(January 11, 2023 at 1:44 pm)Jehanne Wrote:(January 11, 2023 at 1:39 pm)tjdisc Wrote: I think the whole "belief" thing is overstated. I don't think it's so much if we believe He exists (demons do and that doesn't do so much for them). It's whether you want to be like Him or not. Loving, kind, merciful, long-suffering etc. All the fruits of the Spirit. We can't be truly - that's why He died. To provide a way to pull us out of the depraved karmic debt/hole we can find ourselves in. To give us a path to be like Him that we weren't capable of before. I'm not going to say you can't be perfect. Jesus said He came for the sick, not the healthy. If you can return love for hate and exemplify all the fruits of the Spirit, then you HAVE chosen Him in spirit and in truth, whether you believe He exists or not.
Just curious, do you believe that the Bible contains any errors in its original manuscripts, say, historical errors? As one example, do you believe the Book of Isiah to have been written by a single author?
The bible is a tool - an aid. Jesus' words in the gospels showed me the way to have relationship with Him - so I hold His words above all other scripture. Whether there are debatable aspects of "historical" or "inerrancy" in certain books, I don't presume to be expert. It doesn't impact knowing Him for me.
