I came across a website called ChristianAnswers and I was surprised at the biblical truth’s that this website is proclaiming. I contacted the editor a few times on specific items, but I wanted to reiterate them here. I know that these are common modern christian beliefs, but to proclaim them as biblical fact goes too far. If they just stated these comments as doctrine I would be happy. Here are three examples.
- The website says: “According to the Bible one cannot work their way to Heaven. Salvation is by faith alone – acceptance of God’s gift of salvation and reliance on Christ’s promise of what will happen after our earthly death. Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (John 5:24).”
- First of all, passing from death into life is not the same as passing into everlasting life. Jesus talks much about death as being separation from God “Let the dead bury the dead.” (Matt 8:22). Just moving from death (separation form God) to life (belief in God) is not the same as entering everlasting life (re-entering the highest reaches of heaven).
- Secondly Jesus says that only through him can we achieve everlasting life. This website thinks that belief in Jesus is enough, but does not require a Christ-like life in addition as Jesus shows us. He says that we have also repay our debts to the last farthing (Matt 5:26) and tells Nicodemus that a person who could not live a Christ-like life then needs to enter into a new life to achieve this. (John 3:4) It was not enough for Nicodemus at the end of his life to just believe in Jesus. He needed to be born again and live a better life.
- Thirdly, the bible says that there is joy in heaven when a sinner repents (Luke 15:10), not that only repenting gives us everlasting life.
- Finally, Jesus says that “everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have everlasting life” (John 6:40). But how can we see the Son without elevating ourselves to His level? In order to see the Son we need to walk in His footsteps, and thus must fill ourselves with virtue. So for me, the bible (Jesus) does say that we need to work on ourselves to achieve heaven, besides relying on the Grace of God.
- This site also says “The LDS Church does not accept the biblical idea that Christ’s blood was shed on the cross to wash away our sins – present, past and future.” I can find no evidence in the teaching of Jesus or Origen to support this claim.
- On the contrary, Jesus says that we need to repay our debts to the last farthing. (Matt 5:26)
- Jesus’ act of redemption opened the gates to heaven to allow those who have earned the right to return to heaven, but we are all expected to follow the Law plus his new law: love thy neighbor.
- Jesus did forgive sin, but he also told them to sin no more. (John 5:14, 8:11) He never said our future sins are also forgiven.
- This website offers a very weak explanation of the common question “Is God biased? Is it fair to save only some?”. Without accepting the gift of reincarnation, there is no logical explanation of God’s fairness in the bible. This website shows how difficult it is to show how it is possible for the 7+ billion souls on this earth to learn the teachings of Jesus and accept him as their savior in one lifetime. Only multiple lifetimes on earth could allow all souls to have a fair chance to learn of Jesus and accept him.