Hello; I’m wondering if a person is born with mental deformities and can’t understand the concept of the Lord, will they still reach heaven?

Sincerely,
Heart For Others

Dear Heart For Others,

Those with mental handicaps would fall under the same rules as children.  In order to obey the gospel, we must have the maturity to:

1. Take responsibility for our sins (Acts 3:19).
2. Hear and understand the Word of God (Rom 10:17).
3. Be responsible for our own spiritual growth (1 Pet 2:1-2).

Children and those with certain mental handicaps do not have that ability, and God only holds us accountable for what we are able to do (2 Cor 8:11-12).  Just like children, they will go to heaven.

     I just started going to church about three months ago, and I feel so blessed to be a part of what God is and His message.  I have a friend who inspired me to go to the church in the first place, and I told him recently that I want to get baptized.  My church does group baptisms and won’t be having one probably for months.  My friend really wants me to get baptized ASAP even though I’m okay with waiting.  He thinks it’s bad for me to wait.  Is it a bad thing to wait?

Sincerely,
Patient

Dear Patient,

A church that only does group baptisms every three or four months doesn’t understand what baptism is all about.  In the Bible, when people were ready to be baptized, they were baptized immediately (Acts 16:33).  The word ‘baptism’ simply means ‘immersion’ – it is the reason for your immersion that makes baptism a soul-saving act.  When we understand that baptism saves us from our sins (1 Pet. 3:21) and are baptized by the authority of Christ (Acts 2:38) and believe in His Name (Mk. 16:16), then that baptism saves us.  Many people are baptized without understanding these things… in which case, they just get wet.  Baptism isn’t merely an “outward showing of an inward faith” or “for membership”.  Baptism is what saves us (1 Pet 3:21).  Baptism is the point when someone goes from being lost to being saved because they are buried and resurrected with Christ (Rom 6:4-5).  Baptism is the final requirement to become a Christian.  There is not a single example of someone becoming a Christian without baptism.

It is definitely a bad thing to wait, and as attached as you may be to your church, you should seriously consider that they aren’t teaching the total truth of God’s Word.  We would be happy to point you toward congregations in your area that teach everything the Bible says and don’t leave important details out.  Your friend is right.  E-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org if we can be of help.

      Would you say that baptism is necessary for going to heaven?  If so, do you think that if you’re unable to get baptized for whatever reason but you’ve had a change of heart that you will still go to hell?

Sincerely,
Double-Checking Destinations

Dear Double-Checking Destinations,

The most well-documented and clearest doctrine in the New Testament is baptism… yet, it is also the most commonly ignored topic in the religious world.  Peter said it best when he said, “Baptism saves you” (1 Pet 3:21).  Every person that became a christian in the New Testament was baptized – immediately.  You won’t find a single person in the book of Acts that wasn’t baptized.  When the first sermon was preached after Christ ascended into heaven, the apostles told the people that they needed to “repent and be baptized… for the remission of their sins” (Acts 2:38).  Paul tells us that baptism is a burial with Christ, and only after that burial do we receive a new life (Rom 6:3-4).  Baptism was so important to Paul that he was baptized even before eating or drinking (Acts 9:18-19), which shows how important it is because Paul hadn’t had food or water in three days (Acts 9:9)!  Belief is not enough; even the demons believe in God (Jas 2:19).  It is only when our belief is combined with obedience that we have living faith (Jas 2:17-18), and the very first command to obey that God gives us is to be baptized in the name of His Son (Matt 28:19, Mk 16:16).  We die to sin when we are baptized.
Now, let’s quickly deal with the second part to your question.  The only way you can know with confidence that you are saved is to do what the Bible says (Rom 1:16).  If God chooses to make exceptions to that rule on the Judgment Day, that is His right… He is the final Judge (Heb 12:23).  However, 99.99% of us have the ability to get baptized, so that is what we should do.

About the prodigal son in Lk. 15, you said that it is important to God that we all come back, so He can forgive us.  But then why can’t all people just be, like, crazy, and in the end of their lives, go to God and ask for forgiveness and all will be fine?  What is the argument that keeps someone from doing that?

Sincerely,
Last Minute Convert

Dear Last Minute Convert,

The easiest way to answer this question is by referring to Gal 6:7 which says that God can’t be “mocked”.  This means that we can’t trick God or fool Him into believing we have changed when we really haven’t.  Rom 8:27 says that God searches our hearts, and 1 Jhn 3:20 says that God knows all things.  When we come to God for forgiveness, God expects us to not only want forgiveness, but to change our mind about sin.  The word ‘repent’ means ‘to change your mind’, and repentance is a requirement for salvation (Acts 2:38).  If we attempt to live a sinful life and just “fool” God by asking for forgiveness at the end, it won’t work.  God knows whether or not we have truly repented of our sins and are truly sorry for the sins we have committed.  It isn’t enough to want forgiveness; you have to hate sin and really believe that you were in the wrong.  Our faith in God must be a sincere faith (1 Tim 1:5).  If it isn’t sincere, God will know, and He won’t be tricked.

     I’m hoping you might be able to help me in something that has been bothering me a lot, and one of my New Year’s resolutions is to take care of this major concern: I feel that until I am prepared to show someone what God says they need to do to be saved, I’m not doing one of the most important things He asks of me.  I’ve seen outlines for teaching someone the plan of salvation, but nothing I can put in my purse.  Are there, say, ten verses that include most everything I might need in order show someone God’s plan of salvation – something I might be able to memorize and possibly make into a small handout in case the opportunity arises?  Seems like the subject of God comes up when least expected, and I want to be prepared to share my faith.  I would greatly appreciate your assistance.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Ready To Be Ready

Dear Ready To Be Ready,

What a great New Year’s resolution!  Everyone should try and be ready to explain why they believe what they do and be prepared to share God’s plan of salvation with others (1 Pet 3:15).  Many people have the exact same problem that you have – trying to have something simple enough to have on hand and take with them.

A while back, we taught a class on how to teach people about Christ entitled “7 Questions For Your Soul”, and as part of that class, we made up a set of notes that could be printed off on sticker paper and put into the inside cover of your Bible; the whole thing fits on two pages of a standard-sized Bible and could easily be made small enough to fit into your purse.  If you’d like, below is a .pdf copy of those notes.  Feel free to use, distribute, and adjust as you see fit to help you be the most effective evangelist you can be!

Click Here To Look At Our Conversion Notes

     We all know even Christians are not perfect and have struggles.  We also know that sanctification should be occurring, and a Christian has conduct requirements.  My question is: when does sin become a serious problem in a Christian’s life?  When does a Christian become a lukewarm Christian?  And after receiving Christ in their lives, can Christians backslide or sin enough to lose their salvation?  I know I hate sin and strive my hardest to do the will of God, but there are times I just have a thorn in my flesh or do what I don’t want to do.

Sincerely,
Imperfect

Dear Imperfect,

We are warned to not “drift” away from the Lord (Heb 2:1) or “backslide” (Pr 1:32) into old sinful ways.  Once we are baptized, we are told to grow in the Lord and mature in our faith (1 Pet 2:2).  Baptism is the beginning of a new life, but God calls us to be faithful until death (Rev 2:10).  A Christian can know that they are not lukewarm by properly examining their motives and lifestyle (1 Cor 11:28-30).  God constantly forgives faithful and honest people for their sins (1 Jn 1:9), but if we neglect our salvation (Heb 2:3) or stop growing, we have no hope left (Heb 10:26-27).  The struggles you face are completely common… the important thing is to continue to struggle and fight for the faith.