Just by Faith, Rob Bells New Book Love Wins - Term Paper Example

?Just by Faith The idea that religion is only a leaning post, has been dismissed by many different theologians. There are several cultures and peoplegroups which consider their religion to be more than just a crutch to lean on in times of turmoil, tribulation and trials. It is clear that many religions find commonality in that they believe that it is faith that drives them to believe and stand fast in their belief. Most religions such as Islam, Judaism and Christianity believe in a sense of morality and justice; but the idea of a human being divine and one with God is considered to be pagan and contrary to the foundation of many religions. No one can reach God’s status, not by works, nor by faith. Humans are at a certain standing and God determines and dictates their outcome. Even in the Christian sect, there are people who oppose the notion that Jesus was both human and God. Does a leader who possesses such religious knowledge need to be sanctioned in order to be of any value to the human race? Is following Jesus and rejecting his divinity contradictory in nature? “Love Wins,” a quote often used by a pastor from Grand Rapids Michigan, named Rob Bell says it all. In his teaching, and his preaching, he teaches the congregation that it does not really matter what the details say, what matters in the end is Love. The Bible says that God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only son that whoever believed in him, would not die, but would have eternal life. Do they believe that God gave his son to the world, or do they believe that God loved the world so much? There are many faces to this one verse that is loaded with meaning. Pastors try to decipher its essence but find it difficult to “speak for God.” John piper says “If the Bible is coherent, then understanding the Bible means grasping how things fit together. Becoming a Biblical theologian means seeing more and more pieces fit together into a glorious mosaic of the divine will. And doing exegesis means querying the text about how its many propositions cohere in the author's mind.” The Bible is up for interpretation and God speaks into words to make understanding easier. In the Christian realm, Jesus is Lord. (Maier) Jesus is God but in the flesh. As sinners, it is believed that our sin was paid for by Jesus dying on the cross. Could there have been any other way? God himself says that He is Lord and there is no one higher than He. But why so much controversy on this particular issue? All three religions; Christianity, Judaism and Islam believe in Jesus. They just believe that Jesus had a different purpose. The details of each religion varies greatly, neither are good or bad, they just are. (Jesus: The Islamic and Christian views of comparison: compared)Christians believe that Jesus is God in the flesh. Jews consider Jesus to be a prophet and in the long run, “missed the boat” when he came to earth to save His very own people. However, what is Jesus and is it important that he be ordained from above to make a difference in this world? It is clear that this is not the case. Jesus walked and breathed scripture. He knew scripture by heart but he had to learn it. We have little account of Jesus when he was a young child and a teenager. The Bible is vague in that it speaks of his miracles but fails to explain the surrounding text. The Bible itself is written in a way that it allows people, common and theologians to interpret it. Pastors spend years and years attempting to make sense of written scripture that was present long before they were even born. Biblical scholars and Scientists use their academic credentials to bring what they feel to be the truth, alive in their minds. Geologists study rocks dating back to the time that Jesus supposedly walked the earth. In addition, the common people attempt to depend on what little they have. What they do know is that their Faith has carried them thus far. If we compare a divine being, anointed or not, to a school teacher, you can find much similarity. It is assumed that this person would have acquired some knowledge in their field before professing that they are knowledgeable. With out a written peiece of paper, signed by the dean’s office stating that you have met the requirements, it is very difficult to get a job as a school teacher. Very seldom does an actor who has little to no experience, will land an important role in a movie or Broadway play. A carpenter would not be trusted with a hammer and nails if the one hiring him is not sure that he is competent and capable of doing the job at hand. Unless a student studies for a test, has notes to show for it, and studies for hours on end, the likelihood of them score high on the test is low. Unless of course, they innately know the information which in this case means they are next to genius. Maybe we should explore the intelligence of Jesus. Maybe he can be considered next to genius because if he is God, God created the world in a figurative seven days and placed everything where it needs to be. That is next to genius. Nevertheless, this is not the case for Jesus. Everything he knew, he had to learn. In fact, he was even baptized by John the Baptist. Wasn’t he the one who should have been doing the baptizing? This only goes to show the purpose of Jesus. He was not in this world to show what he could or could not do. He was in this world to show that he loved it. Whether he was truly God or not, it did not matter. His acts and miracles could only be orchestrated by God himself. Like a baby being born, the process of birth is truly a miracle. Nevertheless, this could not have been done if God had not instilled calmness, peace and tranquility in the mother, the nurses nor the doctors. Rob Bell’s new book Love Wins explores the idea that not just a select few people go to Hell but that everyone is ushered into an amazing life with God. Because God is love and that if there was no love, there would be no God. It is just something that Rob feels and knows. He has faith that God’s love can cover all sin and is sufficient for everyone. There is not a seven step hand book in order to get to heaven. There is not a list of “dos and don’ts” in order to be one with Christ. There is just love. Though the Ten Commandments are present in Deuteronomy, they were not written as a stairway guide to heaven but more so as a guide for here on earth. If the people wanted to stay united, and in touch with their reality and each other, it was advised that they live their life according to the slab where the ten commands was written on. But in no way was this a ticket into heaven. Rob Bell is in no way God but he has been blessed to be able to share and spread the good news. He considers it all good news and encourages his congregation to read, interpret and understand scripture in the form of good news. Rob Bell says “I believe that Jesus’s story is first and foremost about the love of God for every single one of us.’ (Bell, 7) Jesus lived his life to be an example to all, to show a better way of life. Pastors all around the world, in different religions, are asking the thought provoking questions that cause people to think about their future. Does a future in Hell really sound like something God, a God of love, really condemns a person to? Because every religion has a sense of right and wrong, and that sense is relative. They manage their life and control their surroundings in different ways because of that sense. In the end however, they know they have to answer to God. But Bell says that the Bible has been hijacked by a number of different stories (Bell, 7) and the Bible was written for all those, everywhere, who have heard some version of the Jesus story that caused their pulse rate to rise, their stomach to churn, and their heart to utter those resolute words, “I would never be a part of that.”‘ (Bell,8) The Jesus of the Christian faith says “I am the I’am.” (Stick) He never claims that he is God himself. He does not go prancing around wearing a white robe and holding a Bible in his hand. As a matter of fact, very seldom does he even have the torah, the first five books of the Bible. He is not there to shove religion or belief down the people’s throats. He is there because he loves his people. He is seen with the prostitutes, the gamblers and the tax collectors. He is seen hanging out with the fisherman, trying to show them a better way of life. He always lives by example and shows people the way as opposed to tell them what they need to do. All throughout scripture, Jesus does not answer questions directly. It is as if He is getting us to think. Every question he asks is asked is answered in the form of a question to create thinking minds. Some may say it is because he does not know the answers, and others may say that he is trying to get us to come up with the answer, its similar to a guessing game. Jesus’ life was not a game. He was born, he lived and he died, just as any other human will do. But there was something unique about him. He carried himself differently. He truly had something more divine than others. Maybe he was in touch with God, maybe he was God. Either way, he was of great influence. People did not believe in him because he was God, they believed in him because he lived a life of example. Can a man, unsanctioned, be of value? Does it really matter whether he is God or not? The answer really is not in scripture or in writing. The answer is in the hearts and minds of each person. One walks by faith because they believe in something higher than they are. Whether they believe that Jesus was God in the flesh is a leap of faith because no one can really prove or disprove his divine existence. All we know for sure is that He spoke, lived, and loved everything around Him. If that is not faith from Jesus himself, then it could be faith from God. To follow Jesus is to follow faith. Jesus to some was God, and to others, just a bit of hope, abundant love and untarnished faith in something more powerful. Every religion holds onto this kind of faith. Works Cited Bell, Rob. Love Wins. HarperOne, March 15 2011. "Jesus: The Islamic and Christian views of comparison: compared." 2011. Sound Vision. 5 May 2011 . Maier, Paul L. "Jesus, Legen or Lord?" 2011. Issues, ETC. 5 May 2011 . Piper, John. "Bretheren, Let Us Query the Text." 2011. Desiring God. 5 May 2011 . Reinhardt, Stephen. "Light." 19 March 2011. Rob Bell, Love Wins2. 5 May 2011 . Stick, Mathew J. "Did Jesus ever say the exact words "I am God?"." 1995-2010. CARM. 5 May 2011 . The New King James Version. Nashville Tn: Thomas Nelson, 1982. Zeolla, Gary F. "Darkness to Light." July 1996. Is Jesus God? 5 May 2011 . Read More