I find it unfortunate that our language is so vague.
It is however the only language that I know.
It is also difficult to communicate with only words as in this forum.
That is why I prefer to get a phone call to getting E-mail.
There is so much communicated with body language and voice tone.
The use of the word "faith" is unfortunate - as once in English
it meant "the faith" - meaning the Christian faith.
In fact one of the titles for the Queen of England to this day is
"Defender of the Faith"
In Canada we have been sold a bag of tricks call "multi-culturalism"
We are "supposed to" accept all men of all religions as being equally valid.
Your original post seemed to me to be of that concept.
I was trying to convey that it is not a logically viable position.
Many people today say that whatever you "beleive" is "true for you"
People have lost touch with a faith that is based in "reality"
Something can now be true for someone and yet false for someone else.
If you said something was whatever color you wanted to believe it was
you would soon find yourself in a coat that buttons up in the back...
but when it comes to religion - oh oh that is just fine...
You see - today "faith" is just a nice and warm fuzzy set of beliefs
that make you feel better about the human condition but have nothing
to do with real life - real life is not bothering anyone about issues of "faith"
I am glad that you admit that you do not have "faith"
Faith is not believing.
Faith is much more than simply believing...
Look at what James said:
James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God;
thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
James was pointing out that even though the devils knew full well
who Christ adn God were - they were not saved by that "belief"
James was trying to show that "believing alone" is not true faith.
There were many times that the demons cried out about who Christ was
before and of the people figured it out - Christ always told them
to keep silent - here is one example:
Mark 1:23 ¶ And there was in their synagogue a man
with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee,
thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us?
I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
Evem though these demons KNOW (more powerful than simple "belief")
who Jesus is - it is not saving faith - they are lost beings.
Even Jude mentions that there were "church members" in that day
who would never see heaven and who were not saved:
Jude 1:12 These are spots in your feasts of charity,
when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear:
clouds they are without water, carried about of winds;
trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead,
plucked up by the roots;
13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame;
wandering stars,
to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
These men will never see heaven although they believed in God
and had joined the church of Christ in those days...
All religions use the English word "faith" when referring to
"religious belief" but Faith is much different.
I think inside of me I always "believed" in God although I used
to say I didn't and argued for evolution and aethism at one point.
I believed in God but had no clue what "faith" was until God
Himself gave it to me - I was not looking for God
in fact I was "hiding and fighting against" the truth tooth and nail.
I am not a Christian because I chose to be - I did not "decide"
Christ moved upon me through the Holy Spirit and I came unglued.
The fight within me became unbearable shame for sin.
When I realized that I would have been one of those glad to
see Christ crucified and that it was He who was giving His
life to save my sorry and worthless butt - I had no where to run.
When Christ was crucified - God ordained that 2 other miserable
criminals would be crucified that same day with Him.
One on his Left and one on His right hand side.
The crowd was loud and mocking Christ liek angry dogs..
mobs are such good examples of just how depraved the human race
really is...
These 2 doomed souls joined in the fun...look:
Luke 23:32 ¶ And there were also two other, malefactors,
led with him to be put to death.
33 And when they were come to the place, which is called
Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors,
one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know
not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also
with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him
save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him,
and offering him vinegar,
37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
38 And a superscription also was written over him in
letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING
OF THE JEWS.
39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on
him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying,
Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of
our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou
comest into thy kingdom.
43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee,
To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
What was it that made one of the thieves "come to his senses"
while the other cursed God even to the bitter end?
They both "deserved to die" as do we all for our sins
but one of them Christ saved - caused him to call out for
Christ to onlhy remember him expecting nothing
Yet Christ granted to him the gift of eternal life.
Did this fellow "believe his way into heaven'?
That is ridiculous - yet taught by most - no all this fellow
did was hang there dying and recieve a gift he could never earn
The gift of eternal life and forgiveness in Christ Jesus
the Son of God - the just one who died for the unjust:
This is what Paul said of the death of Christ:
Romans 5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die:
yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that,
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
To know Christ is to have eternal life to know "about" Christ
is as common as the common cold.
Everyone knows about Christ - even the Muslims
Those who receive Christ as saviour however - "know Him"
as the one who gave His life to save theirs.
Brian |
