An explanation

An explanation
Someone pointed out that I from time to time mention when I speak to Christians or write my blogs to Christians that I speak of what as been called a “fundamental truth” an obvious truth. Thus I am asked why write such obvious truths to Christians.
The fact is a good percentage of those who attend church or who call themselves Christians don’t believe the fundamentals of Christianity. I know of several ministers that deny the deity of Christ among other things. They to me are not Christians, because you cannot deny the deity of Christ and be a Christian.
I know of others who are out there protesting against everything they disagree with, wishing to restrict the rights of others. This was something Christ and the apostles never did. Christians that protest in a democracy to restrict the rights of others need to read the Bible more carefully. It tells us,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
                                                                                                       Romans 12:18.
We cannot live at peace with everyone if we are protesting against someone’s rights.
Thus I write to express what I believe makes one a Christian. The apostles creed while not written by the apostles dose express the basics of Christianity when it says,
APOSTLES' CREED
  "I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
      He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell.
      The third day he rose again from the dead.
      He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
      From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
      I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic* church, the communion of saints,
      the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting."
                                                     Amen.
                                                                *that is, the true Christian church of all times                                                                                           and all places
I believe as the Apostle Paul did when he wrote,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.” 
                                                                 Ephesians 2:8,9
I also believe the writer of the book of Hebrews who said,
           “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” 
                                                                                                                              Hebrews 11:1
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
                                                                                                  Hebrews 11:6.
I believe the words of Jesus who said,
...“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 
                                                                                                                                              John 14:6b.
I believe the words of the Apostle Paul who wrote,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” 
                                                               Romans 3:23,24
  I believe the words of the Apostle John who wrote,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 
1John 1:9-10.
John also said,
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." 
                 John 1:12,13
John also wrote,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men....
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” 
                                                                                                John 1:1-4, 12-14
God actually entered this world because I believe because if he didn’t we could perhaps quite justly say to Him, “you don’t understand what it is to be human.” you have only experienced absolute power.
With God in the form of Jesus Christ, entering his creation to experience all it is to be human we cannot on the day he will judge us stand be for Him and say that He doesn’t understand.
Christians also believe one very crucial statement made by Jesus who said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. 
                                                                                                            John 3:16-18.
Please think about it.

Advice for the Christian

Advice

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:  
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and  encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.  
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.  
But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” 
                                         2 Timothy 4:1-5
I believe the words of Paul here in second Timothy couldn’t be more appropriate to day.
We here in North America live in a wide open society. It is in many ways the wild west when it comes to what passes for Christian teaching.
People have slipped away from the truth. They are believing myths and out right lies. They are being deceived.
Over the years I have heard extraordinary claims. Ranging from peoples who claim amalgam teeth filling have been changed to gold in a church service. To preachers claiming we are living in a Christian society.
There have been doom sayer claiming Christ is coming soon. They at least are right.
    Jesus has said he will return. So he is coming. Weather or not that will be in my lifetime or another century or more from now he will come. I am convinced of that.
What we must however remember that it is not important when Christ comes. It is not important if a million miracles take place this year or if people can speak in tongs of angels and of men, or if we can prophesy. It is what we are doing for Christ that is important.
We must stay close to the word of God and not be led astray by myths.
Paul when he wrote this letter knew he was coming to the end of his life.
He was a man who had studied the scriptures long before he became a Christian. And at the beginning of his life had been a very real enemy of the Gospel of Christ. Yet God took this man and changed him around to the point he could say.
“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure.  
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 
2 Timothy 4:6-8
Keep the faith, study to show yourself approved. Stand up to those who claim to be Christians and are not. Correct those who are falling away or are being led astray. Don’t judge the world or any one in it.
But rather Go and tell as many as will listen to you the about the salvation Christ offers us. This is the duty of the Christian.
Are you doing it?
Think about it.