Thursday, September 09, 2004
saved?
Yesterday, I spoke of being “saved.” To live with Jesus now and for eternity. Why do I need Jesus? For the forgiveness of my sin. So, if I do not trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of my sin, I don’t receive the benefit of his forgiveness. It’s not that he doesn’t want me to receive his forgiveness; he just won’t force me to accept it. The forgiveness made possible through Jesus is the greatest sign of his love. However, he will not force his love on me. I do not worship an abusive “lover.”
So, there are three types of people in the world today. Those who trust in Jesus and receive his forgiveness. Those who know about Jesus but don’t trust in him and therefore don’t choose his forgiveness. Those who don’t know anything about Jesus.
So what about being saved? I think the overall message of the Bible goes like this. Group one is saved. Group two chooses not to be saved. Jesus could give them his love even they don’t want it, but, I would argue, the Bible is clear he is not one to force his affections. Group three is a mystery to me, and mercy for them may be based on something else (see Romans 2:14-16). In any case, he will decide.
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About Me
- Dana
- Pastor from LIFEhouse Church in Northridge CA, focusing on the theme, "How To Be A Christian Without Being A Jerk."
1 comment:
andy says...
i really like this one. granted i am a christian. but another way i have heard it said is that if you can be saved outside of jesus than, "christ died for nothing". to say i don't need Jesus is really like saying I don't need what you did for me, i have another way of becoming right with God. yes this is a choice, but your choice is a response to what Jesus did.
i guess it might be narrow considering all other religions that are out there with sincere (but possibley wrong) believers, but it is not narrow considering the fact that Jesus died for everyone. He didn't discriminate according to race, gender, religion etc... indeed it is a very wide way because anyone can believe in Jesus and in fact God loved the whole world (actually cosmos) so He sent His Son to save it.
the bottom line is either jesus died and rose again from the grave as he purported to do or he didn't. these are the truth claims made by the Christian faith. if he did we have to take the claims he made (he did claim to be the way the truth and the life and that no one can go to God apart from Him John 14:6)seriously and either reject or accept them.
to say i have another way other than Jesus is to say i don't believe jesus died for me, or to say i don't care about the truth, or i don't want to be saddled with what believing in Jesus would mean for me life.
you could honestly say i don't believe it happened and that it is all a myth, but then you have to consider the historical evidence that points to his death on the cross, and also all the proofs that would point to His resurrection (ie. the growth of the church, disciples wouldn't have died for a lie, no body which would have destroyed the myth instantly). Okay I'm rambling a little bit, but the bottom line is that Jesus is the only way is a logical position based on historical fact.
To say all roads lead to God if someone sincerely believes they are right in their belief system, is basically saying that you can come to conclusions about truth and reality based on emotion not logic.
You make the call!
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