Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
No, I don't think so. If that were the case, he is misleading them by saying that He, not God, is the way. He may have in mind that it is God being in him that makes him the way but it is through Jesus to God that is the only way. That is what he is saying. You cannot get to God without going through Jesus. This is the point of the John passage.
No, I don't think so. If that were the case, he is misleading them by saying that He, not God, is the way. He may have in mind that it is God being in him that makes him the way but it is through Jesus to God that is the only way. That is what he is saying. You cannot get to God without going through Jesus. This is the point of the John passage.
Somehow I think you must be misreading the previous post. The point was that Jesus was saying that HE, in his life and ministry embodied the Way to a relationship with God, that as such he represents the Truth and the Life required for such a relationship.
No, I don't think so. If that were the case, he is misleading them by saying that He, not God, is the way. He may have in mind that it is God being in him that makes him the way but it is through Jesus to God that is the only way. That is what he is saying. You cannot get to God without going through Jesus. This is the point of the John passage.
He is the express image of God, he became this by knowing who he is............ I AM(God)Because of our indoctrination of being seperated from God, we christians cannot comprehend and understand this.
Somehow I think you must be misreading the previous post. The point was that Jesus was saying that HE, in his life and ministry embodied the Way to a relationship with God, that as such he represents the Truth and the Life required for such a relationship.
Perhaps I was, but it seemed to me that the argument was that Jesus was showing that by becoming what he was - identified or spiritually united with God, anyone could become what he was.
This is not what John is saying, or so I suggest. It is true that spiritual unity with God is important, but John seems to be saying that they only way to do it is through Faith in Jesus. The point is that having Faith and even a devotion to God without believing that Jesus is son of God, messiah and resurrected from death with not attain eternal life.
This theory has flaws in it, of course, which is why those who could not know are not debarred from heaven - that would be unjust -but if you did know about Jesus and did not believe in him, you could not get 'eternal life'. You could not just follow his example and become a Jesus yourself ('Hey, that's a good way to God, I'll try that myself') without faith in and devotion to Jesus.
Perhaps I was, but it seemed to me that the argument was that Jesus was showing that by becoming what he was - identified or spiritually united with God, anyone could become what he was.
Yes this is what I am saying. Jesus Christ is who we really are, not the Jewish man from Nazareth but who he knew he was.
Yes this is what I am saying. Jesus Christ is who we really are, not the Jewish man from Nazareth but who he knew he was.
That's what I thought - an entity that we can attain unity with by our own efforts, using the gospel Jesus as an example.
Many posters here claim that they have done so and experience and commune with God on a regular basis. Hindus and Muslims claim the same thing. Your post seems to argue that by so doing we can be saved.
But John is saying that we cannot do it, no matter how much we try because Jesus sent from God, the Holy Spirit or Jesus the Son who had pre-existed Abraham (John 8.58) and who king David calls Lord (Luke 20.43) who was sent as a sin -sacrifice to occupy the body of the Nazarene called Jesus, is the only way to God. Without believing that he was Son of God and the Messiah and resurrected is the body of the dead Jew and who was raised in that physical body to heaven (Luke - Acts 1) we cannot be saved. That is what John is saying.
That's what I thought - an entity that we can attain unity with by our own efforts, using the gospel Jesus as an example.
Many posters here claim that they have done so and experience and commune with God on a regular basis. Hindus and Muslims claim the same thing. Your post seems to argue that by so doing we can be saved.
But John is saying that we cannot do it, no matter how much we try because Jesus sent from God, the Holy Spirit or Jesus the Son who had pre-existed Abraham (John 8.58) and who king David calls Lord (Luke 20.43) who was sent as a sin -sacrifice to occupy the body of the Nazarene called Jesus, is the only way to God. Without believing that he was Son of God and the Messiah and resurrected is the body of the dead Jew and who was raised in that physical body to heaven (Luke - Acts 1) we cannot be saved. That is what John is saying.
No effort, just awareness. As a man thinks in his heart so is he.
(Translates 'heart' to 'brain') Yes, but is he thinking as instructed in John 14.6? That's the point.
Of cause. None of us can be anything other than what we believe we are. This is what Jesus is saying. Who we really are is what we see in Jesus Christ( the man created in the image of God), but unless we come to the realization of this we will remain the I am we believe we are. Jesus did not say "I Jesus am the way".
We have become so enmeshed in the belief that we are man that we have forgotten the glorious being that we are. Neville Goddard
This is how I look at it, and it's probably similar to pcamps and MattieJo' outlooks.
When Jesus says "I AM" he is not referring to himself, the man. He is referring to the cosmic knowledge that "I AM" is the only truth that is evident to every human being. Everybody can say I AM. That's why "the Kingdom of Heaven is within you." Jesus' statement is not a call to worship him. It's a call to recognize Who You Really Are.
Jesus and the Buddha are saying the same thing. So is Lao-Tzu. We must recognize that I AM is the actual identity of every human being. It's not who our minds are telling us we are. No words can describe it. Words can only point to that truth.
And it's not "I WILL BE" or "I WAS." It's the cosmic "I AM" and is the same as the O.T. "I AM that I AM." There is no concept of time here. The illusion of time, in fact, is the enemy of self-realization. There is no future salvation or enlightenment. There are no "works" that you must perform to get there. Those states can only be experienced in the present moment. Knowing that both the past and the future do not exist and are merely thoughts in your head takes you out of your constant inner dialogue and is the only way to "the end of suffering" as the Buddha puts it, or, "the Way, the Truth and the Life."
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
