From: sliew@mullian.ee.mu.oz.au (Selbyn Liew)
Subject: Re: (Can't think of a subject) (Was: Becoming Catholic) 
Organization: Electrical and Electronic - University of Melbourne 
Distribution: aus
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 08:17:06 GMT

In article <9224010.8506@mulga.cs.mu.OZ.AU> fraser@munta.cs.mu.OZ.AU (Fraser Wilson) writes:
>
>You're probably right, even if my thesis is about due.  I still don't
>think I would pray to anyone though.  Doesn't suit me.

That's fine.  It's up to anyone anyway.

>I meant that my conscience is clear wrt religion.  I don't lie awake
>at night worrying about whether I'll go to hell or not.
>
>I don't believe in sin.  I believe in right & wrong, and in morals, and
>even in ethics when pressed, but sin implies an ultimate judge, and an
>objective morality.  As we all know, very little is absolute right
>or wrong.  The view of Chistianity seems to be that we're all going to
>be judged by the perfect judge eventually, but there is no such thing
>as a perfect judge because there's no such thing as perfect justice.
>Life is too fuzzy.

Interesting.  The definition of sin is actually: transgression of the
Law, or lawlessness, according to 1John 3:4.  The above paragraph comes
close to defining sin in your own words.  I.e. believing in right &
wrong, etc - isn't that a law in itself already?  What about "very
little being absolute"?  Isn't that an inclination towards "lawlessness"?

>What makes your faith better?

Anyone can have faith.  It's not that I (or we) made my faith better.
It's who or what I believe *in* (not just believe) that makes the
difference.  It is He who is the Author and Perfector of faith (Heb 12:1-2)
that made the difference.  I've chosen the narrow-minded, and offensive
way because it is better.  Nay, far better than any so-called religion or
anything that I can see existing in this world.  If the gospel of Jesus
Christ is a lie, it cannot do much.  But I have tasted it's power, and so
have many.  With lives changed and joy and peace as parts of its fruit,
with drug addicts, alcoholics, smokers, set free from their slavish habits,
with various miraculous healings all around the world, with wicked people
changing to good people ... Yes, we may not be seeing Christianity yet
doing too much visibly in Australia; this is because of various reasons
that you may not be able to comprehend, but God is still at work in us and
in churches which desire Him to work.

>Again, you don't believe that it is a lie, which is why you haven't.
>Do you think that you haven't joined the world?  You were there last time
>I looked.

:-)
I am to be in the world, but not "of the world" according to the words
of my Saviour (because He prayed that we should not be taken out of the
world) (Jn 17:15-16).  Maybe you saw me "in the world"... I can't claim
to be perfect, just as all other Christians won't be able to.  But all
true Christians are "born-again" - i.e. they have experienced a true
inner change in their hearts, causing them to truly want to do right and
hate sin, and love God.  God gives the power to overcome sin, otherwise,
it is just self-imposed and this is not much different to a lot of other
religions.  More than that, we also discover the love of God when our
sins are washed away, so that we can experience Him.  Prior to that,
we are really under wrath and undeserving of mercy.

We believe in a crucified and risen Saviour, who is alive today.  It is
a ridiculous message to the human mind.  But God desires all to believe
in this message, because human efforts can never ultimately succeed in
the battle against evil.  Christ was crucified because He was made sin
for us and took the punishment for sin and its guilt.  Any who believe in
Him will be considered to be also crucified with Him, and thus have their
sin and guilt dealt with (but thankfully not on our very own beings).
Christ was buried, that His body that was made sin should be put away.
Likewise, all who merely trust in this will have the power of sin broken
over their lives - the old self is put away.  Christ rose from the dead,
totally breaking free from death and sin, and presented Himself to God
the Father as alive from the dead.  So likewise, all true believers
experience a newness of life that overcomes death and sin (though we
must one day lose of this old body, so that we may look for a new
bodily resurrection to come), and is presented to God the Father for
a new relationship with Him, as alive from the dead.  Moreover, He
gives us His own righteousness as a gift.  Jesus Christ fulfilled all
the requirements of God for man, and is thereby proven righteous.
What does it take to believe in Him?  The gospel says we must give our
lives and hearts to Him and receive Him.  This is because an exchange
must take place.  Every man must give up his own old life (that is
helpless in terms of acceptance before God) and exchange it for the
life of Jesus Christ (His righteousness, death, burial, and resurrection).
Then, he will be born-again by the power of God.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."
(Jn 3:16)

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are
perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
(1 Co 1:18)

That's a summary of the gospel.

Regards,
Selbyn
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Dept. of EE Engineering, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia
EMAIL: sliew@mullian.ee.mu.oz.au    PH: +61-3-3447976   FAX: +61-3-3446678
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Newsgroups: aus.religion