Ricklee

I was trying to give Anne a side of the coin she is not getting from anyone else here on this board. What if the fundamentalist are right? And yes I am a Bible believer and may not be welcomed here but I had a sense of fear for her because of her question and in her question I sensed some doubt that she has in her own belief system. And so it is a fearful thing to go through the door of death with no certainty of the outcome. Yes I accept the Bible as God's testimony of himself to mankind. And she asked, "how can one believe what one simply does not believe?" And whether the Bible was fabricated by the writers or not you can't believe in something you don't accept as the truth and you can't "rid herself of the fear of hell and face the end of her life with calm acceptance" with any true peaceful assurance. My answer is you can't believe if you don't accept its claims. It claims to be the Word of God over 4,000 times. As you read the Bible look at how many times is says, "Thus says the Lord," or "the law of the Lord," or "the Word of God," and so on. It is all through the Bible. Just look at Psalms 119. Look at the Old Testament and you will find Jesus there. How was this fabricated? Jesus fulfilled hundreds of prophecies. Isaiah 53 5 He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. See the whole chapter and more prophecies throughout the whole Old Testament. I don't believe they made up what Jesus said or changed it. If they did, then why did they die for something that they were in a position to know if it was true or not? Look at how these common men and fishermen lives where changed after they met Jesus. And he changed my life. I'm just saying the fundamentalist might be right and if so, then what?

I read your post today about fundamentalism. I think as we see the end of life nearing and we experience the end of life in our family and friends it causes us to think of the unknown door of death. It is startling to think about. As you hear the debate about eternity it is healthy to examine your own belief system. What if I'm wrong about heaven and hell? You brought up a good point about whether you are good enough or not? I just wanted to give you a side that you did not read in this discussion. Who is Jesus Christ? He said he was the only way to God and the only way to salvation. He made bold claims. He claimed equality with God. He was either who he was or he was the biggest religious liar who ever came on the scene. If I believe that it doesn't matter what I believe and there is no judgment and Jesus Christ is who he says he is, then yes I should fear because I'm in trouble. But if Jesus is just someone's invention then no one knows for sure. This is a fundamental question that one should not take lightly and one should contemplate and research. Don't just listen to those who set themselves up as judges of the Bible. They have an ulterior motive in discrediting the Bible. Many want to live anyway they please with no consequences. I really believe that this is all a moral question. Do we need a Savior? Is there a God who has revealed himself on the pages of Scripture or is the Bible a product of human invention in which we cannot trust. If so then we have no truth and we have no foundation. I say we can trust the Bible and it is not a product of human invention. Just look at the prophecies that were fulfilled in the lifespan of the writing of the Bible. I think you are on the right track with giving credence to the fundamentalist position. Jesus says unless you repent you will perish. Turning from my sin and turning to faith in Jesus Christ is salvation and is what life is all about. I must realize that I'm not good enough to go to heaven and that Jesus was the only perfect person who paid my sin debt. This teaching is offensive to those who don't believe because it strips all pride away. We need God and we need a Savior because we are sinners in need of redemption. Just wanted to add this because it is a matter of the soul. What will it profit a person if they gain the whole world but lose their own soul or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Jesus Christ) Thank you Rick