Harrowgate Hill Christian Fellowship (The Apostolic Church)

QUESTIONS…. QUESTIONS…. QUESTIONS….

This page focuses on some of the many questions raised against the bible, so it is to the bible itself that we turn for the answers - NOT the opinions of men. So we invite you to ponder on what is presented and maybe air your views by means of an email to David or Rev Paul Howells. Alternatively you are welcome to attend one of our services and talk with one of the leaders afterwards or arrange a home visit.

N.B. All text in italics are direct quotations from the King James Version of the Bible.

Questions dealt with on this page.

(1) What does the bible mean when it says …"You must be born again"?

(2) What does the following statement mean? "He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved"

The person who made these statements (Jesus) also explained the meaning, let's read what He said.

John 3:1-7

1. There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

What Jesus was saying was that when Adam rebelled against God by refusing to obey His command "not to eat the fruit" of a specific tree, he died spiritually and became a sinner in God's sight, his human spirit becoming alienated from God and his soul became the dominating influence in his life. In short - he became dead to God. This separation from God made man vulnerable to the evil influence of Satan, which soon became apparent as the first person born naturally, CAIN, rose up in a fit of jealousy and killed his brother Abel.

In order for sinful mankind to be restored to fellowship, union and harmony with God it was necessary that his dead spirit be made alive again. Restored again to an intimate relationship with God whose imparted power enables man to resist the wicked influence of Satan. This is what Jesus was referring to in the above passage, and the way God provides for that re-birth of man's spirit is by the life giving power of His Holy Spirit restoring it to an acute awareness of who God is and what He requires of mankind.

Q The use of the word "SAVED" seems to imply some form of danger, what must we be saved from?

A Again we can do no better than read the context in which this word appears.

John 3:16-18

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Clearly there are two stark contrasting issues in this passage which must be considered if we are to understand the meaning and consequences of being saved or not being saved.

The first links the words…"Condemnation" and "Perish". Whilst the second links those of "Saved" and "Everlasting Life".

It is clear to see that two of the key words in these verses are "EVERLASTING" and "CONDEMNED", so with such issues in view it is imperative that we all avail ourselves of the remedy God has provided whereby we can be declared innocent by having our sins forgiven. The only alternative - clearly stated in verse 18 above - is that by refusing to believe that Jesus, the Only Son of God, came into the world to die as a substitute for sinful man, will invoke the wrath and judgment of God which judgment is ETERNAL DEATH.

However there is another most solemn issue that we must all consider, it is the unsavoury matter of our DEATH. As George Bernard Shaw once said, "I have made diligent enquiry and have come to the conclusion that 'One out of one dies' ". Yes dear friends as a famous politician (Abraham Lincoln) remarked:

"There are only two things in life that are certain, Death and Taxes".

Though he was in fact right, he was only partially right for there is a third certainty which is that, after we die physically, we shall all be raised from the grave on a future day to face Christ individually as judge. This is not mere myth as is clearly stated in the following verse in the bible:

Heb 9:27 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: … and to clarify the indictment again, the issue on which we will all be judged is: Did we accept that Jesus is the Son of God who came into the world to reconcile sinful man back to Himself by dying on a cross?

In conclusion, did we acknowledge we were sinners in his sight?

Did we repent of our sins and ask for His forgiveness?

Did we accept Him as Saviour and Lord and thereafter strive to live according to His Commandments as revealed in the Bible?

If you can truthfully answer 'Yes' to these questions, you are assured of God's gift of eternal life.