Not Just A Symbol

 

I read a National Review op-ed some time back and believe this paragraph to be true:

The entire Christian worldview rises or falls on a simple matter of historical fact: Whether a Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead to vindicate His claims to divine personage. Without the resurrection event, Christ’s moral teaching, while perhaps still of interest to the anthropologist or the charlatan, ceases to become a divine command levied under pain of eternal damnation. It is impossible to be too “hung up” on whether that specific event happened or not, because, as Kevin says, “if God is real, then that fact is the most important fact in the universe, something that should be perfectly obvious even to a committed atheist.”

That article was in response to an early one in February, 2020, “Cher, God, Whoever.” where the author includes:

Christians should remind ourselves from time to time that we believe radical and implausible things, that Peter’s understanding of the world was (and is) not only fundamentally different from that of Tiberius but ultimately and finally irreconcilable with it.

As Christians, we do need reminding that what we believe is often incompatible with societal norms.While a large number of people who say they are Christians do support abortion on demand, it is biblically implausible. Paul - Christianity's prolific first-century defender agreed:

But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. (1 Corinthians 15:13-14 KJV)

To accept that, beyond the resurrection question, Jesus said:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

Yet continued:

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:17-18 KJV)

And said more:

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6 KJV)

How can a Christian accept the premise that all paths lead to God? We may have one verse to stand upon, based on inspiration of God and written by a Jewish scholar who accepted Christ:

For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) (Romans 2:12-15 KJV)

Thanks be to God that we are not responsible for any person’s rejection of His word – but we are responsible to share His word and our witness to our neighbor. Matthew, Mark, and Luke speak to this – I like Matthew’s scene:

Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:36-40 KJV)

My question to Christians is: Do you love your neighbor enough to speak to them about Jesus? My question to non-Christians is: May I speak to you about why I do love you?