Eternal life is promised to those that believe, but what happens if they stop believing? What about someone that believes but struggles with sin? Is there a difference?
Continue readingCategory Archives: Soteriology (Salvation)
Essays discussing evangelism and salvation as well as comparing Christian Soteriology to other religions.
God’s Image is Not God’s Likeness
Gen 1:26-27 says that all of humanity from the beginning was made in the image and likeness of God. We are all made in the image of God, but our likeness has changed because of the failure of humanity to keep God’s commands (Gen 3:1-24). God’s solution to make us like him again, is to pour out his spirit on us and give us a new spirit/heart that will make us like him again. It’s the holy spirit that was promised to circumcise our hearts (Deut 30:6, Jer 4:4, Ez 36:25-27, Joel 2:28-32, Acts 2:16-21, Rom 2:29, and Col 2:11) and give us the power to overcome sin nature so that we could accomplish the task of keeping God’s commands so that we can be his likeness.
Continue readingSalvation from an Investing Perspective
When studying investing and the bible at the same time, some interesting metaphors for salvation came to mind. God’s order of salvation can be compared to a Cosmic Corporate Bond or a Heavenly ESO.
Continue readingJesus vs The World’s Salvation
Many religions have a soteriology, which is a method of salvation. Most beliefs teach that we must work for it. Some religions have no salvation or hope of release from suffering, they just take life as it is. There are many methods of salvation using natural works to generate good karma or good character points with God. It’s like climbing a mountain to reach God or deliverance from the struggles of life, but while climbing the climber faces an eruption, an avalanche, a thunderstorm, and mountain lions, so it’s humanly impossible. In contrast, in Christianity Jesus (the Messiah) ascends the metaphorical mountain himself for us. He walks through fire and magma unburned (Dan 3:1-30), parts the wall of snow and ice (Ex 14:15-31, Josh 3:9-17) even walks on rushing water (Mark 6:45-56), quiets the storm (Mark 4:35-41) and shuts the lion’s mouths (Dan 6:1-28). He reaches the top for us and moved the mountain (Mark 11:22-24) by mediating a new covenant where our sin is covered by his sacrifice, so we are saved from its effects including death. In other words, we can’t save ourselves so we must trust God for it.
Continue readingThe Greatest Marriage Proposal
Why does God give us a choice in the first place, doesn’t he want absolute obedience? If he wanted absolute obedience then he would have made us robots pre-programmed to say I love you. The Bible often compares his covenant relationship to human ones like a parent to child (creator to creation) and a husband and wife (God to his people). Most people can understand the view of God as a Father but seeing God as a husband seems strange to some. What is the difference between the two kinds of relationships?
Continue readingPenal Substitutionary Atonement
There are Christians who don’t believe that Jesus died in our place because of God’s punishment. That means they don’t believe in Penal Substitution Atonement. They have some other understanding of why Jesus had to die on the cross because it sounds abusive for God to punish an innocent man for the many. They instead say the blood itself cleanses us of sin, rather than saying Jesus died because he took God’s wrath in our place, but I don’t think we can reject PSA biblically.
Continue readingJesus vs Universal Salvation
Did Jesus teach that there were multiple ways to receive eternal life? No, Jesus did not teach universal salvation, he makes it very clear that we must submit to him since he is the king of heaven and earth and he is the only one that provides the power to overcome sin. Jesus explains this in John 3:16-21, in verses 16-17 he says those that believe are saved. In verses 18-19, he talks about the condemnation of nonbelievers on judgment. Lastly, in verses, 20-21 he explains why things are set up this way, and that is because receiving salvation is like stepping into the light, and rejecting it is staying in darkness. He explains that (NLT) John 3:20 “all who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. 21 But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” Jesus says in his parable of the wedding banquet that people who refuse the banquet invitation (salvation offer) will be cast into outer darkness (Matthew 22:1-14). In both Matt 25:31-46, as well as in the parable of the wheat and weeds/tares (Matt 13:36-43), Jesus distinguishes between righteous and unrighteous. The unrighteous are always cast into darkness on judgment day (Matthew 8:12, Matt 22:13, Matt 25:30).
Continue readingFaith vs Conversion
If a gun is put to your head and you are threatened to convert to something like another religion, you lied out of fear. By swearing allegiance to that religion do you genuinely believe in their theology or are you just saying that to keep from being martyred? Can you choose to TRULY believe a new theology/religion under pressure or would you have to fake it only? Conviction comes from outside information that convinces you right? One can’t will their mind into receiving something that they aren’t convinced of internally. So it is really possible for someone to make themselves believe something? Don’t people usually only believe something they are told, not because they will themselves into believing it? Can you FORCE yourself to believe in Santa Claus despite believing the evidence that he doesn’t exist? If crusaders and colonizers ministered to non-Christians in love with the free option to reject, it would be more effective than threatening them in order to coerce conversion.
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