I Need Your Help (A Survey)
I am working on a paper right now and dealing with some important questions. I would like to take an unscientific, random survey of the thought of you who read my blog. If you choose to respond, please give me your personal convictions with honesty. I want to get a feel of what people today think about the issues. Here they are: 1. Do you believe that everyone will eventually go to heaven? 2. Do you have to believe in the person of Jesus Christ to be saved, or can you go to heaven just believing in God.? 3. Is the God of Christianity also the same deity as the god of Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism? 4. What about those who have never heard of Jesus Christ? If they haven't heard of Jesus, will they not go to heaven? If they will go to heaven, by what means? 5. Can other religions aid in bringing someone to faith in Jesus Christ? 6. Is Christianity the only true religion? Is there more than one way to God? 7. (a) What is the content of "saving faith". (b) What is the gospel message? Thanks so much for your help. In academia, these questions have been scrutinized for the past 20 years and the focus of much debate. I am considering even making this topic the central focus of school as in a thesis or dissertation. Your help is greatly appreciated.
posted by Timmy Brister at 4/05/2005 01:36:00 PM
6 Comments:
1. No. 2a. Yes, 2b. no. 3. no. 4.If you have enough mercy and justice to care, trust God to take care of that, since he probably is the source of your concern. 5. Yes. 6a. Yes. 6b. no. 7. See my blog.
You might want to narrow your focus, such as the differences among Lutherans, or Prostestants and Catholics, or Anabaptists and Calvinists, or pre-trib and post-trib.
4/07/2005 03:45:00 PM
1)No
2)a.I think you have to believe AND accept the person of Jesus Christ to be saved. 2b.No
3)No
4)That I don't know of. I just know it is our job to make sure those people hear of Jesus. We should let God worry about the rest.
5)Sure they can
6)A)Well DUH! of course it is B)Nope just one way.
7)A and B..Lets see here..Jesus born of a virgin came to Earth to die and take all of our sin so we would not have to go to Hell. He was crucified and 3 days later he rose from the dead (Oh yeah :)..you must truley belive this and accept him into your heart and you shall be saved says the bible and saved from going to hell.
Nice blog Bro. Timmy.!
4/07/2005 09:31:00 PM
1. yes, though perceived differently for each individual
2. yes, believe that christ was a real person, believe in god.. but they can only save you if you want to be saved.
3. yep. god is infinite, if he loves all why would he contain him/her self to one image when people are so infinitly diverse
4. every one has a concept of good and evil, their religions or society may hold that belief, and depending on the way they live their life, positively they should reach "heaven" there are more 4 religions.
5. sure.,, if you want to suplant a persons religion with another, its worked with other cultures before. if you mean can you find insights from other religions about christ.. that works too. if you have an open mind.
6.no. second part of question, not sure
7. personal faith is worth saving, trying to save faith by converting or pontificating is unethical. second part, gospel message .. you read the gospel to find your own message.. i dont think someone can tell you what it is.
good luck
4/07/2005 11:03:00 PM
1) No
2) Well the bible implies that Abraham is in heaven for example and he had never heard the name Jesus Christ. I think it is more an issue of having faith that God will provide a way. However once one has heard the message of the Gospel of Christ, one must accept that Jesus is the way to heaven.
3) No
4) See my response to number 2.
5) Absolutly
6a) Well true "religion" can be had without having a belief in God. And practicing the "religion" of Christianity will not get you to Christ. Only faith in Christ will get you to God.
6b) No
7a) Saving faith is complete trust and belief in the gospel message.
7b) All men (and women if you want to be P.C.) are sinners. The punishment for sin is death and eternal seperation from God. Jesus Christ is the son of God, and was at the same time 100% man. He lived a completly sinless life and gave up his life on the cross as payment for the debt of the sins of humanity. By believing that there is nothing we can do to justify our sins and that Christ is the only way to God, He will declare us justified before God because our debt was paid by His death.
4/10/2005 08:21:00 PM
1. no
2. Yes to part A
3. No.
4. (a)don't know. (b)don't know. (c)God's revelation?
5. yes
6. (a)yes (b)no
7.(a) only by God's grace is one saved through Jesus Christ. (b) Jesus sacrificed his perfect life at the will of the Father so that ALL humanity may choose to come back into relationship with GOD. Only through Jesus is personal fellowship with God possible.
4/14/2005 10:38:00 PM
Hope it's not too late to answer...
1. No
2. You must believe in Jesus.
3. No
4. I think the only response to this is that God is a just God. I don't believe He sits up there on His throne, like, "Ha Ha! Another one bites the dust!" I guess if I get right down to it, I believe that everyone has the opportunity to believe, whether it's from another human sharing the Gospel, or something that happens before/while they're being judged, or if it's just that God knows our hearts and what we would do in that situation if it were presented to us...I don't know exactly what happens, but that definitely doesn't take away our responsibility as Christians to evangelize.
5. Yes
6. Yes, No
7. A)One can only be saved by believing (having faith) in God's Son, Jesus Christ. B)The Good News that we were all dying in sin, trying to be good enough by following the Law, and God sent Jesus to Earth to die for us. He was buried for three days, then was resurrected. Because of His sacrifice and victory over death and Hell, every human now has the opportunity to forge a personal relationship with God, through Jesus.
4/15/2005 07:02:00 AM
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