What is faith?
If we want to really understand what faith means, we would not be able to find the true meaning of it in a dictionary or in any other books. Faith is explained clearly the in the bible in the book of Hebrews. It says in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” So faith, based from what we read in the bible, means that it’s believing on the things that can’t be seen or grasped. This is really an integral part in being a christian. This is the manifestation or proof that you believe on God. The bible also says that without faith, we can’t please God (Hebrews 11:6).
What can faith do in my life?
There are many thing that faith can do in our lives. First of all, it would give us an understanding that there is an Almighty God who governs our lives. It says in Hebrews 11:6, “for he that cometh to God must believe that he is.” Without faith we wouldn’t be able to say that we believe God because in the first place we must believe, through faith, that He exists. Thinking that He doesn’t exists only makes us cheat ourselves because not all things in life are explainable with our the us of our mind. That is why faith is important because in order for us to know God, we must believe His existence through faith.
Another thing that faith can do in our lives is it would give us the wisdom to believe in the word of God. This means that it would teach us to believe everything that the bible tells us. Many people do not believe in the bible. Most people say that it is only written by man so it is prone to mistakes and it’s not perfect. The very reason they reject the words of the bible is that they are not humble enough to accept the things that the bible tells them. One reason is because the bible really tells us that we are committing sins and we are corrupt. No one with pride would accept this thing that the bible tells. Only people who are humble enough to accept that he’s a sinner would be able to believe the bible. Others misinterpret those kinds of people to be simple-minded and irrational. It may be true that if we base the things on the wisdom of this world, christians may be fools according to this world but according to the bible in 1 Corinthians 3:19, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” It may seem to others that what christians are doing, for example, going to church on Sundays and not resting or having time with the family just like the rest of the world, is foolishness to the world, but to God, it’s the opposite. And by doing what the world seemed to think is wise to do, is foolishness with God. What God wants in our lives is the opposite on what we think is right. And by believing the knowledge of God as wise, we have faith in Him that what He is saying is true and just and for our improvement. Through this, we become better persons who has a better understanding of what we experience in our everyday lives.
Last and most important of all, through faith we can attain salvation. It says in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not or yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.” It says in those verses of the bible that we are SAVED by grace through FAITH and NOT OF WORKS. Salvation, as many people don’t understand, is a gift of God. This means that it is freely given to those who asks for it. We don’t need to do anything to attain it. All we have to do is to ask God for it. It’s that simple. For some people, they tend to go on doing so many good things in order for them to attain salvation. Doing good is not bad. Doing good is really good but this doesn’t give us salvation. We can only attain salvation by accepting that we are sinners and our sins would take us to hell, by seeing the fact that we need to ask the Lord Jesus Christ to save us from going to hell, and by doing a 360 degree turn to God from sin. If we only base these things in our own power, we can’t do it. We simply can’t because what we would always do is sin and cater to our worldly lusts. That is why we need to have faith in order for us to accept who we are in the sight of God. We are not perfect. We will always sin through our own efforts. WE NEED GOD to guide us so that we could do things that would give glory to Him, which is really are main purpose why we exist. So have faith in God so that He would be able to do wonders in our lives. To God be the glory!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Jesus Christ: Man or God?
Can someone be two different persons at the same time? Can a man become God also? Based from logic and human thinking, this can never be true and nothing can become 100:100 in terms of ratio of someone being another. This is the reason why many other beliefs tend to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is just man and not God. If we think about it with our finite mind, it really can’t be possible, but when it comes to God, all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26) When it comes to things that pertains to God, we should not just use our finite mind as the basis of truth but we should always ask for the wisdom of God in order for us to understand things more clearly.
Here we would try to understand, by the grace and wisdom of God, the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ and how He was described in the bible. Is He just a man or God?
The Confusion
In the bible, there is a verse in 2 John 7 which says, “For many decievers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.” If we analyze this verse together with the knowledge that no single being can become two things at the same time, let’s say 100% man and 100% God, then we would think that the Lord Jesus Christ is only man and not God. But there is also a some verses in the bible that says otherwise. John 1:1-3 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” From what we read, it was emphasized that the Word is God. The Word spoken of here is the Lord Jesus Christ. If we base the things that we read starting from 2 John 7 to John 1:1-3,14, we would have a confusion of whether or not the Lord Jesus Christ is man or God. This is where most beliefs fail or mistakenly interprets who He really is. Is there a mistake in the bible? We, as christians, do not believe that the bible is mistaken in anything. It is perfect because it is the word of God. If we say that the bible is wrong, then it’s like we’re implying that God is not perfect. That is why there is no contradiction on what the bible is saying. We will understand what the bible says about the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Answer
One of the verses that would enlighten us of the answer to the confusion is in the same chapter that we read in John 1:14 which says, “and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt amongs us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. It says there that the Lord Jesus Christ is God but came in the form of flesh. This is also backed up by Matthew 1: 23 saying, “Behold, a virgin shall be born with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” Immanuel is the name given to the Lord Jesus Christ. This was the name prophesied in the Old Testament in Isaiah 7:14. It’s really clear on that verse that the Lord Jesus Christ is God with us. There are a lot of verses in the bible which tell that the Lord Jesus Christ is God. All we need to do is to follow what the bible says in 2 Peter 3:18, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” This is proof enough to understand that the Lord Jesus Christ is God because God is our Saviour. (Jude 25)
The asnwer to the confusion would become clearer if we ask personally the Lord Jesus Christ on who He really is. His answer is found in Revelation 1:8. The Lord Jesus said, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” Some people would say, it doesn’t state there that it was the Lord Jesus who was talking there. It may be true but if we read Revelation 1:4-7, it says there that it’s really the Lord Jesus Christ who was talked about and who was talking there. The very fact that the titles, Alpha and Omega and Almighty, were given to the Lord Jesus Christ confirms that He is God. The titles can only be pertained to God and not to a mere man. It would be a BIG LIE to say that the Lord Jesus Christ is ONLY man and not God.
The Conclusion
So, is the Lord Jesus Christ man or God. The answer is He is both man and God. When he came into this world, he took off his being God, and he became like as we are, a man (Philippians 2:5-8). He lived just as we did but he knew no sin (1 Cor 5:21). But at the same time He is God who can forgive us of our sins (Mark 2:5-7). It is not really a surprise when there are people who would say that the Lord Jesus is just a man and not God. Even the people of His time doubted him. In Mark 2:7 the scribes who witnessed that the Lord Jesus forgave the sins of the sick in palsy and healed him, they said in their hearts, “Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?” They doubted the Lord Jesus and knew Him not as God. Many people may believe what they want to but as far as truth is concerned, biblical fac states that the Lord Jesus Christ is 100% man and 100% God. Nothing could ever change that. To God be the glory!
Here we would try to understand, by the grace and wisdom of God, the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ and how He was described in the bible. Is He just a man or God?
The Confusion
In the bible, there is a verse in 2 John 7 which says, “For many decievers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.” If we analyze this verse together with the knowledge that no single being can become two things at the same time, let’s say 100% man and 100% God, then we would think that the Lord Jesus Christ is only man and not God. But there is also a some verses in the bible that says otherwise. John 1:1-3 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” From what we read, it was emphasized that the Word is God. The Word spoken of here is the Lord Jesus Christ. If we base the things that we read starting from 2 John 7 to John 1:1-3,14, we would have a confusion of whether or not the Lord Jesus Christ is man or God. This is where most beliefs fail or mistakenly interprets who He really is. Is there a mistake in the bible? We, as christians, do not believe that the bible is mistaken in anything. It is perfect because it is the word of God. If we say that the bible is wrong, then it’s like we’re implying that God is not perfect. That is why there is no contradiction on what the bible is saying. We will understand what the bible says about the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Answer
One of the verses that would enlighten us of the answer to the confusion is in the same chapter that we read in John 1:14 which says, “and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt amongs us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. It says there that the Lord Jesus Christ is God but came in the form of flesh. This is also backed up by Matthew 1: 23 saying, “Behold, a virgin shall be born with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” Immanuel is the name given to the Lord Jesus Christ. This was the name prophesied in the Old Testament in Isaiah 7:14. It’s really clear on that verse that the Lord Jesus Christ is God with us. There are a lot of verses in the bible which tell that the Lord Jesus Christ is God. All we need to do is to follow what the bible says in 2 Peter 3:18, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” This is proof enough to understand that the Lord Jesus Christ is God because God is our Saviour. (Jude 25)
The asnwer to the confusion would become clearer if we ask personally the Lord Jesus Christ on who He really is. His answer is found in Revelation 1:8. The Lord Jesus said, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” Some people would say, it doesn’t state there that it was the Lord Jesus who was talking there. It may be true but if we read Revelation 1:4-7, it says there that it’s really the Lord Jesus Christ who was talked about and who was talking there. The very fact that the titles, Alpha and Omega and Almighty, were given to the Lord Jesus Christ confirms that He is God. The titles can only be pertained to God and not to a mere man. It would be a BIG LIE to say that the Lord Jesus Christ is ONLY man and not God.
The Conclusion
So, is the Lord Jesus Christ man or God. The answer is He is both man and God. When he came into this world, he took off his being God, and he became like as we are, a man (Philippians 2:5-8). He lived just as we did but he knew no sin (1 Cor 5:21). But at the same time He is God who can forgive us of our sins (Mark 2:5-7). It is not really a surprise when there are people who would say that the Lord Jesus is just a man and not God. Even the people of His time doubted him. In Mark 2:7 the scribes who witnessed that the Lord Jesus forgave the sins of the sick in palsy and healed him, they said in their hearts, “Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?” They doubted the Lord Jesus and knew Him not as God. Many people may believe what they want to but as far as truth is concerned, biblical fac states that the Lord Jesus Christ is 100% man and 100% God. Nothing could ever change that. To God be the glory!
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