UBC Wed For Life

What do we mean when we say we believe in Jesus? That’s a strange question to ask at this point in the discussion, but in some ways it is reflective of how we behave when it comes to our Faith. Many of us grow up in the church or are, at least, exposed to Christianity at an early age. We believe we know who Jesus is and what he represents, but don’t always ask if that belief is true to what the Bible teaches. Is it just conditioning devoid of true understanding? Consider the concept of Christian Atheism. A quick look at Wikipedia reveals the concept as such: Christian atheism is a form of cultural Christianity and an ethics system drawing its beliefs and practices from Jesus’ life and teachings as recorded in the New Testament Gospels and other sources, whilst rejecting the supernatural claims of Christianity. In other words, Christian Atheists treat Jesus as if he is a character like Paul Revere or Johnny Appleseed. They likely believe he existed, but look at the New Testamen...

  Our marriages are a picture of the gospel. The greatest place to look for a picture of the gospel is the cross. The cross is an instrument of torture. People die by way of crucifixion. Jesus died on the cross. However it was not suffocation or lung collapse or asphyxia that caused the death of our Lord. He willingly gave His life up (John 10:18). 17 "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father." (John 10:17-18 NKJ) Therefore in marriage someone MUST die. Not murder lol...but willingly laying down your life for your spouse. When one person dies for the other, true love is experienced. Greater love has no man than this than to lay down one's life for his spouse. Okay, the Bible actually says " his friend " (John 15:13). 13 "Greater love has...

Many believe that Christians are tasked with getting people saved. That’s not exactly true. As Believers, we are supposed to spread the Gospel. Ideally, upon hearing the Word, non-believers will come to God. However, things do not always work like that. In fact, many have no desire to even hear about Jesus, and will quickly shut down any attempt by a Believer to raise the subject of Jesus. In those cases, it is easy for us to feel like we have failed, especially for those who are particularly passionate about spreading the Good News and converting people to the Faith. What happens when people simply do not want to believe? First, we have to understand that we spread the Gospel, but the process of a person being saved is not really about us. It’s all about God. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9 We may feel a sense of rejection when we try to s...

As discussed in the previous blog, the Holy Spirit can help us to remain strong in our belief no matter what we encounter. However, that begs an important question. “What about those who don’t already believe?” One must profess belief in Jesus Christ to be gifted with the Holy Spirit, so those who have not accepted Jesus as their savior do not have access to the Holy Spirit in the same way. We, as Believers, are tasked with spreading the Gospel and bringing souls to God, but how do we convince someone who simply does not believe? A story about God taking the form of a man and then coming down to earth living as one of us, dying, and being resurrected to save us all from our sins might be a hard pill for some to swallow. Jesus and his apostles encountered the same problem. They had to convert people who did not believe. Some reading this might immediately point out that they were able to win people by performing miracles. It is true that miracles played an important part in h...

A pervasive misconception exists regarding the Christian concept of salvation. If you ask several different people, Believers or non-believers, how you get to Heaven, you’re likely to get several different answers. In truth, only one answer is correct. Christian salvation requires belief in Jesus. This means to confess him as Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10). Essentially it is to believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). That’s all there is to it. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. - Romans 10:10 Of course, salvation leads to new things in your life. The Holy Spirit will enter you, and your life will change accordingly. Walking the road on which salvation sets you may not always be easy. Still, the pass that gets you on that road is simply belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior. That soun...