<> Ask the Pastor Pastor Walter Snyder On this, the Third Sunday of Easter, Christ's Holy Church continues to celebrate his resurrection while anticipating our own rising with glorified bodies to life eternal. I pray that your hymns of "Alleluia" continue to ring out and that you are fed the pure Gospel of forgiveness, reconciliation, and eternal life! Q: Why was it okay that Abram lied about his wife, she committed adultery with Pharaoh, and God plagued Pharaoh though she didn't know that she was Abram's wife? But God still blessed Abram even when he went against the laws of God? A: It wasn't okay. We aren't told how or if God disciplined Abram. What we see, however, is that God remained faithful to his promises although Abram, for a time, forsook God's Word and leaned upon his own understanding. The Lord even used this as an opportunity to increase his blessing of Abram, for when they left Egypt, Pharaoh sent them on their way with increased wealth. This doesn't mean that we should "sin much, that grace might more abound," but it does remind us that God does a wonderful job of cleaning up after our messes. Q: Do Lutherans believe in eternal security? A: If you mean, "once saved, always saved," we do not. We see evidence in the Scriptures, including in Christ's Parable of the Sower, that people can possess true, saving faith, then fall away from that faith and bring eternal ruin upon themselves. Q: I have a chronic illness. In searching for answers, I've traveled outside traditional medicine. In doing so, I find heavy doses of eastern religion that are counter to my Christian beliefs. Do I forsake this search? If a practitioner believes in Yin and Yang while performing acupuncture on me, am I receiving evil practices? A: What if a Muslim doctor asks Allah's blessings before doing surgery on you or if a Buddhist lawyer meditates before arguing your case in court? Don't these merely allow them to "do their own thing" before doing for you? Still, your concern is valid, so I ask, do you participate in these rites or follow these beliefs? If you are concerned that you are incorporating non-Christian beliefs and practices into your life, I urge you to consider abandoning this form of treatment, or seek another practitioner who does not so burden your conscience. However, if you remain firm in your faith and are not attempting a synthesis of Christianity with other beliefs, you may discover that the Holy Spirit has placed you in an evangelistic position. You are in a situation where you can glorify the true God and give testimony to the Great Physician of body and spirit! Q: I would like to know if anywhere in the Bible it says that it is wrong to be a homosexual. A: Such behavior is explicitly mentioned as sinful in Leviticus, is listed among the evils of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis, and is also addressed strongly by Paul in the first chapter of Romans. In all these cases, the action, not the temptation to succumb to such practice, is judged as wrong. One who is tempted yet remains chaste because of the blessings of the Lord is commended for remaining strong in the faith, just as are a kleptomaniac who refuses to steal or a drunkard who refuses to become intoxicated. Q: I have recently returned to the Christian faith and have been in contact with a Lutheran church which speaks of grace. I was raised Roman Catholic and I don't remember grace being taught. Is grace taught in the Roman Catholic tradition and how do Lutherans view grace? A: Yes, grace is taught. However, it is taught and defined differently. Briefly, we might define the Catholic concept of grace as some sort of spiritual quantity poured into people to complete their conversions, strengthen their faiths, or bring them safely to eternal rest. The Lutheran definition is that grace is a divine quality, an attitude that God has toward sinful human beings. We say that God shows and gives us kindness and mercy, forgiveness and reconciliation, salvation and eternal life because of the merits and sacrifice of Christ Jesus on our behalf, without any merit or worth on our part. Until next week, when, Lord willing, we enjoy more of your questions, remember to "Ask the Pastor" at P.O. Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or catch me around town. Pastor Snyder serves St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches, Jasper and Woodville, Texas and is the coauthor of "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1997 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.