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I was listening to a Christian radio show. A caller asked if rejected Jesus would he go to Hell? The hosts said yes. So, he asked if accepting Jesus was the only way to Heaven. When the host said yes, then the caller asked if his rejecting or accepting Jesus, was more powerful then Jesus power to save us. The host didn't know what to say. He finally said to the caller that he was misreading the Bible. But he never explained himself. Was the caller right?

2007-06-26 05:18:12 · 31 answers · asked by nagaraja 1 in Society & Culture Religion & Spirituality

31 answers

It depends....many Christians don't believe we have this "power" at all..
After all, Jesus himself said, "You did not choose me, but I chose you." There is also lots of other evidence about believers' names being written in the Book of Life, and talk of Jesus "foreknowing" who would be saved.

There would be a lot more genuine humility among believers, IMO, if people really took these scriptures to heart.
But no, the caller was merely baiting the hosts.....who didn't exactly sound like braintrusts of spiritual wisdom.

2007-06-26 05:25:23 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

The radio host should have said yes, because that's the logic in free will. The caller was right if that's the only way to look at it.

On the other hand, if God chose us from before the foundations of the world, then Jesus would have simply paid for the sins of those that the father had given him. I've heard people tell me that we are more powerful than God since Satan also does what he can to convince us to follow him. And yet somehow God knows how we will choose, and it's all a mess from there, and that's probably what the radio host was left with, "it's a mystery." No other way he could explain it.

Calvinism explains it much better, you may want to check this theology out.

2007-06-26 08:35:05 · answer #2 · answered by ccrider 7 · 1 0

No because Jesus certainly could force you to follow by his power and his will if he wanted to. It is sin that is the problem, and he could certainly take away your free will and force you to never sin. It's not a lack of power that keeps him from saving those who choose not to repent. It is his nature of justice. Because of God's justice, he will not ignore sin.

God's mercy and grace brings him to offer a way of forgiveness (through the shed blood of Jesus Christ) instead of just giving us all what we deserve and sending us out of his presence forever. If we choose to reject his mercy and grace, in justice, he deals with us and our sin.

The caller was committing the fallacies of "oversimplification," and the "loaded question," which was why the host had difficulty addressing the question in a short span of time. The caller tried to reduce the nature of sin and salvation and, at the same time, tried to trap the host with a question like "Have you stopped beating your wife?" demanding a simple "yes" or "no" answer to a question that required much more of an explanation.

2007-06-26 05:37:43 · answer #3 · answered by happygirl 6 · 1 0

What you are asking is this, What saves a man? Is it:

1. the preacher (the message)
2. The acceptance (a man's decision to choose)
3. Christ's work (God empowers us to choose)

This is a classic discussion on the Calvinistic doctrine of salvation. In general, most Christians agree that we are called to do #1, even #2 is impossible, and is a gift from God, and #3 is the answer. You may disagree/hold a separate philosophy and still be considered an orthodox christian. Here is a useful link on the classic discussion of how salvation works, using the scripture:

http://www.jesussaidfollowme.org/hypercalvinism.htm

Have fun.

2007-06-26 05:33:22 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

No, the caller was wrong and the host should have known to depict that 'free will' and 'force/power' and NOT the same.

I love the Keanu Reeves scene in....Al Pacino is the Devil...'Devil's Advocate'...I think...wherein the devil has offered K his sister to lay with, so a 'child' will be born; and K says "free will?" ..And shoots himself in the head !!!!

And if you ever want material to whine and complain about God: rent and watch this movie and the scene where Al..goes on a rant about what a meanie God is !!!

God figured out, a long time ago, that force/power will NOT work with men and women; and He offered LOVE. Fortunately, the evil one has NOT figured this out.

Maranantha

2007-06-26 05:31:44 · answer #5 · answered by Bill S 4 · 0 0

The answer is No. At the cross Jesus relinquished his power and went like a lamb to the slaughter and a mere man who took the sins of the world on himself. Why do you think Christ cried out, "My God, my God why have you forsaken me?" Father God turned His eyes away from the Son of God at the moment the sin was poured out. A Holy, Righteous Almighty God does not look upon sin without destroying it. Father God had to turn away or He would have destroyed Jesus also. At that moment Jesus was still in the flesh of man. Jesus had never been separated from the Father but at that moment the Father had forsaken Him. Once Christ went to the Father and had fulfilled His purpose for coming He had all power restored.

However, at any time Christ can control the minds if He wants of any believer. You'd be surprised at what a praying mother can do when it comes to praying to God for her childen to be saved. She will not be denied if her heart is right with the Lord. So your answer is NO. All power in heaven and earth has been given to Jesus. You can reject Him and He has the power to change your mind if He wants to honor a praying mother.

2007-06-26 05:46:31 · answer #6 · answered by Jeancommunicates 7 · 0 0

I guess it depends on what you mean by "more powerful". For us, such a choice could make all the difference in the world. Choosing to accept or reject Christ determines where we go when we die.

Though humans have God-given free will to choose what to believe in, it doesn't really change the fact that Jesus died for humanity's sins, past, present, and future. If the wind blew and you weren't outside to feel the air move, or see anything else move from it, does that somehow mean the wind didn't blow?

2007-06-26 05:27:38 · answer #7 · answered by Kumori 4 · 1 0

I have found that radio talkers like that, do much confusion :-) It is rather amazing to me that he didn't know what to say. I have myself heard more than once that the acceptation of Jesus is the "cause" or the "method", the power, behind salvation. But I agree; this makes no sense at all. It is the Lord who saves. Not our words, or our actions, or our desires, or our repentance. The Lord Himself saves, as an act of God, identical in kind to "Let there be light!"

2007-06-26 05:52:32 · answer #8 · answered by jonathanbrickman0000 2 · 1 0

The word says whoever believes shall be saved. You can reject or accept Christ and that is a gift he gives us. Your question is kinda like saying the creature is more powerful then the creator, in my opinion. Jesus died for all knowing not all would accept Him and we are given that choice. Jesus did not die to keep every person from going to hell but for those who believe to have a mediator between them and the Father. Belief in Christ does save so we are given that choice because of what Christ did. I don't think you can say the choice we are given is greater then the one that gave it.

2007-06-26 05:29:55 · answer #9 · answered by sammyw1024 3 · 1 0

Yes, the power that God gave to the caller and to all of us is the one of free will or choice. With this we can choose to follow God or not.

2007-06-26 05:27:13 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

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