Why Choose?
National papers reported on recent objections made by atheist concerning a Nativity scene at a public display in Olympia, Washington. Dan Barker,who heads up the atheist and agnostic Freedom From Religion Foundation, said
“If there can be a Nativity scene saying that we are all going to hell if we don’t bow down to Jesus, we should be at the table to share our views.”
In Dan's view the choice appears to be bow to Jesus or you will go to hell. It is puzzling how Dan Barker(a former evangelical preacher)seems to have missed the point. Hell is not a punishment for not bowing to Jesus it is a place that we all are destined for and Jesus is our rescuer. In his years of training for ministry he should have learned in "Basics of Christianity 101" that Jesus is not just another idol, good luck charm or insurance policy. Dan also has ignored the part of his bible study from
Psalms 14:1 that declares "the fool says in his heart there is no God.."
Dan and his atheist friends must be all knowing if they can say with conviction there is no God.
Following Christ is a choice to follow truth rather than lies.
In the Gospel of John 18:37, Pilate questions Jesus about who he was, Jesus responds "You say that I am a king. To this end was I born and for this cause I came into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth hears my voice."
Christian faith acknowledges that the choice is between living and pursuing life from the perspective of truth or not. Jesus said we can know the truth and it will make us free.
Our choice is clear either we agree that there is truth(Gods word)and live by it or we deny truth and live by whatever else we may create or imagine (mans word). God allows us to choose. However, because we have chosen the path of destruction(mans word)God in His mercy has reached out to us to provide a way back to the right path, the truth of Gods word.
There is no way that man can live happily at peace forever on his own. There is no philosophy, faith, technology or invention of man that will bring him everlasting life. We all face the inevitable conclusion, death. The heading for a great sermon could be "Death,it Runs in the Family".
Gods word tells us that "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" Romans 6:23 All of us are floundering in the ocean with arms flailing away, certain death awaits us all. Jesus is the ark that will rescue us.
In Matthew 1:23 the angel in Josephs dream describes the child as "Emmanuel" meaning God with us, Jesus, the very incarnation of God is born to a virgin. A miracle for us, an act of love and humility for God. God took upon himself the form of a man, Jesus, and in His great love took upon himself the inevitable judgment of man, death. In taking on the judgment for sin, Jesus the "God Man", the perfect sinless sacrifice died on a man made cross. With His death He fulfilled Gods law of justice and destroyed the power of death and set the captives free. The empty tomb and the testimony of the apostles and hundreds of people proclaim His resurrection from the dead. After physically leaving the earth, he endowed all believers with His presence in the Holy Spirit, and restored them in fellowship with God and the inheritance of eternal life with Him in glory.
This is no myth or fairy tale. Countless lives have been changed, since the days of the prophets and apostles. Billions of people could testify of how their lives have been changed by the reality of Jesus Christ in their lives. The influence of true Christianity throughout the world cannot be denied. The impact of consistently standing upon the bedrock of truth found in the word of God can be seen in the lives of the founders of this nation. (The words of these great leaders of faith and freedom will be examined in future posts)
Basically, the truth is out there. The question is do you really want to know truth? The choice is simple, it has to do with how you view reality and every part of your life. It has to do with the answers to the biggest questions of your life. Who am I? Why am I here? How did I get here? and what's my purpose in life?
You can choose to find the answers from the source of all truth, Jesus said "I am the way the truth and the life" (John 14:6) or you can choose to create your own illusions after "the traditions of men, philosophy and vain deceit, the rudiments of the world.." (Col 2:8)
The choice is not Jesus or hell - assuming there is another option, but hell or Jesus. Choose whose standard will you live by, Gods or your own.
If we choose mans standard, we will fail miserably, both in defining the standard and then maintaining it, and still not attain eternal life. When we choose our own standard we deny that God has a standard we must live by.
If we choose Gods standard we will also fail miserably both in defining and maintaining it. Is this a lose-lose situation? Thankfully, no it is not. Ultimately we can not live up to Gods standard and if not for the grace of God reaching down to us in the incarnate Christ we would be lost. Jesus the Christ suffered death to uphold justice, maintaining Gods standard, liberating us from the judgment pronounced at the garden rebellion of Adam. Attaining for us what we could not attain for ourselves, a right standing before God and eternal life in His kingdom.
Christ came to us as a child. All He ask is that you come to him with the faith of a child.
Choose today who will be your guide, your standard, your salvation. Pray to God, to open your mind and your heart, He will hear you. Then read the Gospel of John...It may be the best Christmas you have ever had!
“If there can be a Nativity scene saying that we are all going to hell if we don’t bow down to Jesus, we should be at the table to share our views.”
In Dan's view the choice appears to be bow to Jesus or you will go to hell. It is puzzling how Dan Barker(a former evangelical preacher)seems to have missed the point. Hell is not a punishment for not bowing to Jesus it is a place that we all are destined for and Jesus is our rescuer. In his years of training for ministry he should have learned in "Basics of Christianity 101" that Jesus is not just another idol, good luck charm or insurance policy. Dan also has ignored the part of his bible study from
Psalms 14:1 that declares "the fool says in his heart there is no God.."
Dan and his atheist friends must be all knowing if they can say with conviction there is no God.
Following Christ is a choice to follow truth rather than lies.
In the Gospel of John 18:37, Pilate questions Jesus about who he was, Jesus responds "You say that I am a king. To this end was I born and for this cause I came into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth hears my voice."
Christian faith acknowledges that the choice is between living and pursuing life from the perspective of truth or not. Jesus said we can know the truth and it will make us free.
Our choice is clear either we agree that there is truth(Gods word)and live by it or we deny truth and live by whatever else we may create or imagine (mans word). God allows us to choose. However, because we have chosen the path of destruction(mans word)God in His mercy has reached out to us to provide a way back to the right path, the truth of Gods word.
There is no way that man can live happily at peace forever on his own. There is no philosophy, faith, technology or invention of man that will bring him everlasting life. We all face the inevitable conclusion, death. The heading for a great sermon could be "Death,it Runs in the Family".
Gods word tells us that "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" Romans 6:23 All of us are floundering in the ocean with arms flailing away, certain death awaits us all. Jesus is the ark that will rescue us.
In Matthew 1:23 the angel in Josephs dream describes the child as "Emmanuel" meaning God with us, Jesus, the very incarnation of God is born to a virgin. A miracle for us, an act of love and humility for God. God took upon himself the form of a man, Jesus, and in His great love took upon himself the inevitable judgment of man, death. In taking on the judgment for sin, Jesus the "God Man", the perfect sinless sacrifice died on a man made cross. With His death He fulfilled Gods law of justice and destroyed the power of death and set the captives free. The empty tomb and the testimony of the apostles and hundreds of people proclaim His resurrection from the dead. After physically leaving the earth, he endowed all believers with His presence in the Holy Spirit, and restored them in fellowship with God and the inheritance of eternal life with Him in glory.
This is no myth or fairy tale. Countless lives have been changed, since the days of the prophets and apostles. Billions of people could testify of how their lives have been changed by the reality of Jesus Christ in their lives. The influence of true Christianity throughout the world cannot be denied. The impact of consistently standing upon the bedrock of truth found in the word of God can be seen in the lives of the founders of this nation. (The words of these great leaders of faith and freedom will be examined in future posts)
Basically, the truth is out there. The question is do you really want to know truth? The choice is simple, it has to do with how you view reality and every part of your life. It has to do with the answers to the biggest questions of your life. Who am I? Why am I here? How did I get here? and what's my purpose in life?
You can choose to find the answers from the source of all truth, Jesus said "I am the way the truth and the life" (John 14:6) or you can choose to create your own illusions after "the traditions of men, philosophy and vain deceit, the rudiments of the world.." (Col 2:8)
The choice is not Jesus or hell - assuming there is another option, but hell or Jesus. Choose whose standard will you live by, Gods or your own.
If we choose mans standard, we will fail miserably, both in defining the standard and then maintaining it, and still not attain eternal life. When we choose our own standard we deny that God has a standard we must live by.
If we choose Gods standard we will also fail miserably both in defining and maintaining it. Is this a lose-lose situation? Thankfully, no it is not. Ultimately we can not live up to Gods standard and if not for the grace of God reaching down to us in the incarnate Christ we would be lost. Jesus the Christ suffered death to uphold justice, maintaining Gods standard, liberating us from the judgment pronounced at the garden rebellion of Adam. Attaining for us what we could not attain for ourselves, a right standing before God and eternal life in His kingdom.
Christ came to us as a child. All He ask is that you come to him with the faith of a child.
Choose today who will be your guide, your standard, your salvation. Pray to God, to open your mind and your heart, He will hear you. Then read the Gospel of John...It may be the best Christmas you have ever had!
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