One Door, and only One, and yet its sides are two.
Are you on the [[Inside]] or on the [[Outside]]?
Or, do you want a [[Definition]] of what is Inside versus Outside?What does being Inside the door mean?
[[I'm going to heaven along with all other good people ->My good deeds outweigh my bad, so God is going to let me into heaven]]
[[I'm going to heaven because I trust in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior]]
[[My good deeds outweigh my bad, so God is going to let me into heaven]]
[[There is no heaven. when I die, I go out of existence]]
[[I have enough knowledge to know that this religion stuff is for the birds]]
[[I may end up in hell but that's ok because that's where most of my friends will be.]]
[[I have no idea what you are talking about ->Definition]]
This means that you have not accepted Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life. I mean, why should you? Doing so would put a real damper on your way of life. It might make you have to go to church all the time. It might make you give up some of your cherished vices. It might cost you money by giving tithes and offerings to a church that keeps harping on it being the Christian's duty to give. It might mean giving up a relationship with someone you love or to stop hanging around your good old buddies. You might have to even give up cheating, lying, stealing, hating, and so on. Why would you want to do any of that? You just might have to give up all the things you like to do.
All of the things I have listed are normal human feelings, aren't they? You might say, "Are you asking me to give up what is normal as a human being to follow after some dead guy in a religion that really hampers me from reaaching my full potential in this world?"
No. I'm not. You couldn't change your lifestyle and change your thoughts no matter how much you tried. Why? because to be human is to have that kind of nature. It's natural. The habits and thoughts of your life are inbred and you really can't change from being human to become some other creature.
And if you showed everyone else only the side of you that appears to have changed, you would think of yourself as a hypocrite.
Your human nature makes you a liar, a cheat, and at worst, a killer, given certain circumstances. You can't change that. Actually, you can get even worse. You can become paranoid, afraid of many things. You could suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome. You may suffer dementia, or be physically handicapped.
You may think that you are in a living hell! And you think that Christians will tell you that all you have to do is to accept Christ and everything will be transformed to being wonderful.
None of Christ's apostles ever shared that idea. In fact, all but the apostle, John, suffered martyrdom for their belief. After the apostles, when the Catholic Church was considered the only body of Christ, they went astray from the teachings of Christ and martyred true Christians because true Christians considered the Bible and Jesus Christ as the final authority of truth instead of the Pope and the chruch's hierarchy. Because the church's leadership strayed into the love of power, presitge, and riches, they could not allow the Gospel to be preached, but rather, they made up their own rules as to how everything works. Thus was born purgatory, praying for the dead, and getting so many years out of purgatory by doing certain things or giving so much money.
Even though the Roman Catholic Church has lost its power over the people unless that person is a Catholic, they still teach their abominable doctrines instead of how a person can really get right with God and be assured of their salvation. They teach that you have to be a member of the church and do more good than bad, and that you must partake of the sacraments in order to have a chance of getting into heaven.
Wouldn't you like to be assured of spending an eternity in heaven, guaranteed by the Almighty God, and not by any body of men? Wouldn't you like to know God? Wouldn't you like to not be bogged down with a lot of rules and the necessity of changing your life, yet know you are going to heaven?
[[Yes->God Works In You]]
[[Not Really->God Works In You]]Inside the Door means that you have already accepted Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life.
Outside the Door means that you have not made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, at least not yet.
How would you like to answer?
[[Inside]]
[[Outside]]
[[I would like to know more about the definition and differences]]?This Door divides between Life and Death
This Door divides between Light and Darkness
This Door divides betwen The Paradise of God and The Desert of This World Without Christ
This Door divides between Slavery with its Condemnation of Sin and Freedom with God's Forgiveness
[[Continue ->Definition]] In Revelation chapter 20, starting in verse 12 and going to chapter 21 and verse 8, the Apostle John related this:
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Dont you think it would be wise to be on the side of God?
[[Continue ->End]]
Jesus told this illustrative story in Luke 16:19-31:
"There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house — for I have five brothers — so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’
30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’"
[[Continue ->There is no heaven. when I die, I go out of existence]] You are absolutely right! Religion is for the brds. It's man's attempt to either think of himself as better than anyone else or to follow a set of rules, programs, rituals or ideas to make himself worthy of going to heaven or, at least, to fulfill his desires of what he can make of himself. He believes that he is the master of his own fate and doesn't really care about what is true and false. Truth to him is relative. As Pilate asked Jesus, "What is truth?" Religion and philosophy say that there is no absolute truth. Both religion and philosophy make a man comfortable with himself, not even considering that God has said that all men are wretched, abominable, and, in essence, bad. A man who exercises his belief in religion or philosophy doesn't need for someone outside of himself who could stand in his place to take the punishment of the wrath of God that has come and will come. He doesn't know how to satisfy God's anger for his lack of love for others, his selfishness, and his debauchery. God has a dim view of people who make up their own set of principles by which he perceives God instead of what God has revealed to man of his real nature that is evident in many places in the Bible.
[[I thought Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and others are all religions. Is that not so?]]
[[Is not religion the opiate of the people, as Carl Marx said?]]
[[ I agree. But true Chrisianity is not a religion. True?]]
How can good deeds make up for all of the bad things you have done? Let's say that you have stolen a lot of money from someone. How does taking him out to dinner make up for that? What if you gave a lot of money to another person in need? How does that make up for the person who has been deprived of his income? Our life is not a ledger where, on one side is our good deeds and the other side is our bad deeds. Some people believe that when God looks at the ledger, as long as the good deeds outweigh the bad, God is going to let that person into heaven to be with Him forever?
What does God say about that?
<b>In the Old Testament:</b>
Ecclesiastes 7:20
For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
Psalm 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
<b>In the New Testament</b>
Romans 3:10-28:
As it is written, (In Psalm 14) There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (satisfaction of judgment) through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
[[I understand that I am, by nature, a bad person. What can I do about it?]]
You might say, "I know that David, Solomon, and Paul may have their own opinion about the nature of man, but [[What does Jesus Christ say concerning the nature of man?]]
[[I would like to see how others might answer the questions in this querry->Definition
]]
[[End]]<img src="https://Debmark.com/Tracts/Christ-and-the-Cross1.jpg" height="300" align=left hspace=20> For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.
John 3:16-21
<img src="https://debmark.com/Tracts/jesus_at_the_door.jpeg"" height="300" align=left hspace=20>
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Revelation 3:20-22
[[What happens when we receive Christ?]]
You are right, partially. In all other religions besides Christianity, even Satanism, religions are man's attempt to either make himself good enough to have a decent afterlife or to fulfill his lusts to enjoy the most pleasures on earth.
Even Christianity, if it is based on a person's going to heaven based on doing more good works than bad, that concept would be considered a religion. The problem with religion is that it was made up by man.
If a person really wants a good afterlife in what he considers heaven, it is necessary to follow the rules of God who owns heaven. Why would He let you into heaven based on theings you make up? He has provided a way. All you have to do is follow it.
True Christianity is the faith that a person hss admitting that there is nothing he can do, no matter how many good works he performs, to merit heaven. He admits to God that he has sinned against Him and that he deserves to end up in hell. The very reason Jesus Christ came to earth was to pay the penalty for your sins and to provide a way that you can be in heaven through faith and trust in His sacrifice on the cross.
[[Continue->End]]
The quotation originates from the introduction of Karl Marx's work A Contribution to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right, which he started in 1843 but which was not published until after his death. The introduction to this work was published separately in 1844, in Marx's own journal Deutsch–Französische Jahrbücher, a collaboration with Arnold Ruge. Often quoted only in part, the interpretation of the metaphor in its context has received much less attention.
The full context of his statement translated from German to English follows:
<img src="https://Debmark.com/Tracts/Karl Marx.jpg" height="300" align=left hspace=20><i>The foundation of irreligious criticism is: Man makes religion, religion does not make man. Religion is, indeed, the self-consciousness and self-esteem of man who has either not yet won through to himself, or has already lost himself again. But man is no abstract being squatting outside the world. Man is the world of man – state, society. This state and this society produce religion, which is an inverted consciousness of the world, because they are an inverted world. Religion is the general theory of this world, its encyclopaedic compendium, its logic in popular form, its spiritual point d’honneur, its enthusiasm, its moral sanction, its solemn complement, and its universal basis of consolation and justification. It is the fantastic realization of the human essence since the human essence has not acquired any true reality. The struggle against religion is, therefore, indirectly the struggle against that world whose spiritual aroma is religion.
Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. <b>It is the opium of the people</b>.
The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions. The criticism of religion is, therefore, in embryo, the criticism of that vale of tears of which religion is the halo.</i>
Was Karl Marx right? If we are talking about religion as being made up by man, where man makes God in his own image instead of the other way around, then religion is, indeed, an illusion, an opiate of the people. It is not based on truth, but rather, whatever a man wants to make up to believe. And to him it doesn't really matter what a person believes, as long as he believes in something.
That was the state of man when he made idols with his hands and bowed down to them, silly as that is. And God said it was stupid in many places in the Bible. Even in recent times, there have been many religions that have been made up to satisfy mans desire for something else than what God has said.
[[Continue -> I agree. But true Chrisianity is not a religion. True?]]
True Christianity can not be considered a religion. What then is true Christianity? Christainity can be defined as man and God relating with each other, based on the truth that God has revealed in the Bible. All things work together for good to those who love God, who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28).
To be a Christian is to realize that there is nothing good a person can do to merit going to heaven because all are sinners, depraved people. Our sins require punishment. We can either take the punishment ourselves in hell or ask God to pay the penalty for us through His death on the cross as He became a man to take that punishment for us. If we put our trust in Jesus Christ as the one who will save us from this punishment and make him lord of our life, we are forever saved and will be in heaven with him. That is what being a Christian is.
[[Continue ->End]]What does Jesus Christ say concerning the nature of man?
We read in Matthew 19:16-26:
And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is <b>impossible</b>; but with God all things are possible.
We cannot do enough good to merit being accepted by God to share eternity with Him in heaven. But with God, all things are possible. God had to pay the penalty for sin, Himself, in the form of Jesus Christ who died on the cross so that you may be declared righteous because you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ proved the fact that he is God by rising from the dead and being seen by over 500 witnesses. He gives us His Holy Spirit who makes us spiritually alive to God when we put our trust in him. He gives us eternal life.
[[If you haven't already, consider placing your trust in him->End]]
I understand that I am by nature a bad person. What can I do about it?
When Paul and Silas were telling people in Jerusalem about salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, they were arrested and put into prison. The following passage describes what happened while in prison.
Acts 16:23-34
And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
The jailer didn't rely on his good works to be saved. The very concept of being saved is based on someone else saving you. You don't save yourself. If you put your trust in Jesus Christ to save you, you will be saved from the wrath of God and, instead, enjoy eternity with Him in heaven.
[[Continue->End]]
Something you may not realize is that your entire life is directed by God. It says in Proverbs 16:9: "A man’s heart devises his way: but the LORD directs his steps."
As far as free will is concerned, man perceives that he makes his own choices, that he is the master of his fate.
But free will is tempered or governed, just as a child may decide he wants to play in the street, but the parent says, No. I wanted to play piano and violin so much. I practised sometimes 8 hours per day. My will was to be good. But I never got good, just mediocre. In high school I wanted to be at least on the reserve basketball team. I could make the baskets and could cooperate wtih the other players, but I was uncoordinated and couldnt effectively dribble the basketball. I then took up track and thought I could run the 2-mile. But my lack of endurance kept me from even finishing the race. A lot of the events in my life had to be redirected, regardless of what I willed. I came to the realization that I dont really have total free will. But I also noticed that God redirected my path to other things He wanted me to do. And in those, I was successful. I became a computer systems programmer, systems analyst, and finally, a physician. I have done many things in my life, but I find that God directs my paths to do the things He wants me to do.
If you feel that you wanted to be close to God, but was wondering how and you also wondered what does he expect from you, that question is answered first in the Old Testament and then in the New Testament.
In the Old Testament:
Malachi 6:7-8
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
When you do these things, especially when you walk humbly with God, He will not only direct your steps, but also, in the New Testament, Paul says,
Philipians 2:5-13
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
When you make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, it is actually God, and not yourself, who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Since no man is inherently good, the only good that you do is actually what God is doing through you, if you will let Him.
There you have it. Why not be assured of your salvation and trust Jesus Christ?
[[Conintue ->End]]
Quoted from the late Henry H. Morris:
What We Have Now in Christ
“That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:15)
The one who is trusting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord has many wonderful possessions that cannot be seen with our physical eyes but that are as real and permanent as if we were already in heaven. Many of these (only a few of which can be listed here) are noted by the present tense of the verb “have” (Greek echo).
First of all, as our text indicates (and these are the words of Christ!), we who believe in Him have—right now—eternal life. Our sins have been taken care of by the sacrificial death of Christ, “in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7; see also Colossians 1:14). Our sins will be remembered against us no more, because we have already been eternally redeemed. Then, also, in spite of all our sins and failures, “being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).
One of the great resources we now have, but use so seldom, is the capacity to “think God’s thoughts after Him.” “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).
Having the mind of Christ should keep us from sin. Nevertheless, “if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). Not only do we have an advocate defending us, but we have a priest as our mediator. “We have a great high priest,...Jesus the Son of God” (Hebrews 4:14).
Finally, we already “have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1). And all this is only the beginning! “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard...the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).