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| Faith
102: "Response to a Skeptic" of Answers
to Tough Questions Skeptics Ask about the Christian Faith
by Josh McDowell and Don Stewart
A reader from Ohio on Amazon.com book reviews writes, "Joke, this book is a joke. The typical run-around answers Christians always seem to give when posed with a paradox in their faith" Dear Reader: by Lynette J. Hoy, NCC, LCPC I wonder whether you have
ever really studied the evidence for
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God." That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic-on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg-or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." And what are His claims?
That He forgives sins; that He is God: "I told you that you would die in
your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will
indeed die in your sins." and , "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered,
"before Abraham was born, I Am!" John 8:24 & 58. Jesus claimed
to be eternal and called himself "I Am" which expressed the eternity of
His being and His oneness with the Father (compare with Exodus 3:14- God's
I Am declaration).
Read the articles on Faith,
Consider Jesus,
Suffering and Death
for more answers to questions you may have about Christ and Christianity.
Lynette Hoy
Top of page More on Living for Christ: There is nothing like living fully for Christ. When you walk with Christwholeheartedly you will experience: His love, presence, power, peace, purpose and victory over sin. There is nothing like living for Christ. He is the living water and will satisfy your needs. Your needs will never be satisfied by anything or anyone else the way that Jesus can satisfy them. These verses talk about the experience you will have as you grow in Christ. John 15:1-2 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 16:24 "Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:27 "No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God." (NIV) With Christ there is freedom & forgiveness from our sins and self-centered lives: I Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. Rom 6:18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. Rom 6:22-23 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NIV) I encourage you to write to Pastor Ray Pritchard about any questions for a pastoral/ theological perspective. Read the article on Faith in order to understand how to become a Christian. Lynette Hoy, NCC, LCPC |
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