Christian Assumptions

(Originally written February 15, 2007 in Book 14)

Christianity and Religious Pluralism

The key in religion is the question, "But is it true?"

I could accept Christianity as true if...
- God were to appear to me
- Christians weren't such hypocrites
- There wasn't so much evil in the world
- There was some way of my being able to figure out if Christianity as truer than all other religions

Christian Assumption

1) Authority of Scripture
- The meaning of inspiration
- 2 Timothy 3:15 "And that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Jesus Christ"
- 2 Peter 1:20-21 "He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God"
- The locus of inspiration
- not the reader
- to some extent the writers
- most importantly the text
- (plenary verbal)

2) Historicity of Christ
- Grounded in and tied to history
- 2 Peter 1:16-18, "For it is written: 'Be Holy, because I am holy'. Since you call on a Father who judges each person's work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors.
- Cannot separate Jesus Christ the person from the teachings of Christ.

3) Mediation by Christ
- The utter inability of human beings to restore themselves to a relationship with God
- Original sin, fallenness and total depravity
- I John 1:5, "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all".
- The completed work of Christ
-Displaying the righteousness of God
-Atonement

4) Salvation

A) Salvation: the necessary condition
- intellectual faith (belief that)
- Trusting faith (belief in)
- Reliance on Christ alone

B) Salvation: the necessary consequence
- Good works are the necessary consequences of true faith

Righteousness of Christ Necessary condition (faith alone) -> Human Person -> Changed life (necessary consequence of faith)