Are you still saved if you believe in the wrong things about Jesus?

[ananda]

Yes and no. Obviously it's more pleasant to live in a world where people are good to each other. But satisfaction isn't always sufficient motivation when it's more difficult, e.g. in dealing with someone bullying you, or someone who has hurt you. Nor does it always seem to motivate people to do things that are going to help others (or our politics would be a lot different).

So Jesus said it is also our duty to God, who after all had treated us a lot better than we deserve. Paul testified that spiritual experience of Christ could regenerate us to inspire us in this.

In my experience, those who help others - even those who hurt them - do so because it is more satisfying for them to adhere to their higher values than to react negatively in adherence to their lower, physical instincts.

 

[RDKirk]

IMO if one values one's job (for example) over detesting a coworker, then it still leads to a sense of satisfaction to work with the detestable coworker.

That has nothing to do with the character of the relationship, which is the point you had made. You're trying to move the goalpost.

 

[ananda]

That has nothing to do with the character of the relationship, which is the point you had made. You're trying to move the goalpost.

I'm not sure I brought up "character of a relationship" at all; I did focus on "results of relationships" (e.g. satisfaction gained from relationships), however.

 

[Chriliman]

I see "loving your enemies" as a way of consciously manipulating one's mind to substituting a more skillful emotion (e.g. love) for unskillful emotions (bitterness/anger/etc).

Yea, it’s denying the natural desire for eye for an eye and taking a divine(supernatural) way of unconditional love.

I think we’re using different language to explain the same thing

 

[doubtingmerle]

Are you still saved if you believe in the wrong things about Jesus?

For example, let's say you believe in 99% of the things you're "supposed to" about Jesus. But that 1% are errors, e.g. wrong ideas about his death/sacrifice; wrong ideas about his mission; wrong ideas about the responsibilities of the disciple; or, even wrong ideas about his name & its pronunciation, or any other detail about him.

If yes, you believe you're still saved, then at what percentage are you unsaved? 98% true beliefs? 75%? 49%? 1%?

Interesting question.

If one believes his name is Bill, is that acceptable? If ones thinks he died in Athens or was stoned to death, is that acceptable?

If a person believes his name was Pedro and he was shot in a drug war in Mexico in 2000, could one be saved by trusting Pedro as his savior?

If a person believes his name is osiris, and he is a "green-skinned deity with a pharaoh's beard, partially mummy-wrapped at the legs, wearing a distinctive crown with two large ostrich feathers at either side, and holding a symbolic crook and flail," (see https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osiris ) can he trust osiris as his saviour?

How far is too far off?