* ALL Questions about the Christian Life *

[Patriot]

How should a Christian view sports / athletics?​

Answer

Sports is a big part of life for many people, whether they’re watching athletic events, driving their children to and from sports practice, or directly participating in sports themselves. According to MarketWatch, Inc., Americans spent $100 billion on sports in 2017—$56 billion on attending sporting events, $33 billion on sports equipment, and $19 billion on gym memberships.

Sports and athletic competitions have been popular since ancient times. The Bible draws several analogies of the Christian life from the sports world: 1 Corinthians 9:26 contains a reference to shadowboxing; the author of Hebrews likens the Christian life to a race (Hebrews 12:1); and Paul admonishes us to “run in such a way to win the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24, CSB).

Given the Bible’s positive use of sports-related analogies, there can be nothing inherently wrong with viewing or participating in athletic events. Following one’s favorite football team, playing a few rounds of golf, attending a volleyball match, or signing up for community softball is something Christians can and do enjoy. Christian athletes and coaches often have the opportunity to use their prominence in sports as a platform for advancing the gospel.

Christians who play sports can attest to the many benefits that such involvement can provide, including stress reduction; weight control; camaraderie; and the development of accountability, leadership, and communication, goal-setting, and problem-solving skills. The endurance and perseverance required in athletic competition can be valuable in building and strengthening character.

One of the greatest benefits of competing in sports is the development of self-control: “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things” (1 Corinthians 9:25). In the crucible of competitive action, the presence of self-control—or the lack of it—becomes obvious to all observers. Some athletes (and fans) handle game-related adversity with grace and poise; others melt down in an adult temper-tantrum. The problem is not the sport; it’s the inner character of the athlete or fan. In many ways, a sporting event provides an occasion to test the character of both winners and losers. Christian athletes, coaches, and fans should be filled with the Holy Spirit and display the Spirit’s fruit, no matter where they are, be it on the court, on the field, or in the locker room.

As in all areas of life, we must have balance in regards to our involvement in sports. We must set priorities. It’s easy for a sports fan to overdo it, committing too much time, money, and other resources to what should be an entertaining diversion. It’s easy for an athlete wishing to succeed to devote an inordinate amount of time and energy to training, to the neglect of family, friends, or walk with God. The Bible helps us clarify our priorities: “Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).

Sports is good and beneficial when kept in perspective. Never should sports be allowed to crowd out time with God or become more important than seeking God’s kingdom and righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Idols are not to be a part of the Christian life (1 John 5:21). And in whatever we do, on or off the field, we are to do it all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

For Further Study​

The ESV Study Bible

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[Patriot]

Christian communication - what are the keys?​

Answer

The art of Christian communication covers many aspects of the relationship between born-again believers and our relationships with the world at large. There are in the New Testament what are called the "one another commands." These commands, when followed, are a source of correct Christian communication. The commands could be looked at as God’s code of conduct for Christian relationships. However, we do not naturally do the things that are commanded in the "one another’s." Christian communication is a skill we must choose to learn by submitting to the Word of God and by applying it to our lives.

The following is a list of some of the “one another” commands found in the New Testament related to Christian communication:

Love one another - John 13:34 & John 15:12,17.
Forgive one another - Ephesians 4:32 & Colossians 3:13.
Be servants to one another - Galatians 5:13.
Show hospitality to one another - 1 Peter 4:7-10.
Pray for one another - James 5:16.
Build up (edify) one another - Romans 14:19, 1 Thessalonians 5:11.
Greet one another - Romans 16:16, 1 Peter 5:14.
Forbear one another - Ephesians. 4:1-2 & Colossians 3:13-14.
Do not judge one another - Romans 14:13.
Do not speak evil of one another - James 4:11.
Do not murmur against one another - James 5:9.
Do not bite and devour one another - Galatians 5:15.
Do not provoke and envy one another - Galatians 5:26.
Have the same care for one another - 1 Corinthians 12:25-26.
Receive one another - Romans 15:7.
Teach one another - Colossians 3:16.
Admonish (counsel) one another - Romans 15:14 & Colossians 3:16.
Submit to one another - Ephesians 5:21-22.
Confess your sins to one another - James 5:16.
Do not lie to one another - Colossians 3:9.
Be kind to one another - Ephesians 4:32.
Comfort one another - 1 Thessalonians 4:18, 5:11.

Every Scripture reference in this list begins and ends with the first one. "A new command I give you: Love one another” (John 13:34). The love of Christ is the catalyst for our Christian communication with each other in our marriages and indeed in all our relationships.

It is very interesting to note that the word communication can refer not only to our interpersonal relationships but also our whole manner of life, and these commands are a correct guide to walking as believers. As we comport ourselves according to the “one another” commands, we are "doers of the word and not just hearers" (James 1:22), and we communicate to the world around us that we are children of our Father.

For Further Study​

The ESV Study Bible

More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free!

 

[Patriot]

How should Christians stand up for their faith in such an anti-Christian world?​

Answer

As Christians, the two things we can do to stand up for Christ are to live according to His Word and grow our own knowledge of Him. Christ said, “Let your light shine before men…” (Matthew 5:16). This means that we should live and act in a way that supports the gospel. We should also arm ourselves with knowledge, both of the gospel (Ephesians 6:10-17) and of the world around us. First Peter 3:15 says, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” All we can do is live and teach as Christ would and let Him take care of the rest.

Critics of Christianity have become more vocal recently. This is partly because there are many people who do not believe in God or understand the truth about Him at all. Yet the apparent increase of anti-Christians is also due to perception. As with many topics, those who truly despise Christianity are the loudest and most vocal of the non-believers. The vast majority of those who do not believe don’t care enough to bother believers. The few angry, vocal, bitter unbelievers make enough noise to seem more numerous than they are.

The typical insult from the non-religious crowd is to refer to believers as “ignorant,” “stupid,” “brainwashed,” or to otherwise suggest that those who have faith are less intelligent than those who do not. When a Christian stands up intelligently for his faith, the terms change to “bigot,” “extremist,” or “zealot.” When people who know that the believer is kind and loving hear this, the atheist starts to look like the fool that he or she is (Psalm 53:1). Most non-believers have no personal reason to see Christians negatively, but they sometimes hear so much from the loud anti-Christians that they just assume it is so. They need examples of Christ-like living to see the truth.

Of course, when someone claiming to be a Christian says or does something that is not Christ-like, the angry, loud crowd is there to identify him as a typical religious hypocrite. This is something we have been warned to expect (Romans 1:28-30; Matthew 5:11). The best thing to do is to cite a passage of the Bible that speaks against what the person did, and remind the atheists that just because a person says he is a Christian, and even if he thinks he is a Christian, that does not mean that he is. Matthew 7:16,20 tell us that true Christians will be known by their actions, not merely by their profession. And remind critics that absolutely no one lives without sinning at all (Romans 3:23).

An important thing to remember is that no one, no matter how persuasive, can force anyone to believe anything he doesn’t want to believe. No matter what the evidence, no matter what the argument, people will believe what they want to believe (Luke 12:54-56). Conviction is not a Christian’s job. The Holy Spirit convicts people (John 14:16-17), and they choose whether or not to believe. What we can do is present ourselves in a way that is as Christ-like as possible. It is sad that there are many atheists who have read the entire Bible looking for ammunition against Christians, and that there are many Christians who have hardly read the Bible at all.

It’s hard for the angry crowd to accuse a Christian of being a hateful, cruel bigot when that person demonstrates a life of kindness, humility, and compassion. When a Christian can discuss, debate, or debunk secular arguments accurately, the label of “ignorant” no longer fits. A Christian who has read the secular arguments and can politely expose their flaws helps to deflate the stereotypes advanced by atheists. Knowledge is the weapon, and it is invincible when we let Christ direct us in how to use it.

For Further Study​

The ESV Study Bible

More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free!

 

[Patriot]

How can I overcome peer pressure?​

Answer

Why do we face peer pressure? The Bible clearly tells us that we should not expect our lives to look like the lives of other people (unbelievers) in this world. As Christians, we are aliens and strangers here on earth (1 Peter 2:11), and this world is not our home. Just as Christ was rejected—and still is—by so many who want to live life their own, ungodly way, we will also find the same types of people despising us for our faith.

In the first chapter of 1 Thessalonians, Paul speaks of how we are to know we are Christians. One of the points he emphasizes (see 1 Thessalonians 1:6) is the fact that we should have joy despite suffering. We should expect to encounter trials and persecution as Christians, yet be comforted with the fact that God is in control and will repay any wrongs that are committed against us. In 2 Thessalonians, Paul talks about the troubles this church was continuing to face. He told them that when Christ returns and God judges the world, God “will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well” (2 Thessalonians 1:6-7). Although many Christians will never face suffering as extreme as the Thessalonians did, or even those living in modern-day Sudan who are killed for their faith, we still suffer in smaller ways, such as the torture of peer pressure.

What does the Bible say about dealing with peer pressure? The Bible never uses the words “peer pressure,” but it does tell us how we should deal with the many trials we will face in our lives, especially those involving unbelievers. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:14-16 says, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”

First Peter 1:13-21 says, “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’ Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”

The Bible also tells us that we can trust that God will work all things together for the good of His children (Romans 8:28). However, the Bible does not promise us an easy life, but a life that glorifies God as we learn lessons that are difficult and overcome attacks from Satan that would be impossible to overcome without God. We are being “conformed to the likeness of [Christ]” as God changes us through all our life (Romans 8:29-30). Be comforted that Christ Himself was tempted in every way we have been; He understands how difficult it is. Yet, the Bible promises us that God will provide a way of escape from every trial (1 Corinthians 10:13). Put your complete trust and faith in God. Let Him alone be your strength (Philippians 4:13) and your guide (Psalm 23).

Peer pressure will be a fleeting thing in our lives. Peer pressure is largely about insecurity and a desire for acceptance for all involved. Most people eventually realize that intimidating others to feel important is manipulative and immature. Those who have been followers will usually realize it is more important to make their own decisions and be their own person than to be controlled by someone else. We must not give in to peer pressure, whatever the situation. Standing up for what we believe and what the Bible teaches will please God. Throughout history, those who have been unafraid to stand on unpopular beliefs have been the ones to change the world and make things happen. There is so much in this world that we need to change, and so many people who need to be told about Christ. Letting other people decide what we do and how we behave is exactly what Satan hopes we will do; if we never stand up for what is right because of peer pressure, we are actually standing up for what is wrong.

For Further Study​

The ESV Study Bible

More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free!

 

[Patriot]

Should Christians care about physical appearance?​

Answer

Physical appearance is important to God in that it reveals the glory of His creative abilities. So we should appreciate the beauty God has given us as His most complex and amazing creation. In ways we cannot understand, we reflect His own beauty. God places some value on appearances; if He did not, we would all look the same. It is not a wrong thing for us to notice and appreciate physical appearance as well.

But it should be remembered that God judges our hearts, not our physical appearance (1 Samuel 16:7). It is the inner man that is an even greater creation. We have souls that will never be destroyed, that live on forever in heaven or hell. Our hearts, too, are capable of so many thoughts and feelings, reflections of the complexities of God. We should not fall into the trap of believing that our looks are to be a source of pride or envy. Our true beauty should come from inside, not from the fleshly beauty that the world judges us on. In 1 Peter 3:3-5, Peter tells wives that their “beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful.”

Our outward appearance should not be our focus. If the reason we try to be the perfect weight, wear the best clothes, have facial treatments, etc., is to impress other people, then our physical appearance has become a matter of pride. We should be humbly aware of our appearance rather than acting to conform to the world’s standards. Matthew 23:12 says, "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." And James 4:6 says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

We must watch out for anything that draws us away from God, including the too-often extreme emphasis the world places on appearances. God does not want us to love the world or anything in it (1 John 2:15), and we are not to think as the world does (Romans 12:2). God has shown us His own amazing power and beauty and love in an incredibly diverse creation. We should be humble, not committing idolatry in worshiping the creation rather than the Creator (Colossians 3:5).

For Further Study​

A Woman After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George

More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free