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Beliefs on firm foundation

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I have certain beliefs. Many have developed over many years. Some I've developed without even necessarily THINKING about them. I just believe them.  That is NOT the way to have a belief though. Just believing for the sake of believing is like building on sand. (Matthew 7:26,27 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.)  So sometimes, I need to examine a belief to make it concrete. One example of that was when I wrote the post about the Trinity and someone made a comment that suggested that the Trinity isn't Biblical. Since that time, I've watched for Biblical evidence to support it. While I don't have the evidence documented to confirm it to a reader, I feel confident in my belief.

Lately, I've read a few things that call to question my belief that Jesus is the only way to God.  While I don't have specific Bible verses that could ONLY be interpreted that Jesus is the only way, I believe that they confirm that everyone will have to acknowledge Jesus, that everyone will be judged by Jesus, that everyone will appear before Jesus on their way to God, whether they see God or not. In John 14:6 Jesus says “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

No one comes to the Father except through Jesus.

That seems pretty clear, doesn't it? That doesn't necessarily mean that everyone must call Jesus Lord. But it does mean that no one can see God without seeing Jesus first. The letter to the Romans (vs 2:16) confirms this: "This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares." And 2 Timothy 4:2 says " In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead......"

Now those verses MIGHT be able to be interpreted as something other than you have to believe in and accept Jesus as savior, but I don't see how anyone can interpret it that Jesus is not the key for getting to God, and our getting to heaven.  So suicide bombers who think they are going to heaven will go in front of Jesus before they get there.......IF they get there. Others who aren't professing Christians will also have to deal with Jesus at some point. (Of course, Christians already believe they'll see Jesus.  And we are pleased, thrilled even at the thought!)

Well, that's one belief that's on solid ground, confirmed in my faith structure.

Thank you, God, for your scriptures that confirm the faith I've grown up with.  Amen.
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  1. Roland E BouchardJanuary 13, 2011 at 11:32 PM

    That we must go to a dead man (Jesus) before we might see God is absurd on its face.

    Those people who lived in Jesus' day had the opportunity for their salvation, -those people who lived before Jesus was born had the opportunity to 'sit at the holy feet of the unnamed Lord or Master'. Those people who live today have the opportunity to 'sit at the holy feet of the present Lord or Master'.

    Think you that there was no Lord or Master before Jesus... and that there is no living Lord or Master today?

    Why else were you born but to suffer the blessed opportunity to 'sit at His holy feet and imbibe the sweet elixir of His Holy Word or Naam?

    If I were in need of legal representation, I would not seek Moses, -our Law-giver; If I were in need of Medical attention, I would not seek Hippocrates, 'the father of Medicine'; If I were in need of spiritual edification, I would not seek the wisdom of a past Lord or Master... certainly I would not seek what others wrote about Him (fraudulently)... years later.

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