Choose Your Belief
Christian Faith
This You Can Believe
Faith Seeking Understanding
Object:
Today's Wilderness Of Beliefs
It is difficult to find Christian belief in today's world. Beliefs of all kinds abound.
First, there is the number of different churches. In the world it is reported that there are 23,500 denominations. In the United States there are 1,600. This leads to a diversity of convictions. This diversity was revealed in a poll of "born again" Christians.
* 32% agreed that "people's prayers do not have the power to change their circumstances."
* 49% agreed: "All good people, whether they consider Jesus Christ to be their Savior or not, will live in heaven after they die."
* 28% said this statement is true: "The whole idea of sin is outdated."
In addition, there is the current popularity of sects and cults. It is reported that there are 3,000 in America with three million adherents. One of these cults recently rented a house in San Diego in which forty adults committed suicide one night to release their souls from their bodies in order to meet a spaceship which supposedly was to take them to heaven.
For some people this results in confusion. For example, a man, feeling badly, went to church and responded to the altar call. When he knelt, a member of the church knelt beside him and said, "Hold on, brother, hold on. If you want to find God, hold on." A little later another member knelt beside him, put his arm around his shoulder and said, "Turn loose, brother. If you really want to know God, you have to turn loose." Then a woman knelt beside him and said, "You know, my friend, on the day I was converted, the very light of God hit me right in the face and knocked me down." Later the man explained, "During that time I was so busy and preoccupied, trying somehow to turn loose and at the same time hold on while looking around for the light of God to hit me in the face, that what I felt mostly was that I was confused."
Second, pluralism is rampant in our society. A century ago the United States was considered a "Christian nation." Because of the wholesale influx of non-Christian immigrants in the twentieth century, America is no longer considered by many as a totally Christian nation. Today it is reported that there are more Moslems in America than Methodists, more Buddhists than Episcopalians.
Pluralism holds that all religions are of equal value and are roads to God. Then the gospel is only relatively true. Other world religions are held to be different interpretations of the same God. Christians are not to evangelize or missionize but rather to be tolerant and understanding of other religions. In 1990 even the World Council of Churches declared that Christianity is not the one and only religion; the churches "need to move beyond a theology which confines salvation to the explicit personal commitment to Christ."
Today traditional Christians give one of three responses to pluralism:
(1) Exclusion. Non-Christian religions are invalid attempts to find God. Christ is the one and only way to salvation.
(2) Pluralism. All religions are valid and paths to God. Christianity is one among many ways to God. Though all religions are considered equal, Christianity is preferred.
(3) Inclusion. God is present and reveals himself in many ways, including the non-Christian religions. It does not really matter to what religion you hold.
Third, there is the menace of credulity. Many people are gullible and will believe anything and everything. One case of credulity deals with flying saucers. Roswell, New Mexico, in 1997 is observing the fiftieth anniversary of the alleged crash in 1947 of a flying saucer. The claim is that aliens from other planets visited the earth and crashed near Roswell. Thirty-four percent of Americans believe this even though the U.S. military concluded that a heap of debris was not from a saucer but from a downed weather balloon. Another case deals with the late Elvis Presley. Though a physician pronounced him dead and did an autopsy on his body and his grave is at his mansion, Graceland, in Memphis, millions of Americans consider him alive, living either in Hawaii or Michigan. They gather by the thousands each year to celebrate his birthday. A third case involved a strange configuration on a business building in Clearwater, Florida. To some it looked like a figure of the Virgin Mary. Within a couple of months millions came to look. They brought flowers, money, and prayers. They believed it was the Virgin Mary. A year later, the figure is still on the windows but hardly a person is there to behold it.
What You Can Believe
Every person is a believer. It is part of the human psyche to believe, but believe what? Each person has several options to believe. A bumper sticker says, "Honk, if you believe anything." "If you believe" -- everyone is a believer. We only have to choose a belief.
Believe Nothing
A father described his teenage daughter as one who believes nothing but indulges in everything. When we believe nothing, anything goes!
A U.S. Navy radio man was convicted of selling government secrets to the Russians for $325,000. In sentencing him the judge remarked, "He betrayed his country for money because he believes in nothing."
Believing in nothing is known as nihilism. It is akin to atheism, except that an atheist believes that God does not exist. If one believes in nothing, the consequences are horrible. There are no guidelines or limits for behavior. With nothing to believe in, there is no security for the present and no hope for tomorrow. There is nothing to hold on to and no reason to live.
Believe Anything
A second opinion is to believe anything. One time an actress remarked that she believed in astrology. A friend was surprised. "I didn't know you believed in astrology." "Oh, yes, I believe in everything a little bit."
A couple visited a church of a different denomination. After the service they met one of the leaders of the church. They asked, "How does your church differ in doctrine?" He replied, "That's what is good about our church. You can believe anything you want."
Does it matter to parents to which church they send their children? One mother said that it did not make any difference to her whether her children became Buddhist so long as they believed in something and behaved morally.
One fallacy in the position to believe anything is the claim that it doesn't matter what you believe so long as you are sincere. Do we need to be reminded that Hitler was totally sincere when he fostered the Holocaust?
Another fallacy in this position is to hold to the view that it is not what you believe but what you do that counts. It is deeds, not creeds, that count, some say. Alex McCowen gives a one-man performance of the Gospel of Mark which he performs from memory without missing a word. One time he was asked why he was not a Christian. He explained, "It is what you do rather than what you believe."
Believe The Wrong Thing
Believing the wrong thing is known as heresy -- falsehood, untruth, lies. Heresy has always plagued the upholders and pro-claimers of truth. Jesus had the problem. He warned his disciples, "Beware of false prophets" (Matthew 7:15). Saint Paul fought against the Judaizers of his day. In Galatians he defended the gospel from them and uttered a curse against them: "But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed!" (Galatians 1:8).
Throughout church history heretics had to be fought. Athanasius confronted Arius on the Trinity truth. Augustine fought Pelagius on the salvation issue. In the Middle Ages the Roman Church considered Protestants to be heretics and on Saint Bartholomew's Day she massacred 70,000 French Protestants. And don't forget that Martin Luther was excommunicated as a heretic!
Today the true Christian faith is threatened by heresies, cults, and sects that are built upon false teachings. A recent heresy is the New Age, which teaches anti-Christian doctrines such as reincarnation and pantheism. Christianity Today summed it up: "The New Age offers a Christ without a cross or physical resurrection, preaching a gospel without repentance or forgiveness, before an audience of potential equals without sin or shame who are in no peril of perdition." (April 29, 1991, p. 23)
The Church of Scientology is another heresy of our time. It was started by L. Ron Hubbard, a science fiction writer. Time magazine called it a "cult of greed." It is a secular program of mind manipulation, but it masquerades as a church.
The Goddess Sophia is a heresy of recent years dealing with feminist spirituality. She is considered the co-creator with God of the universe, a heavenly queen, and lover of God in a physical way. As a goddess she is worshiped and served by her believers.
Believe The Right Thing
How can we know what is the right thing to believe? Where do we get the truth to believe? Shall we go to church members for the answer? A true-false test was given to 4,371 church members regarding their beliefs. The results:
The Statement
(1) All people are sinners. -- Percentage True 57
(2) Jesus is the Son of God. -- Percentage True 42
(3) Of many religions most lead to God. -- Percentage True 42
(4) At birth a child is sinful. -- Percentage True 63
(5) The gospel is God's rules for right living. -- Percentage True 41
(6) We are saved by good works or intentions. -- Percentage True 70
If you will look at the percentage, you will see that they are practically 50-50. Accordingly you should not get a unanimous answer from the average church membership. Where then shall we go for the truth?
Protestants hold that the sole source of truth for faith and life is the Bible. John Wesley stated it expertly: "We believe the written Word of God to be the only and sufficient rule of both faith and practice." Why? Because the Bible is the recorded account of God's revelation completed in Jesus Christ, the Word Incarnate.
But the Bible can be a problem. It is a library of 66 books. It can be a confusing book with genealogies, liturgical directives, dietary laws, all of which are irrelevant to our age. The Bible is a book of progressive revelation with low and high points, and Christians do not accept the low points because they are superseded by the teachings of Jesus. What then in the Bible can we believe?
We turn to the church for help. The church's treasure is the Word of God, and she is the custodian of this treasure of truth which we can believe. In a marvelous and miraculous fashion the church has summarized and distilled the truth of the Bible in the creeds. To realize just what this means, suppose you were asked to reduce 1,151 pages of the Bible to 109 words without omitting one important truth. Could you do it?
It was done for us by the church in the Apostles' Creed. In a sermon of 1535 Martin Luther said, "This confession of faith [the Apostles' Creed] we did not make or invent, neither did the fathers of the church before us. But as the bee gathers honey from many a beautiful and delectable flower, so this creed has been collected in commendable brevity from the books of the beloved prophets and apostles, that is, from the entire Holy Scriptures."
Therefore, the right thing to believe is the truth of the Bible interpreted by Christ and summarized in the Apostles' Creed. The right thing to believe is whatever harmonizes with this creed.
Study Guide
Choose Your Belief
What do you believe? Are your beliefs in conformity with scriptural teachings? The best way to find out is by obeying Saint Paul's admonition: "Examine yourselves to see whether you are holding to your faith. Test yourselves" (2 Corinthians 13:5). Take the following test to learn what you are now believing. At the close of the series, take the test again and determine whether your answers were correct. In some cases you will need to check the best answer.
A creed is --
1. ___ a way of life.
2. ___ a statement of faith.
3. ___ a means of getting right with God.
The creeds were written by --
1. ___ Saint Paul.
2. ___ Jesus.
3. ___ the Church.
4. ___ unknown authors.
The Trinity means --
1. ___ we have three gods.
2. ___ God is divided into three persons.
3. ___ God is one with Jesus and the Holy Spirit as subordinates.
4. ___ God is one but manifests himself in three persons.
"I believe in God" means --
1. ___ I am an agnostic.
2. ___ I am a polytheist.
3. ___ I am an atheist.
4. ___ I am a monotheist.
God the Father implies --
1. ___ God is a male.
2. ___ God is a person.
3. ___ God is a personality.
4. ___ God is a principle.
When God created the universe --
1. ___ He gave humanity permission to exploit it.
2. ___ He withdrew and let the world run itself.
3. ___ He made provision for our physical needs.
Jesus is --
1. ___ the Son of God.
2. ___ higher than the angels but lower than God.
3. ___ a man with a sense of God's presence.
4. ___ the same as God.
The Incarnation means --
1. ___ Jesus is totally human.
2. ___ Jesus is wholly God.
3. ___ Jesus is both God and man.
4. ___ Jesus is only a prophet of God.
Because Jesus died on the cross --
1. ___ we have access to God through forgiveness.
2. ___ we have an example on the cross.
3. ___ we can blame the Jews.
4. ___ we are free to live as we please.
It is correct to refer to the Holy Spirit as --
1. ___ it.
2. ___ he.
3. ___ she.
The Holy Spirit is God --
1. ___ in the world.
2. ___ in Christian believers.
3. ___ in all people.
The Holy Spirit comes to those who --
1. ___ receive the Word of God.
2. ___ live a good life.
3. ___ pay the tithe.
4. ___ attend worship services.
Christianity and other religions:
1. ___ most religions lead to God.
2. ___ all people, regardless of religion, are God's children.
3. ___ it is necessary to be a Christian to be saved.
The nature of humanity:
1. ___ at birth a child is sinful.
2. ___ regardless of religion, a person is of inherent worth.
3. ___ at baptism parents only dedicate a child to God.
The Gospel:
1. ___ God's rules for right living.
2. ___ with God's help, one can get right with God.
3. ___ Christ died for our sins.
It is difficult to find Christian belief in today's world. Beliefs of all kinds abound.
First, there is the number of different churches. In the world it is reported that there are 23,500 denominations. In the United States there are 1,600. This leads to a diversity of convictions. This diversity was revealed in a poll of "born again" Christians.
* 32% agreed that "people's prayers do not have the power to change their circumstances."
* 49% agreed: "All good people, whether they consider Jesus Christ to be their Savior or not, will live in heaven after they die."
* 28% said this statement is true: "The whole idea of sin is outdated."
In addition, there is the current popularity of sects and cults. It is reported that there are 3,000 in America with three million adherents. One of these cults recently rented a house in San Diego in which forty adults committed suicide one night to release their souls from their bodies in order to meet a spaceship which supposedly was to take them to heaven.
For some people this results in confusion. For example, a man, feeling badly, went to church and responded to the altar call. When he knelt, a member of the church knelt beside him and said, "Hold on, brother, hold on. If you want to find God, hold on." A little later another member knelt beside him, put his arm around his shoulder and said, "Turn loose, brother. If you really want to know God, you have to turn loose." Then a woman knelt beside him and said, "You know, my friend, on the day I was converted, the very light of God hit me right in the face and knocked me down." Later the man explained, "During that time I was so busy and preoccupied, trying somehow to turn loose and at the same time hold on while looking around for the light of God to hit me in the face, that what I felt mostly was that I was confused."
Second, pluralism is rampant in our society. A century ago the United States was considered a "Christian nation." Because of the wholesale influx of non-Christian immigrants in the twentieth century, America is no longer considered by many as a totally Christian nation. Today it is reported that there are more Moslems in America than Methodists, more Buddhists than Episcopalians.
Pluralism holds that all religions are of equal value and are roads to God. Then the gospel is only relatively true. Other world religions are held to be different interpretations of the same God. Christians are not to evangelize or missionize but rather to be tolerant and understanding of other religions. In 1990 even the World Council of Churches declared that Christianity is not the one and only religion; the churches "need to move beyond a theology which confines salvation to the explicit personal commitment to Christ."
Today traditional Christians give one of three responses to pluralism:
(1) Exclusion. Non-Christian religions are invalid attempts to find God. Christ is the one and only way to salvation.
(2) Pluralism. All religions are valid and paths to God. Christianity is one among many ways to God. Though all religions are considered equal, Christianity is preferred.
(3) Inclusion. God is present and reveals himself in many ways, including the non-Christian religions. It does not really matter to what religion you hold.
Third, there is the menace of credulity. Many people are gullible and will believe anything and everything. One case of credulity deals with flying saucers. Roswell, New Mexico, in 1997 is observing the fiftieth anniversary of the alleged crash in 1947 of a flying saucer. The claim is that aliens from other planets visited the earth and crashed near Roswell. Thirty-four percent of Americans believe this even though the U.S. military concluded that a heap of debris was not from a saucer but from a downed weather balloon. Another case deals with the late Elvis Presley. Though a physician pronounced him dead and did an autopsy on his body and his grave is at his mansion, Graceland, in Memphis, millions of Americans consider him alive, living either in Hawaii or Michigan. They gather by the thousands each year to celebrate his birthday. A third case involved a strange configuration on a business building in Clearwater, Florida. To some it looked like a figure of the Virgin Mary. Within a couple of months millions came to look. They brought flowers, money, and prayers. They believed it was the Virgin Mary. A year later, the figure is still on the windows but hardly a person is there to behold it.
What You Can Believe
Every person is a believer. It is part of the human psyche to believe, but believe what? Each person has several options to believe. A bumper sticker says, "Honk, if you believe anything." "If you believe" -- everyone is a believer. We only have to choose a belief.
Believe Nothing
A father described his teenage daughter as one who believes nothing but indulges in everything. When we believe nothing, anything goes!
A U.S. Navy radio man was convicted of selling government secrets to the Russians for $325,000. In sentencing him the judge remarked, "He betrayed his country for money because he believes in nothing."
Believing in nothing is known as nihilism. It is akin to atheism, except that an atheist believes that God does not exist. If one believes in nothing, the consequences are horrible. There are no guidelines or limits for behavior. With nothing to believe in, there is no security for the present and no hope for tomorrow. There is nothing to hold on to and no reason to live.
Believe Anything
A second opinion is to believe anything. One time an actress remarked that she believed in astrology. A friend was surprised. "I didn't know you believed in astrology." "Oh, yes, I believe in everything a little bit."
A couple visited a church of a different denomination. After the service they met one of the leaders of the church. They asked, "How does your church differ in doctrine?" He replied, "That's what is good about our church. You can believe anything you want."
Does it matter to parents to which church they send their children? One mother said that it did not make any difference to her whether her children became Buddhist so long as they believed in something and behaved morally.
One fallacy in the position to believe anything is the claim that it doesn't matter what you believe so long as you are sincere. Do we need to be reminded that Hitler was totally sincere when he fostered the Holocaust?
Another fallacy in this position is to hold to the view that it is not what you believe but what you do that counts. It is deeds, not creeds, that count, some say. Alex McCowen gives a one-man performance of the Gospel of Mark which he performs from memory without missing a word. One time he was asked why he was not a Christian. He explained, "It is what you do rather than what you believe."
Believe The Wrong Thing
Believing the wrong thing is known as heresy -- falsehood, untruth, lies. Heresy has always plagued the upholders and pro-claimers of truth. Jesus had the problem. He warned his disciples, "Beware of false prophets" (Matthew 7:15). Saint Paul fought against the Judaizers of his day. In Galatians he defended the gospel from them and uttered a curse against them: "But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed!" (Galatians 1:8).
Throughout church history heretics had to be fought. Athanasius confronted Arius on the Trinity truth. Augustine fought Pelagius on the salvation issue. In the Middle Ages the Roman Church considered Protestants to be heretics and on Saint Bartholomew's Day she massacred 70,000 French Protestants. And don't forget that Martin Luther was excommunicated as a heretic!
Today the true Christian faith is threatened by heresies, cults, and sects that are built upon false teachings. A recent heresy is the New Age, which teaches anti-Christian doctrines such as reincarnation and pantheism. Christianity Today summed it up: "The New Age offers a Christ without a cross or physical resurrection, preaching a gospel without repentance or forgiveness, before an audience of potential equals without sin or shame who are in no peril of perdition." (April 29, 1991, p. 23)
The Church of Scientology is another heresy of our time. It was started by L. Ron Hubbard, a science fiction writer. Time magazine called it a "cult of greed." It is a secular program of mind manipulation, but it masquerades as a church.
The Goddess Sophia is a heresy of recent years dealing with feminist spirituality. She is considered the co-creator with God of the universe, a heavenly queen, and lover of God in a physical way. As a goddess she is worshiped and served by her believers.
Believe The Right Thing
How can we know what is the right thing to believe? Where do we get the truth to believe? Shall we go to church members for the answer? A true-false test was given to 4,371 church members regarding their beliefs. The results:
The Statement
(1) All people are sinners. -- Percentage True 57
(2) Jesus is the Son of God. -- Percentage True 42
(3) Of many religions most lead to God. -- Percentage True 42
(4) At birth a child is sinful. -- Percentage True 63
(5) The gospel is God's rules for right living. -- Percentage True 41
(6) We are saved by good works or intentions. -- Percentage True 70
If you will look at the percentage, you will see that they are practically 50-50. Accordingly you should not get a unanimous answer from the average church membership. Where then shall we go for the truth?
Protestants hold that the sole source of truth for faith and life is the Bible. John Wesley stated it expertly: "We believe the written Word of God to be the only and sufficient rule of both faith and practice." Why? Because the Bible is the recorded account of God's revelation completed in Jesus Christ, the Word Incarnate.
But the Bible can be a problem. It is a library of 66 books. It can be a confusing book with genealogies, liturgical directives, dietary laws, all of which are irrelevant to our age. The Bible is a book of progressive revelation with low and high points, and Christians do not accept the low points because they are superseded by the teachings of Jesus. What then in the Bible can we believe?
We turn to the church for help. The church's treasure is the Word of God, and she is the custodian of this treasure of truth which we can believe. In a marvelous and miraculous fashion the church has summarized and distilled the truth of the Bible in the creeds. To realize just what this means, suppose you were asked to reduce 1,151 pages of the Bible to 109 words without omitting one important truth. Could you do it?
It was done for us by the church in the Apostles' Creed. In a sermon of 1535 Martin Luther said, "This confession of faith [the Apostles' Creed] we did not make or invent, neither did the fathers of the church before us. But as the bee gathers honey from many a beautiful and delectable flower, so this creed has been collected in commendable brevity from the books of the beloved prophets and apostles, that is, from the entire Holy Scriptures."
Therefore, the right thing to believe is the truth of the Bible interpreted by Christ and summarized in the Apostles' Creed. The right thing to believe is whatever harmonizes with this creed.
Study Guide
Choose Your Belief
What do you believe? Are your beliefs in conformity with scriptural teachings? The best way to find out is by obeying Saint Paul's admonition: "Examine yourselves to see whether you are holding to your faith. Test yourselves" (2 Corinthians 13:5). Take the following test to learn what you are now believing. At the close of the series, take the test again and determine whether your answers were correct. In some cases you will need to check the best answer.
A creed is --
1. ___ a way of life.
2. ___ a statement of faith.
3. ___ a means of getting right with God.
The creeds were written by --
1. ___ Saint Paul.
2. ___ Jesus.
3. ___ the Church.
4. ___ unknown authors.
The Trinity means --
1. ___ we have three gods.
2. ___ God is divided into three persons.
3. ___ God is one with Jesus and the Holy Spirit as subordinates.
4. ___ God is one but manifests himself in three persons.
"I believe in God" means --
1. ___ I am an agnostic.
2. ___ I am a polytheist.
3. ___ I am an atheist.
4. ___ I am a monotheist.
God the Father implies --
1. ___ God is a male.
2. ___ God is a person.
3. ___ God is a personality.
4. ___ God is a principle.
When God created the universe --
1. ___ He gave humanity permission to exploit it.
2. ___ He withdrew and let the world run itself.
3. ___ He made provision for our physical needs.
Jesus is --
1. ___ the Son of God.
2. ___ higher than the angels but lower than God.
3. ___ a man with a sense of God's presence.
4. ___ the same as God.
The Incarnation means --
1. ___ Jesus is totally human.
2. ___ Jesus is wholly God.
3. ___ Jesus is both God and man.
4. ___ Jesus is only a prophet of God.
Because Jesus died on the cross --
1. ___ we have access to God through forgiveness.
2. ___ we have an example on the cross.
3. ___ we can blame the Jews.
4. ___ we are free to live as we please.
It is correct to refer to the Holy Spirit as --
1. ___ it.
2. ___ he.
3. ___ she.
The Holy Spirit is God --
1. ___ in the world.
2. ___ in Christian believers.
3. ___ in all people.
The Holy Spirit comes to those who --
1. ___ receive the Word of God.
2. ___ live a good life.
3. ___ pay the tithe.
4. ___ attend worship services.
Christianity and other religions:
1. ___ most religions lead to God.
2. ___ all people, regardless of religion, are God's children.
3. ___ it is necessary to be a Christian to be saved.
The nature of humanity:
1. ___ at birth a child is sinful.
2. ___ regardless of religion, a person is of inherent worth.
3. ___ at baptism parents only dedicate a child to God.
The Gospel:
1. ___ God's rules for right living.
2. ___ with God's help, one can get right with God.
3. ___ Christ died for our sins.
