World Religions in a Nutshell (3 page)

You:
Let’s go through a few of the Commandments to see how you do. How many lies do you think you have told, in your whole life? I don’t mean “white” lies—
real
lies.

[You will regret it if you don’t make a distinction between what he perceives as permissible lies and “deceitfulness.” He will more than likely trivialize his lying, if you don’t get an admission from him that he has actually borne false witness.]

Jeremiah:
Lots.

You:
Lots? Five? Ten? Hundreds?

Jeremiah:
Hundreds?

[People will often boast of their lies, because at this point there’s no accountability to God. So they are more than happy to admit their sins.]

You:
What do you call someone who tells lies?

Jeremiah:
Human.

You:
Yes. But what would you call
me
if I told lies?

Jeremiah:
A liar.

You:
We often think lightly of lying, calling them “fibs” or “white lies,” yet Scripture tells us that “lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.” That means lies are “extremely detestable” to Him. Have you ever stolen anything, in your whole life?

Jeremiah:
Yes. I have, in the past, when I was younger.

[It is normal for people to trivialize sin with phrases such as, “Just little things,” “When I was young,” etc.]

You:
What do you call someone who steals things?

Jeremiah:
A thief.

You:
Have you ever used God’s name in vain?

Jeremiah:
Plenty of times. I know it’s wrong.

[Don’t hesitate to gently show the serious nature of sin. This is extremely important. If he thinks lightly of his sins, then he won’t see the mercy of God in offering forgiveness. The greater he sees his transgressions, the greater he will understand God’s love expressed at the cross.]

You:
Think about that. God gave you life. He gave you eyes to see the beauty of this creation. He gave you ears to enjoy good music, taste buds to enjoy good food. He lavished His goodness upon you, and then you used His holy name as a cuss word to express disgust. That’s a very serious sin—one that is called “blasphemy.”

Jeremiah:
I know it’s bad.

[It is a great encouragement when someone admits their sins like this.]

You:
Jesus said, “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Have you ever done that?

[If you are anything like me, you will be concerned that you will turn a Jewish person off if you quote Jesus. But whatever you do, don’t hesitate to say “Jesus said.” Remember that Jesus was a Jew (see John 4:9) and that the first 8,000 Christians in the Book of Acts were Jewish. Always remember, when you are using this verse you are quoting the Word of God, which is living and powerful (see Hebrews 4:12).]

Jeremiah:
Plenty of times.

You:
Then you have committed adultery in God’s eyes. So, Jeremiah, here’s a summation of what we have found. You are not a “good” person. By your own admission (I’m not judging you), you are a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterer at heart.

Jeremiah:
Wow. I never thought of it like that...

You:
And you have to face God on Judgment Day. If He judges you by the Ten Commandments, will you be innocent
or guilty?

Jeremiah:
I will be guilty.

You:
Will you go to Heaven or Hell?

Jeremiah:
I think I will still go to Heaven.

You:
Why?

Jeremiah:
Because those things were in the past. Besides, I’m Jewish. We are the chosen people.

You:
Being Jewish doesn’t mean that you get an automatic pass. So, when did you last lust after a woman?

Jeremiah:
A few minutes ago. Okay, I see what you are saying, but
most
bad things I’ve done were a long time ago.

You:
Actually,
everything
you have done has been “in the past,” and God sees the sins of your youth as though it were yesterday. If you died today, you have God’s promise that you
won’t go to Heaven. The Bible warns that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire. No thief, no blasphemer or adulterer will inherit the Kingdom of God. Does it concern you that if you died right now, you would go to Hell, forever?

Jeremiah:
Yes, it does.

You:
That makes sense. You love life. Do you know what God did for us, so that we could avoid Hell?

Jeremiah:
No. What did He do?

You:
Do you remember what happened at Passover?

Jeremiah:
Yes.

You:
Moses instructed the children of Israel to put the blood of the lamb on the door posts, so that death would “pass over” them. All those who applied the blood were saved from death. When John the Baptist saw Jesus for the first time, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away
the sin of the world!” This is clearly spoken of in Isaiah 53. God became a Man in Jesus of Nazareth. The Bible says that God “was manifest in the flesh,” and the reason for that was so that as “the lamb of God” His blood could cause death to pass over us. He came to suffer and die for the sin of the world.

We broke His Law (the Ten Commandments) but because Jesus paid our fine on the cross 2,000 years ago, God can forgive us. God can dismiss your case. He can commute your death sentence. The Bible says, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ
died for us.” God proved His great love for you through the cross. Then Jesus rose from the dead, and defeated the power of the grave. If you repent and trust the Savior, God will forgive your sins and grant you everlasting life. What you need to do is repent and trust the Savior that God provided. Does that make sense?

Jeremiah:
Yes, it does.

You:
Jeremiah, you aren’t guaranteed tomorrow. That comes
only by the grace of God. So if you died today, where would you go?

Jeremiah:
I would probably go to Hell.

You:
So what are you going to do about it?

Jeremiah:
I need to pray.

You:
That’s right. Repent and trust the Savior. When are you
going to do that?

Jeremiah:
Right now.

You:
Thanks for listening to me.

Jeremiah:
Thank
you
.

Mormonism

Many of us don’t really know much about the Mormons. We know that their missionaries wear white shirts, ride bikes, and go around two-by-two. We also know that they have an intense interest in genealogies, and air family-oriented TV commercials in which they offer a free Bible and a Book of Mormon. In fact, they spent more than $100 million in advertising in the 1990s.

There are currently over 13 million Mormons worldwide in 176 nations, with about 6 million members in the U.S. Due to their advertising and missionary efforts, they claim to be “one of the fastest growing Christian faiths in the world.” Using words like “repent,” “salvation,” “gospel,” and “grace,” they certainly
sound
Christian. But do their beliefs line up with the Bible?

Background

Many years ago, a 14-year-old boy named Joseph Smith, Jr., said he had a vision while he was praying in the woods. He claimed he was visited by God the Father and Jesus, who told
him that Christianity had become corrupt. They said that all the existing churches were wrong, their creeds were an abomination, and he shouldn’t join any of them.

Three years later Smith said he was visited by an angel named Moroni, who told him where to find some buried golden plates that would
explain the true gospel. Smith supposedly was able to miraculously
translate these plates from
“
Reformed Egyptian” into English, and the result eventually became known as the
Book
of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ
.

Mormonism began in Palmyra, New York, in the 1820s. Joseph Smith said that God chose him to restore the true church in North America, and he officially launched the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Though they’re commonly known as “Mormons,” church members prefer to be called “Latter-day Saints.”

Scriptures