I listened to a debate and came away with the idea that he did not believe in the deity of Christ. What do you think about that?
I am glad you brought this up. How is it that we believe in one God and believe Jesus was God?
By faith we trust His revelation to mankind through His written Word. In the beginning, He described Himself and said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness." Later the Father said, "But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom."
There are numerous references in the old and many more in the new covenant/ testament that refer to the Godhood/Godhead in the plural while telling us that He is one God. I have plenty of details on this, but little time now to explain. One example that Jesus IS God is His demonstration of many more miracles than any person He healed through the prophets. He did creation miracles just as He did in the beginning of time. No team of scientists today has ever done what Jesus did as many thousands of witnesses saw. Jesus proved that He is fully God and man.
Who the heck was he praying to?
He addressed the Father in His prayers. He taught us how to properly pray. He humbled Himself and took upon the form of sinless man. Who was Jesus before He came to the earth? ....an angel? No, He was the Almighty Creator.....Deity/ God. When He became a man, in the unique virgin conception, Jesus suffered weakness, and what was common to any man without means. Now He was an acceptable Sacrifice, the only One qualified to pay for sins. We cannot pay for our own sins through martyrdom or any other good works. We remain under the penalty of death, the second death until we give up and realize our need. Then we look to Jesus alone, the Savior, for salvation from that eternal punishment. The Father forgives us and imparts the free gift of everlasting life. From that point on, it is not a probationary period based upon behavior. Rather, we are in the family of God forever. He treats us with love and we will never experience that second death in hell. When we mess up and sin, He corrects us here and now, but receives us in spite of that.
Do you believe it is necessary to believe in the virgin birth?
One reason that God told us of this major prophesy is that it IS essential that we understand who Jesus really is. If you think that he is the offspring of the carpenter Joseph, then you believe in a different Jesus. That Jesus is not the only begotten Son of God as He revealed Himself in no uncertain terms in John chapter 3. If He were just a man, then He would have sinned and been disqualified from the substitution suffering and death for the sinful world. If he were but a man, Jesus would not be the mediator between God the Father and mankind. As God the Father of His only begotten Son, Jesus is the only One to meet these requirements. When He was tortured for all of our sins and hung between heaven and earth, He was the only go between to reconcile humanity to the Father. This same Jesus must be believed upon as revealed by the Holy Scriptures that the Holy Spirit inspired and preserved for us to read. The third chapter of John will be linked below for your convenience and study.
Can salvation be obtained if one discards the writings of Paul and concentrates on the teachings of the old testament and John and Jesus?
Jesus explained to the O.T. scholar in John 3 who spent his life studying nothing more than the O.T. Jesus gave Nicodemus everything he needed to have the free gift of salvation....3:14-18.
Examine your beliefs and let me know your thoughts. OK, so there you go. God is very kind to offer forgiveness and everlasting life. The choice is up to you and each individual if you want that free gift. It's very simple. . I am not going to get into private communication with you.
That goes for both of us, because I'm working through breaks and don't have time to take calls today. Otherwise, I have an open door policy for whoever wants that option.
