In some of your posts it almost sounds like you’re saying we don’t have to experience pain and suffering in this life. That would be so great and I’d love to believe that all suffering and pain can be removed through enough faith and prayer. But what did Jesus mean when He said to take up your cross and follow Me (Luke 9:23)?

Can you please explain in “practical” ways how to lay down our will to embrace His will for our life? How do you put off your old self & put on the new self, which is created in true righteousness and holiness? I can say the words over and over and offer my body as a living sacrifice, but when nothing changes or I don’t see evidence of change, am I supposed to just trust He is working His good pleasure in me, or are there steps I am missing?

I was teaching a Sunday school class for adults recently and two very difficult subjects came up. One person asked me if Satan did not tempt Adam and Eve in the garden, could they have eventually sinned on their own. The second was a statement that all sins are a result of Satan or his demons tempting us. My position was that we are sometimes tempted of our own desires, but this was not well received. Can you shed some light on this for me?

Regarding the warning against judging others in Matt. 7:1-2. Paul said we are not to socialize with sinners, so isn’t that judging? Not their eternal destination, but their actions? Thanks so much for your help.

Recently I heard a good preacher say that God disciplines the Christian. This is certainly true but then he said that God can punish us as well. This is the part I have a problem with. As a Christian our salvation is guaranteed. Nevertheless we are to confess our sins and being a just God he will forgive us. I believe this will keep us in fellowship with Him. But if God forgives our sins and then punishes us for them, we would be justified in forgiving our enemies and then still punishing them for what they did to us.

My question concerns the second paragraph in your answer to “The Best of Our Best”. How does your answer deal with the concept of “without blemish” as depicted in Exodus 13, Leviticus 21-22, Deuteronomy 15 and 17, Malachi 1, Hebrews 9 and 1 Peter 1?

Where do our spirits go after we die? Knowing that one of our Lord’s Names is the LORD OF SPIRITS, do we go back to our spiritual origin?

I believe Moses was about 40 when he made the decision to be among his brethren, the Hebrews, instead of being called the son of Pharaoh. He then fled to the land of Midian before God called him to lead the people. We know the people wondered in the wilderness for 40 years, Moses dying at the age of 120. How long was Moses in Egypt after he returned to lead the people? How long did it take God to perform the curses against Pharaoh and Egypt?

My question is how do I know if my motives for giving tithes and offerings are pure? I want them to be, but it seems that whenever I give I can’t help thinking of Malachi and other places where it talks about the blessings of giving. I want God to bless me, but I don’t want that to be my only motive for giving. I usually just try to commend it to God and then forget about it, but the thoughts still creep in. Do you have any suggestions?

Re: Aren’t Trials for Growth and Proving? Yes, God sees us as perfect, whole and healthy. But are we? Are we all as loving as we should be? Are we all in perfect health? No, God’s facts in the Bible (you have been perfected, you have been healed) must become a reality in our experience. This process is known as sanctification, because God’s purpose with our lives is to change us to become like Jesus in every way (Rom 8:29; Eph 1:4-5, 2:10).

For this reason James could write: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete (perfect), not lacking anything” (1:2-4).