Intro to Christian Thought
Reflection Paper for Introduction to Christian Thought
Theology 104
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx
L33333333
March 5, 2012
Liberty University
I. Introduction
To say, “I am a Christian” has so many meanings in this day and age. To most people it means that they believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for their sins. To a true Christian it means the aforesaid statement as well as the desire to know God through a personal relationship. The most crucial part of being a Christian is to nurture and cultivate that special bond with God and use one’s personal testimony to further the acceptance of Christ by as many people as possible. In order to communicate effectively, one must know that Jesus is God and be able to convey how He is working their lives. One can use his/her God-given skillsets in many different facets to promote His purpose through the church and the community. Upon one’s earthly demise, the ultimate goal is to hear, “Well done, my faithful and loyal servant” (Matthew 23:23).
II. Did Jesus claim to be God?
Jesus claims to be God numerous times within the Bible. Jesus referred to Himself as “I AM” in multiple verses in scripture as well as key quotes, such as, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35) and “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). For people to understand that Jesus is God, one has to recognize why God would come to this earth in human form. In the Old Testament, God instructed the Hebrews to perform blood sacrifices using strict guidelines to worship, to obtain His favor, and forgiveness of their sins. This was very specific and to a small group of people compared to the populous of the earth. The birth of Immanuel as predicted in Isaiah 7:14 and then verified many years later in Matthew 1:23 is required to open the door to a relationship to God for ALL people. Because our sin leads to our spiritual death, a blood sacrifice would be
Theology 104
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx
L33333333
March 5, 2012
Liberty University
I. Introduction
To say, “I am a Christian” has so many meanings in this day and age. To most people it means that they believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for their sins. To a true Christian it means the aforesaid statement as well as the desire to know God through a personal relationship. The most crucial part of being a Christian is to nurture and cultivate that special bond with God and use one’s personal testimony to further the acceptance of Christ by as many people as possible. In order to communicate effectively, one must know that Jesus is God and be able to convey how He is working their lives. One can use his/her God-given skillsets in many different facets to promote His purpose through the church and the community. Upon one’s earthly demise, the ultimate goal is to hear, “Well done, my faithful and loyal servant” (Matthew 23:23).
II. Did Jesus claim to be God?
Jesus claims to be God numerous times within the Bible. Jesus referred to Himself as “I AM” in multiple verses in scripture as well as key quotes, such as, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35) and “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). For people to understand that Jesus is God, one has to recognize why God would come to this earth in human form. In the Old Testament, God instructed the Hebrews to perform blood sacrifices using strict guidelines to worship, to obtain His favor, and forgiveness of their sins. This was very specific and to a small group of people compared to the populous of the earth. The birth of Immanuel as predicted in Isaiah 7:14 and then verified many years later in Matthew 1:23 is required to open the door to a relationship to God for ALL people. Because our sin leads to our spiritual death, a blood sacrifice would be