Believing in Christ is the basis for Christianity  

Absolutely thank you for your response

Believing in Jesus is worth enough to earn salvation, was this the point you want to convey? Keisey stated "He is the one who saved us." I believe in Jesus with my whole heart and soul through the Bible. Am I already saved by this?

If you believe in God with all your heart and you accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, then you are saved...

"Saved" from the bondage of hell? What salvation are you referring to?

Yes you are saved if you truly believe, If your whole heart believes you are saved. Now you must maintain that salvation. Although you are saved you must now stay saved, you must be good for here on, however God knows you will make mistakes cause no man is without sin, therefore he will judge you on what is in your life. Salvation means that you feel in your heart that now you will be as Christlike as possible, you aspire to live your life as good as he did, but if you love him with all your heart and love thy neighbor you are saved.

oops I said he will judge you on what is in your life, I meant to say what is in your heart.

Please do not forget Repentance! Another important thing to remember: if you sin and you go on as if it were nothing, you are not saved. If you continue on in sin with no remorse or repentance or even the overwhelming feeling of God's displeasure, you're in a scary spot!

Well said Lovescreed didnt mean to leave that out. Thank you

Extremely well said thank you for your input.

I am a Christian (a Roman Catholic) and the question of denominations really hurts me a lot. It seems that we are united because we believe in the same Jesus Christ our lord and our saviour at the same time we are divided on so many issues, whether it be divorce, abortion, euthanasia, you name it. I understand that even in the first Christian communities there were misunderstanding between them. However it is up to us to seek unity and to seek what unifies us.

The only problem that I have is that everyone thinks the misunderstandings mean something, and they dont. That we are common in our belief in Christ makes us all his children, fighting about our opinion is so silly. I am Evangelical, and it is my job to talk about and spread the word of God however I am a woman and people who think women cant be in leadership want to argue. Again I think that our differences and interpretations are not enough for a fight, we should unify in our want to praise the Lord our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Thank you!!!

You asked if Jesus is the savior does that mean that all before him were unsaved. The answer is no! The laws given to Moses in the Pentateuch (first five books) helped the people gain salvation. However, that was just a quick fix till Jesus came and died for our sins to give us back our standing as people bound for Heaven, and belief in him gave us the way. Making it easier to live and breath. The laws given to Moses were that people had to shed the blood of animals to show their devotion to God, however Jesus shed his blood to show our devotion to God and his love for us. Our lamb went to the slaughter innocent and pure to be the blood that cleansed us of our sin.

God is not an alien and that is just silly, we are not an experiment and this is not a science class gone wrong. God created man in his image, because he wanted to and he is no alien, et did not create us and we will not end up as food. Sorry.

Likeness I believe is subjective, because not all men are the same. However, God the father sent God the son to Earth, he was a man just like you and my husband. Some people believe that likeness means that we are in the picture of God which means that he too was a masculine creature (man like) which looks like Adam. The reason for this is because they believe that when he was speaking he does not say that he would create man in "My Image" he said in "Our Image" therefore many people believe he was talking to the angels which have been described to look like men, stronger, more beautiful, and having wings and an aura, but men none the less.

Some also say that God is a spiritual likeness and that our soul is in the likeness of God. That is why it is our soul that will one day return to God.
Whatever the theory and I have a few, it is important for you to get a good education on the topic so that you are not confused. I feel for you and would love to talk to you more. It is not right for someone to be confused that is why in Matthew, God gave man a commission to go and teach those who had questions the answers.

Why would you think that, I have spent years researching Christianity, Man made a lot of things but they did not create Jesus. Jesus came (not disputed by science or other religions) he taught (again not disputed) he did miracles (disputed but not heavily) he spoke of and taught how to get to Heaven (not disputed), he died on the cross (not disputed) and was seen by several hundred people after his death (documented) but again you are right a person who did their research would know that.

JerusalemFolk, you know I think you are great so please accept my appologies for this but you are wrong. First of all Christians do not have to be like Jesus or imitate him as we cant, and it has everything to do with what we believe and not so much how we behave. We must believe in Jesus and we must believe he died for our sins and we must believe that he loved us enough to do so. Secondly the Roman Catholics did not crucify Jesus, he was crucified by his own people, sorry I hope that does not make you unhappy with me but it is true. The Roman officer told the people to do with Jesus what they thought was right and he washed his hands of the whole thing. The people who killed him were his own chosen. Another thing is the jewish tradition is in our studies because I have read the Hebrew bible and it says almost the same thing in the Pentateuch which is in the bible. Otherwise I am still working on my study of it which is currently my topic right now. However you should know that No anti Jewish Roman Catholic Priest as you say killed Jesus, he was killed by his own. Please dont take this the wrong way.

I must say I'm with Jerusalemfolk more here. Of course we must strive to be like Christ; that this we cannot achieve is not a reason not to strive. Indeed to be a Christian is to try to see Christ in all and try to be Christ to all. Nor is faith in Jesus enough to be a Christian, James clearly states this.

Now you say Jews crucified Christ, what all of them? Let us rather say some people crucified him, those judgemental folk that cared more about the word of the Law then the spirit of it. And yes indeed I can imagine some of the Roman Church crucifying Christ again! But then following a pope is forbidden by Jesus.

Indeed some interesting parallels spring to mind, which may be incorrect due to my imperfect understanding but here they are nevertheless.

As I understand it at the time of Jesus the religious practice of the Jews involved a priest going alone behind a curtain to intervene for the peoples' sins. As Jesus dies the curtain of the temple is torn asunder meaning no longer is there a need for a man to intervene between man and God.

Yet this is exactly what the Roman Church does and strengthens, corrupting the original practice of public confession to confession to a priest, etc. Meanwhile Judaism also transformed itself becoming what might be referred to as Rabbinical Judaism.

all the best urban

urbandekay:

Our Lord God Jesus Christ, tells you that people need to believe more than anything else.

Luke 10:38-41 As Jesus and his diciples were on their way, he came to a villiage where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked. Lord, dont you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me.

Martha, Martha, the Lord answered, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her.

This shows that while everyone is working for Jesus, trying their hardest to be perfect, which will never happen, it is best to sit at his feet, learn his lessons and believe in what he has said. So spending your whole life trying to be free of sin like Jesus is not realistic, you should spend your life trying to learn his teachings and believing in him. I believe that once you have given him your life, he will give you the desire and the ability to be more Christlike, he will take away your need to sin, and help you to do good deeds, but good deeds are not the way for you to go to Heaven, belief in him is the way to be saved.

There is a story of a woman who was having a bleeding disease, she wanted very much to be healed and she believed with all her heart that if she simply touched the robes that Jesus had she would be healed. So when she touched him, she was healed and he knew she touched him but he was not angry, in fact he was very happy that she had such faith in him. That is what we should have.

When interpreting scripture it is usual to take the strongest clearest passage as most telling.

Jesus says, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

John 13:34-45 kjv

and again,

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Matthew 22:36-40 kjv

Whilst Jesus stresses and emphasises faith more important is love.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 niv

The passages you quote are by no means clear.

"But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." kjv

Sometimes this is this is translated as "...but few things are needed." Jesus may be stressing simplicity; don't get caught up in ceremony or elaborate preparations and forget the spirit. Or he may be saying that Mary has chosen the best course for her but not necessarily for all. All are parts of a body and serve in different ways, all equal.

So, what is the love of which Jesus speaks.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
John 13:15 kjv

"14What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

James 2:14-26 kjv

Finally, faith is not belief, faith is not a noun but a verb!

all the best urban

Thank you for clearing me up on the subject and I can see your point exactly thank you urban. However I believe through your complete faith you will be able to become closer to Christ. Just remember the convicted thief who hung beside Christ on the cross ( a man who could not have done not one good deed to get into Heaven) who believed that Christ was the Christ, who was forgiven right there on the spot because he had faith. While part of the change in Christ is the need to become Christlike, I think it is more or less your own thing. Let me explain.

When I became a Christian and even before I questioned quite a bit, I learned by a lot (and I mean a lot, it is a lot still) but soon I started getting the answers I needed and finding those answers everywhere. However it was then that I became a Christian because now I had faith, once I accepted Jesus, he came into my life and changed me, that change led me to wanting (not because I read it but because my spirit felt compelled) to live better and closer to Christ. Do you understand I felt unable to resist the pull of a Christlike life. This is why I say he expects you to have faith and once you do you will feel compelled.

In the Holman Dictionary:

Faith in Christ is based on the evidence of testimony of eyewitnesses, but the eveidence is not an end in itself. The Gospel must be heard and understood before faith can happen, faith occurs when someone moves through the word and the evidence and calls upon or asks Christ to save. To ask Christ to save is to trust what God says the death of Christ makes available, particularly regarding forgiveness and freedom from sin's power. When God saves, the believer internally identifies Christ's death as the death of his or her own sin (Rom. 10:9:13), making genuine and consistent obedience to God possible for the future. This is the kind of faith that will prove its genuineness by the transformed life God produces through it, as occured with Abraham (James 2:14-26)

Therefore once you have faith, good deeds will inevitably follow. That is what I am trying to say.

"Therefore once you have faith, good deeds will inevitably follow."

If that is what you are saying then I accord. Good tree bears good fruit.

all the best urban

Thank you Urban I am saying exactly that.

Absolutely, your judgment will come from your faith not the dogma of your religion.

Dear Sister Kayte, you wrote a few days ago that the Jews killed Jesus. In 1205, Pope Innocent III published that Jews were doomed to damnation for the crucifixion of Jesus. This was the basis of brutal antisemitism with the killings of millions of Jews in the Crusades, the Inquisition and the Holocaust. In 1963, the Pope Paul VI published a decree establishing that the Romans condemned and crucified Jesus. In 1993, the Pope recognized the state of Israel.
It was written in Latin on the Holy Cross : Jesus from Nazareth the King of the Jews, INRI. That was the act of accusation written by the Romans. According to the Lex Majestatis, only the Emperor of Rome could be the King of Judea. All the revolts against the Emperor were condemned by the death penalty. All the first Christians, like Saint Paul or Saint Peter were Jews. How could they kill their Holy master, Jesus ? Is it not obvious that Roman soldiers put Jesus on the Cross. Also when I wrote that a Christian must imitate God, or Jesus, it is the theory of " Imitatio Dei" The imitation of God, written by Saint Augustin.
I understand that in the beginning, the Protestant were killed by the Catholics who burned and killed Protestants like they killed the Jews. Therefore the Protestants don't recognize the opinions of the Catholics. Do you agree with what the Pope decided in 1963 and 1993 about the Jews or do you prefer the Pope of the Middle Ages, 1205 ?

Dont get me wrong, I am not Catholic and I dont prefer the pope of the Middle Ages or of today. I am only stating a fact about the fact that Jesus was killed by his own. However I have my own opinions about the Catholic religion, but to each his own. My personal views would be judgement, and it is not my job to Judge others.

Now the first Christians, you are right were mostly Jewish, and you are right that the chosen people yesterday, and today were Gods chosen. The Jews however were disobedient and this allowed Gentiles to become as the Jews chosen. Now if you are asking how I feel about the Jews, most are great, and I think they for the most part are the greatest source of information about Moses and the Pentatuech and how to live before Christ. So if you want my opinion I think that many people are good no matter what religion they are from, however I think they should all know Jesus, but it is not my job to make them do that, instead it is my job to tell the truth. And while I think you are great Jesus was crucified by the Jews not the Romans.

John 18:33
33Pilate then went back into the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him "Are you the King of Jews?"
34 Is that your own idea Jesus asked, or did others talk to you about me?
35 Am I a Jew? Pilate replied," It was your people and your chief priest who handed you over to me. What is it you have done.

This is the first time that that Pilate is asking what he did and he explained to Jesus that the reason that he was there is because the Jews brought him.

The first time he told the Jews John 18: 38

I find no basis to charge against him. But it is your custome for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the passover. Do you want me to release the King of Jews.

So Pilate asked them do they want them to release Jesus and they said no, not only did they say no but they said they would prefer if Pilate returned the murderous Barabbas instead of Jesus. The Jews could have saved Jesus but they did not.

Then Pilate said a second time

Pilate came out again and said he had no reason to charge Jesus and he could have been released, and the chief priests and the officials (Jews) said Crucify, Crusify!

Then Pilate said to them,

You take him and crucify him, as for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.


Then again Pilate tried to set him free and the Jews kept shouting, that they wanted him crucified and they even claimed that Pilate was not a friend of the king if he did not do this.

So you see, the Jews killed Jesus, Pilate gave Jesus to them and they crusified him. That is the truth.

Achilles my friend, while I dont quite understand what you are trying to say I am going to try to respond. First of all even if you are born a Christian, once you reach an age where you can make the choice, you are then to commit yourself to the faith through learning, not through what others say.

Second the route to God is through belief, it is what he wants from you and which he says in many, many places throughout the world. He does not need the world to be at peace because when Jesus (the prince of Peace) returns he will bring peace with him for his (you guessed it) believers. Therefore he loves you, and will give to you everlasting life if you should only believe with all your heart and all of your mind.

Now I dont understand all this stuff about the Krishna, I have spoken to many and I have only seen this man as a wise teacher, not yet have I heard him to be the Christ. Jesus is the Christ, no one else can be. The bible says, many will come and say they are the Christ but none are. I love talking to everyone, it is not my intention to make anyone alienate anyone.

You asked if others come to read my stuff and you say they dont because only Christians will read it, however that is simply not true. I have a few readers who are satanists, muslim, different sects of Christianity, Buddhist, and a few who are Pagan. The reason they come and speak to me is because I give them a chance to get their questions answered, and I dont have time to pass judgement, so please read this if you want to talk or even debate some principle, I look forward to reading what you have to say.

I thank you for your comment. I will speak here only on those points on which I disagree. Mere belief in Jesus does not entitle one to receive an everlasting life. When we say we believe, we are also agreeing to be baptized. I mean not the kind of baptism John gave near river Jordan. Not even the kind of Baptism we are given at the time of initiation. It would be of the kind John spoke of; he said he would come and baptize them with fire. By saying, I believe we are agreeing to be put into the cauldron, where our soul will ferment and we will boil in passion until we give up the best part of ourselves for creation of the body of Christ. Jesus' body was made of the finest extract of those who were ground, kneaded and baked in the desert. Jesus' blood was the finest extract of those who fermented and their blood flowed in his veins like wine. They brought him forth into this world not because they believed but because they toiled and they suffered. For this reason, I say belief alone is not enough. To me Christ is not just a teacher. He is much more than that. Therefore, we call Him the Son of God. It is true there were none like Him and there would be none like Him. He will not come again just because of believers but because of those who he baptizes with fire. They need not be those who profess they are his followers. They could just be anyone of any faith.

Again not entirely sure what you are trying to say but thanks for the response.

A student, before you give up on Christ, study. When I started on this journey I too was the same as you. Here is the thing you are not a Christian because you know of Christ, many people know Christ exists and not too many religions believe otherwise, however Muslims know Christ exist, but he is just a valuable teacher. Catholics, Jews, and just about every other religion knows that Christ exist, the mere knowledge of Christ does not make you a Christian, you are a Christian when you have faith that Christ is the foretold Messiah, that he came to Earth through virgin birth, that his purpose was to teach the Good News and to show man the error of his ways, then he was to die upon the Cross for the sins of his people (all of us) so that we may have everlasting life. That he rose again after death because death cant keep him in the ground, he then went to Heaven to prepare a place for us. He will one day return to the Earth and will reclaim his throne on Earth by casting out the powers of Evil and he will rule the Earth in peace for a thousand years. After which he will destroy this stuff and bring forth a new heaven and a new earth for the eternal life of his believers...

I am not sure I follow your very first line in your response.

But, I never said I know of Christ, but I believe in him as a Messiah and the virgin birth. I also believe that he was under the command of God and was put on the cross to be crucified. This I believe, is further evidence of the person and the truth of the Messiah, for all God's preachers were persecuted in this, consistent with history in the foundation of all religions.

So, I say again, where does that leave me? I believe in the angels, the Bible, Jesus Christ and others before him. I also believe in God and believe that worshipping him alone can be my salvation. Therefore, I still have not recieved your answer.

If you believe in Jesus and you believe in the Word of God and you are worshipping God then you my friend are saved, and you are washed and are clean. You are Jesus own. You belong to the great "I AM" and he is for you. That is where it leaves you. But what a blessing that is for you. You are among the chosen.