Posted on 03/15/2021 8:08:26 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
A man was on a bridge, intending to jump and end his life. Another man saw him and cried out, "Don't do it! God loves you. Do you believe in God?" The conversation then went on like this:
First man: "Yes."
Second man: "Are you a Christian or a Jew?"
First man: "A Christian."
Second man: "Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?"
First man: "Protestant."
Second man: "Me, too! What franchise?"
First man: "Baptist."
Second man: “Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?"
First man: "Northern Baptist."
Second man: “Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?"
First man: "Northern Conservative Baptist."
Second man: "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?"
First man: "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region."
Second man: "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?"
First man: "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912."
There was then a slight pause, after which the second man shouted "Die heretic!" and pushed the first man off the bridge.
Maybe it’s Premillennialism vs. Amillennialism. Or Arminianism vs. Calvinism. Or young earth vs. old earth. Or ransom theory of Christ’s atonement vs. penal-substitution.
Take your pick, debates and divisions occur all the time in Christianity over matters of doctrinal belief. But when it comes to true saving faith, is there a must-have set of things a person must believe to be saved?
Moreover, once you settle on what a person must accept to be a Christian, then you’re staring the next question right in the face: why do you believe that? And then comes the final question: what difference does that make in your life?
THE BEDROCK OF BELIEF
When it comes to what teachings a person must hold to be saved, the answer isn’t as hard as you might imagine. While there are a number of doctrines that form the foundation of Christianity, they all contribute to one high-level belief.
What does a person have to believe in order to be a Christian? They must believe the Gospel.
Young earth vs. old earth? That doesn’t matter for salvation.
Pre-mill vs. post-mill vs. a-mill? That also doesn’t matter for salvation.
When I was saved at age 19, I had no deep understanding of the divinity of Jesus, the inspiration of Scripture, the virgin birth, creation out of nothing, etc. But what I did get was John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
In a very real sense, my experience was like the tax collector Jesus describes in Luke: “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ I tell you, this man went to his house justified” (18:13-14).
Of course, understanding all the doctrines that contribute to and support the Gospel message (e.g. divinity of Christ, inspiration of Scripture, etc.) are vitally important, but a deep understanding of them typically comes later for most people as the Holy Spirit teaches them through God’s Word and via great Bible teachers. But as for the Ground Zero of saving faith, the Gospel message is it.
WHY DO YOU BELIEVE THAT?
So, the Gospel is what we believe to be saved, but why do we believe that? What are the necessary and sufficient conditions that make believing the gospel message credible?
Just like the answer to what a person must believe to be a Christian is simple to understand, the response to the question of why a person is justified for believing in the Gospel is equally straightforward. When anyone asks me why I am a Christian, I tell them it’s because:
1. God exists.
2. Jesus exists and He rose from the dead.
That’s it.
If those two truth claims are correct, then Christianity is true and all other teachings opposed to it are false. Like with the Gospel message, of course there are a lot of supportive teachings, questions, facts, and more behind the existence and identity of God, His Son, and the Resurrection. But from a high-level perspective, when everything is boiled down to the absolute essentials as to why Christianity is true, these are it.
SO WHAT?
This leads to our final questions of, so what? If the gospel message is true, and the core reasons for believing it are correct, what difference does that make in our lives?
It means, as C. S. Lewis wrote, “You have never met a mere mortal.”
Surprisingly, the ones who have best articulated the answer to the “so what” question of Christianity are the atheistic existentialist philosophers. For example, Nietzsche had the courage to admit that the rejection of God ends in nihilism. Another, Jean-Paul Sartre, well describes existence without God with the chosen title of his book Nausea and the portrayal of life as “an empty bubble floating on a sea of nothingness”.
Sartre’s study partner, Albert Camus, tells us in “An Absurd Reasoning” (contained in The Myth of Sisyphus: And Other Essays) that a God-less life leads to there being “only one really serious philosophical question, and this is suicide. Judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy.”
It’s what Daryl on The Walking Dead calls “opting out”.
But life with God? Then we have actual purpose and meaning in life, real moral values, a path worth living, and the promise of eternity where “God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new”” (Rev. 21:3-5).
So, in the end, the answers to some seemingly weighty questions about Christianity and belief are relatively simple.
What do you have to believe to be a Christian? The Gospel.
Why is the Gospel worthy of belief? Because God exists, Jesus exists, and Christ rose from the dead.
Why does all this matter? It gives us true purpose, an objective moral path to follow, and meaning in this life as well as glorifying God both now and in eternity.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robin Schumacher is an accomplished software executive and Christian apologist who has written many articles, authored and contributed to several Christian books, appeared on nationally syndicated radio programs, and presented at apologetic events. He holds a BS in Business, Master's in Christian apologetics and a Ph.D. in New Testament. His latest book is, A Confident Faith: Winning people to Christ with the apologetics of the Apostle Paul.
Your primitive understanding of the use of the word ‘dead’ by James seems to be strongly imprinted. The word used by James does not mean the same as our English usage; the term dead works refers to inactive faith not to non-existent faith. Try some other phrasing from your seventh day adventist cult, that one is no-functioning.
dead.
νεκρά (nekra)
Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong’s Greek 3498: (a) adj: dead, lifeless, subject to death, mortal, (b) noun: a dead body, a corpse. From an apparently primary nekus; dead.
“Jim, it’s dead”
Might I suggest that you call teacher and prophet, Andy Woods, and ask him what this month’s talking points are on this subject?
Exactly. It’s not the hearers, but the doers, etc...
One more time, cultist, what did Jesus mean when He told His disciples to 'let the dead go bury the dead'? That really should not be too hard for even you, cultist, but even with this thrid or fourth repeat of the question to you you remain ignorant by choice.
Going deeper,an Angel cannot 'get saved' for it cannot use faith for it sees factual reality. A fallen angel is one who has chosen to rebel to God's sovereignty. Such an entity does not salvation open to them. So your way of posing your syllogism is faulty. It is a mistake in reasoning we all commit at one time or another.
The more important point is that when you believe with your heart, you get born again by God's action not your own. And once born from above it is GOD who then abides in the born again spirit, irrevocably. see 1 John 3:9
but even with this thrid or fourth repeat of the question to you you remain ignorant by choice.
Did you ask me this before? If so, where?
Answer the question, adventist. I don’t believe you can answer that question. It is beyond the spiritual vision you might even try to access. You cannot even remember the times before when I have asked you this question and you did not answer it. The wrong spirit is infecting your mind, adventist.
First, you say you have asked me. Where was that?
It is sad that rather than allow truth to seep into your mind, you choose to play games of fraudulent gotcha and where's waldo. Waldo won't answer for you.
do you think I can’t answer that question?
The spirit in you cannot answer truthfully. I don’t doubt you could twist up a response, but The Truth is not in you
Hebrews 10
26For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
This goes to what CS Lewis called “Mere Christianity. What all these various denominations believe at the core — that Jesus IS God Himself.
There are groups outside of this designation such as mormons who think Jesus became the god of this world (and if you’re holy enough you get to be the god of your own world) and Jehovah’s Witnesses who even change the bible in places like John 1:1 to say ‘the word was A god’.
Notice how John starts right off the bat with the deity of Christ.
People think that as long as you have a relationship, an experience of Jesus, then you’re saved. But claiming to have enough of a relationship with God and then denying Who He is aint gonna fool God.
One more time, cultist, what did Jesus mean when He told His disciples to ‘let the dead go bury the dead’? That really should not be too hard for even you, cultist, but even with this thrid or fourth repeat of the question to you you remain ignorant by choice.
You have never asked me that question. But, here’s the last 6 you did ask me. Maybe you were dumping on Cronos and you thought it was me? Or, you have dementia (most likely).
Jehovah’s Witnesses Leader: COVID-19 Signals the “Last Day of the Last Days” rapture
Post 618: Now answer me this, cultist Where is The Holy Spirit abiding during the Age of the Building of the Body of Christ Ekklesia? [HINT: 1 John 3:9]
Post 424: Tell me Phil, do you know why the Restrainer must be taken out of the way before the antichrist can be revealed, coming with all signs and lying wonders? (2 Thess 2:6&7)
Post 421: Phil, think about an answer: Can your flesh -which is your body and behavior mechanism- commit sin after your death upon this earth?... So as long as the flesh is alive IT CAN SIN AND DOES. But the actions of the ‘dead to sin’ flesh cannot effect the abiding God Seed in your born again spirit, if it be that you have been born again.
Post 133: So nzme the Restrainer. Then tell us what He is restraining and why. Go one teacher, since you cannot find the false statement you keep posting as if from The Word of God (sved by faith judged by the law?) since you are totally unable to see the abject contradiction in your cultish assertion. Tell us the name of the Restrainer and what He is restraining for the sake of the Body of Christ Believers.
Post 126: Do you understand why there is therefore now no condemnation for those in Christ? You read the answer if you read the 1 John letter verse by verse, because the answer is stated by John at 1 John 3:9. That saying by John conflicts with your carnal misuse of the other verses. Read 1 John 3:9 and let the Restrainer illuminate your soul.
Post 126: You attempt to post word search passages as if you have found your desired gotchas. Look at the passages of 2 Thess 2. Do you know Who is The Restrainer? Can you guess what He is restraining such that when H e is taken out of the way the antiChrist is revealed? Specifically, what is The Restrainer restraining? How does satan come when he is no longer held back after God removes The Body of Christ Believers?
Come out of that seventh day adventist cult which is strangling your soul.
And one more timeL What did Jesus mean when He told the disciples to 'let the dead go bury the dead?' If you answer that truthfully you will see that the word 'dead' as used by James can definitely mean non functioning, non-functioning, not non-existent. But then to understand the truth therein you would need to be seeking the Turth James is teaching, rather than the cultish deceit you've settled upon to believe.
Son of God
Born of a Virgin
Nature as Lord Divinely revealed
Crucified as Lamb of God for our sins
Rose from the dead and appeared to witnesses
I know of churches that believe this and recite this every week and STILL : 1) Do not believe that the Bible is the word of God ( it CONTAINS but, but large portions are not inspired by the Holy Spirit ); 2) Believe that the homosexual relationship is not sinful and gay marriage can be solemnized.
Let me cite the Ten Commandments, the Law of Moses, from Chapter 20 of Exodus KJV:
Commandment Number One
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Commandment Number Two
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Commandment Number Three
7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Commandment Number Four
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Commandment Number Five
12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Commandment Number Six
13 Thou shalt not kill.
Commandment Number Seven
14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Commandment Number Eight
15 Thou shalt not steal.
Commandment Number Nine
16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Commandment Number Ten
17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
In your list, Commandment Number Two (Graven Images) from the Law of Moses is completely missing.
In your list, Commandment Number Ten (Covetness) from the Law of Moses is split and is presented as two commandments, nine and ten.
Why is this so?
Good post — Thank you.
You are correct — Works do not earn salvation.
Christian works follow the event of becoming a Christian and as James says, “I will show you my faith *BY* my works.”
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