IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE: we are one fold!
I read a very interesting article the other day. The article was written by Peter Oborne and Imran Mulla.
My favourite three quotes from this article were:
- 'Islam, Judaism and Christianity are three great monotheistic religions which have far more in common than is generally appreciated'
- '...all great religions share universal truths'.
- '...in the pre-modern world, all civilisations were marked by the presence of the sacred'.
This article made me reflect on this central question.
If you believe in God but you are not a Christian, what does Jesus say about this?
The answer to this question is the subject of today's article.
FIGHTING SECULARISATION
Life is really so short! In a blink of an eye, we're gone. Why are we wasting so much time being so divisive?
I think that it is important for all Christians to realise that there are people of other faiths who believe in the same God that we do! According to the Old Testament, the biological descendants of Abraham (i.e. Ishmael and Isaac, aka Muslims and Jews) also believe in the same God as Christians. So they are not our enemy! We are cousins and we belong to one family- God's family!
Why is this important? The world around us is becoming more secularised. So Christians have to decide- should we be wasting our limited time on earth trying to convert persons who are our cousins in faith OR should we be focusing our energies on spreading the good news to the agnostics, the pagans, the atheists and the satanists?
Hmmm!
This pre-occupation that some Christians have with challenging Muslims and Jews is to me a little like fighting with your family at the Christmas dinner table but ignoring the violent thieves that are prowling around outside as they try to break into your house and kill everyone. We are fighting the WRONG fight!
Our world can be a much better place if those who believe in God seek to share their faith with those who don't- i.e. the godless. Leave those who already believe in God (YHWH, Allah or Father God) to enjoy their faith. Instead, let us spend our time more fruitfully. Christ always asked us to be fruitful in our endeavours.
We have a duty to challenge the growing secularisation of our world. Our world is losing the presence of the divine.
THE INTERFAITH MOVEMENT
Therefore, in my opinion, the main battle for Christians is not, and should not, be between the various denominations of Christianity. Nor should it be between Christianity and Judaism or Christianity and Islam. Rather, the challenge before all true believers should be the fight between those who believe in Almighty God and those who don't!
In performing our 'Great Commission' responsibilities, we should be targeting agnostics, pagans, atheists and satanists and NOT our brothers and sisters from the other Abrahamic monotheistic faiths!
If you agree with this conclusion, maybe you should give the interfaith movement a second look! Of course, the interfaith movement is not perfect. It has issues that it is trying to resolve. But antagonism from believers who oppose of the interfaith movement is not right. Don't we all believe in the same Almighty God?
Are there differences between Christianity and Judaism or between Christianity and Islam? Most certainly there are. But these differences pale in comparison and will never be as significant as the differences that exist between believers and non-believers.
In John 10:16, Jesus talks about the 'other sheep' that He must bring to God. And in John 14:2, Jesus says that in God's house, there are many mansions. He also says that He is going to prepare a place (i.e. one of those mansions) for those who believe in Him- i.e. Christians. I'm sure that a loving God will embrace Muslims and Jews in heaven as well.
JOHN 14:6
Did you know that people often use the John 14:6 verse when they want to challenge the faith of Muslims and Jews? But I believe that this is wrong, wrong, wrong!
Many do not interpret this verse correctly. But how should we, as narrow gate Apostolic Christians, interpret this verse? Let's take a minute to look at verse six together.
JOHN 14:1-6 (emphasis mine, KJV)
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye 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 unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
So does verse six mean that Muslims and Jews are excluded from God's love? I don't think so. Both Muslims and Jews revere Jesus as a holy prophet. Their main difference with mainstream Christianity is because of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. But not all Christians accept the doctrine of the Holy Trinity! Some of us are Nontrinitarians.
Yes, we believe that Christ is God's only begotten Son and is divine. Yes, we believe that the Holy Spirit is divine. But Father God reigns supreme over all! There is a hierarchal relationship between these three persons. The Holy Trinity doctrine comes from Pauline Christology. You will not find it in the Apostolic Scriptures!
But I deviate- let's go back to our review of verse six!
I am the way: God wants us to behave as Jesus did. His example of righteous conduct should be the 'way' we strive to conduct ourselves. Therefore, give love, respect, forgiveness, mercy and tangible social justice. Charity must come before piety. Surely this concept is not exclusive to Christian believers only?
I am the truth: The doctrines that Christ taught us are righteous principles. Even more importantly, His doctrines do not conflict with anything that we learned about Almighty God in the Old Testament (unlike the doctrines of the False Apostle Paul).
I am the life: Christ's sacrifice reconciled all human beings to God. His death overcame 'original sin'. But each one of us, as individuals, still has a responsibility for our eternal destiny. We must choose to commit our trust and allegiance to Almighty God. And the consequence for failing to commit to God is eternal damnation. Christ's gift of reconciliation is something that the agnostics, pagans, atheists and satanists have decided reject. It's exactly like returning (i.e. rejecting) a birthday gift from your best friend. But, just because you rejected the gift does not mean that the gift was not given!
The reason why our world is in so much chaos is that too many of us are losing our connection with our spiritual natures. The spirit is important. God created us in spirit before He created us in flesh.
The interfaith movement helps us to re-focus our attention on the universal truths that unite all monotheistic believers while at the same time, it de-emphasises the marginal issues that separate us.
ONE WORLD RELIGION
I should warn you that there are some who dismiss this interfaith approach as evidence of the 'one world religion'. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Revelation 17 has been deliberately misinterpreted by some who prefer to push an agenda that only Christianity will bring us to God. They conveniently forget that God blessed Ishmael AND Isaac- Muslim and Jew!
The 'one world religion' perspective encourages us to:
- Hate others who believe in the same God as us.
- Demean others who believe in the same God as us.
- Disrespect others who believe in the same God as us.
This is NOT the example that Jesus gave us! Remember what Jesus told us in John 10:16.
JOHN 10:15-16 (emphasis mine, KJV)
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
When voices of hate and division are screaming at us, I remember Christ's two commandments.
- LOVE GOD.
- LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR.
*****
HARVEST TIME Prophecies’ is the blog post site of TNG Academy. Our blog post site gets its name from Matthew 13:30- the separation of wheat and tares that occurs at harvest time (i.e. the endtimes). Remember, the ‘wheat’ symbolises the things of God and the ‘tares’ symbolise the things of the devil.
The purpose of this blog is threefold.
1. Some of the posts are written to help the reader develop a deeper understanding of the theology of Christ’s core message- i.e. the ‘gospel of the kingdom’.
2. Some of the posts are written for the reader’s personal discipleship journey. We need to understand what God expects from us. After all, all believers should be on a journey of ‘becoming’ our best selves, capable of impacting and changing the world!
3. Finally, some of the posts are written to answer this question:
What would our faith look like today IF we had fully embraced Christ’s doctrines, as recorded by His Apostles, and rejected the doctrines of Paul and the other false apostles?
If we are sincere about our desire to restore Christianity to its roots, i.e. a return to Christ’s original message, then we must start by admitting that ‘while men slept’ (Matthew 13:25) the enemy planted false teachings (tares) into the New Testament!
Visit our website- WWW.TNGACADEMY.ORG, to see our Bible study books. Which books would I recommend for you to read first? Start with these three-
- WHAT IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD?
- MENE MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN!
- THE APOSTOLIC SCRIPTURES.
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