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Author
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Topic: Non-Christians
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MentorsRiddle
Advanced Member
Member # 2108
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posted
Thank you, Carol.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
And thank you for the links, I can't wait to start reading them.
--------------------
With you I rise,
In you I sleep,
kneeling down I kiss your feet,
Grace abounds upon me now,
I once was lost
but now I'm found.
The gift of God dwells within,
To this love I now give in.
Posts: 1337 | From: Arkansas | Registered: Sep 2003
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Carol Swenson
Admin
Member # 6929
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posted
Hi MentorsRiddle
This is a very good topic. And a very thoughtful post. Thank you for posting it!
Simon Greenleaf was a founder of the Harvard School of Law, and an expert on evidence. He was challenged to study the evidence on the resurrection of Christ. The evidence is so compelling that after his study he became a Christian himself. http://www.av1611.org/resur.html
Here are Extra-biblical references to Jesus and Christianity
http://www.rationalchristianity.net/jesus_extrabib.html
Here is a good video that's about 13 minutes long (for both parts).
Evidence Jesus Was God (1 of 2) - Lee Strobel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9RDHHpfKJw&feature=related
And here is the best proof of all!
The Holy Spirit Is the Agent of Salvation
There are four aspects to His saving work.
1. He produces conviction
Jesus spoke of the Spirit's convicting the world of sin (John 16:8). Conviction is an awareness of guilt for one's own sins. Only God can produce such an awareness. He uses believers to proclaim His truth about sin, but the Spirit must apply it to unbelieving men and women's hearts to produce conviction. Otherwise they would continue to deny their sinfulness and their need for a Savior.
2. He produces repentance
Repentance is a desire to turn from our sins once we have been convicted of them. God grants repentance (2 Tim. 2:25) because men are incapable of repenting on their own. They love darkness more than light (John 3:19). Acts 11:18 says, "God has granted to the Gentiles... the repentance that leads to life."
3. He empowers preaching
The Spirit empowers God's truth so it penetrates the unbeliever's mind and begins to do its saving work. He empowers both the preacher and the hearer. Both those works of the Spirit are necessary for effective proclamation and reception of divine truth (1 Thess. 2:13). First Peter 1:12 speaks of "those who preached the gospel... by the Holy Spirit," and 1 John 5:7 says, "It is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth." The Spirit's power is the key element in effective preaching.
4. He regenerates hearts
Jesus said to Nicodemus, "'Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Nicodemus said to Him, 'How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?' Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, "You must be born again." The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit'" (John 3:3-8).
Paul said, "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out" (Titus 3:5 6).
Which Method of Evangelism Is Best?
Since salvation is a supernatural work, it is of little consequence what method you use to present the gospel. However it's of major consequence that you present the gospel accurately and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Methods of evangelism alone can't convince someone to repent and turn to Christ. Only God can do that by applying His truth to the person's heart. Your task is to faithfully proclaim His truth and be sensitive to His Spirit's leading.
(John MacArthur)
Posts: 6787 | From: Colorado | Registered: Dec 2007
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MentorsRiddle
Advanced Member
Member # 2108
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posted
It is often the misconception of Christians – especially new Christians – that non-believers will accept scripture for proof(s) that Jesus Christ was who he said he was.
When a Christian who is trying to witness to a non-believer is confronted by someone who refuses to accept scripture as proof(s) that Jesus Christ is God, what further ammunition is left in the professing Christians stores?
Sadly, the usual answer is that the Christian is left stumped by how to proceed, becomes frustrated and walks away.
Should we as Christians be surprised when this happens? No, I think not.
Most people prefer to see proof that Jesus Christ was God and that he even existed.
Many non-Christians think that the bible is the only proof that Jesus Christ walked upon this earth – and only four books of out of the sixty-six books in the Holy Bible account for the life of Jesus Christ.
It is surprising to many Christians to find that the there are actually other references to Jesus Christ outside of the bible – residing in historical manuscripts that have been known of for hundreds of years.
The modern church relies so heavily upon the bible, which is not a bad thing, they forget there is other knowledge that exists that can support their belief structure and help persuade non-believers that Jesus Christ did not just exist – but indeed had God-like powers and was God.
In Chapter 34 of his First Apology, Justin Martyr wrote, “Now there is a village in the land of the Jews, 35 stadia from Jerusalem, in which Christ was born, as you can ascertain also from the registeres of the taxing under Cyrenius your first procurator in Judea.”
But Justin Martyr was a religious man – so maybe his credibility on the historical existence of Christ may be compromised.
Let’s take a look at some non believers who also wrote of Christ.
Nero…punished with every refinement the notoriously repraved Christians. Their originator, Christ, had been executed in the Tiberius’ region by the governor of Judea, Pontus Pilate…. ~The Annals of Imperial Rome, XV, 44.
Julian the Apostate wrote, ”Jesus, whom you celebrate, was one of Caesar’s subjects. If you dispute it, I will prove it by and by…(Jesus) having done nothing worthy of remembrance; unless anyone thinks it’s a mighty matter to heal lame, blind people and exorcise demoniacs in the villages of Bethsaida and Bethany…”
So we can see that there are indeed historical proofs of the existence of Jesus Christ, some of them even speaking of his God-Like powers of healing sick, exorcising people, etc.
There are many more proofs – the above proofs are just a few of the vast majority that exist in the world and not nearly as convincing as some of the others that exist.
So now that we have proof – the Christian should be able to more readily minister to a non-believer than before when they had no knowledge.
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With you I rise,
In you I sleep,
kneeling down I kiss your feet,
Grace abounds upon me now,
I once was lost
but now I'm found.
The gift of God dwells within,
To this love I now give in.
Posts: 1337 | From: Arkansas | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
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