Belief Statement - jar

jar writes:GOD chose ALL people.We will be judged based on our own behavior.

jar writes:Why? I don't understand the difficulty some folk have with the idea of being judged. What else could there be? And who better to understand whether or not we tried to do what is right and to not do what is wrong than GOD? I doubt it will be a court of LAW but rather of Justice.

jar writes:I think we choose to make life pretty much what it is, heaven or hell, both while living, and for the future. In the Last Battle there is an interesting exchange between Aslan and one of the Calormene soldiers. He had worked all his life to support Tash, and so is understandably expecting not to pass through the door. It is one of the more profound parts of the series but on the off chance you have not yet visited Narnia, I will not spoil it for you.

jar writes:I don't think I went searching or ever found GOD. There was never a time when GOD was not already present, already with me. Just as you grow older you gain additional insight into your parents, your friends and yourself, I have over time learned more about GOD. I changed, GOD did not.

jar writes:I take that charge seriously. But I also don't believe that being a Christian, or not a Christian, really has much to do with anything. I don't think GOD worries much about whether or not we love or even know him, but rather what we do. If we do really try to do what is right, and do really try not to do what is wrong, if we really regret those things we do do wrong, and try to do better in the future, I doubt that She much cares whether it is done For GOD, or just because it is the right thing to do.

Brian writes:What he did say is that following a faith that denies Jesus' divinity (Islam)is a valid path to salvation. Given that Jesus said the only way to the Father is through Jesus Himself, I cannot see how following Islam can be compatible with a very basic Christian teaching.

Brian writes:But, the Bible is quite explicit about who will be savedJesus claims I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through meI don't see where He says, no one comes to the Father except through me and Allah, Buddha, Brahma, and uncle Tom Cobbly and all.If that isn't explicit enough then the Book of Acts 4:12 claims And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.How obvious does it have to be.Is it a case of ignoring the bits of the Bible that contradict a particular position?For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life.Whoever believes in Jesus, not for those who specifically deny Him.

CS Lewis in "The Last Battle" writes:So I went over much grass and many flowers and among all kinds of wholesome and delectable tree till lo! In a narrow place between two rocks there came to meet me a great Lion. The speed of him was like an ostrich, and his size was an elephant’s; his hair was like pure gold that is liquid in the furnace. He was more terrible than the Flaming Mountain of Langour, and in beauty he surpassed all that is in the world even as the rose in bloom surpasses the dust of the desert.Then I fell at his feet and thought, Surely this is the hour of death, for the Lion (who is worthy of all honour) will know that I have served Tash all my days and not him. Nevertheless, it is better to see the Lion and die than to be Tisroc of the world and live and not to have seen him.But the Glorious One bent down his golden head and touched my forehead with his tongue and said, Son thou art welcome. But I said, Alas< Lord< I am no son of thine but the servant of Tash. He answered, Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me.Then by reason of my great desire for wisdom and understanding, I overcame my fear and questioned the Glorious One and said, Lord, is it then true, as the Ape said, that thou and Tash are one? The Lion growled so that the earth shook (but his wrath was not against me) and said, It is false. Not because he and I are one, but because we are opposites., I take to me the services which thou hastt done to him. For I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath’s sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him. And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then, though he says he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted.Dost thou understand , Child? I said, Lord, thou knowest how much I understand. But I said also (for the truth constrained me), Yet I have been seeking Tash all my days. Beloved, said the Glorious One, unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek.

Brian writes:I am very familiar with the sheep and the goats teaching, it is a basic Sunday School lesson. I am also aware that the sheep and the goats story actually supports my view and undermines your claim.
Matthew 25 is going about FOLLOWERS of Jesus, not about followers of another faith. It is about people who profess to be a follower of Jesus but do not follow His teachings, which sounds familiar doesn’t it?

Matthew 25 writes:31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Brian writes:I think you need to read in context, it makes no sense to take this verse as relating to everyone in a nation. it is referring to those who have heard the gospel in those nations.

Brian writes:Think about it.A wee aboriginal guy is up in front of Jesus, Jesus says to him that he didn't follow the gospel, the guy will reply that he has no idea what Jesus is talking about.The sheep and the goats is a story about xians who profess to be xians but do not act as Jesus wanted them to. It makes no sense for the gathering to be anytihng other than those who heard the Word of Christ.Think about Buddhist monks, say the Theravada tradition, who were fed and clothed by villagers, the monks didn't feed or clothe anyone, their entire time was spent preparing for enlightenment. How can they be saved?

Romans 2 writes:5But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6God "will give to each person according to what he has done."[a] 7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11For God does not show favoritism.12All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) 16This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

jar writes:Remember that it is a two part command, love others as you love yourself. The first part is that you need to love your self. The second it to love others as you love your self.

John 13:34 writes: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

jar writes:When seen in that context I believe that your quote from John fits in with my interpretation, that we should emulate Jesus life, try to treat others as he would have treated them.

jar writes:This also ties in with the messages from Mark and Matthew, that what we will be judged on is what we do, how we behave towards and around others.

jar writes:At Judgement I think each individual will be judged based on how well he or she tried to carry out that will. I think that the Judgement will be individual, that you will be judged based on what you did, what you did not do and what you were capable of doing.

Brian writes:For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life.Belief in the Son is paramount here, it doesn’t say belief in the son or in Allah or in Buddha or in Brahma. How can this verse be taken any other way? I am genuinely interested.

21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Brian writes:Sorry, I find Lewis excruciatingly boring.

Brian writes:Do you have a problem with God condemning people to hell? Not everyone will be saved according to Christianity, so Jesus did create many people in the knowledge that He will send them to Hell some day.

Brian writes:For example, I live certainly live a life that you describe, but I think the God of the Bible is a fictitious character whose literary nature is one of a bloodthirsty barbarian. I certainly wouldn't want salvation from that creature. So, how do I get saved?

Brian writes:All this be nicey nice to others and you are saved really begs the question of why was Jesus even born?If Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, and all other people on earth can be saved through being a nice person, then there is no point in Jesus.