Dear S,
Thank you for your letter. I suggest you read The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel and Basic Christianity by John Stott.
The Bible is God’s history of sinful man and God’s solution for sin in man. God has not changed. There are miracles today. They are not reported in the newspapers or in secular textbooks. I am personally acquainted with some and have read from qualified sources of hundreds of others. There are also fakes; I know of them, too. Again, miracles are not the subject of the Bible, nor are they the important subject today. Let me quote Jesus after He fed the 5,000. "Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill'” (John 6:26).
Here is a statement of St. Paul recorded in the New Testament: "Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength" (1 Cor. 1:20-25).
Paul was a very educated man. He said that the Greeks wanted intellectual reasons and the Jews wanted miracles. God chose not to do it those two ways.
Jesus tells a story in Luke 16:19-31 and ends with a quotation from Abraham: "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead'” (Luke 16:31). Jesus later rose from the dead, and Jewish leaders still did not believe.
You say that you believe in and love God but do not know that Jesus Christ is your savior. Jesus said: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).
Peter said in Acts 4:12, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
John said in 1 John 4:9-10, "This is how God showed his love among us He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us an sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."
John the Baptist tells us in John 3:35-36, "The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him."
I would encourage you to read the complete chapters where these quotations occur. You are not a follower of Satan because you are confused. You are a slave of Satan by birth into this world until you are set free by Jesus Christ. Romans 6 is very descriptive of this. Romans 1 tells us that all Gentiles are sinners. Romans 2 tells us that all Jews are sinners. Romans 3 says that “therefore everyone is a sinner.” The end of chapter 3 through chapter 6 tells us the how the deliverance from sin works. It is wonderful!
I was set free on October 18, 1947. All the religions of this world say you have to be good to go to Heaven. If that were true, no one would to go Heaven. The Bible says that we have to be bad to go to Heaven. Romans 3 says we all qualify. Romans 5:6-8 tells us that Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 6:23 tells us that death is the wage of sin, but eternal life is a gift bought and paid for by Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:17 says that faith is caused by the preaching of Jesus Christ. Of course you do not believe. We all start out as unbelievers. After you are convinced of the truth of the Bible and the Gospel by scientific evidence completely to your satisfaction, you still will not believe. You might think that is an irrational statement, but if you believe because you are convinced intellectually, you will be a major exception in the history of Christianity.
You see, conversion has to do with sin, judgment, and the person and work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Intellectual belief does not cause repentance and a trusting belief. I do believe God is drawing you to Himself.
Here are some additional comments. The shroud and the holy grail are not of any biblical or spiritual significance. The shroud of Turin, apart from any scientific significance, was not seriously considered by believers because of John 20:6-7. The image, if there was one, would have been on the piece around Jesus’ head, not on the shroud. The holy grail is medieval fiction. The Roman Catholic church worshiped anything that Jesus supposedly touched, like pieces of the “true cross.”
Solomon's temple was destroyed in 587 B.C. Herod’s temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. There has not been a temple since that time. This is what Jeremiah said about 25 years before Solomon’s temple was destroyed: "'Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,' declares the Lord, 'men will no longer say, "The ark of the covenant of the Lord." It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made'” (Jer. 3:15-16).
Your real need is for forgiveness of sin. No other religion in the world offers forgiveness of sin with an assurance of salvation. The Bible is the only book that offers free forgiveness and everlasting life. It is through the love of God expressed through His son, the Lord Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection.
With warm regards,
Jim Wilson
Thank you for your letter. I suggest you read The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel and Basic Christianity by John Stott.
The Bible is God’s history of sinful man and God’s solution for sin in man. God has not changed. There are miracles today. They are not reported in the newspapers or in secular textbooks. I am personally acquainted with some and have read from qualified sources of hundreds of others. There are also fakes; I know of them, too. Again, miracles are not the subject of the Bible, nor are they the important subject today. Let me quote Jesus after He fed the 5,000. "Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill'” (John 6:26).
Here is a statement of St. Paul recorded in the New Testament: "Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength" (1 Cor. 1:20-25).
Paul was a very educated man. He said that the Greeks wanted intellectual reasons and the Jews wanted miracles. God chose not to do it those two ways.
Jesus tells a story in Luke 16:19-31 and ends with a quotation from Abraham: "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead'” (Luke 16:31). Jesus later rose from the dead, and Jewish leaders still did not believe.
You say that you believe in and love God but do not know that Jesus Christ is your savior. Jesus said: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).
Peter said in Acts 4:12, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
John said in 1 John 4:9-10, "This is how God showed his love among us He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us an sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."
John the Baptist tells us in John 3:35-36, "The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him."
I would encourage you to read the complete chapters where these quotations occur. You are not a follower of Satan because you are confused. You are a slave of Satan by birth into this world until you are set free by Jesus Christ. Romans 6 is very descriptive of this. Romans 1 tells us that all Gentiles are sinners. Romans 2 tells us that all Jews are sinners. Romans 3 says that “therefore everyone is a sinner.” The end of chapter 3 through chapter 6 tells us the how the deliverance from sin works. It is wonderful!
I was set free on October 18, 1947. All the religions of this world say you have to be good to go to Heaven. If that were true, no one would to go Heaven. The Bible says that we have to be bad to go to Heaven. Romans 3 says we all qualify. Romans 5:6-8 tells us that Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 6:23 tells us that death is the wage of sin, but eternal life is a gift bought and paid for by Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:17 says that faith is caused by the preaching of Jesus Christ. Of course you do not believe. We all start out as unbelievers. After you are convinced of the truth of the Bible and the Gospel by scientific evidence completely to your satisfaction, you still will not believe. You might think that is an irrational statement, but if you believe because you are convinced intellectually, you will be a major exception in the history of Christianity.
You see, conversion has to do with sin, judgment, and the person and work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Intellectual belief does not cause repentance and a trusting belief. I do believe God is drawing you to Himself.
Here are some additional comments. The shroud and the holy grail are not of any biblical or spiritual significance. The shroud of Turin, apart from any scientific significance, was not seriously considered by believers because of John 20:6-7. The image, if there was one, would have been on the piece around Jesus’ head, not on the shroud. The holy grail is medieval fiction. The Roman Catholic church worshiped anything that Jesus supposedly touched, like pieces of the “true cross.”
Solomon's temple was destroyed in 587 B.C. Herod’s temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. There has not been a temple since that time. This is what Jeremiah said about 25 years before Solomon’s temple was destroyed: "'Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,' declares the Lord, 'men will no longer say, "The ark of the covenant of the Lord." It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made'” (Jer. 3:15-16).
Your real need is for forgiveness of sin. No other religion in the world offers forgiveness of sin with an assurance of salvation. The Bible is the only book that offers free forgiveness and everlasting life. It is through the love of God expressed through His son, the Lord Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection.
With warm regards,
Jim Wilson
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