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Conference lgp30::christian-perspective

Title:Discussions from a Christian Perspective
Notice:Prostitutes and tax collectors welcome!
Moderator:CSC32::J_CHRISTIE
Created:Mon Sep 17 1990
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1362
Total number of notes:61362

1037.0. "John 3:16... to believe in him." by APACHE::MYERS () Tue Jan 10 1995 17:07



John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, 
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

    This verse is the crux of all - or most - Christian faith systems.
    That salvation is through the belief in Jesus. It seems so simple,
    really. Yet our attempt to define the meaning of these three
    words: "...believes in him..." has resulted in some of the most
    despicable, venomous and (in my opinion) the most un-Christian
    exchanges I have been privy to.

    Jesus brought a message of faith and love of God the father, and
    love and charity for all humanity. Those who follow this model of
    faith and living will -- that believe this message of Jesus --
    will have eternal life. I really think it is just that simple.

    Peace,
    	
    	Eric
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1037.1Born againFABBIT::T_PLAHMWed Jan 11 1995 07:1312
Let us not forget about what is written in Romans 10: 9 and 10

	That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt 
belive in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be 
saved.
	For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth 
confession is made unto salvation.


S.I.T.

Tom
1037.2DECALP::GUTZWILLERhappiness- U want what U haveWed Jan 11 1995 10:0211
.0>	Yet our attempt to define the meaning of these threewords: 
.0>	"...believes in him..." has resulted in some of the most
.0>	despicable, venomous and (in my opinion) the most un-Christian
.0>	exchanges I have been privy to.


would you consider my thoughts in 1035.1 "despicable, venomous"? i'll accept
the "un-christian", but they are the result of much reflection.


andreas.
1037.3HURON::MYERSWed Jan 11 1995 11:065
    No, Andreas, your 1035.1 was not despicable or venomous. I
    wasn't thinking of any one note in particular. 
    
    	Eric
    
1037.4HURON::MYERSWed Jan 11 1995 11:177
    re .1
    
    While this may be true, I don't believe it is a *requirement* for
    salvation. Verse 10 is basically saying that faith without action is a
    dead faith. 
    
    Eric
1037.5MKOTS3::JMARTINI lied; I hate the fat dinosaurWed Jan 11 1995 11:568
    Eric:
    
    Could you please expand your thoughts a little...mainly on the word
    believe.  
    
    Thx.,
    
    -Jack
1037.6CSC32::J_CHRISTIEUnquenchable fireWed Jan 11 1995 16:049
    To me, the rest of John 3.16 is found in John 3.17 (which hasn't
    had near the press):
    
    "For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but
    to be its savior."  (TEV)
    
    Shalom,
    Richard
    
1037.7APACHE::MYERSWed Jan 11 1995 19:0032
    
    Re .6  Thank you, Richard. Very good point.

    RE .5

    The question is not so much "what do I mean by the word 'believe'" but
    "what does it mean to believe in Jesus." Patricia entered this in
    another conference. This is what I think it means to believe in Jesus.


>    The Bible does make it clear that Jesus saves.  THe Bible does not make
>    it clear at all how Jesus saves.  The present President of the UUA has
>    a quote that says some people believe that the most important thing
>    about Jesus Christ was his miraculous birth and his miraculous death.
>    Others believe it is how he lived, what he taught, and how he alone
>    revealed God.  John's Gospel establishes Jesus as the unique revealer
>    of God.  How does he reveal God to us?  Through his teaching,
>    preaching, and modelling obedience to God.  To say the most important
>    thing about Jesus is how his death on the Cross somehow magically
>    exonerates us from our sins obliterates what many consider the real
>    substance of Jesus as the revealer of God.  His teaching, preaching,
>    and example.  The Lord's prayer teaches us to pray directly to God and
>    ask God to forgive us our sins.  This means that what it says.  No
>    hidden meaning.  All we need do for God to forgive our sins is to
>    honestly ask God to forgive our sins.  This has nothing to do with what
>    Jesus did on the Cross.  It has all to do with following Jesus'
>    teaching to us as recorded in Matthew and Mark.


     Peace,

    	Eric