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New_Found_Faith

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Because the only way that man can truely know God the Father is through God the Son, Jesus Christ. Matthew 11:27:

27“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

Without knowing Jesus, one cannot know and have a relationship with God the Father. You will come to find that the trinity is more closely tied than you think. Jesus is God. Its confusing to think about at first, but eventually you'll get it ;) .
Sean C.
 
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Linux98

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Because he is the judge that stepped down to pay your speeding ticket when you didin't have the money to pay the fine. Otherwise, he would have had to put you in jail.

Similarly, God paid the fine for your sin. If you deny Jesus you are basically telling God that his death on the cross was not good enough to pay for your sin. If you ask him to let you pay for your own sin, he will let you.
 
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sandman

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I went to post my response and saw that Linux98 also was using traffic tickets as a parallel …like minded believers.

bluetoo

Why do the police care if you don’t stop on red? It is one of the rules of the road we must abide by for the privilege of driving.

By the same token God has rules for salvation ….pretty much as simple as go on green stop on red, go faster on yellow {thats my own rule} but unlike traffic signals you won’t get a ticket for not abiding by these rules …..…. today.

But there is a day coming when whether you believe in Jesus or not He is going to return for His Church; the ones who have confessed Him as Lord and Savior {those who have stopped on red} …and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (II Thes4:16b &17)

You do have options: The first, as listed above where you are judged righteous in Christ and come before the bema to receive your rewards. The second: where you do not confess Jesus as your Lord and savior and just go through life being “a good person” to which at the second part of the parousia {return} you will be judged on your works. In a worldly sense it would be like taking your chances on running a red light in front of a cop, what are your odds of not getting a ticket. If you want to play the odds that is up to you; salvation could not be simpler, but I am sure you have your reasons.
 
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Serapha

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bluetoo said:
Why does god care if you believe in Jesus or not?

Hi there!

:wave:


It a simple understanding in Christianity. Jesus IS God.

God wants you to believe in Himself... in this case, in the second person of the trinity... the incarnation of God... better known as The Christ.


~serapha~
 
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RedTulipMom

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the word believe means more than just saying you acknowledge his existence. the devil believes in Jesus, he acknowledges he exists..but he doesn follow him. Belief entails following his teachings. Its not so much that God wants you to believe but to actually FOLLOW and have a RELATIONSHIP with Christ. The relationship helps you to know God better since Jesus IS God. If you know Jesus, you know the Father! So what it comes down to is that God wants us to KNOW him!
 
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Serapha

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karenmarie said:
the word believe means more than just saying you acknowledge his existence. the devil believes in Jesus, he acknowledges he exists..but he doesn follow him. Belief entails following his teachings. Its not so much that God wants you to believe but to actually FOLLOW and have a RELATIONSHIP with Christ. The relationship helps you to know God better since Jesus IS God. If you know Jesus, you know the Father! So what it comes down to is that God wants us to KNOW him!

HI there!

:wave:

I agree... you've posted an excellent response... my own response was lacking because I limited the statement to "believing".

~serapha~
 
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Rafael

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Jesus is the manifestation of God in the physical dimension - in the flesh. The Bible says that He is the "Living Word". that the Word of God became flesh and walked among men for a time, telling us about His plan and then dying for the penalty of mankind's fall into sin and death.

Joh 1:1 In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God.

Joh 1:14 So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father.
 
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Linux98

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greggh said:
What about all the millions of children born in all parts of the world that die before they even have the chance to learn that there is a Jesus?

God isn't going to hold anyone responsible for their ignorance. For example, you don't need to go as far as a foreign country to find children who have never heard the gospel. Children who are aborted right here in the USA have never heard about Jesus. But God doesn't send them to hell because they did not get a chance to recite the Christian mantra.

You, however, have been made privy to the knowledge of Christ. And you WILL be held responsible by God. So quit worrying about children in foreign countries for now and worry about yourself.

Then once you are saved, worry about the children in the foreign countries who have never heard the good news of salvation.
 
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RedTulipMom

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greggh said:
I've always had a problem with "having to accept, know, believe in (whatever term you want to use) Jesus" to attain salvation and have a relationship with God. What about all the millions of children born in all parts of the world that die before they even have the chance to learn that there is a Jesus? It always seemed to me to be an unusually cruel belief system for any religion to assert anything like this. I have heard that Vatican II changes this to some degree.

God is just and merciful (alot more so than us humans). Jesus is the judge, not any of us. I don't waste my time deciding whether someone knows Jesus I leave that up to Jesus to decide the criteria. He will do what is fair, both for those in countries that never heard of him, and those here in the US that never heard of him. He knows the heart. He won't make a mistake. he is perfect. We arent perfect so we cant make that decision, and we certainly can't get inside ones heart. We all know God to different degrees and i believe he will only judge us by our own knowledge or ignorance. I am not concerned that he will judge unfairly, i know he won't. that is my opinion on it. it is not something i wish to debate about because there are lots of things only God truly knows. We only know in PART. I just trust in God for his love, mercy and forgiveness.
karen
 
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greggh

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Karenmarie, I respect your view and feelings on this. Actually, I think your belief on this is very loving and accepting of others' beliefs. I would like to correct something I said. I said I have a problem with "any religion that asserts this". I should have said that I have a problem with people that believe stricltly that one must "accept Jesus" to be saved, regardless of all other ways they've lived their life, or how good and true their heart is. I have met people who believed this, and have just marveled at how they can live day to day really believing that people will be damned just because of not saying " I accept you Jesus". That belief, to just relegate a huge number of your fellow man to damnation, just always seemed cruel to me, and still does.
 
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Serapha

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greggh said:
I've always had a problem with "having to accept, know, believe in (whatever term you want to use) Jesus" to attain salvation and have a relationship with God. What about all the millions of children born in all parts of the world that die before they even have the chance to learn that there is a Jesus? It always seemed to me to be an unusually cruel belief system for any religion to assert anything like this. I have heard that Vatican II changes this to some degree.

Hi there!

:wave:

I would like to clarify a couple of points for you concerning the "millions of children born in all parts of the world that died before they even have the chance to learn that there is a Jesus"



The plan of salvation includes the acknowledge and understanding of what sin is as well as the consequences of that sin.. which is "death", spiritual death that is, or eternal separation from the love of God.

Most young children cannot comprehend and understand what God is, let alone comprehend what sin is (disobedience to God) nor do they understand the consequences of that sin. Until a person understands what sin is and the consequences of that sin, then they are under the age of "spiritual" accountability and they are, in essence, free of the penalty of sin.

But once a person (or child) realizes what sin is and the consequences, then they are without excuse.

To answer your question... the millions of young children who die without a complete understanding of the Gospel.... they are saved by their innocence and at death enter into the presence of God.


~serapha~
 
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ragdolly

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According to the scriptures words of Jesus" I am the Way , the Truth and the Life and no man cometh unto the Father but by me" Why does God care if we believe? Because He wants to save us from eternal separation from Him. It is only through Christ that we can reach God. God loves us very much. We are His children, His creation. He wants us back into His family. Life on this earth is so very temporary, lasting only a few years or a few seconds, but Life with God through Jesus Lasts forever. The choice is clear.
 
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Rafael

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greggh said:
Karenmarie, I respect your view and feelings on this. Actually, I think your belief on this is very loving and accepting of others' beliefs. I would like to correct something I said. I said I have a problem with "any religion that asserts this". I should have said that I have a problem with people that believe stricltly that one must "accept Jesus" to be saved, regardless of all other ways they've lived their life, or how good and true their heart is. I have met people who believed this, and have just marveled at how they can live day to day really believing that people will be damned just because of not saying " I accept you Jesus". That belief, to just relegate a huge number of your fellow man to damnation, just always seemed cruel to me, and still does.
Perhaps God marvels at us for being blind to His Son and the blood He shed for our right position towards God...Simply, He says that eventually all knees will bow and all tongues will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord someday. Some will confess that in joy and others to their doom, but only God will do the judging of that, as He He has said that not everyone who says Lord, Lord will be saved. Only those who do His will.

Mt 7:21 (NLT) "Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but they still won’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven.

1Jo 2:17 And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever.
 
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