The Belief in a Higher Power Error

Is it really enough to just believe that there is some sort of universal higher power? Many people, including good friends of mine, say that they can't believe in the Bible and Jesus. Then they give me some sort of excuse about bad examples of Christians or of misunderstandings they have of church doctrines.

Look at what James wrote about those who just believe about God. In chapter two and verse nineteen (BBE) he wrote, "You have the belief that God is one, and you do well: the evil spirits have the same belief, shaking with fear."

Beyond mere mental ascent, people must place their trust in Christ. Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) plainly states, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

Some people will doubtless be confused at how we can believe in God and Jesus as well. Even so, Christ tells us to do so. John 14:1 (KJV) quotes our Lord as saying, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."

Believing in the Lord means placing one's full and total trust in him and Christ's atonement for sins on the cross. As Romans 10:9 and 10 (BBE) instructs, "Because, if you say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and have faith in your heart that God has made him come back from the dead, you will have salvation. For with the heart man has faith to get righteousness, and with the mouth he says that Jesus is Lord to get salvation"

Additionally, we must love the Lord rather than roboticly obeying him. Jesus said in John 14:15 (KJV) "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

Christ also explained the benefits of loving God in John 14:21 (KJV) when he said, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."

And not only in this world do we receive new life in Christ but in the age to come. Romans 6:23 (KJV) states, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

So mere ascent that there is some sort of divine being somewhere who made the universe isn't enough to give people salvation and save them from sin and eternal torment. This is the main theme of my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven. May the Lord use my writing to guide folks to eternal life.

On Thursday, I'll post about the error of moralism. Just being a nice person won't get one into heaven either.

Does AntiTrinitarianism Damn Folks?

s it a sin to believe that the Trinity doesn't exist? After all, non Trinitarians say they believe in Christ.

One point to ponder is this: why did Jesus tell his disciples to believe in him as well as God? John 14:1 (KJV)quotes him as saying, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."

The word "also" indicates duality of persons. If God were a modal being who manifested himself in three different kinds of being, why would he ask people to believe in him twice? It doesn't make sense.

And why did Jesus keep saying that his disciples should pray to the Father if he was formerly the father. As Mr. Spock would say, That's highly illogical."

Believing in Christ is obvious from Scripture. It's a far cry from believing about him or just liking his teachings. Believing means trusting in him to be one's God and saviour. As Paul pointed out in Romans 10:14 (KJV), regarding the gospel, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?"

We can see from Christ's baptism that all three members of the Trinity were there. Therefore, believing in a modalistic God is illogical.

Neither was Christ a created being, as Jehovah's Witnesses believe. So believing this doctrine is believing a lie since the Bible is true.

We can see by what Jesus said that lies belong to the Devil. He told the Pharisees, those supposed to be teaching truth to their followers, in John 8:44 (KJV) that, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

Believing in, or on, the name of Jesus means having total trust in his ability as God and saviour to provide one's imputed righteousness. Trusting in one's own righteousness is therefore unacceptable. As 1 John 5:13 (KJV) says, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

I conclude from all this that non Trinitarians don't give credit to Christ as the saviour and son of God who is co-existent with the Father and the Holy Spirit. But there might be those in their churches who love Christ and sincerely gave their hearts to him. Only God knows who they are. I pray they find out that antitrinitarianism is a lie and they'll adopt the truth.

I also hope my next book will help people learn the truth. It's called You Think You're Going to Heaven? God hates lies because they damn people to hell. He loves humanity and wants everybody to be saved from that awful fate. But he lets people choose between himself and Satan. I hope he uses my writing to save somebody from that horrid place.