Recently, famous artist Johnathan Steingard, lead singer of the Hawk Nelson Group, released a statement on Instagram expressing his loss of belief in God. Steingard (37) cited many reasons as for why he quote has “issues” with the Christian community and furthermore the questions elders and leaders in his life failed to answer. Questions such as “If God is all loving and all powerful why is there evil in the world?” “Does he choose not to do anything about it?” questions about free will, Old Testament to New Testament, and many more and in this article intend to answer every single doubt and question raised by Mr. Steingard. For clarity I recommended that you go and read his Instagram post first.
Is it possible for a Born again Christian to lose his or her salvation?
To address the unmentioned elephant in the room, is it possible for a born again Christian to lose his or her salvation? Not too long ago I was asked a similar question by a Christian who sent me a direct message on Instagram, he had read about a pastor who had recently converted to atheism and lost his belief in God, the young Christian expressed to me that it shook his faith, “surely if a pastor/priest where (was) running a Church they felt God (like)at that time as us when we feel God” I quote from him. His question was simple, how is this possible? If someone is with God how could they walk away? Can the same happen to me? In regards to salvation the Bible is clear, it is impossible for a born again Christian to lose his or her salvation. There are many issues with the belief that a Christian can lose his or her salvation, consider Romans 11:29
29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
The Bible tells us that a Christian is a new creation 2 Corinthians 5:17, a simple logical connection would allow someone to understand that a Christian cannot be un-newly made, furthermore, in Titus 1:2 we are taught God cannot lie this is just one issue with inserting a teaching that you can lose your salvation in the Bible. Such an ideal is found nowhere in Scripture. There are many verses and chapters that are against such teachings for another example John 3:16 God promises eternal life to those who repent and trust in Jesus, if it were possible for a Born again Christian to lose his or her salvation then God would have to revoke His promise and again God cannot lie. There are many more issues with an unbiblical teaching that I do intend to write an article on. but in the meantime, you can read a similar article I wrote in April of 2020
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Now we have a big question, what does this mean for Steingard, and the pastor turned atheist? They were never saved in the first place and there is simply no Biblical case to be made that they were. So now we can look at how someone could go through a majority of life believing they are saved but yet are deceived.
A huge problem within Christianity is false conversion. In many Churches around the world, the way they try to bring salvation to people is to have everyone close their eyes and the pastor will ask if anyone has not accepted Jesus into their hearts someone will raise their hand and repeat a prayer after them. The problem that prayer doesn’t does not automatically assure your entrance into Heaven and sadly a lot of people don’t know even though they did all of the accept Jesus into their heart thing. Notable Gospel proclaiming street evangelist Ray Comfort makes this analogy “if you were a young girl and your boyfriend cheated on you but the next day showed up with a man and repeated an apology after him, you would not think it is genuine” Could it be? Possibly but more likely than not it isn’t because in reality, the young man is just repeating after someone. So in terms of false conversion and the salvation prayer there is a connection based on the fact that many Churches fail to explain what is really going on, we are sinners who being made in God’s Holy image have gravely misrepresented it and thus the punishment eternal hell because God is eternal. Nonetheless, the question could be asked is this practice unbiblical I would say not necessarily because most Churches do it badly but some don’t some Churches actually explain the doctrine of salvation and try to help you start to ask God to reveal Himself to you, my church does and I followed one many years ago but I most definitely was not saved they did make sure I was aware of that. Regardless the way of salvation is simple understanding the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us and repenting and Trusting Him as your Savior.
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Now we can get to the concerns raised by Johnathan Steingard and answer them with what the Bible says. Maybe Mr. Steingard will see this? I don’t know but the answers the Bible has are important for the believer and non-believer alike. Lets look at the first question, If God is good why does evil exist in the world?
A Biblical response to Johnathan Steingard’s questions.
First up: [1A]”If God is all loving, and all powerful, why is there evil in the world? Can He not do anything about it?[1B] Does He choose not to?[1C] Is the evil in the world a result of his desire to give us free will? [1D] OK then, what about famine and disease and floods and all the suffering that isn’t caused by humans and free will?”[1E]
That is a lot so let me fully unpack his doubts word by word. [1A] If God is all loving, and all powerful, why is there evil in the world? The answer to this is simple, It is to show the Glory of The Almighty everlasting God. The Bible tells us God is good Psalm 34:8 and when the Bible says Good unlike the common definition used by humans the definition of Good in reference to God is Moral perfection. Simply put if I were to ask you does darkness exists (as its own entity) you would most likely say yes darkness exists but the answer is actually no, darkness is the absence of light. In the same way, evil is the absence of God or in other words, evil is what happens when God is not present. So now we ask, why is God not present? We must take ourselves back to the creation of the world. On the 6th day of creation Adam was formed from dust and then Eve was formed with one of Adam’s ribs. Satan in the form of a serpent deceived Eve into eating the forbidden apple and then gave it to Adam and two things happened there, first they created separation between man and God. Given that we are made in God’s Holy and eternal image we are to be bearers of Him but when Adam and Eve sinned they gravely misrepresented God’s Holy nature and the only punishment pay for our sins against an Eternal God is eternal punishment. The second thing that happened is that they brought death suffering and destruction into the world, how? With the separation from God they caused. Looking into the Book of Genesis, instead of God just leaving us alone to satan and our fleshly desires brought upon the fall, God instead promised us a savior from the pain of death suffering and destruction in this world, His name is Jesus Christ who died a gruesome death upon a Cross to pay for the sins we could not pay so that those whom trust in Him as their savior and repent from their sins may have everlasting life with God. So lets talk about what God should of just done, just make everyone perfect right? Well first off He did and you know the story, so how about making everyone perfect to the only thing they could do what was good? Now we have another issue because now we have no choice, or free will if we were set to only do good. There is no meaningful connection with our creator because we don’t have the choice. Something like that exists, they are angels. Okay move past creation why doesn’t God just remove all the bad people? Sounds great to me I questioned this when I was younger why not? Well the problem is that everyone would be gone, there are sins that we consider lesser evil but it still is sin there is no distinction. To follow this God would have to remove everyone who sins God would remove the robber but God will also remove the people who commit sins that lead up to commercial robbery, the little kid who steals a cookie from the cookie jar because that is a sin and it is evil and they have to be removed. God will remove the tax evader who ruins lives but God will also remove the people that commit sins that could lead up to tax evasion, the people that tell lies and “white” lies because that is a sin and that is evil and they have to be removed. I am dragging this on so you see the reality of what God has done, a real world where we can choose to worship Him in the midst of chaos and the journey of a born again Christian is to the promise God made and because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ made those who repent and trust in Him can enjoy everlasting life with God.
That answers [1A] [1B] [1C] and [1D] but for clarity on [1E] if you didn’t get it “OK then, what about famine and disease and floods and all the suffering that isn’t caused by humans and free will?”: That is because of the fall which was caused by human free will.
Next question raised by Mr. Steingard: “Why does (A Loving) God send people to hell?”
This is a question that may seem tantalizing but when you reconcile reality and what the Word of God says you actually change to love God more, why would a loving God not send people to hell? Hitler deserves everlasting paradise? Killed millions of Jews for no reason. People who fly planes into buildings?? They deserve everlasting paradise? Recall what I said about Sin and evil you would realize everyone deserves to go to hell and we do! But through the Grace of God we don’t have to suffer that if we put our trust in Jesus Christ and repent of our sins.
Question number three: Why does God seem so (expletive) off in the Old Testament, and then all of a sudden He’s a loving father in the New Testament.
This question is asked a lot by many people, but it stems from an ignorance of the full teaching of the Word of God. When you read the Old Testament and New Testament both you will see both God’s Glory and God’s wrath. But His relationships with people differ from what we see today, why? Well because the people were different from what we are today, you see one of the amazing things about the Bible is something called specific revelation, in that the things in the Old Testament were meant only for the people living in the Old Testament days. The only things that we follow from the Old Testament are the things that were carried over to the New Testament. As for who God is, that never changed God showed loving kindness in both the New and Old Testament. And also showed His Holy Wrath in both the New and Old Testament. God does what is specifically best for each nation. Now for some individual cases.
Question five: “Why does God say not to kill but then instructs Israel to turn around and kill men and women to take the promise land?”
First a history lesson, when you read the Bible and read about the Amalekites you read that they are not God’s people. In 1 Samuel 15:20 Saul lied and told everyone that he had killed all the Amalekites. Decades later the Amalekites grew and took David a man of God and his family hostage. David’s men finally defeated the Amalekites and set David and his family free but 400 Amalekites escaped. If Saul would of listened to God that wouldn’t of happened to David. Fast forward if Israel didn’t fully eradicate the Amalekites they would come back to cause harm on God’s people so that is where the command comes from. Now to discuss the clear mixing up of terms here, God tells us not to murder Exodus 20:13 but there is a difference in the word murder and kill as there is a difference in murder and kill in the Hebrew (trə·ṣāḥ , אֶת־ עֲמָלֵ֗ק וְהַֽחֲרַמְתֶּם֙ אֶת־ כָּל־ respectively). Murder is unjust at the hands of humans. Just war where people die is killing, and given the Amalekites were not God’s people and were causing harm to God’s people and were not going to see Heaven God instructed the Israelites to wipe them out. Now the question of the children who were too young, God knows the future and knew the young children would grow up and attack the Israelites exactly like they did before when Saul disobeyed God.
Question Six: “Why does God let Job suffer horrible things just to…. win a bet with satan?!”
I must mention you are wrong in the format of your question, there is no “bet” in terms of the all knowing God He already knew what was going to happen. This is one case where God used evil and harnessed it for good, the book of Job is very inspirational in that in suffering you realize what really is important not riches or servants but God and this strengthened Jobs faith in God, in the trials we go through today we are reminded by Job to look to the LORD for our salvation. Furthermore you may ask, was what God allowed to happen to Job just? Well the answer goes back to the garden and sin in our own lives we shouldn’t even be alive but it is by miracle of God that we live until our last day set forth by the will of The sovereign God.
Question Seven: Why would (God) He tell Abraham to kill his son (more killing again) and then basically say “just kidding! That was a test.”
The way you ask this question is if as if it was a joke when it wasn’t. Issac was promised several times from God. From Abraham’s own body would come a nation as multitudinous as the stars in heaven Genesis 12:2–3; 15:4–5. Later, Abraham was specifically told that the promise would be through Isaac Genesis 21:12. Abraham faith in God in which he believed that God would keep His promise and raise Issac from the dead Hebrews 11:17–19 so his reaction to the command was just to do what God had said. Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:6
Question Eight: Why Did Jesus Have to Die for our sins(more killing again) If God can do anything can’t he forgive without someone dying? I mean my parents taught me to forgive people- nobody dies in that scenario”
This goes back to Genesis and what I wrote in the first response, we are all sinners and deserve punishment, but God sent His son Jesus Christ to be the sacrifice on our behalf because God is fully Just He has to exert His Holy wrath or else He wouldn’t be Fully Just because He is just letting people go with no punishment to satisfy His Holy Wrath, no Jesus took on the Holy Just wrath of God on our behalf so that those who repent and trust in Him will inherit eternal life with God because their ransom has been paid. The only reason Jesus could pay the sacrifice is because He was sinless perfect and blameless. In scenarios in which you forgive someone on a human to human level sacrifices are not needed.
Final Question: ” I was asking (Father-in-law) about a verse in 1 Timothy that seems really oppressive of women. It indicates that women shouldn’t be in Church leadership, shouldn’t teach men and shouldn’t wear their hair braids”
The verse in reference is 1 Timothy 2:11–12
11 A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. 12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.
This verse is in no way indicative to teach that men are somehow valued more in God’s eyes. Adam was created first and then Eve and Adam was not deceived the Bible follows in 1 Timothy 2:13-14. God created Adam first and then created Eve to be a helper for Adam. The order of creation has application in the family and Church realm. This is not oppressive for the simple fact that nowhere in the Bible are we ever taught that women are lesser to men, in fact the only thing we are taught is that when a man and women come together the blessings and strength on both sides increase rapidly. Please note this as well marriage is to represent the relationship Jesus Has with the Church His Bride and we know full and well the Church is just as important as Jesus because without it none of us today would be saved. As for this verse it is teaching us a Woman cannot be a head pastor of a Church, this does not mean youth group, children, public prayer, exercising the gifts of the Holy Spirit, ministering to others, demonstrating the fruits of the Spirit and proclaiming the Gospel, the Bible nowhere restricts that and of course encourages it.
Conclusion
I have using the Bible answered every single doubt raised by Mr. Johnathan Steingard in hopes that it may help a Christian grow and maybe even get Mr. Steingard himself saved. Mr. Steingard did mention in his statement that there were contradictions in the Bible and I do wish he would come forward with those as they can all be answered by the end of the day! I thank you for reading Soli Deo Gloria!
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All text was written by Kwabena Duku sourced from God’s expressed word the Bible May 2020
Bible Answers by Bra Kwabena 