027 - What makes our faith different from the faith of others?

What makes our faith DIFFERENT FROM THE FAITH OF OTHERS?

Introduction

Let us suppose that someone would  do one of the following questions to you:

 

·        Why Is Jesus God?

·        Why do you believe in Jesus?

·        Why is your faith better than mine? After all, I believe in God just as you and I try to serve Him the way they taught me. Why do you have more right to heaven than i?

                     

What would you answer?

All these are difficult questions to answer. However, what we have done to find answer for such responses. This is not mere theological question. It is our obligation to have such responses:

 

·        "Let your word be always with grace, seasoned with salt, so as to know how ye ought to answer each one." (Colossians 4.6).

·        "Strive diligently to present thyself approved to God, a workman that has not to be ashamed, cutting in a straight line the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2.15).

·        "clinging to the faithful word according to the doctrine taught, that he may be able both to encourage with sound teaching and refute gainsayers." (Titus 1.9).

·        "but sanctify the Lord the Christ in your hearts, and be always prepared to give an answer to every one that asks you to give an account of the hope that is in you, but with meekness and fear;" (1Peter 3:15).

 

Let’s answer, then, every one of them?

Why Is Jesus God?

To reach this conclusion, just look at the evidence. 

It is quite true that existed (and there are even) various religious leaders. However, still many set their heart as the heart of God (as in Ezekiel 28.2), however, none of them, for more liar or crazy which are, dare to give such a statement of themselves to everyone.

Jesus, however, said this openly in several ways:

 

·        He accepted worship: 

o   "And behold, a leper came up to him and did him homage, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou art able to cleanse me." (Matthew 8.2).

o   "As he spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler coming in did homage to him, saying, My daughter has by this died; but come and lay thy hand upon her and she shall live." (Matthew 9.18). 

o   "And he said, I believe, Lord: and he did him homage." (John 9:38).

o   "But seeing Jesus from afar off, he ran and did him homage," (Mark 5.6)

o   "And eight days after, his disciples were again within, and Thomas with them. Jesus comes, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, Peace be to you. Then he says to Thomas, Bring thy finger here and see my hands; and bring thy hand and put it into my side; and be not unbelieving, but believing. Thomas answered and said to him, My Lord and my God." (John 20.26-28).

·        He claimed to be the Messiah (which, according to Micah 5:2, is God Himself):

o   "But he was silent, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and says to him, *Thou* art the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, *I* am, and ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven. " (Mark 14.61,62).

·        He said: "I am the bread of life" (John 6.35,48), i.e., "I am everything you need to grow, develop and be happy."

·        He said: "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15.5).

·        He said: "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11.25), i.e., "I am the one who keeps you alive, as well as the meaning of life and the guarantee that you will never die".

·        He said: "I am the light of the world" (John 8.12; 9.5), i.e., "I am the one who makes you see things the right way (as it demands Matthew 6.22,23; Luke 11.33-36)". 

·        He said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. " (John 14.6), that is to say:

o   "My constant company with thee is the only guarantee that you will be able to get where you need to";

o   "Without me, nothing brings real benefit. Everything is false, misleading, deceptive".

o   "Without Me life has no meaning"

o   "Without Me there is no way to get close to the true God and being intimate with Him."

 

In addition, for those who do not believe that Jesus is God, is extremely difficult and complicated to explain:

 

·        Because the Jews did not end with Jesus and His teachings. After all, they were just Jesus and the twelve apostles against the whole Jewish nation. As only twelve men (mostly uneducated, men of the populace) managed to spread the truth throughout the world without technology or means of transport advanced? As Jesus was able to divide the secular history in before Christ and after Christ? Everything that relates to Christ is so obvious (Acts 4.13,14) that nobody is able to deny His existence on this planet, nor His holy character and irreproachable. So much so that, when the Sanhedrin wanted to condemn Jesus, they were not able to invent even a false testimony against Jesus (Mark 14.55, 56).

·        How is it possible that none of His teachings have been lost if there was no press to make more and more copies of New Testament? Even more considering the invasion of Jerusalem By Rome In 70 A.D.

·        The empty tomb. After all, as the disciples could have stolen the tomb (Matthew 28.13,14 - as it was propagated) if it was sealed with the seal of the Sanhedrin and watching for an escort of roman soldiers (Matthew 27.55,56). As can be seen in Matthew 28.14, the penalty was serious for the soldier who would sleep in service.

·        The persistence of the apostles to defend Jesus and the Holy Scripture. After all, who is able to accept to be tortured and killed to sustain a thing that knows to be a lie?

·        The commitment of Ha-Satan in trying to put an end to Jesus and His teachings (either through persecution or corruption of sound doctrine). If Jesus is a lie, why so much effort into discredit Him? Why does nobody try to impersonate Buddha (anti-Buddha), Mohammed (anti-Mohammad), etc.?

 

All this, not to mention the fact that Jesus is the only one who satisfies and fulfills all the requirements of Holy Scripture.

Why do you believe in Jesus?

It is clear that it is not possible to answer this question in an intellectual and physical way. The best way to testify about Christ is through the work that He does within each one. No religion (including Christianity) is capable of transforming the sinner, i.e.:

 

·        Give Him a character;

·        Improve the quality of his relationships;

·        Make him someone capable of generating a seed of godly, i.e., someone who marks the hearts wherever he goes (without Jesus, the individual is like a cloud that go astray for this world until to be dissipated by a strong wind, without that someone perceive his absence).

Why is it that only those who believe in Jesus has the right to heaven?

Before heaven be a place, he portrays a spiritual condition. Although Jesus make an effort to reach everyone (and moves all His servants to do strength so that the greatest number of individuals can enter heaven - see Matthew 22.8-10; Luke 14.21-24), many will not be able to receive in themselves the pattern of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 22.11; Luke 13.23-28; see also John 1.12; 3.19-21).

It isn’t Jesus who prevents the individual from going to heaven. As it has with Adam in the Garden of Eden, the Eternal goes to meet the sinner. This one is that hide himself of Him (see Genesis 3.8-10; Isa 59.1,2; Dan 10.7).

See what happened when Jesus came into the world:

 

o   "The true light was that which, coming into the world, lightens every man. He was in the world, and the world had its being through him, and the world knew him not. He came to his own, and his own received him not;" (John 1.9-11).

o   "For God has not sent his Son into the world that he may judge the world, but that the world may be saved through him. He that believes on him is not judged: but he that believes not has been already judged, because he has not believed on the name of the only-begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment, that light is come into the world, and men have loved darkness rather than light; for their works were evil. For every one that does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light that his works may not be shewn as they are; but he that practises the truth comes to the light, that his works may be manifested that they have been wrought in God." (John 3.17-21).

 

Notice what is the condemnation for not accepting Jesus in your heart? The addiction exacerbated to evil. Regardless of the name that the individual gives to the Eternal or as he sees Him, as well as all the effort that makes in to please Him, unless this person receives Jesus and His style of life within his heart, he will never be able to live the Kingdom of Heaven.

Conclusion

What makes the difference is our relationship with Jesus, to live according to His will. When we let Jesus speak to us and guide us constantly, His life will manifest in us and then nobody will doubt that He is God (the Author of Life), as well as the reason why we believe in Him (for all that He is and does) and the reason why it is impossible for anyone to gain access to heaven unless they are born again of water and the Spirit (John 3.3 - why can't bear the purity, holiness and goodness within themselves).