lyrics you are going to feed your spirit with. Will it be the music of the world - or music that glorifies God? Spirituality   What does it mean to be saved? How can I be saved? Being saved means that your sins are washed away and are no longer separating us from God and eternal life (John 3:16-17)(Isaiah 59:2) (Romans 4:8) (Psalm 51:9-10). Once we recognize that we are sinners (Proverbs 28:13), God gives us his infinite mercy if we repent from our sins, (1 Peter 2:10) and He completely removes our sins from us. (Psalm 103:12) God has promised salvation to anyone who believes in his son Jesus Christ, and his message of the Good News (1 John 5:11-12) (John 5:24) (Romans 10:13) (Acts 4:12). To be saved just confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, and you will be saved (if you would like more information on how to be saved, please click here) (Romans 10:9-10). Once you are saved, you become a new creation, all your sins are gone, and your slate is clean (2 Corinthians 5:17). We can begin to live a new life and, by following His holy ways (Ephesians 4:23-24), we will find a happiness and a peace that we could not find without God. (Proverbs 2:7) (Psalm 18:19) (Psalm 68:3) (Psalm 149:4) (Zephaniah 3:17) Why all this talk about sin? What is sin and what are the consequences of sin? Sin is breaking the law of God (1 John 3:4) (1 John 5:17). It may seem that there are too many laws of God, and that you can't possibly have fun with so many rules. But if we follow the main two laws Jesus gave us: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Matthew 22:37-40), then following his commands does not seem so difficult (1 John 5:3). If you truly love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, then you will want to follow His rules and not sin (1 Peter 4:2). God understands that we are all sinners, that there is not even one who has not sinned (Romans 3:10), so He sent His Son to die for our sins, so that we can be forgiven (1 Peter 3:18). He gave us these rules to help us get the most out of life, not to take away our fun. When we do not follow his commands, and we sin, we need to be aware that without Jesus, the consequence of sin is death (Romans 6:23). But if we acknowledge that we have sinned and we ask for His forgiveness (Psalm 51:2-4), He has promised that He will forgive us (1 John 1:9). Is there ever a time when God will not forgive me? God will not forgive us if we have an unforgiving heart. In other words, we must forgive those who sin against us in order to be forgiven. He expects us to grant to others the same mercy and forgiveness that he has given us. (Matthew 6:14-15)(Mark 11:25) (Colossians 3:13)