Are you sure?
April 12, 2011 (Tuesday)
Two very nice ladies came to my door yesterday and handed me an invitation to an open meeting to be held at a public building in Rockport. The subject, “Jesus takes away the sin of the world,” will be discussed. The invitation also includes an announcement of a second meeting to discuss, “Bible Principles — can they help us to cope with today’s problems?” Their friendly invitation to hear discussions of helpful topics is a departure from the old days when most of the literature was about current events that were preparing the way for Armageddon.
If they come to your door, please remember that the beliefs of this group have not changed, even though their approach has become much less confrontational. While bearing some similarity to what you have been taught in your church, their doctrines are still different, and directly opposed to many of your most precious beliefs, including your belief that Jesus is the unique Son of God, who arose bodily from the dead. According to their interpretations of the Bible they have translated for themselves, only 144,000 people will be in Heaven, and there is no Hell. The wording of the invitation given to me, then, is misleading.
The word, “Religion,” is a broad term. It includes all sorts of beliefs. When Paul ascended the steps of Mars Hill to speak to the philosophers of Greece, he passed many images, statues and idols, and said to those men, “I see that you are very religious.” Israel was plagued throughout its ancient history with idolatry of several kinds–forbidden religions. Were not the men who killed thousands of people on “9-11” very religious? They claimed they murdered innocent people for their god.
To be “religious,” means many different things to many different people. It is vital to our faith that we believe the truth. The heart of our belief is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world.