We have been exploring the resurrection of Jesus and the impact that has had on human history. This weekend we are going to ask the question that so many of us have asked or are asking. What is the difference between Jesus and all of the other religions out there? Is God exclusive? Can’t you just pursue the idea of God and have that be good enough? Isn’t Jesus just one of many avenues to God?
How do we, as followers of Jesus, walk alongside our friends and neighbors as they engage these questions? It is so easy to respond to people’s sincere questions in this area with Sunday School answers, rather than wrestling with the difficult issues that surface. Have you had an experience of wrestling with these questions personally or journeying with someone who is asking these questions? My experience is that many of my friends have not yet been able to over the hurdle of this issue in their pursuit of God. They believe in God, but Jesus’ claim to be the exclusive avenue to God is one road that they are not willing to travel.
April 20th, 2007 at 11:57 am
…my personal experience has been to “taste and see” that God is good…this isn’t so much about knowing the answer to questions, but rather allowing others to inform themselves…ultimately it seems as if people are looking for meaning, purpose, satisfaction, authenticity, etc…most if not all ways of living will satisfy this yearning for awhile, but for how long?…often times I have found that people are not willing to give Christianity a fair shake (probably rightly so, because of negative experience)…as Chesterton wrote “Christianity has not so much been tried and found wanting, as it has been found difficult and left untried.” All this to say that experiencing the fullness of life that God gives us is a long and continuous process…ah the journey, simply invigorating…graceandpeace…good to be back…805 OUT!
April 25th, 2007 at 12:56 am
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April 25th, 2007 at 12:58 am
Greetings to one and all, I hope all are in good health and spirit in the Pathways community.
First of all, to really understand Jesus one must remove the word religion from their frame of mind. Jesus has nothing to do with religion, as religion has nothing to do with a person’s salvation.
Try to understand this. What we consider to be cold is really an absence of heat. Absolute zero is when there is absolutely no heat, but cold does not really exist. We have only created that term to describe how we feel when heat is not there. Darkness is really only the absence of light. Darkness is only a term man developed to describe what happens when there is no light present.
Thus religion is also a man-made term for a tangible grasp of explaining what God is. In reality, religion is a separator of man, based on doings of traditions and rituals. Does not Jesus wish for His believers to come together in one mind and one accord? Read James 1:27 and see what is God’s idea of pure and undefiled religion.
In understanding Jesus and how He works, one must have knowledge of the Trio of Creation. First of all—no religion, no method of life, nothing, directs a human into the Hope of everlasting life by merely a belief. Let us look to an illustration of a house being built. Primarily there is a designer, a builder, and a finisher. In the God Trio, we will find God—Designer, Jesus—Builder, and the Holy Spirit—Finisher.
There is no method of doing which will deliver the promise of Eternal Life beyond the believing and in such a manner that a genuine transformation takes place in the believer, from the old man to a new creation, restored.
Jesus is not an avenue among others, but a path, THE only path in which one can travel to find an inheritance of Hope into Eternity. Nothing else makes this promise, all else involves works of earning.
A belief in Jesus tells the truth that none could earn on their own merit, that which is required to restore the original blueprint in a design which chose to go bad. Jesus originally built, and through belief, can restore to the perfection of His righteousness into life eternal.
God is exclusive in being the Supreme Creator of all things, thus giving Him power over His creation. His ways are also, yet they are not unknown or unreachable, as He left his Character in the form of 2 directions—One, to love God with everything you have and more. Two—to love man as God so loves us. These two directions are made up of 10 sub directives, 4 directed towards God, and the other 6, towards mankind. All together they form the Character of God Himself. The only person who has walked the earth, or ever will, Who has been formed by this character and remained so, has been Jesus Christ.
God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. It is the task at hand (purpose of life) to understand this never changing God. This exclusive God who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that who-so-ever believes in Him shall not parish but have everlasting life, and this life is with God.
May the Holy Spirit bless with the understanding of His ways to those in need as the hour grows closer to final judgment. Remember in Revelation there is mention of 2 books, a book of judgment for all, and a book of life for those who proclaim the name of Jesus and keep His commandments!
May God Bless us all on this journey!
April 25th, 2007 at 2:12 am
Greetings and Blessings to one and all.
In the Hebrew language there are 3 important words used to explain how one comes to understand that which is untouchable, faith.
Hasa—to hear, to run to, to draw towards. A form of Hope.
Patach—to lean on, to hold on. A form of Trust, Belief.
Amen—a State of Being. A Sealing.
Faith comes about from first hearing/looking to that which is good towards you, a look unto your salvation. Then from this seed (Hasa) a belief begins to sprout (Patach). Leaning onto the truth of this salvation. Over this process of Faith/Belief—achieved is a state of being (Amen) a Sealing unto the promise/seal of ownership/ deposit invested/sanctification.
One hears the word of truth (salvation) and begins to stand (walking in the faith) and is with changed character (earnest unto the inheritance). A State of Being in recognizing that ransom and redemption comes through Christ Jesus, and this—responsibility to come to this understanding.
Hebrews 8 1Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
2A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
3For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
4For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:
5Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.
6But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
7For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
8For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
9Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
10For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
13In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.