MAMEWorld Forums - Welcome to the War Room

> I guess the way I look at it is Christians are supposed to share the good news that
> Jesus is the Christ and that He offers Salvation.
>

Yes. This is one way we can be a witness for Christ. We can also share our testimony of how we were brought out of sin, or had our mental/psychological burdens taken away, and having a sense of being renewed, having a fresh start on life because deep down we know in our being of beings that we're forgiven. Only the purest Love can do that.

> To me, I am a filthy sinner, no matter how I try to clean myself up, I am like a kid
> that likes playing in the mud puddle and get dirty. The only way I can be cleaned is
> through what Jesus did on the cross, and the fact He was resurrected and that I
> believe it and profess it guarantees I will be resurrected when I die.
>
> If people want to reject that Salvation, that is their choice. But I find it a bit
> hypocritical that people will openly bash religion, and think that's ok, but then get
> upset when its discussed as a positive.
>

Who you are isn't as important as what you are when it comes to making critical statements.

> If people are free to bash it, people should be free to exalt it.
>
> Again in my view Christians are just as sinful as non Christians, their Salvation
> isn't based on what they did, but what Jesus the Christ did.

What they'll be quick to say is "please don't say we'll go to hell" -as if (you do the hokey pokey and) that's what it's all about. No. The key is -is that they can be saved from Hell. While I can understand they'd want to be left alone to do their own thing... I guess it takes having 2 revelations (or realizations)... That God loves them so much and he only wants them to live the happiest life they can live (and this doesn't always equal living the way WE want to live, for His ways are higher than our own, and he knows what is best for us), AND that hell is an eternal and unimaginable punishment. Why make NO effort to escape such a tragic fate?

"Ah, but Tom! Don't you know that hell is just an imaginary place thought up by church leaders as a means of controlling their followers through fear?"

Then that would assume that it's an irrational fear. But can you say that - for example, you hear on the news that a lion has escaped from the local zoo and that all citizens should stay indoors if at all possible until further notice. That would be an example of a healthy fear.

"So, you need to fear a bad place in order to be motivated to do good?"

No (and not that doing "good deeds" would save me from hell anyway)... I do good things to help myself and be a blessing to others. And it's not that I'm fighting temptations (and that's not to say I never have them), it's just that I'm free from wanting to willingly do them. That's right. I said I'm FREE.

Take for example a man I used to go to school with. He used to smoke. Now, a lot of people would consider smoking a "sin". This person also has a daughter. One day his daughter asked him if he'd please quit smoking because she didn't want to see him die (or something to that effect). So, he quit smoking (I don't know how long it took them to quit -I just took his word for it when he said he did quit). They loved their daughter enough... more than their filthy habit - which made it easy to give up. The same can be said of Christians. God wants us to live a happy life. The happiest we can be is when we set aside our sins and realize that those sins can separate us from God. When we love God enough -then to stop willfully sinning becomes all that much more easier.

That doesn't make believer perfect. We all still slip up from time to time. Some would say repentance should be a one time thing. But it can essentially be a daily (spiritual) exercise, going before our creator humbly, asking for forgiveness and help to change or stop those things we perceive to be stumbling blocks in our walk with God.

LEVEL-4