F.A.Q

Absolutely not. Jesus died for us while we were yet sinners, and HIS blood FOREVER removed the stain, penalty and power of sin. See ROMANS 7:1-22 to see how Paul even at the peak of his walk of faith still struggled with sin. The idea here is that since we live in the flesh, the nature of flesh and nature of Spirit are in constant conflict. As long as you honestly confess sin, acknowledge that it is indeed sin, and in your heart wish to be free of it; then that is what is important. If you feel burdened with guilt, shame and/or sorrow oover continued sin, it proves your heart is right and Jesus' blood covers it. As far as God is concerned..WHAT SIN?? In this situation it is not sin seperating you from God but the heavy self condemnation you feel regarding your shortcoming. IN SPITE OF SIN..LET HIM IN!!

Absolutely not. Since Adam and Eve fell away in the garden, Israel and Christians have repeatedly fallen away; repeating the same sins again and again. We have continually added uncountable sins to our records, grievous sins, long periods of sins. There were several hundred year periods of constant sin; yet God still sent Jesus, whose blood is far greater in it's power to clean and restore than any amount of sin we can entertain/undertake. You are NEVER " too far," for God's love and grace to reach. AS the Casting Crowns song, " One Step Away," ilustrates...no matter how numerous your sins, no matter how long a season of sin; you are just one step away from being returned to grace. That step is simply turning back to Him, confessing those sins, and trusting that His love is greater than your sin.

Nope. Romans 10:9&10 tell us that if we confess with our mouth Jesus IS Lord, and believe in our hearts God raised Him from the dead; that is all we must do for salvation. Baptism is an obedience and symbolism principle. When Christ took our sin upon Himself, He also had to go under the pall of death; in order to be raised again. Baptism is something we do to follow the pattern; we go under the water so the old self, the sinful flesh may be washed away; so when we come out of the water we are raised a new life in Christ. However, this IS a critical step in obedience and spiritual growth; and is something we should want to do as a statement of our faith and sign of our dedication to living as a new creation in Christ.

Not literally, no. The "church, " is an earthly institution that represents the Body of Christ, but is not a building, a location or a group; the "church," is the body of believers in Christ wherever they are. You are as much a part of the church in spiritual sense while you sleep at home, strive at work, etc. However, a Christian should reflect obedience; and neglecting church attendance robs both you and others of the benefits of fellowship and sound scriptural teaching. It is a critical element of the faith that is vital to spiritual growth and obedience; as well as a source of strength, wisdom, accountability, etc. While you are spiritually part of the church wherever you are, being literally present brings incomparable spiritual benefits...its like multi vitamins for the soul. If you don't attend a church I advise at the least, watch weekly sermons on the internet so you can at least hear what God has to say, and not inhibit your growth.

This is a complicated question I can only answer loosely. Jesus made the statement about it after others accused the movement of God as one of satan; that Jesus' actions were of the devil. However, there is an underlying principle of intention and state of heart here. A spiritual leader once put it to me like this: " If you are worried you may have committed blasphemy of the Holy Spirit then you have not; because the fact you have concern and fear regarding it shows you have a reverent attitude towards God, else you would have no conscience regarding it. "

Likely not. We must realize that our feelings aren't a consistent or accurate guage of our spiritual state. Several things can give us the impression of spiritual numbness/absence of God. 1) Unconfessed/unrepentant sin can put a veil between us and God; angry, bitter, hateful, jealous attitudes can do likewise-this compromises our ability to sense God's presence and hear His voice. 2). satan can obstruct/impact our emotional state to an extent, and can make us feel like we are numb or empty even when God is right with us. 3) Not being driven and consistent in our daily prayer, study, fellowship, and such can lessen our spiritual sensitivity and thus impact what we feel related to the presence of God. 4) Sometimes life simply "gets us down," and that itself can cause the feeling of seperation. We do well not to allow our emotions, impressions, and feelings to dictate our perspective, faith, and actions.