CHAPTER 8 –
What do you have to do?

 

 

 

 

Previously, we studied the reliability of the Bible, and especially that of the Gospels. We noted that we have good reason to believe in those texts that have been preserved for us. We can trust in the fact that they give a very accurate picture of the life of Jesus and his teachings.

   Why is it, then, that many people still doubt the events and miracles mentioned in the Bible?

   The answer to this question is people’s lack of faith. Even though they may seem scientific and unprejudiced, they are driven by their lack of faith. Therefore, the reason is not that they are scientific but they have a doubting attitude, so that they do not believe in God, His words, and the events mentioned in the Bible.

   This also applies to the lives of many researchers who question many of the events that have been mentioned in the writings. It is not a question of their scientific approach but of the fact that they lack faith, just like Jesus said (Luke 8:4,5,11,12: And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spoke by a parable: A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. (...) Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are they that hear; then comes the devil, and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.) This attitude may appear as arrogance towards other people, self-assurance, and spiritual blindness so that man has not longed for anything from God. For example, in the book of Revelation there is a good description of this kind of an arrogant attitude in which any of us might be trapped without the mercy of God:

 

- (Rev 3:14-18) And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things said the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

15  I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I would you were cold or hot.

16  So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth.

17  Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

18  I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white raiment, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness do not appear; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

 

Let God save you!

 

If you have been far away from God and not believed, it is not worth your while to stay in that condition. If you want to understand the love of God and His truth, you can receive them. It is very simple and you must only know the following:

 

You are welcomed

 

First of all, you should understand that if you turn to God, He will receive you. In the Gospel of Luke, there is the story of the Prodigal Son, which tells how this son got mercy immediately after he turned to his father. The same is true now: When somebody turns to God, he or she will immediately receive mercy:

 

- (Luke 15:18-20) I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before you,

19  And am no more worthy to be called your son: make me as one of your hired servants.

20  And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

 

Life in Jesus Christ

 

The second important step is to know is that the way to eternal life has already been opened through Jesus Christ – you do not need to earn it. He is the way to this kingdom and to a new life, as the following verses show:

 

- (John 14:1-6) Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me.

2  In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

4  And where I go you know, and the way you know.

5  Thomas said to him, Lord, we know not where you go; and how can we know the way?

6  Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.

 

- (John 10:9) I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

 

- (John 5:40) And you will not come to me, that you might have life.

 

- (Acts 4:11,12) This is the stone which was set at nothing of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

 

Receiving

 

The third step is simply to receive. You can get eternal life as a gift through the Son of God, Jesus, but you must receive Him in your life (Simply say, "Lord Jesus, come into my life!”). According to the Bible, He is already standing outside the door to your heart waiting to be asked to step into your life:

 

- (Rev 3:20) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

 

If you do this, then – according to the Scripture – you are a child of God and you have eternal life. You have this eternal life, no matter how you feel at the moment. Do not base your assurance of salvation on your ever-changing emotions, but rest in the word of the Bible and on Jesus Christ, just like the anchor of a ship is never thrown inside the ship but always outside.

 

- (John 1:12) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

 

- (1 John 5:11-13) And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12  He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not life.

13  These things have I written to you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God.

 

THE PRAYER OF SALVATION:

  

Lord Jesus, I turn to You. I confess that I have sinned against You and I have not lived according to Your will. However, I want to turn from my sins and follow You with all my heart. I believe that my sins have been forgiven by Your atonement work and I have received eternal life through You. I thank You for the salvation You have given me. Amen.

 

 

REFERENCES:

 

1. Gregory A. Boyd: Jeesus Median myllyssä (JESUS UNDER SIEGE), p. 37

2. Peter Kreeft, Sokrates & Jeesus, P. 39,40

3. Same, P. 48,49

4. C.O. Rosenius, Synti se on (“It is sin”), p. 113

5. Chr. Ernst Luthard, Kristinuskon perustotuuksista (“About basic truths of Christianity”), p. 314

6. W.M. Ramsay, St. Paul the traveller (1897), P. 7 – Quote from Taistelu Raamatusta (THE BATTLE FOR THE BOOK), David Marshall.

7. W.M. Ramsay, The bearing of recent discovery on the trustworthiness of the New testament (1915), p. 222 – Quote  from Taistelu Raamatusta (THE BATTLE FOR THE BOOK), David Marshall.

8. Quote from Elämä maan päällä - kehityksen vai luomisen tulos? (“Life on earth – result of development or Creation?”) Jeh. witnesses., p. 214.

9. Gregory A. Boyd, Jeesus Median myllyssä (JESUS UNDER SIEGE), p. 95

10. Writings of Polykarpos, which historian Irenaeus (180 jKr.), the bishop of Lyonin has preserved  – Quote from Jeesus, totta vai tarua? (CHRISTIANITY: HOAX OR HISTORY), Josh Mcdowell, p.62.

11. Gregory A. Boyd, Jeesus Median myllyssä (JESUS UNDER SIEGE), P. 78

12. Quote from Kenenkä te sanotte minun olevan?, Risto Santala, p. 66.

13. F.C.Grant , An introduction to the revised standard version of the New testament (1946), p. 42 – Quote from Raamatun juuret (THE BOOKS AND THE PARCHMENTS), F.F. Bruce, s. 266.

14. F.G.Kenyon, The Bible and archaeology (1940), p. 228 – Quote from Raamatun juuret (THE BOOKS AND THE PARCHMENTS), F.F.Bruce, p. 266.

15. F.G.Kenyon, Our Bible and the ancient manuscripts, p. 85 - Quote from Voiko Raamattukritiikkiin luottaa? Tapio Luttinen, p. 40.

16. Quote from Jeesus totta vai tarua (CHRISTIANITY: HOAX OR HISTORY), Josh McDowell, p.62.

17. Quote from Taistelu Raamatusta (THE BATTLE FOR THE BOOK), David Marshall, p. 37.

 

 

SOURCES:

 

- BOYD, GREGORY, A., Jeesus median myllyssä (JESUS UNDER SIEGE)

- BOYD, GREGORY, A. and EDWARD, K., Epäilijän kirjeet (LETTERS FROM A SKEPTIC)

- BRUCE, F.F., Raamatun juuret (THE BOOKS AND THE PARCHMENTS)

- ESKOLA TIMO and JUNKKAALA EERO, Tyhjän haudan arvoitus (“Mystery of the empty grave”)

- GUSTAVSSON, STEFAN, Perusteltu usko (Kristen pÅ GODA GRUNDER / “Justified faith”)

- LITTLE, PAUL, Tiedä miksi uskot (KNOW WHY YOU BELIEVE)

- LUTTINEN TAPIO, Voiko Raamattukritiikkiin luottaa?

- MARSHALL, DAVID, Taistelu Raamatusta (THE BATTLE FOR THE BOOK)

- MCDOWELL, JOSH, Jeesus - totta vai tarua? (CHRISTIANITY: HOAX OR HISTORY)

- NUMMELA, LEIF, Perusteltu usko