In the first two installments of this topic, I endeavored to lay out some important questions about our faith. I also pointed out the attacks and assaults particularly against Christian principles that are considered the basic Biblical tenets of our faith.
As I considered how I would answer some of these questions, I realized it could get quite lengthy and I do not want to do that in just one writing. So I thought to answer as succinctly and to the point as possible.
1. Why be whatever faith I claim?
I am Christian and became so by asking Jesus into my heart confessing Him as Lord of my life. (Romans 10:9-10). If this amounted to just words on a page, I would have cause to question it. But something happened on the inside of me that I cannot deny. A change occurred that brought the life of God into my spirit, a cleansing of my inner being, I knew I was right with God, and the peace that anchors my life is sometimes difficult to describe. The old hymn "Burdens Are Lifted At Calvary" says it so well.
2. Why should someone want to be of the faith you are?
I have seen no other faith that offers both the peace and power of Christianity. The impact of the Word of God and the infilling of the Holy Spirit I have seen in no other faith. We will never learn it all in this life, but I have seen nothing that can compare to this new life and journey we are in. It is the growth that we experience after becoming "babes in Christ" that will attest to the reality of this newness of life.
3. You must consider what you believe is right; what is wrong with other beliefs?
I know of no other faith that has a Savior. No deity of another faith died for the sins of the people of the earth and offered them a complete pardon and a new life. All other faiths in some fashion depend on works for salvation. Christians look to the works of Jesus (including His death) to satisfy the righteous requirements of God the Father for the human race. He paid the price for the sin of man. After receiving Him we should desire to honor Him with our conduct (this is where rewards come in). I certainly do not want to stand before God with my works as a price for sin and say I do not need what Jesus did.
If someone does not consider the blood of Jesus the price for their sin, then what do they offer to pay for their sin? Perhaps they consider their works sufficient. The children of Israel had required works as well (they indeed had a strict code) but it did not pay the price for their sin. They had to do the animal sacrifices to cover their sin until Jesus came. Thus to me, if someone is claiming works to pay the price for their sin, I wonder if they thought they should do any animal sacrifices. That would not likely go over well.
To deal with some of the other questions posed, I would ask this question: What do the other faiths have that I do not have? I have eternal life now and will have eternity with God, I have been filled with His Spirit, I have a clear conscience with joy on the inside, I enjoy His presence each day which gives me a wonderful reason to live.
Certainly we all continue to deal with the world, the flesh, the devil, and the results of the fall of all creation. This is not a cakewalk - we are called soldiers of Christ in the New Testament. There are ample scriptures to describe the warfare we are in. I have my days like everyone else when I have to get hold of my attitude, and fight the good fight of faith regarding some difficulty or trial. But I am so grateful that I have something to fight with, a power on the inside that enables me to continue, and a source of joy and peace in the midst of it all.
I would like to make a point concerning the sacrifice of Jesus. It was not just for "our sins" as such, but for our sin nature that we inherited from Adam. Romans chapter 5 describes this in detail. We could not help this happening - that is one reason why God paid for it Himself (in my opinion). I do not believe this is emphasized as much as it should be today. After our sin nature was dealt with (nailed to the cross in Jesus) our individual sins (and sin nature) can dealt with when we come to Jesus in initial faith and subsequently as noted in I John 1:9. The redemption from this sin nature inherited through Adam is something that man can not do on his own - no matter how many good works he has. I personally believe if anyone understands what God offers them through Jesus Christ, they will run to it.
Finally, I had the privilege of seeing my father come to faith in Christ Jesus a few months before he died. The change in him was evident and he talked to me about how different he felt on the inside and he knew that it was real. I remember asking him this question, "How to you get someone else to understand this change and want it in their lives"? He admitted that he had no answer, and I struggle to find a good one myself.
We are told in the Bible: "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." ~ John 6:44. As we share with others, we pray God will draw people to Jesus.
I have tried to answer as briefly as possible, but question if I have really done it justice. I hope this will help you either to give an answer or aid in your search for what is real about God. Thank you as always for reading.
