Saturday, March 19, 2005
Are We Sinners In Need Of Salvation Or Not?
posted by Howard Fisher | 5:19 PMI am always impressed what deceived men will do for a lie. This afternoon I had two guests who are of the Jehovah's Witness persuasion. They talked and talked and (I know, we've all experienced it) and talked. Yet, if I had not forced the conversation into the direction of Paul's letter to the Romans, we would never have talked about salvation.
What are the issues in evangelization? Are Tim LaHaye's books the main way to convince people to come to Christ? How about rock'n for Jesus at a concert? How about throwing a party at church to show that men need to repent? That seems to be the method today. We could have a Super Bowl party for Jesus.
I am not saying there are not different ways to evangelize. We all use different methods to "springboard" our conversations into the Gospel message. I am simply wondering if we often compromise or miss the message altogether. Have we become like the JWs and missed how the Spirit of God commands us to proclaim God's Word faithfully? Just a thought.
Here is one of the most powerful sermons I have heard in a long time. John Piper preaches on Romans 9. How should we proclaim the Gospel? Click Here.
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Around the Blogosphere
Here is an alternative perspective on the world...
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5 comments:
downloading... surprise link, an MP3... was there no link to where that could be streamed?
Looking forward to an interesting speech. Of course, being an atheist Jew, I might have a different take.
Ah, yes... nasty stuff.
There are two parts to Christianity, only one of which is unique, and that part was untouched: redemption, the notion, the kindness.
There is the other part: believing. Well, belief has all sorts of powers and it is an interesting adaptation. But belief, but its nature, has no direction. Let me repeat that: belief, by its nature, has no directoin.
It's getting as hackneyed as Hiter, but the guys that flew the planes into the WTC lacked nothing of belief.
So, Paul is doctrine, and the central belief is if you don't believe in Christ, you are scum. I've actually sat across the table from a woman who not only believed that but accepted that. Her view was that if you're not baptized, if you're not saved, you go to hell. And that was conveyed with a purpose.
At least the Mormons gave a person a way out: you can reach back and save people already past. Yeah, always seemed totally silly, but against eternal irrevocable damnation that follows a life a secular kindness, it is certainly has some good points.
But ah, in granting more, they raised the stakes: so, if you fail to become Mormon, not only do you damn yourself, you damn those who have gone before you: you could save them, but you choose not to.
Romans is hardly the place I would want to rest any faith in Christ. Thanks, Paul for your anguish, but no thanks.
Of course, simple historical fact shows that the gospels were censored, selected, and the others destroyed: God is made in our image and the church in turn was constructed by man to put a lock on that image to the ends of some men.
Scarey stuff.
Does man have some biological predisposition to certain behaviors that are amendable to strong, mind altering coalitions? Yeah, it's an adaptation, covering other defects of adaptation.
This nation is a bastion of the non-secular and in that, we are quite unlike any other modern industrialized nation, including our poor frozen brothers to the north: Canada.
Great sermon. Really well done. Scarey. Actually, that's how he's ending, wishing everyone fear so that they might be saved.
I read poorly. The second or third read got me to the site of the "alternative view". I was greatly relieved.
anonymous, to ease the eyes of pictures.
"It's getting as hackneyed as Hiter, but the guys that flew the planes into the WTC lacked nothing of belief."
You're comparing Hitler to an orthodox Christian? I don't quite get the connection. Yes, the WTC hijackers lacked nothing of belief, however, no one believes nothing, and all beliefs have their consequences. Stalin was not shy of violence, was unwavering in his belief, and he was rather the atheist.
"The central belief is if you don't believe in Christ, you are scum."
I don't think you quite apprehend central Christian doctrines. I won't even bother to ask you if you want to accept it; do you even want to *understand* where the Christian you cited above is coming from?
"You're comparing Hitler to an orthodox Christian?"
The way I read it, he was stating how over used comparisons of something with the hijackers is in ways similar to the overuse of comparisons of something with Hitler
"I don't think you quite apprehend central Christian doctrines. I won't even bother to ask you if you want to accept it; do you even want to *understand* where the Christian you cited above is coming from?"
I can't speak for Gerald, but I'd like to hear what you have to say.
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