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Is Truth worth Dying For?

The challenge of the early church was to decide if the Truth of the Gospel was worth dying for, then it had to be worth living for!!. Is Truth worth Dying For?. Central Issue of Mission Motivation: Is Christ really Unique and Who He said He was?.

aristotle-mcpherson
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Is Truth worth Dying For?

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  1. The challenge of the early church was to decide if the Truth of the Gospel was worth dying for, then it had to be worth living for!! Is Truth worth Dying For?

  2. Central Issue of Mission Motivation: Is Christ really Unique and Who He said He was? • “Universalists” naively believe everyone will be saved • Others hold that sincere seekers after God will not be condemned, even if not believers • New Wider Hope Theory or Reformed Hope for Unreached or “Inclusivism” • A pastor wrote, “Behind the shameful apathy and lethargy of the church, that allows one thousand millions (now three billion) of human beings to go to their graves in ignorance of the Gospel, there lies a practical doubt, if not denial, of their lost condition.”

  3. Uniqueness of Christ • Claimed equality with God, same attributes, power, knowledge, and worship as God • Was the “only begotten”, monogenes, “a class by himself, only one of kind, unique.” • NAU Acts 4:12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.“ • NAU 1 Tim 2:5For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

  4. No other religious leader claimed to be God! • Some leaders like Gautama, the Buddha, Confucius and Lao Tse were agnostics about even knowing God or even to be concerned about God! • Some religions do not have identifiable leaders: Hinduism and Shinto • Two are close to concept of God: Zoroaster and Islam • Zoroaster had ancient views, not written until after Christ, likely influenced by Christianity in Iran (Cyrus may have been) • Mohammad borrowed much from Judaism and Christianity though modified concept of God • Mystical, emotional “relationship” deceives many of false reality

  5. Jesus’ life supports His Uniqueness • 100 prophecies fulfilled at first coming • Only human born of a virgin (Mary’s virgin birth is a myth or false tradition of Catholics) • Confirmed His deity by unique miracles • Gave prophecies which never fail • He alone died for the sins of others • He alone ascended to heaven • He alone can be with you today

  6. His Unique Salvation • Uniqueness of the fall—everyone is guilty before God • No religion has any salvation from sin! • None have a notion that man is a fallen creature incapable of ever being good enough for salvation • Hindu moksha (“realization”) is release from life cycles – Buddha’s nirvana (oblivion) is release from suffering (a transferance to nothing) • Zorastrianism and Islam have concept of Paradise but it is supposedly attained by human merit

  7. His Unique Salvation • Uniqueness of Grace—freely given through faith • All religions based on human merit • Only Christianity teaches God reaches down to man to offer a full and free salvation. • Catholics see “grace” as commodity of overabundance of works by saints dispersed by Church rites

  8. His Unique Benefits • Total forgiveness of sin, without need of merit or sacrifice—Jesus paid it all! • Present assurance of eternal life with Christ

  9. Are the Heathen Really Lost? • Who are they? “unconverted, unbelieving or any unchurched person.” • What do we mean by “lost”? • What Jesus came to seek (Lk 19:10)—must be important • Consequence of Adam’s fall was devastating—all mankind was separated from God • Nothing in common with God (I 1 Cor 2:11For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. • Adam died in his spirit to God immediately (Gen 2:17) • Caused entire race to be born spiritually dead, under wrath, without hope and without God and alienated from the life of God (Eph 2:1-3, 12; 4:18)

  10. Universal Physical and Spiritual Death • Bible truth leaves every person without excuse • Rom 3:19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so thatevery mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. • Romans 5:12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-

  11. Universal Physical and Spiritual Death • We sin because we are sinners • We are not becoming lost…man is already lost! • Both those who have never heard, or those who reject the gospel are equally lost John 3:18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. • Note: you are not lost because you reject Christ ---- You are lost because you have not believed… even if you have never heard! • The only solution offered in the world is through Christ

  12. All Mankind Needs Salvation • Luke 13:5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.“ • Acts 17:30-31 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.“ • Acts 20:21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

  13. What about those who have not heard? • Heathen have had a revelation of God – it is not like they have no knowledge – they know something of God • Two kinds of General Revelation of God • Heathen were not always heathen—mankind originally knew God • They suppressed truth (Rom 1:18) • They did not honor God as God, nor thanked Him (1:21) • In prideful wisdom they indulged in foolish speculation (1:22) • With each generation they fell deeper into idolatry and immorality (1:23-25) – though many pagan tribes retain traditions or legends from this time • Man also has a revelation of God in nature (Rom 1:19-20) • Cosmological argument – universe must have had an origin • Teleological argument – design and order in creation demands a Designer • Revelation of Human Conscience—law of God written in heart (Rom 2:12-16)—though marred by sin it shows guilt

  14. General Revelation • Is only able to CONDEMN MAN or points to the need of help beyond human help … Just as the Law only condemns! • If honest, General Revelation provokes a search for the truth about God. • There is no hint of God’s plan of salvation. • It remains OUR RESPONSIBILITY to make available to the world the only solution.

  15. God’s Holiness and Judgment • Those who rationalize away God’s judgment on heathen, usually appeal to God’s love. • Some like to ignore God’s wrath and holiness • Habakkuk 1:13Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. • One seemingly minor sin (humanly speaking) condemned the entire human race and creation –such is God’s holiness • Inclusivists tend to ignore or deny God’s judgment on mankind (Tower of Babel, 10 judgmental plagues, extermination of immoral Canaanites and judgments on pagan nations) • It must be noted that God has degrees in judgment in hell (Mat 11:20-24) and He always does justly

  16. Reductio ad absurdum • A way to test the logic of a proposition: reducing to the absurd extreme. • If only those who reject the gospel are lost… then it is better if they never hear – this makes any mission effort absurd. • If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel 1Cor 4:3-4

  17. Reductio ad absurdum • Religion is a tool Satan uses to keep men from knowing God. • Apostate or mystical Christianity can deceive unbelievers. Mat 7:15, 21-25, "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing…Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

  18. Conclusion to Revealed Truth: • If or Since Jesus IS who He said He was, then everyone must hear the news, understand it in their language clearly, and choose to believe and trust in Him for full forgiveness and sure salvation. • John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. • Make sure that you personally have told Jesus that you have put your hope for forgiveness and heaven exclusively in His death on the Cross as promised in the Scriptures. • Now you, too, have a message that must be told to the whole world….

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