Questions from around the internet

 

Here are some of the more interesting questions from around the internet - Got a question? Write The Curious Christian in the Question/Comment form in the side bar!

Why can't I feel Jesus’ presence?

The answer to this question requires some head knowledge.

Know that Jesus - and by extension God - is not a feeling!

Rather, Jesus is a real being. I get going through hard times is tough, so if I can encourage you to stay in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit, who is the Comforter to be with you.

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 14:26, KJV

Please note that other translations use “Advocate” and “Helper” in lieu of “Comforter”.

Hope this helps!

What is sin according to God of the Bible's own words?

This is a seemingly simple question - but it can be complicated fast!

Sin is literally doing what God does not want you to do, or in others words Sin is offending God.

>This is not directly in the Bible, but this is alluded to all over the Bible.

For a more technical answer to ‘What is Sin?’, I encourage you to read the first 5 books of the bible. This included Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. It is here that you will find the Original Sin, with Adam and Eve, all the way through God giving Moses the commandments on Mount Sinai. This should give you a reasonably good idea (but still incomplete) of what sin can constitute.

For a Christian, we are commanded to act out of love - Love God first with everything you’ve got, and love people (Matthew 22:37–39). Anything, and I literally mean Anything that opposes this is sin.

So who then can be saved? Only perfect people? After all, we have all offended God, So why would He want anything to do with us?

Because He loves us! And God has made a way that we can be with Him, through Christ! I cover this in detail here if I can share this with you: The Gospel in a Nutshell

Why do Catholics take Jesus's words literally when He tells us to eat His flesh and drink His blood while non-Catholic Christians take it metaphorically?

I am not Catholic, but I can answer.

Take John 6:54–55, NASB

‘The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink’

It is here that we can see where Catholics would draw this doctrine of transubstantiation. Jesus says to eat His flesh, drink His blood - no representations here, just literally do it!

Further, Jesus is saying to do this to have eternal life. He is saying that His flesh is true food, true drink. And He is telling us to do this in remembrance of Him .

Luke 22:19, NASB 1995

And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

When we add these together, it is somewhat easy to see why Catholics would believe this. I have some objections to this that I won’t cover here, but I hope that I could answer your question!