week 11 -- pluralism - part 2

A cHRISTIAN

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Last Week

pLURALISM:There are many legitimate “paths

to God” and trusting Jesus is merely one of those paths.

what will matterWhen our lives end,

most at that moment?

which Religious clubIt will NOT be:

you chose to belong to (or not belong to) during your life

(mormonism)

(Heritage)

1. Does God Exist?What will matter is:

2. hAVE WE KEPTHis commandments?

His commandmentsGod is real and we have broken

Now What?

usGod

He takes our punishment

God himself takes the punishment for our crimes against Him

We take our own punishment

We get the appropriate punishment for our crimes against God.

The Result: Mercy The Result: Justice

thE Offer

punishment“I will take your

and offer you mercy instead of judgment!”

- God

What are the terms?

Only One way

Jesus…is the only source of salvation for the world

is the Father’s choiceprovides forgiveness of sin

will be man’s judge on that final day

Rejection of Jesus is rejection of God

No other alternatives for salvation

All nations are to be given the gospel

Rejection of Jesus brings wrath and judgment

cHALLENGES

notice:Every one of the following

objections is based on a misunderstanding the central

problem Christianity exists to solve.

The Plan:

1) Introduce a challenge2) Discuss with your neighbors how you

would respond

3)Work on it together

iNCOMPLETE bELIEF

“You don’t have the whole picture”

cHALLENGE 1:

“You Christians think you have the truth, but you only have one part of

the larger truth about God.”

The rajah, awakened by the commotion, calls out from the balcony. “The elephant

is a big animal,” he says. “Each man touched only one part. You must put all the parts together to find out what an

elephant is like.”

Enlightened by the rajah’s wisdom, the blind men reach agreement. “Each one of

us knows only a part. To find out the whole truth we must put all the parts

together.”

“You Christians think you have the truth, but you only have one part of

the larger truth about God.”

How would you respond?

Take 5 minutes and discuss

it means that a view and its opposite cannot both be true at the same

time, and the same way.

Mutually ExclusiveIf something thing is

Law of non-contradictionThis is also called the

uNDERSTANDING THE eLEPHANT

God existsChristianity:Atheism: God does not exist

God is personalChristianity:islam: God is not personal

uNDERSTANDING THE eLEPHANT

Jesus is the messiahChristianity:Judaism: Jesus is not the messiah

Evil is realChristianity:Hinduism: Evil is an illusion

uNDERSTANDING THE eLEPHANTGo to heaven or hellChristianity:

Hinduism: We come back as something else

One of three levels of heaven, possibly attain godhood

Mormonism:

Atheism: We go into the ground

Columbo Questions:

How can we go to heaven or hell, be reincarnated, and stay dead in the

ground all at the same time?

Columbo Questions:

How can God exist and not exist at the same time?

FACT:Religions are mutually exclusive

views of the world. They can never, ever, ever all be right at the

same time.

sINCERITY MATTERS moST

“God is looking for sincerity”

cHALLENGE 2:

“What matters is people’s sincerity, not their specific beliefs or religion.”

Columbo Questions:

Is there anything besides sincerity that matters?

Columbo Questions:

What are you basing this on?

Columbo Questions:

What if someone’s sincere religious goal is to kill you?

Columbo Questions:

What if someone doesn’t have much sincerity? Does that make

their view false?

Columbo Questions:

Does God stop existing when people don’t believe sincerely in Him?

FACT:

Sincerity has nothing to do with whether your view is true or not.

We need another standard.

Inclusivism

“Belief in Jesus is not required”

cHALLENGE 3:

“Christ is the grounds of faith, but he doesn’t have to be the object”

“People can benefit from Jesus’ sacrifice without directly

believing in it”

or, said another way…

Inclusivism:One does not have to believe in

Jesus directly to receive the benefits of his life and sacrifice.

Old Testament Saints:did not have to believe in Jesus

directly to receive the benefits of his life and sacrifice.

h2 - BROWNInclusivism

Those who hear the gospel must believe it. There is no hope for those

who hear and reject.

“One does not have to believe

in Jesus directly to receive the

benefits of his life and

sacrifice.”

Modest Inclusivism:

For those who never heard we leave that up to God to decide.

h2 - BROWNInclusivism

Even if people reject the gospel they can still be saved.

“One does not have to believe

in Jesus directly to receive the

benefits of his life and

sacrifice.”

sTRONG Inclusivism:

If people reject Christ and pursue any other means of devotion

sincerely, God will recognize their heart and respond with saving faith

I’ve always said we should help a Hindu become a better Hindu, a

Muslim become a better Muslim, a Catholic become a better Catholic.”

- Mother Theresa of Avila

Jews can be saved if they look forward in hope to the Messiah and try to

ascertain whether God’s promise has been fulfilled.

- Avery Cardinal Dulles, Roman Catholic priest

Adherents of other religions can be saved if, with the help of grace, they sincerely

seek God and strive to do his will.


Even atheists can be saved if they worship God under some other name and place their lives at the service of

truth and justice.



“People can benefit from Jesus’ sacrifice without directly

believing in it”


SourceWhere does salvation

come from?

Ground

Means object

What holds it all together?

How do you acquire it for yourself?

Where is salvation found now?


come from?

The unmerited mercy and goodness of God

Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the

goodness of God leads you to repentance? - Romans 2:4

Redemption for all mankind secured by Christ on the cross.

because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the

present time His righteousness, - Romans 3:25,26

GroundWhat holds it all

together?

Faith. (Active trust in God’s goodness and mercy.)

But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.”

- Galatians 3:11

MeansHow do you acquire it

for yourself?

objectWhere is salvation

found now?

Adam received covering for his sin and trusted God’s promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (Gen 3:15).

objectWhat do we place our

faith (trust) in?

Abraham believed in God’s promise of descendants who would bring blessing to the nations of the Earth (Gen 12:3).

Old Testament saints counted on the atoning sacrifices that God prescribed to cover their sins (Leviticus).

objectWhat do we place our

faith (trust) in?

So, what about us?


come from?

Ground

Means object

What holds it all together?

How do you acquire it for yourself?

Where is salvation found now?

SourceThe unmerited mercy and goodness of God

Ground

Means object

The work of Christ on the cross

Faith (active trust in God’s goodness and mercy).

The person of Jesus Christ exclusively.

New Testamentauthor is in agreement

on this point.

Every single

place our trustin Jesus Christ to benefit

from his sacrifice.

We must

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven

given among men by which we must be saved.”

Acts 4:12

“And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life and this life is in

his Son.

1john 5:11

He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not

have the life.”

1john 5:12

“for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

john 8:24

“He who believes has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see

life, but the wrath of God abides in him.”

john 3:36

who never hearthe clear gospel message?

What happens to people

I don’t know

we are called tospread the news.

What I do know is that

we are called topreach the gospel


we are called tolove with sacrificial love


we are called toteach the clear meaning of scripture


we are called tomake disciples


we are called tostand strong in the truth


we are called tolove God and people


Acts 10

What did the disciples do?

Open to

Acts 10:1-8

Cornelius:

Devout

Feared God

(With all his household)

Generous giver

Prayed to God always

hE IS GOOD, riGHT?

gO TO Verse 34

What do we lEARN?

Everyone needs the gospel.Even the best among us are not good

enough on our own.

SubjectiveObjective

Reality

God is real and we have broken His commandments

Personal Preference

People who think their religious beliefs are real and

not personal preference

Primary Problem: Primary Problem:

Objective

Reality


Jesus solves this problem

Primary Problem:

Not this oneObjective

Reality


Personal Preference

People who think their religious beliefs are real and

not personal preference

Primary Problem: Primary Problem:X

social pressureof pluralism or relativism or

whatever else our culture throws at us

May we never bow to the

remain faithfulto preach the gospel, and

watch for those whom God is calling to Himself

May we, like those before us

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,

by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil,

that is, His flesh…

and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an

evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who

promised is faithful.

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not

forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some,

but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

- Hebrews 10:19-25

Islam

“There is no God but Allah”

Next Week

week 11 -- pluralism - part 2

Education