<> Ask the Pastor Pr. Walter Snyder A couple of comments might be in order before getting on to this week's questions. Regarding "saving faith" and "eternal security" and a reply received a few weeks ago, I will only say that in my understanding of Scripture, there is only "faith." Faith (in Jesus Christ) saves; unbelief damns. Thus, while I understand that many wish to make a distinction, it is one I cannot find in Scripture. Such a confidence in Christ is God-given (Ephesians 2:8-9), and if one disregards it or casts it aside, he is in danger of eternal punishment. Secondly, a reader commented that I told a young Christian woman to not marry her unchristian boyfriend. That is patently untrue, and totally misrepresents the entire column. A quote from that edition: "I'll urge you to be cautious [emphasis added] in making any final commitment." The respondent quoted 1 Corinthians 7:16 to "prove" that it's fine to marry an unbeliever: "How do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?" However, this verse is not directed toward all people, but to those already married and converted to Christianity who had pagan spouses (a common occurrence during the Church's early days, as new converts were being made). Verse 15 is specific: "If the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage...." Q: Is there any hope for the "last-minute" or "unilateral" saving of people who were otherwise unknowing of God right before they die, e.g., as in a sudden car accident or a murder? That is, does God ever unilaterally save people that die or are killed either prematurely or before being exposed to the Lord? A: I can find no Scriptural support for such an idea. We only know what has been revealed to us by our good and gracious God: Belief in Christ Jesus is the only means of salvation. Q: I have been a Christian for about 6 years now and I am married to a wonderful woman (Susan) who is also a Christian. We were saved at the same time, shortly after we married. Before I met Susan, I had already been married and divorced. My first wife just left without ever telling me where she went. I waited 5 years for her to come back but I have never seen or heard from her since. My first wife and I were atheists. Am I committing a sin living with my new wife Susan and am I causing her to sin; or is our new life in Christ Just that "A new life with all the past wiped clean?" I ask because some people say I am living in sin and should never have re-married and that I am causing my wife to sin because in God's eyes I was already married when I married Susan. A: While I don't know all of what you've gone through, I would generally say that in Christ you are a new creation, and have been made anew. While there is always blame enough to go around in a divorce, one who has been abandoned is not held to the same condemnation as the one who walks out--just as happens when one has been a victim of an adulterer. What you did in unbelief is gone and forgotten. Those who would now try to separate you and Susan are committing an even greater sin, for they are both denying God's forgiveness and are attempting to destroy that which "God has joined together." Q: A friend and I were debating some Biblical issues and it became apparent that we were incapable of resolving our conflict. Two issues came up. 1) Did Eve believe she had given birth to the Saviour when she gave birth to Cain? Further, did women in her line (on through David to Mary) hope that they had given birth to the Saviour? If she/they did, where is the Biblical corroboration for this? 2) This second question is only related in that it highlights the different approaches to Scripture that my friend and I took: Did the chosen people of Israel believe in hell? Again, where is the Biblical corroboration for this? A: The first questions usually involve intriguing speculation as we search for answers. When Eve had her first son, the Bible literally says that she said, "I have gotten a man--the LORD." The debate is whether this means literally that she thought she'd delivered the LORD, or if she meant that it was his help. She probably did think that this was the Promised One, although her hopes must have faded as he grew and she saw that sin had passed to the next generation. Indeed, her next son, Abel, has a name meaning, "emptiness" or "futility"--the same word often translated as "vanity" in Ecclesiastes. Many cultures would specially celebrate the birth of a boy--it made economic sense in many parts of the world. However, Israel's knowledge that the Messiah was coming would have lent special import to each boy's birth. Then, as the promise narrowed through the years, i.e., Judah, David's line, etc., a correspondingly smaller group would have special reason to hope. Regarding hell in Israel's theology, it appears more explicitly in later years. Jesus says hell is the place "where their worm does not die and the fire is not put out. (Mark 9:48)" Compare this to Isaiah 66:24: "Then they will go out and look at the corpses of those who have rebelled against me. The worms that eat them will not die. The fire that burns them will not go out...." "Sheol," is the most common Hebrew word used for such a place. The Scriptures sometimes treat it as the grave (Job 17:16; Isaiah 38:10). It may also be the realm of the dead, used as we in the English language use "hereafter" or "beyond" (Genesis 37:35; Job 7:9; Psalms 16:10; 31:17; 89:48). Finally, Sheol may mean the place where God punishes evildoers (Numbers 16:30, 33; Deuteronomy 32:22). In Psalm 49, the Psalmist says that the wicked "are laid in Sheol (KJV the grave), death shall feed on them, but God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol (KJV the grave); for He shall receive me." Thus a notable contrast is made between the righteous dead and the wicked who perish. That's it for now. You can submit questions by mail to "Ask the Pastor," PO Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or just stop me on the street. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches in Jasper and Woodville and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1998 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.