Questions and Answers

Colin Melbourne
© 06-08 Born-Again-Christian.info

Answers to subscriber's questions on death, pre-marital sex, idolatry, and the KJV-only chestnut.

Who's Right: Who's Wrong?

Q: Please quote me a Scripture in the Bible where it says sex before marriage is a sin, and please explain to me what is sexual immorality.

A: Somebody's wrong, and it's not God. This is an easy one: For starters please study these passages carefully:

Ge. 2:24, 1 Co. 6:12-20, Eph. 5:3-7, Eph. 5:31, Col. 3:5-6. 1 Tim. 5:22b, Gal. 4:19-21

Note that God says a man will be united to his wife, and the two will be one flesh. He does not say: A spotty-youth will be united to his latest silly-girlfriend, and the two will become one flesh. Because sexual intercourse is for married couples: man and wife.

Especially clear are the following: It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honourable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God...

The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. 1 Th. 4:3-6

Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Heb. 13:4

If that isn't enough to convince you, you're not looking for truth, but an excuse to sin. Also read: What is sexual immorality? For a clear biblical answer

Are paintings and icons of Christ idolatrous?

Q: What is said about painting pictures of Christ? Is it an idol to do so? I was raised Catholic, but am now a believer and do not go near Catholicism at all, and am often trying to tell the truth to my Catholic family. I have a large, very moving painting of the face of Christ that I painted in my living room.

A: Yes, it is a clear example of idolatry and you should destroy it or risk compromising your witness for Christ. Here's what God says:

You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. Deut. 5:8

You are to worship the Living Christ not the work of your own hands. The fact that the Holy Spirit has prompted you to write about it is evidence enough that you are convicted.

The Lord will bless you when you obey Him. How can you tell your family to repent from idolatry when you make idols yourself?

You may plead that you don't worship it, that it merely stimulates your faith. To which I reply, remember Gideon and the ephod. (Ju. Ch.6-8) His intention was honourable, but Israel's hero put up a detestable thing in his town, and it became an idolatrous snare for him and his family. The mighty man fell into the sin of idolatry doing what you do.

Burn the thing to honour the LORD Jesus Christ, and see what He does in your life.

Born once: Die twice

Q: What happens to those who don't believe in God when they die?

A: First, please understand that it's not enough to 'believe in God'. 'Believing in God' doesn't save anybody, such people are thrown into Hell along with all who don't believe in God.

To be saved you must be born again, you must believe in The LORD Jesus Christ, and receive Him as Lord and Saviour. That means you believe in your heart that He is God in the Flesh, died for you, and rose again.

Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Roman Catholics, and many religions claim to 'believe in God', whilst rejecting the Deity and Sacrifice of Christ. All are cast into Hell because they are unbelievers: Jesus Himself said so after His Resurrection:

I am the Alpha and the Omega... He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practise magic arts, the idolaters, and all liars - their place will be the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death. Holy Bible, Rev. 21:6a,7-8

That is The LORD Jesus Christ speaking. The One we each have to answer to. Make sure you are genuinely born again, and not simply a churchgoer or religious person.

Only the KJV is God's Word in English?

What is your opinion of KJV-onlyism? The view that only the KJV is the true Word of God in the English language.

A: I actually believe the Tyndale Bible, from which the KJV was derived, is superior to the KJV, and love it. Tyndale's 1534 New Testament is majestic. Most of the KJV NT was taken word for word from Tyndale's translation.

Some people almost turn the KJV into an idol don't they? I use both the KJV and the NIV daily. For doctrinal discussion, I choose the KJV, for getting the message across I prefer the NIV (or the Bible in the person's mother-tongue.) For personal pleasure I revel in Tyndale's versions.

Many of my friends and associates are KJV-only believers. I understand their attitude, but they have missed something important. God's message is simple, and He communicates with us on our level. The Holy Spirit reveals Christ to sinners, and leads them to salvation. It is the message, the Word of God, not the letter, that is important. The letter kills, the Spirit gives life. That is why so many ministries who claim to follow the Word closely have no anointing or effect. If they really followed the Word, they would have His Spirit's anointing and power.

You must have both the Word and the Spirit to get Bible results. This becomes plain when you are on the mission field, and communicate the Gospel in a non-English language.

I don't argue with anyone about this. I asked God what His opinion is on the KJV only debate, and He showed me personally a long time ago. Perhaps it will help others too.

But be aware that there are many Bible versions (in addition to the ones cults make) that I would not use because they dilute and distort the message of Christ. I wouldn't give the recent barrage of ecumenical versions shelf-space. That is why they are not available on this site.

Corrupted 'Bible' versions I happily burn include; the Jehovah's Witness' New World Translation, the Church of Christ 'KJV' with it's demonic footnotes and reams of instructions, Masonic Bibles (as used to 'swear in' leaders of the Uncle Sam cult), Book of Mormon, the SDA cult's Clear Word Bible etc.