It's so confusing how God could have a 'son' who is still God. The OT says there's one and only one God- God- and it's VERY CLEARLY stated. There's every indication the messiah will be a man, never a 'God-man'.
Jesus prayed TO the 'Father'. Jesus needed to study, indicating he DIDN'T and COULDN'T possess all knowledge of the world that GOD ALONE has (eg. God understood Mongolian shamanism despite geography; Islam before it existed. Jesus couldn't). Jesus says he only does what his Father TELLS him to do. All of this seems like Jesus is inferior to God, as all on earth are.
I reject Islam's obsessive intolerance-yes,I've read the Qur'an- and Judaism's rules- they seem a bit outdated, but otherwise make sense.
Can I be a Christian while still believing Jesus existed and was inspired and sent by God, continue to pray directly to God (since if Jesus is God, i'm actually praying to Jesus anyway), and accept Jesus died for humanity and was resurrected- all God's power alone?
2007-12-16 13:51:05 · 27 answers · asked by grassfell 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
* Threats of eternal torturing in hell for whatever reason no longer trouble me. It doesn't exist- God directly guided me to that conclusion. There's no hell at all in the OT (hence why Jews don't believe in it); there's no clear indication in the NT either (or at least, there's a very strong counter-argument to it.) Anyone who believes in eternal torture completely misreads Jesus' message. But why is some parts I see so clearly, but others are just so opaque. I want to believe in God with understanding, not in blindness.
2007-12-16 14:40:46 · update #1
You cannot be saved if you do not beleive that God sent his son... a son he had with a human... not just God, not just Man... but 100% both at the same time...
To show us how we were meant to live, to show us our sins and to provide us with forgiveness of sins. God so loved you that he sent Jesus - (God's only son! What would it take for you to sacrifice your son?!) to die for our sins for a debt we could not pay.
You will never be a Christian if you do not accept this. Jesus is key. Without him there is no Christianity.
You are not saved through any works. There is nothing you can do to earn your salvation.
It is a gift of God's Amazing Grace alone.
BTW.. While Jesus taught that you pray to the Father... With the Lord's Prayer - In the Bible God the Father says that anything you ask in my sons name will be granted. This is why many prayers are ended with "we ask in Jesus name... Amen"
God Bless you.
2007-12-16 13:54:22 · answer #1 · answered by John W 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life, none can go to the Father except through me."
I think that pretty much sums it up, but if you need more, In the book of John it says: the word was God, the word was with God and then later it states that the word became flesh.
And another place, In the beginning, when God first made man, He says " let us make man in our image." Notice the word "our image"
The word for God is elohim. It is a different kind of word. It is singular and plural.
In the new testament, I think in the book of James, it states thus: " there are three that bear record in heaven, and these three are one." This is the basis for the trinity.
Your salvation hinges on what you do about Jesus. So, what will you do? Accept Him? or Ignore Him? It is your choice.
Being a christian is about a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Right down to it, the answer to your question is a resounding NO.
2007-12-16 21:59:40 · answer #2 · answered by Sherry 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What you're struggling over is the doctrine of the trinity. In John 1:1. It says "in the beginning was the word,and the word was with God, and the Word, was God." In Genesis God said, "Let us create man in OUR image." You gave scripture already for there being one God. There is one God. But he has three persons. Three parts make up this one God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Other people acknowledged Jesus as God, but He never corrected them. Jehovah's Witnesses will argue to no end denying the trinity. But if Jesus wasn't God, how could he have the authority to pay the penalty for sin. Man can't do it. You also pointed out that Jesus prayed and studied. Jesus had to give up certain things to become man. He was all man and all God. If he was all knowing, and all present, and all powerful, he wouldn't be all man. Men must learn, experience, and have a relationship with God. He temporarily gave up those things so he could live exactly as you and I do. That doesn't make him any less God. He still demonstrated traits of God. It's one of those things that we can never fully comprehend, just like eternity. We won't be able to completely understand it until after this lifetime. Also in prayer, we are told by Jesus himself to pray to the Father. Later we are told to pray to the Father in the name of Jesus. He intercedes for us. He is our high priest, that's why we don't need priests here anymore. We have a mediator in Christ. Stick with the Bible. It will never lead you awry.
2007-12-16 22:09:58 · answer #3 · answered by the dude 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your last paragraph sounds pretty much like Christianity to me. But doesn't go well with the original question. As it is what you finish with, I suppose that is what you really mean. I pray to God. The apostles prayed in the Book of Acts to the "Lord", which was a translation of YHVH of the Old Testament. They prayed in Jesus' name, meaning they knew they were allowed to approach God because of what Jesus had done for them. They also believed Jesus is God. Yes, Jesus prayed to the Father, and the Father and Son together sent the holy Spirit. All three are one God and three distinct persons.
- I can't believe the person who speaks lightly about your roasting in hell can be a serious christian, by the way. it just doesn't make any sense to me that a Christian would have that kind of an attitude. I mean Jesus wept over those of Jerusalem who wouldn't believe, and He went to the cross so we wouldn't go to Hell - would He have His followers making jokes about it and gloating over people going there?
EDIT:
I just looked back and see that answer has disappeared. Hopefully the person woke up and removed it himself. That would give me some hope for him.
2007-12-16 21:59:29 · answer #4 · answered by Mr Ed 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jesus is what Christianity is all about. The Trinity has the three in one God. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Everyone will still recognize God the Father as the head. The Father has turned all things over to his Son concerning his earthly creation.
2007-12-16 21:58:15 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's honestly, really hard to grasp the concept that God and Jesus are the same, while they are also not. When I was little I was always told that the only way to God was through Jesus, but as long as you have given your life over to God, you are a christian. If you still aren't sure just pray about it, you can't go wrong there.
2007-12-16 21:59:45 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Remember that while on earth Jesus was fully God and fully man. He prayed,thought, etc like a man. However, he possessed all knowledge and so forth. He didn't just go around rattling it all off. He would have had to talk nonstop. Jesus was God-In parental relationship to mankind. Jesus was the Son of God(Humanity), Jesus was the Holy Ghost-God in activity as Spirit. Think of it like a drop of water. You can take a drop in a dropper and separate it into 3 drops. You can make one a gas, one a liquid, and one a solid. But its still the same1 drop of water. Yes, keep praying to God in Jesus' name. Jesus IS God I assure you. God Bless!!!
2007-12-16 22:12:51 · answer #7 · answered by paula r 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jesus was fully man when He walked the earth. He was also fully God. Our finite minds can't grasp the real meaning of that, so we trust and have faith.
And no, Jesus isn't inferior, He is perfect.
We pray to God THROUGH Jesus because He is our intermediary. In fact, Jesus told us to pray that way.
Your confusion can be easily cleared up if you'd talk with a pastor, dear one.
God bless!
2007-12-16 22:10:27 · answer #8 · answered by Devoted1 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you can be anything you want to be.
But.... if you are going to go by the strict definition of "what is a Christian" as defined by the Church that invented it, then no I don't think you wouldn't be able to be a Christian and not be able to think of Jesus IF this also involved not believing Jesus is the messiah.
I think the best way to find that out is to talk to different Christian denominations, their pastors, ministers, etc. and ask them that question.
Probably the closest Christian denomination that would accept what you are asking would be the Unitarian Universalists, if you wanted to check them out.
P.S. That was a really good, sincere question for once on here. A star for you!
P.S.S. You may want to check out the path of Noahidism. This is the way given in the Torah for Gentiles to merit their place in the World To Come. It's very simple, involves following the paths of the 7 Universal (Noahide) Laws. http://www.noahide.org
2007-12-16 22:00:19 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I believe that Jesus Christ is "God the son," second member of the Godhead, who is coequal and coeternal with the father. I believe that Jesus Christ existed eternally, prior to his birth in Bethlehem, as "The Eternal Word" John 1:1, but added to his divine nature, a human nature, and became a man. Jesus Christ is not part God, part man, but fully God and fully man. I believe that Jesus Christ absolute deity, and perfect humanity, came together in one person, without mixture, change, separation, or division.
2007-12-16 22:09:48 · answer #10 · answered by Suzy Q 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋