My dear readers,

Answering Remaining Questions from Calvary Pandan Church Camp 2024 (8)

Question 1: Is saying "O my goodness" wrong?

Answer 1: Exclamations are common in the present-day language. But believers are not common people, are they? They represent Jesus Christ, their Lord and Saviour, the Son of God and the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world! Therefore, they must speak with careful consideration so as not to damage or diminish the holy Name of Christ that they bear. Jesus warns the oath-makers in His time in Matthew 5:33-37 with, “³³ Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: ³⁴ But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: ³⁵ Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. ³⁷ But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”

The Jews knew that they must not make an oath in the name of the LORD. To do so would be breaking the Third Commandment, “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain.” (cf. Exod 20:7). Thus, they replaced their oath-making with “heaven”, “earth”, “Jerusalem” and even their own head! When oaths were made in these other “names”, God’s holy name was not tarnished and it would not result in a severe penalty from the LORD. That was why Jesus said that the child of God must always say what he means and mean what he says. In this manner of truthfulness, he will surely keep all his oaths when he makes them.

Is not an exclamation like an oath? There was no goodness in every believer until the good God Almighty saved him in Christ Jesus and made him good to do good works. Ephesians 2:8-10: “⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” The goodness in us is of God in Christ. Therefore, when we exclaim, “O my goodness!” are we not indirectly or euphemistically exclaiming “O my God!” since the goodness in a believer comes from God?

The believer can use many different words to exclaim his emotions. It is best not to use “O my goodness” as this might stumble others regardless of how well-intentioned we might be.

Question 2: Where was God before the creation of the heaven and the earth?

Answer 2: Genesis 1:1 reveals the beginning of time. Genesis 1:1-2: “¹ In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. ² And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” Time as we know it did not exist until God created the heaven and the earth. This revelation teaches us that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (i.e. the Trinity) existed before time existed in the universe and on earth. The Trinity was where they were supposed to be before creation.

Question 3: When we go to heaven, can we see God in person? Or would He exist as a Holy Spirit?

Answer 3: God the Father is Spirit, and so is God the Holy Spirit. They are described as “spirit” because a spirit does not have a corporeal form. They cannot be seen. God the Father and God the Holy Spirit are two different Persons within the Godhead. God the Father does not sometimes appear as the Holy Spirit, as this was a serious error taught in the Third Century A.D. known as modalism or Sabellianism. The Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ, but that does mean that He is not His own distinct Person. Romans 8:8-9: “⁸ So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. ⁹ But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

The Holy Spirit is the third Person in the Godhead.

Question 4: Are there female angels? Or are angels only male?

Answer 4: There are no female angels in the Bible, as the gender of the angels mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments are masculine. The words “seraphim” and “cherubim” are masculine plural, just like “Baalim.” The Greek word for angel “angelos” is also masculine in gender.

Question 5: Can a Christian visit Haw Par Villa to learn about hell as taught by the Chinese?

Answer 5: Many places worldwide, past (from archaeological diggings) and present, depict many versions of heaven and hell. As long as the believer knows the truth from the Holy Scriptures, he can go to every place with discernment in his heart. The question is whether it is expedient for him to do so, and if he were to go, would he commit the sin of stumbling?

There are many places that a believer should not enter because these places are evil, like casinos, gambling dens and bars or clubs where the sins of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life are inflamed. But if the believer is a fireman and these places are on fire, he must enter them to extinguish the fire.

The believer is to be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove. He knows all the evils and pitfalls in the world to avoid and yet be harmless by helping all sinners and sharing Christ with them. He must never become like the world, not even in the slightest, and he must not hurt anyone deliberately! The Lord has sent believers into the world as sheep among wolves. He knows that the wolves will devour their holy witness whenever possible. What can he learn by entering a place like Haw Par Villa that could not be learned through the Internet? If what I wish to learn could be obtained from the Internet, it would be wiser not to enter the place. For example, if I want to listen to the message of a Charismatic pastor, I do not need to go to his church nowadays. It saves time and avoids the possibility of stumbling others who might inadvertently see me entering that church and following my example, and he falls into sin because of it.

The believer’s salvation is secure in Christ. But his holy witness will be compromised if he succumbs to temptation and falls into sin. Every believer’s God-given responsibility and duty is to protect the holy name of Christ that he carries everywhere he goes. He must stay away from sin and sinful places. The teaching from God is evident in 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22: “²¹ Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. ²² Abstain from all appearance of evil.” Believers are to “prove”, i.e. “test”, all things and see if they should stay away, or participate in fellowship, or rebuke. If in doubt, abstain. The holy name of Christ is to be protected by all believers at all costs.

As Paul testified, he surrendered his personal preferences and rights for the sake of Christ and the believers' spiritual well-being, and would never stumble anyone, including sinners. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23: “¹⁹ For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. ²⁰ And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; ²¹ To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. ²² To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. ²³ And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.”