Truth Seeker: Bible Topics: Third Edition

By Warren M. Mueller

Author Warren Mueller has read the Bible daily since 1979. He has served as a deacon, a Sunday school teacher, and a member of the Gideons International. With Truth Seeker: Bible Topics, he hopes to provide clarity regarding what the Bible says about many popular subjects in a succinct and objective format.

Truth Seeker: Bible Topics offers a concise summary of what the Bible says about over thirty practical living and theological topics and includes many Bible quotes to provide additional information on each topic. There are questions at the end of each chapter that can help to facilitate Sunday school class or small group discussions. This helpful guide covers a wide variety of topics, including angels, abortion, eating and drinking, gambling, heaven, money, spiritual gifts, swearing, and worry.

Much of the controversy that surrounds the interpretations of what the Bible says stem from a lack of systematic study, the use of verses out of context, or attempts to extrapolate truth beyond what is clearly stated. In order to avoid these pitfalls and determine a fair interpretation, Warren Mueller attempts to explain some of the truths of the Bible that are relevant to our human nature, thoughts, and purposes today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Apr 2, 2013
• ISBN: 9781475981735

Warren M. Mueller

Warren was dramatically saved through faith in Jesus Christ by the witness of a deacon from a Bible believing church who took him through key verses in Romans. Before this, he had attended church, but he never had a born-again relationship with Jesus. After his conversion, he began to read the Bible and study it daily. This practice has continued since his salvation birthday in October 1979. Warren has read through the Bible numerous times and has memorized key verses to guide and sustain him. He has taught many small groups and Sunday School classes, served as a deacon and he has spoken in many churches as a member of the Gideons. For information about Warren’s other writings, go to his web site at www.warrenmueller.com

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Truth Seeker:

Bible Topics

Third Edition

Warren M. Mueller

iUniverse, Inc.

Bloomington

Third Edition

Copyright © 2013 Warren M. Mueller

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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ISBN: 978-1-4759-8172-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-8174-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-8173-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013904760

iUniverse rev. date: 3/26/2013

Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Cited Abbreviations

A Full and Meaningful Life

Abortion

Am I A Christian?

Angels

Anxiety (Worry)

Appearance

Baptism

Communion

Eating and Drinking

Faith That Works

Forgiveness

Fortune Telling

Gambling

Good Works

Heaven

Hell (What and Where)

How the World Was Created

Is God Fair?

Judgment

Killing versus Murder

Marriage and Divorce

Miracles

Money, Wealth, and Tithing

Repentance Is More than Being Sorry

Sabbath or Sunday Worship

Saints—Who Are They?

Salvation or How

Do I Get to Heaven?

Sexual Perversion

Spiritual Gifts

Subjection to Government

Swearing

The Church—Who and What Is It?

The Feminine Side of God

The Gift of Joy

The Passion of Christ

Trinity or Triune God

When Prayers Seem To Fail

Why Go to Church?

Why Not Look at Pornography?

Bibliography

Author’s Note

Endnotes

Dedication

To my Lord Jesus, who has provided the inspiration

and revelation for this book;

To my wife, Diane, who is God’s greatest gift to me

besides himself;

To my wonderful children, Mindy and Jacob;

who are blessings from God.

To Dylan, Kaden, and Kylie, precious grandchildren and source of many wonders and renewed youth.

Foreword

By Kevin Fontaine, PhD

These days we live in a Bizarro World. Comic book fans will recall the Bizarro World in the Superman Comics. This world was upside-down and backwards in that alarm clocks dictate when to go to sleep, ugliness is beautiful, evil is good and good is evil. Even the casual observer of our culture would be hard pressed to argue that our age is marked by clear and consistent moral integrity and understanding of the difference between right and wrong. Quite simply we have lost our way and we are sinking fast! Our move toward moral relativism with its view that there are no objective moral standards to determine what is right or wrong is literally killing our society. It’s a cancer that is eating us alive because moral relativism makes lying, cheating, infidelity, and the killing of unborn children legitimate forms of personal expression. It’s our version of the Bizarro World. If it feels right do it and to hell with the consequences.

That’s why Warren Mueller’s Truth Seeker: Bible Topics is so timely and important. He effectively lays out what the Bible tells us in relation to over 30 of the most important issues and subjects that confront our culture. With topics ranging from abortion to the viewing of pornography, Mr. Mueller provides cogent, yet comprehensive explanations of the truths that saturate each and every page of the Bible. In other words, Mr. Mueller has taken on the Herculean task of combing through the Bible to see what it says to us about the issues that confront each of us every day. Mr. Mueller performs this near impossible task with grace and aplomb.

I know that I will keep a copy of Truth Seeker: Bible Topics at hand and will dive into it frequently, especially when confronted with a situation that requires the wisdom and guidance that can only come from God’s Word.

Kevin Fontaine is Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. A Health Psychologist whose research focuses on the physical and emotional consequences of living with chronic diseases, he is the author of over 60 scientific articles and book chapters on topics such as health psychology, obesity, epidemiology, and arthritis. Dr. Fontaine also is the author of two Christian books, Living the Fruit of the Spirit: Lessons from Barney Rubble and The Jesus Cure: The 4 Keys to Living a Life of Integrity, Significance, and Peace.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my father, Frank Mueller, for his example and encouragement to search out the truth in all things through self-study and independent thinking. I am very grateful for the mentoring I have received from many Christians over the years: to Joseph Rains who showed me the Way through the Bible; to my first pastor, Stuart Briscoe, for the excellent foundation in Biblical instruction I received through his sermons and writings; to Brian and Bobbie Burns and their small group members with whom I experienced the unconditional wonder of Christian fellowship and love and to Walter Holst and Ernest Cochran who have strengthened my faith through their example. Finally, I would like to thank my pastor, Tony Casoria, for taking the time from his busy schedule to review this book.

Introduction

The purpose of this book is to summarize what the Bible says about frequently asked subjects. It is my belief that the Bible is a reliable source of wisdom and contains truth that God has given to mankind to guide us through life.¹ I have found that these truths can be discovered by a systematic study of the Bible. It is not necessary to have a theology degree to interpret the Bible. All that is needed is a personal faith in Jesus as the Christ, which produces a spiritual birth and results in the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit who counsels and guides believers.²

Christian books and doctrines can be valuable resources to assist in spiritual understanding, but there is no substitute for daily, individual study of the Bible. Indeed, these resources can become stumbling blocks to a vibrant, personal relationship with God, as they represent the experiences or beliefs of others. Many Christians have opted to fill their minds with these experiences and thoughts of others, which results in religious beliefs that are learned rather than personal truths experienced from the revelation of an encounter with God in his Word. This tends to result in denominational Christians who, like the Israelites, prefer to have Moses or their priests en-counter God and interpret his will rather than experience for themselves. Christianity is primarily not about religious doctrines, but rather a continuing personal experience of God, resulting in the transformation of the mind which, in turn, changes thoughts and behavior.

This book attempts to explain some of the truths of the Bible that are relevant to our human nature, thoughts, and purpose. I believe that much of the controversy surrounding what the Bible says stems from a lack of systematic study, taking verses out of context, or attempting to extrapolate truth beyond what is clearly stated. In order to avoid these pitfalls and optimize a fair interpretation, the following principles are used in this book:

1. Truth is progressively revealed, and, therefore, some portions of the Old Testament have been superseded by the New Testament. One example is that the Old Testament animal sacrifices for sins have been replaced by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, once, for all the sins of mankind. Where there has been no further revelation on a particular subject, I believe that the Old Testament truths are God’s final words and are relevant to us today. An example of this is found in Leviticus 19:28 where tattooing is forbidden. Nothing more on this subject is mentioned in later books of the Bible, and, therefore, I believe that this prohibition is God’s revealed will on this subject.

2. Since God does not contradict Himself, the correct meaning of passages of the Bible that seem to conflict is achieved by comparing the unclear verses with others that address the same subject. For example, James 2:14-17 seems to say that man’s good works play a role in salvation. This appears to be in conflict with other verses in the Bible, such as Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5, and Romans 6:23, which say that salvation is by faith alone. How are these verses reconciled? It is accomplished by referring to other Bible verses that say that those who believe and receive Jesus Christ as their personal savior experience a spiritual birth, become children of God, and are transformed by the Holy Spirit, who indwells them to do good works.³ In order to understand what the Bible says on a subject, identify and study related verses in their context, and one or more truths consistent with the verses will emerge. Sometimes I cannot see how to reconcile what appears to be conflicting verses, but in every case, with continued prayerful study, I have found that the problem was with my personal views or lack of knowledge. In this way, consistent answers can be discovered.

3. There must be a commitment to pursue the truth as revealed in the Bible without cultural, religious, or personal bias. I believe that, in some cases, selected Bible verses are used to support a point of view while other verses are ignored. This is the basis for some denominational differences.

4. In some cases, the truths revealed are clear; in others, there is partial revelation. Some of the subjects in the Bible, like the creation of the world, predestination, and the atoning death of Christ, cannot be completely understood and thus remain as mysteries beyond human understanding. However, the Bible does reveal sufficient details on these and other mysteries that show God’s plan and purpose for our lives.

5. The meaning of scriptures as discussed in this book is based solely on the New International Version (NIV). My objective is not to debate the merits of various translations. The NIV is a widely used and understandable translation. I will leave it to Bible scholars to argue the most accurate translations to the English language.

The Bible says that those who are perishing (going to hell), consider it to be nonsense or incomprehensible, while those who are saved find it to be a source of truth and life.⁴ How can this be? The answer lies in the most profound and precious experience that there is in this life: a spiritual birth.

Humans are creatures comprised of body, mind, and spirit.⁵ Humans are living in a world that is influenced by forces of good and evil. The presence of evil in and around us has resulted in a broken relationship with God. Man has not always been in this broken relationship with God as can be seen with Adam and Eve’s relationship with God before they chose to experience evil. God walked and talked with them.⁶ It was after they sinned that their experience of God and knowledge of God was diminished and they were driven from the Garden of Eden.⁷

This diminished knowledge and experience of God grew as mankind chose to experience different types of evil. The result is that mankind has become separated from God and does not understand or even seek after Him.⁸ Indeed, we have all sinned, offended God, and are headed for eternal punishment and separation from Him.⁹

Fortunately, God has taken the initiative to restore a relationship with him. Because he is a higher being and is the offended party, restoration is on his terms. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:22 that forgiveness of sins requires the shedding of blood (death penalty). God made it possible for mankind to be restored through the death of Jesus Christ upon the cross. Jesus offered himself as a substitute for the death penalty we all deserve because of our sins. When he completed this work, he said, It is finished.¹⁰ Man cannot add or subtract from it. Each person must decide whether to believe and receive it by faith.¹¹ Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life, no man can come to the Father (God) except by me.¹²

Jesus said that unless a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. How is this accomplished? It is by believing you are a sinner and that Jesus died for your sins, and by calling upon Jesus to be your savior.¹³ It is by this earnest plea of faith in Jesus Christ alone that it is possible to become a child of God and experience a spiritual birth. Good deeds cannot restore our relationship with God.¹⁴

What then is the role of religion and good works? The answer to this and many other common questions are found in this book.

Cited Abbreviations

A Full and Meaningful Life

Life is full of routines like sleeping, eating, and working, with occasional milestones such as marriage, birth, and death. Seasons and years come and go. Even special events like vacations and holidays can become repetitious, less exciting, and less meaningful as we grow older. So how can we live a full and meaningful life?

There are three common approaches that consume most of our time, talents, and energy. One approach is the pursuit of material things. Americans are in love with having a modern home, late model cars, lots of clothes, a wide variety of food, and as many new electronic gadgets as possible. The desire for more and better things has resulted in a throwaway society where new is better, savings are low, and debt is high. The cost and quantity of things that are accumulated measure success.

There are two problems with the pursuit of material things. First, possessions tend to possess the possessor. The more you have, the more there is to take care of and worry about. I think about this whenever I cut and fertilize the lawn, wash the cars, and clean the house. Things break down and this is a continuing source of headaches and frustration.

Second, things and wealth that are accumulated are left behind when death occurs. Therefore, others benefit from your hard work to accumulate things. This can be good or bad depending on whether the inheritors are appreciative and wise in using the wealth passed on to them. The bottom line is that man enters this world with nothing and takes nothing out of it, so it is not true that the one who dies with the most things, wins.

The second popular philosophy of life is the pursuit of pleasures to experience life to the fullest. This results in a lifestyle that seeks self-gratification through traveling, multiple sexual partners, drugs, new restaurants, new electronic gadgets and entertainment forms seeking excitement and pleasures that are fleeting. There is no lasting satisfaction in this approach and it leads to frustration. Most people do not have enough time or money to experience all the possible places, people, food and things that life has to offer. Indeed, even if it were possible to have unlimited wealth, there would always be places and things beyond our experience due to the limits of the human life span.

A full life cannot be measured by the quantity, but rather by the quality of one’s relationships with others and with God. The Apostle Paul, after having been beaten, ship-wrecked and thrown into prison, wrote that he had lived a full life and was content in whatever situation he found himself.¹⁵ Paul said that as long as he had Jesus, he could do anything through the strength of God’s presence and power.¹⁶

A third popular pursuit is to leave a legacy. Living for family, fame, or fortune may be noble, but it is ultimately futile. Family members and human relationships seldom turn out the way we like. Fame and fortune dwindle over time, and facts are frequently altered to meet political, cultural, or religious objectives. King Solomon was among the most powerful and wealthy rulers of his day. During his rule, the kingdom of Israel reached its largest expanse and many surrounding kings paid tribute to him. His reputation for wisdom spread far and wide and prompted the Queen of Sheba to travel to see him.¹⁷ He had vast wealth and wisdom. He tried all of life’s pursuits but, in the end, found them all to be meaningless vanity like he was chasing after the wind.¹⁸ He concluded that the best that man could hope for was to find satisfaction in labor, do good works, and fear God.¹⁹ This is the best that man can hope for without a saving relationship with Jesus, who said that abundant and meaningful life comes from knowing him as one’s personal savior.²⁰

Discussion Questions

1. What would your first impulse be if you had unlimited money?

2. After careful thought and prayer, what should you do if you had unlimited money?

3. What is the difference between your first impulse (i.e. would) and your second choice (i.e. should)?

4. Have you ever thought or prayed something like "Dear God, if you would somehow make it possible for me