Why should I avoid sin if I know God will forgive me?  

We see Paul tackle this question in Romans 6:1-4. Here, Paul tells us that being saved by Christ means that our old selves were also put to death, and that our new life was given so that we may live a life with Christ now! Think of it this way—if you were rescued from a burning building, would you turn around and run back in so that you could be saved again? No way! Rather, we are to be a people that breathe in the clean air of Christ, not the smoke-filled air of our sinful past.   

– Captain Ross Anderson, St. Paul, MN

Are there unforgivable sins?

We find Jesus Himself answers our question on unforgivable sin in Mark 3:28-29 (NIV), “Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”  Here, Jesus states that all sins can be forgiven with one exception—blaspheming against the Holy Spirit. This is seeing God in action and ascribing His work as the work of Satan. This isn’t confusion, but rather deliberately saying that the things of God are a product of total evil.

– Captain Ross Anderson, St. Paul, MN

Why is it important to lament? Are there Biblical examples that help show me the way?

If you have ever experienced the liberating feeling of the “ugly cry,” you know why lament is important! It is a prayer that gives voice to pain and suffering. We cry over what is broken within us and in the world around us. We call on God for deliverance, justice and mercy. We put difficult questions before God: Why?  How long? Where are You? The most famous lament of the Bible comes from Jesus on the cross and is a recitation of Psalm 22—one of 60 Psalms of lament!  He cries in Matthew 27:46 (NIV),“My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?” Like Christ, we can trust God even with our darkest feelings. We can tell God everything that is wrong with the world. And we can trust God to respond to our need for Him in our darkest hour.  In the process, we open the door to His grace and healing.

– Captain Chris Welch, Torre Pellice, Italy