2001-5-31 09:03:00
Here's the final installment in this series of fun questions to ask orthodox believers. There are many more we could come up with but these will have to do for now.
IS JESUS GOD
QUESTION: Is Jesus God?
ANSWER: Yes, of course.
QUESTION: Jesus said: "I can of my own self do nothing..." (John 5:30) "I do nothing of myself; but as my Father taught me, I speak these things." (John 8:28) "The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works." (John 14:10). Who was it here that had no power to do anything by himself?
ANSWER: Jesus.
QUESTION: Now, you said Jesus was God; therefore do you realize that you are saying that God has no power to do anything by Himself?
ANSWER: You're twisting things.
QUESTION: If it wasn't the God who is Jesus that had no power to do anything, who was it?
ANSWER: No comment.
IS GOD GOOD
QUESTION: Is God good?
ANSWER: Of course.
QUESTION: When a man called Jesus good, he answered: "Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God." Matt 19:17. If Jesus is God, why did he refuse to be called good?
ANSWER: (He is confused)
ARE MORMONS (Jehovah Witnesses and other Minority religions) SAVED
QUESTION: Are Mormons saved?
ANSWER: Not unless they accept Jesus.
QUESTION: Most of the Mormons I know say they accept Jesus as their savior and as the Son of God. Are they therefore saved?
ANSWER: They do not accept the true Jesus of the Bible.
QUESTION: Do you mean to say that if they accept the Mormon idea of Jesus they will not be saved?
ANSWER: I'm afraid they won't. They have to accept the true Jesus.
QUESTION: I suppose the true Jesus is your version of Jesus.
ANSWER: No, the Biblical Jesus.
QUESTION: The last I heard the Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah Witnesses and other minority religions believe they teach the Biblical Jesus. Have you ever seen in any of their literature a statement saying they reject the Biblical Jesus?
ANSWER: No.
QUESTION: Do you admit then that these religions do their best to teach and accept what they believe to be the Biblical Jesus?
ANSWER: Yes, they do, but they are deceived.
QUESTION: On the other hand, they think you are deceived. It seems to boil down to the fact that their interpretation of Jesus is different from yours. Do these other religions have to have the same interpretation of Jesus as you do before they can be saved?
ANSWER: They have to believe in the Biblical Jesus.
QUESTION: That's not what I asked. They already believe and accept the Jesus of the Bible to the best of their ability. Do they have to have the same interpretation of Jesus that you do to be saved?
ANSWER: I interpret the Bible the way it reads. They must accept the Jesus that is in there.
QUESTION: It is obvious that you do not think others will be saved unless they accept your interpretation of Jesus. Do you therefore think that if a person has a mistaken notion of Jesus, but still accepts Him, that is not good enough to obtain salvation?
ANSWER: If he has a wrong idea, or is deceived about who Jesus is, he must come to the truth or he cannot be saved.
QUESTION: Are you aware that the disciples in the days of Jesus had mistaken ideas about Him?
ANSWER: Yes, but they later came to the truth.
QUESTION: Are they now saved?
ANSWER: Yes.
QUESTION: Did Jesus anywhere condemn anyone to damnation because they had false ideas about Him?
ANSWER: No.
QUESTION: Then why do you condemn to Hell those who sincerely believe in Jesus, but in your eyes have false ideas about Him?
ANSWER: But they must accept the true Jesus.
QUESTION: But the Bible says: "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Rom 10:9. Neither this scripture nor any other that I know of specifies that you have to have an exactly correct interpretation of Jesus to be saved. Most Mormons and other sincere Christians that I know have confessed that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead. So, why will they not be saved?
ANSWER: Well, maybe they will be.
IS JESUS OUR BROTHER
QUESTION: Is Jesus our brother?
ANSWER: Yes. Jesus is called 'the firstborn among many brethren." Rom 8:29.
QUESTION: Is Jesus God?
ANSWER: Yes.
QUESTION: Then why do we not call God brother, instead of Father?
ANSWER: You're confusing me.
THE BORN AGAIN CONFUSION
QUESTION: Are you born again?
ANSWER: Yes.
QUESTION: The Bible says: "We know that whosoever is born of God SINNETH NOT; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." I John 5:18. According to this scripture, if you are really born again, you do not sin. Can you honestly say that since the day that you were born again you have not committed even one sin?
ANSWER: I know I'm born again so I must not have.
QUESTION: But the Bible also says: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us...we make Him (God) a liar, and His word is not in us." I John 1:8&10. Then according to the Bible, you do not have the truth. How do you explain that?
ANSWER: I had sin before I was born again, but I have not sinned since that time.
QUESTION: You mean that you and all the other millions of born again Christians have not committed even one sin since being born again?
ANSWER: Yes.
QUESTION: Now, think a moment. Doesn't that sound ridiculous?
ANSWER: No.
QUESTION: How do you explain the fact that thousands of born again Christians have actually been sinning and a number of them are even in jail?
ANSWER: Then they are not really born again.
QUESTION: But you are?
ANSWER: Yes.
QUESTION: Let me shake your hand. I want you to know I feel privileged to be in the presence of one of the elite sinless ones. What would you rather be called--Jesus or God?
ANSWER: (He becomes irritable).
Our Father God
QUESTION: Why is God called our Father?
ANSWER: Because He created us.
QUESTION: You mean you do not look upon Him as the literal Father of our spirits as the Mormons do?
ANSWER: If you mean to ask me if God had sex with his wives to create our spirits...I certainly do not believe that.
QUESTION: So you definitely believe that God is our Father because He created us?
ANSWER: Yes.
QUESTION: Spiritually, then, does that make all of us brothers and sisters?
ANSWER: Yes.
QUESTION: Is this also why we are called the children of God, or His sons and daughters?
ANSWER: Yes.
QUESTION: Did God create evil?
ANSWER: No. The Devil does.
QUESTION: Apparently, you are wrong here. God speaks in the Bible and says: "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things." Isa 45:7. Do you believe that God is speaking the truth here when He says that He creates evil?
ANSWER: Yes, I suppose so.
QUESTION: He says He creates both light and darkness, so would we be correct in also calling God the Father of both good and evil?
ANSWER: I guess you could say that.
QUESTION: Did God create the Devil?
ANSWER: I suppose.
QUESTION: Could we then call God the Father of the Devil?
ANSWER: Certainly not.
QUESTION: Why not?
ANSWER: God is good. Satan is evil. He will never be like God.
QUESTION: Are you saying then that because men are His sons they will be like God?
ANSWER: Certainly not.
QUESTION: Then if God created Satan, why would He not be called his Father?
ANSWER: Because Satan is not like God.
QUESTION: But you say that men are not, and never will be like God either, yet you call God our Father. So why is He not the Devil's Father?
ANSWER: I'm not sure.
QUESTION: The Bible further tells us that he was an angel and perfect at one time: "Thou art the annointed Cherub (Or angel) that covereth...thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee." Eze28:14-15. Now when an angel appeared to John he told him he was one of his brethren (Rev 19:10). Finally, we are told: "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them." Job 1:6.
Because Satan was perfect when he was created indicates that he was a son of God. Also, he was presenting himself before the Lord with others who were definitely called sons of God. It sounds more and more like God was the original Father and Satan was the son doesn't it?
ANSWER: I'm not sure
QUESTION: If God is the Father of both us and the Devil, then the Devil is our brother, isn't he?
ANSWER: He may be your brother.
QUESTION: You are avoiding the answer. You seem happy to call Jesus our brother even though you think he is not a man but God. Why are you so reluctant to call the Devil (however fallen he may be) a brother also?
ANSWER: I can't accept it.
QUESTION: If we are right then in concluding that both Jesus and the Devil are our brothers, then Jesus and Lucifer are also brothers are they not?
ANSWER: (He doesn't want to comment.)
Copyright 2001 by J.J. Dewey, All Rights Reserved