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I think one picture will explain easier than many words, how christianity sees tri-unity of God.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity#/media/File:Shield-Trinity-Scutum-Fidei-English.svg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity#/media/File:Shield-Trinity-Scutum-Fidei-English.svg
Hmm! Why don't you ask some hard questions?
Muslims believe that Jesus was just a man. But he was a perfect man, and he will return at the end of time. He is NOT a Saviour, in the Christian sense of saving people from their sins, but a good and perfect man.
Hinduism - 300 million gods. A very good reason to avoid that religion.
Buddhists do not believe Buddha was a god, but the first man to find the path of enlightenment. You know, the 8 fold path. There are several branches of Buddhism, and some, like Tibetan do seem to believe in a heaven and hell, and some kind of God or gods. Pureland Buddhism does believe in a god, as well as heaven and hell. But most of the main branches do not believe in any kind of God.The afterlife consists of returning to the bardo, where they are reassigned to their next life, having failed to achieve enlightenment in this life. Buddhist reincarnation is very complex, with the soul dividing and going into different bodies to learn the lessons it failed to learn in this life. Kind of an endless string of lives, while trying to climb out of the sin hole by yourself. So much better to just look to Christ, who was perfect, God and died for our sins. And rose again, of course! Hallelujah!
But hey, I took World Religions in my Master of Divinity, too. So maybe I am cheating! Besides, if I really wanted to cheat, I am sure I could just google these things on-line.
As Christians, we do need to be aware of what the claims and beliefs of other religions are if we are to be witnesses to Christ. I know there are people who believe presuppositionally that we only need the Bible, but I don't agree with that method of apologetics, although it may work well for some people.
Anyway, back to Jesus - and Easter Sunday!
I was going to ask you if you go to websites of the other major religions and ask questions, but your Islamic bent is really showing. Instead of pretending you are asking a "friend" who is a Muslim, it would be more honest and ethical to admit you are a Muslim and then ask questions.
But of course, that is not why you are here. You are here to try and show us that we are wrong. That a religion invented by a man, 600 years after Christ died and rose again, with the Qur'an dictated to his scribes on sheets of paper and leaves, is somehow more right than the compilation of the Bible, from 2000 BC to 90 AD.
And that those supposed "words of God" in the Qur'an were gathered up by one sect of Muslims and burned! The supposed actual word of God were burned - because there were so many different versions in exisitance, and the sect that won out wanted everything to be the same. Smart idea, except for the fact that too many people knew about the burning, and the people in charge who were trying to manipulate everything.
I wrote you a three page letter explaining the doctrine of the Trinity in theological terms, and you didn't even reply. That also tells me you are a troll, and you were just challenging me. Like in the other posts where you challenged me.
Well, kudos you made it this far without getting banned. But taking away the kudos for lying. But I guess the Qur'an says it is ok to lie to non-Muslims, so you are just living the unethical lie of Islam.
I'm so out of here! Happy Easter, anyway!
You are correct Sister.............
This one, as others who sometimes pass by, will not accept what is said, or understand what is said. That is actually Scriptural.............This demand that we answer "LOGICALLY" is a trick of the deceiver.
1 Corinthians 1:18) For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
19 .) For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
20 .) Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 .) For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
22 .) For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
23 .) But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24 .) But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
25 .) Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
This one, as others who sometimes pass by, will not accept what is said, or understand what is said. That is actually Scriptural.............This demand that we answer "LOGICALLY" is a trick of the deceiver.
1 Corinthians 1:18) For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
19 .) For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
20 .) Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 .) For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
22 .) For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
23 .) But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24 .) But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
25 .) Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Hi DanishDenmark! Okay. I read through this thread and brought some of the questions you had together in one post, hoping that the answers, strung together, might help you to sort out what you seek 
.
Please note that Christianity is not an illogical belief system, but it does require faith. Not a lot of faith, just that of a mustard seed, ha. But it's where you PUT that faith that matters!
I think the key for you might be in grasping the reality of the Deity, or God-hood, of Christ. How can God become a man? How can a man be God? Why does it matter?
Great questions. Going back to the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were told that if they ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they would die. They did eat from that tree, and lived pretty long lives after that - but spiritually, they died that day. God promised that He would send a Redeemer one day, however, and they had His Promise in which to put their faith.
Why couldn't God just forgive our sins? Because death is the payment for sin. Physical death also entered the world, which was affected on every level by the corruption that sin brings, and in a way, physical death for us is mercy from God - to be able to leave this fallen world. But where your eternity is spent - that is where what we choose to put our faith in matters in the here and now. Will you have life eternally or death eternally (there are different schools of thought on what eternal death is, but let us not delve into that for now)?
You wrote,"Why can't God just forgive our sins. Why did Jesus who was innocent be killed for our crimes. If God is just, he must punish us not any innocent !!"
God didn't punish an innocent. He Himself came to earth as a man, conceived by His Spirit in the womb of a woman (human). Since He was not conceived by the seed of a man (through which sin comes, according to Scripture, see Romans 5), He was the first man born in the image of God. Every man born after Adam (who was created in the image of God) was born in the image of Adam, who had by then fallen into sin (see Genesis 5:1-3) - sinful by nature. Jesus, at His birth, was fully God and fully man. As such, He was able to GIVE HIMSELF willingly to pay for the sins of mankind. Yes, He was innocent, but it was not God punishing an innocent for the sins of the guilty, but God Himself - Offering Himself - for the sins of the guilty.
From what you've written throughout this thread, you seem to understand the concept of justice. If you're examining Islam as well as Christianity, Buddhism, and other isms, you're familiar with the punishment for the sins of the sinner, or Karma, or repetitions of life until one 'gets it right', yes?
Justice does not get shorted in Christianity, either, but the element in Christianity that is left out of all other religious systems is the concepts of MERCY and GRACE. Mercy is not getting what you deserve, and Grace is receiving what you haven't earned.
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (from Ephesians 2)
God satisfies His justice (think of all the victims of sinful acts against them and the earth that cry out for justice for crimes against them) by offering Himself - sinless and perfect - and taking our sins upon Himself and punishing them in His own Body:
Our 'work' is to believe - put our faith in - in the Person, Godhood and Work of Christ: His Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension, and His Perfect, Permanent High Priesthood where He ever lives to intercede on our behalf. In Him is the Forgiveness of sins, the Gift of His Righteousness, and the Gift of New Life.
See above about how God Himself came as a man.
Scripture says that 'life is in the blood' (see Leviticus 17:11), so the shedding of one's blood proves death, and sin is punishable by death. The wages of sin is not repentance, but death (see Romans 6:23). It is by putting our faith in Christ's Work (His Death, Resurrection, Ascension, and High Priesthood) on our behalf that we are saved. Repentance, Biblically defined, is the changing of one's mind and heart concerning a matter. When you change your mind about who you are, Who Christ is and what He did on your behalf, and then PUT YOUR FAITH in Whose Work you now understand to be true - then you receive His Forgiveness, Righteousness, and New Life - Salvation/Eternal Life.
And that is what this is all about - not heaven, necessarily, but Eternal Life.
The Bible says there will be a new heaven and a new earth - we who are in Christ are destined to live as God intended for mankind to live - He will restore all things!
He can do so by taking upon Himself the sins which He is judging. He does this because of His great love, mercy, and grace. See above.
Nor should you follow blindly! I applaud your questions. I pray that as you examine the different belief systems before you that you are drawn to the Truth of the Gospel: That God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son [came in the flesh Himself as a man], that whoever would believe in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life (see John 3:16).
Every other belief system except the Gospel as laid out in the Scriptures requires that man earn his way to heaven. The Gospel of Grace tells us that Eternal Life is a gift through the Work of Christ on man's behalf - we only need to believe in Him.
Jesus said, "21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment."
No matter the sin, Jesus took the penalty for it. The only unforgivable sin is the sin of unbelief in Christ. And the question should also be asked - if one is truly in Christ and a New Creation, with a new heart, will they want to commit murder? No. When come into Christ, we are made new - new heart, new desires - we're different than we were. When we do sin, we're miserable, because we've acted in opposition to our New Creation nature. A true Christian, if they did commit murder, would be in agony over their act. And while they would - and should - suffer consequences on this earth if they did such a thing, they are still, in Christ, a forgiven person.
They looked forward with faith to God's Promises being fulfilled by the One He promised as their Redeemer after the Fall in the Garden.
The Blood of Christ is more than enough to provide forgiveness for all of the sins of the world:
Great question! Since God cannot die, He had to come as a man. Since man is not perfect (being born in the image of fallen Adam), no man could take the sins of the world upon himself. So God became man while still being God to accomplish the task at hand:
9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. (from Hebrews 2)
Romans 5 ties it all together nicely:
And 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 lays out the results of our salvation here on this earth:
I pray that I have been a good ambassador of the Gospel of reconciliation to you tonight. As you think through the above, don't be afraid to simply ask God to help you to understand His Truths.
I'm not always able to be on the forum due to a serious illness in our family, but feel free to PM me with any more questions you may have if you feel like I've been able to connect with you.
Grace and peace to you,
- JGIG
(Joyfully Growing In Grace)
.Please note that Christianity is not an illogical belief system, but it does require faith. Not a lot of faith, just that of a mustard seed, ha. But it's where you PUT that faith that matters!
I think the key for you might be in grasping the reality of the Deity, or God-hood, of Christ. How can God become a man? How can a man be God? Why does it matter?
Great questions. Going back to the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were told that if they ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they would die. They did eat from that tree, and lived pretty long lives after that - but spiritually, they died that day. God promised that He would send a Redeemer one day, however, and they had His Promise in which to put their faith.
Why couldn't God just forgive our sins? Because death is the payment for sin. Physical death also entered the world, which was affected on every level by the corruption that sin brings, and in a way, physical death for us is mercy from God - to be able to leave this fallen world. But where your eternity is spent - that is where what we choose to put our faith in matters in the here and now. Will you have life eternally or death eternally (there are different schools of thought on what eternal death is, but let us not delve into that for now)?
You wrote,"Why can't God just forgive our sins. Why did Jesus who was innocent be killed for our crimes. If God is just, he must punish us not any innocent !!"
God didn't punish an innocent. He Himself came to earth as a man, conceived by His Spirit in the womb of a woman (human). Since He was not conceived by the seed of a man (through which sin comes, according to Scripture, see Romans 5), He was the first man born in the image of God. Every man born after Adam (who was created in the image of God) was born in the image of Adam, who had by then fallen into sin (see Genesis 5:1-3) - sinful by nature. Jesus, at His birth, was fully God and fully man. As such, He was able to GIVE HIMSELF willingly to pay for the sins of mankind. Yes, He was innocent, but it was not God punishing an innocent for the sins of the guilty, but God Himself - Offering Himself - for the sins of the guilty.
From what you've written throughout this thread, you seem to understand the concept of justice. If you're examining Islam as well as Christianity, Buddhism, and other isms, you're familiar with the punishment for the sins of the sinner, or Karma, or repetitions of life until one 'gets it right', yes?
Justice does not get shorted in Christianity, either, but the element in Christianity that is left out of all other religious systems is the concepts of MERCY and GRACE. Mercy is not getting what you deserve, and Grace is receiving what you haven't earned.
4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. (from Titus 3)
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (from Ephesians 2)
As you can see in that second passage, Mercy and Grace work together when it comes to salvation. Let's look at a bit more of that Ephesians 2 passage which tells us what God gives us in addition to salvation by His Grace (what we receive that we have not earned nor do we deserve):
6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (from Ephesians 2)
God satisfies His justice (think of all the victims of sinful acts against them and the earth that cry out for justice for crimes against them) by offering Himself - sinless and perfect - and taking our sins upon Himself and punishing them in His own Body:
Has God dealt with the sins of the world?
Yes.
How many times did He deal with it?
Once.
Have your sins been judged?
Yes.
Where were they judged?
At the Cross.
What was the verdict?
Guilty.
What was the punishment?
Death.
Who took it?
Jesus.
How much of it?
All of it.
How much is left for you?
None. (quoted from Bob George's teaching, The New Covenant Explained - free audio download)
How many times did He deal with it?
Once.
Have your sins been judged?
Yes.
Where were they judged?
At the Cross.
What was the verdict?
Guilty.
What was the punishment?
Death.
Who took it?
Jesus.
How much of it?
All of it.
How much is left for you?
None. (quoted from Bob George's teaching, The New Covenant Explained - free audio download)
Our 'work' is to believe - put our faith in - in the Person, Godhood and Work of Christ: His Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension, and His Perfect, Permanent High Priesthood where He ever lives to intercede on our behalf. In Him is the Forgiveness of sins, the Gift of His Righteousness, and the Gift of New Life.
See above about how God Himself came as a man.
Scripture says that 'life is in the blood' (see Leviticus 17:11), so the shedding of one's blood proves death, and sin is punishable by death. The wages of sin is not repentance, but death (see Romans 6:23). It is by putting our faith in Christ's Work (His Death, Resurrection, Ascension, and High Priesthood) on our behalf that we are saved. Repentance, Biblically defined, is the changing of one's mind and heart concerning a matter. When you change your mind about who you are, Who Christ is and what He did on your behalf, and then PUT YOUR FAITH in Whose Work you now understand to be true - then you receive His Forgiveness, Righteousness, and New Life - Salvation/Eternal Life.
And that is what this is all about - not heaven, necessarily, but Eternal Life.
The Bible says there will be a new heaven and a new earth - we who are in Christ are destined to live as God intended for mankind to live - He will restore all things!
He can do so by taking upon Himself the sins which He is judging. He does this because of His great love, mercy, and grace. See above.
Nor should you follow blindly! I applaud your questions. I pray that as you examine the different belief systems before you that you are drawn to the Truth of the Gospel: That God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son [came in the flesh Himself as a man], that whoever would believe in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life (see John 3:16).
Every other belief system except the Gospel as laid out in the Scriptures requires that man earn his way to heaven. The Gospel of Grace tells us that Eternal Life is a gift through the Work of Christ on man's behalf - we only need to believe in Him.
Jesus said, "21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment."
No matter the sin, Jesus took the penalty for it. The only unforgivable sin is the sin of unbelief in Christ. And the question should also be asked - if one is truly in Christ and a New Creation, with a new heart, will they want to commit murder? No. When come into Christ, we are made new - new heart, new desires - we're different than we were. When we do sin, we're miserable, because we've acted in opposition to our New Creation nature. A true Christian, if they did commit murder, would be in agony over their act. And while they would - and should - suffer consequences on this earth if they did such a thing, they are still, in Christ, a forgiven person.
They believed in the One, True God. They believed in His Promises, which, according to Scripture, in Christ are all "Yes!"
For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. (from 2 Cor. 1:20)
They looked forward with faith to God's Promises being fulfilled by the One He promised as their Redeemer after the Fall in the Garden.
The Blood of Christ is more than enough to provide forgiveness for all of the sins of the world:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (from 1 John 2)
Great question! Since God cannot die, He had to come as a man. Since man is not perfect (being born in the image of fallen Adam), no man could take the sins of the world upon himself. So God became man while still being God to accomplish the task at hand:
. . . though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (from Philippians 4)
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. (from Colossians 2)
And in the flesh, the Man Who was also God - His body could be given over to death, while the eternal Spirit of God did not die, but overcame death in order to be able to give life to all who would believe in Him:
9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. (from Hebrews 2)
Romans 5 ties it all together nicely:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin,and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam,who is a pattern of the one to come.
15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners,so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin,and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam,who is a pattern of the one to come.
15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners,so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
And 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 lays out the results of our salvation here on this earth:
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
I pray that I have been a good ambassador of the Gospel of reconciliation to you tonight. As you think through the above, don't be afraid to simply ask God to help you to understand His Truths.
I'm not always able to be on the forum due to a serious illness in our family, but feel free to PM me with any more questions you may have if you feel like I've been able to connect with you.
Grace and peace to you,
- JGIG
(Joyfully Growing In Grace)
Yet we are exhorted thus:
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (from 1 Pet. 3)
What better day to share the Good News of the Work of Christ and what that means than on the day that we celebrate His Resurrection?!
-JGIG
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (from 1 Pet. 3)
What better day to share the Good News of the Work of Christ and what that means than on the day that we celebrate His Resurrection?!
-JGIG
So 19 posts into someone's query about the Gospel and you're done? Really?
When I was in the workplace, I and other believers discussed - at length - for YEARS - with co-workers about what we believed and why. Some came to faith in Christ, some didn't. And then years later, some who didn't then, eventually did! Not all, but way more than would have had we not been faithful to answer the questions they were asking us! And not all of their questions were genuine, but most of them were. Lots of material was gone over time and again. Patiently, lovingly, and with a good bit of humor at times
. And some of those seeds just took longer to 'take' than others.And it wasn't just our words which testified to the Work of Christ, but our actions, attitudes, work ethic, and how we served those around us - passengers (I worked for a major airline as as station agent) and co-workers alike. We prayed with people, were available to help when help was needed, offered encouragement, comfort, and sought to build others up whenever we could. Even those who didn't believe in Christ knew that we loved them - and that proved to as effective at communicating the Good News of the Work of Christ as any words we could offer.
Count it a privilege to be a piece of the puzzle in God's plan for someone's salvation. You may not get to see that final piece of belief be put into place - but be faithful to fill in the spot(s) God has for you to fill - loving well all who God puts in your path.
-JGIG
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So 19 posts into someone's query about the Gospel and you're done? Really?
When I was in the workplace, I and other believers discussed - at length - for YEARS - with co-workers about what we believed and why. Some came to faith in Christ, some didn't. And then years later, some who didn't then, eventually did! Not all, but way more than would have had we not been faithful to answer the questions they were asking us! And not all of their questions were genuine, but most of them were. Lots of material was gone over time and again. Patiently, lovingly, and with a good bit of humor at times. And some of those seeds just took longer to 'take' than others.
And it wasn't just our words which testified to the Work of Christ, but our actions, attitudes, work ethic, and how we served those around us - passengers (I worked for a major airline as as station agent) and co-workers alike. We prayed with people, were available to help when help was needed, offered encouragement, comfort, and sought to build others up whenever we could. Even those who didn't believe in Christ knew that we loved them - and that proved to as effective at communicating the Good News of the Work of Christ as any words we could offer.
Count it a privilege to be a piece of the puzzle in God's plan for someone's salvation. You may not get to see that final piece of belief be put into place - but be faithful to fill in the spot(s) God has for you to fill - loving well all who God puts in your path.
-JGIG
When I was in the workplace, I and other believers discussed - at length - for YEARS - with co-workers about what we believed and why. Some came to faith in Christ, some didn't. And then years later, some who didn't then, eventually did! Not all, but way more than would have had we not been faithful to answer the questions they were asking us! And not all of their questions were genuine, but most of them were. Lots of material was gone over time and again. Patiently, lovingly, and with a good bit of humor at times
. And some of those seeds just took longer to 'take' than others.And it wasn't just our words which testified to the Work of Christ, but our actions, attitudes, work ethic, and how we served those around us - passengers (I worked for a major airline as as station agent) and co-workers alike. We prayed with people, were available to help when help was needed, offered encouragement, comfort, and sought to build others up whenever we could. Even those who didn't believe in Christ knew that we loved them - and that proved to as effective at communicating the Good News of the Work of Christ as any words we could offer.
Count it a privilege to be a piece of the puzzle in God's plan for someone's salvation. You may not get to see that final piece of belief be put into place - but be faithful to fill in the spot(s) God has for you to fill - loving well all who God puts in your path.
-JGIG
But no, I'm not going to sit and go in circles with someone whose pretending to be here to learn when he clearly came with an agenda of his own.
Though I'm not really sure why you're so concerned about it, enough that you feel you not only need to say something but go on and on and on in doing so. If that's you're interest then fine. But to think that Everyone should feel the need to do so is limiting and ignoring that a body has more than one part. Or it's supposing that the way you do things is right and is the standard. I have the ways that fit me, according to how God made me and the role He has for me, doesn't mean I think everyone else should be the same way. In fact I'm glad others have different strengths and approaches. I am weak in some areas and others can fill that gap. Others may be weak in ways and I can fill that gap. None of us are wrong. None of us are the example for the rest.
I find it amazing that you can judge the thoughts, emotions, and intents of someone you don't know and who is actually asking some key questions about the Gospel.
Sometimes it requires a lot of patience to answer questions that seem to go in circles. If you don't want to 'go there', then you should just say what you feel led to say and then move on or skip this type of thread altogether instead of putting down the seeker. Just sayin'.
-JGIG
Sometimes it requires a lot of patience to answer questions that seem to go in circles. If you don't want to 'go there', then you should just say what you feel led to say and then move on or skip this type of thread altogether instead of putting down the seeker. Just sayin'.
-JGIG
I don't mind asking him to have a debate here. i ask him questions on his faith and what u tell me here. I am really disappointed to see when people here get annoyed when asked questions and conclude by saying the guy is a Muslim or he is not honest. I did not claim i stand for any religion. If u guys are not willing to debate, i need not comment then.
A
for one to believe you first must accept that your a sinner like everyone else on this planet an then accept/believe that a sinful person cannot enter heaven therefore the sin needs to be paid for to be cleansed/removed because God is Holy (sinless) and he loves us as people but cant stand the bad things we do in our lives its intolerable to God so he sent his only son jesus who lived a sinless life here on earth only to die on a cross an shed his sinless blood which pays for all sin past present future and on top of that giving us a gift of grace and mercy and for a sinner to receive these gifts they must repent of their sin and ask jesus to enter into their heart an clean you from the inside out jesus is the only way is by hearing the good news and excepting it by FAITH (sight unseen) an believing whole heartedly that he died. Its like the trustfall you cant see the person behind you but you lean back an let yourself fall believing that that person will catch you but jesus has double pillow top mattress arms so he's the champion catcher...look it up...lol hope that gives you better understanding...