God's love is not optional

We have this famous verse from John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Many preachers stopped here and start talking about the wonderful love of God, which is of course very true. However, some preachers went further. I remembered a female preacher from Colchester, Essex, England gave the analogy that God is like a young man chasing after young girls. He is full of love. Young girls do not just accept love from young men, if there is more than one suitor. She has a choice.

However, we do not have an option. If we were to go down further to John 3:18, we will read this: "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Rejection means condemnation. Unlike the young girls, we do not have an option. There is only one God.

Everyone loves a "good" man

Everyone loves a "good" man. Even the most evil tyrant loves to have a loyal and honest follower. Loyal and honest to him only, but cruel and cunning to others. Company likes loyal and honest employees, as long as they do not tell everyone the bad things that happen in their companies too honestly to outsiders. Countries love to have honest and loyal citizens. Nobody likes traitors.
Christians are loyal and honest to God, who is the highest authority. This is not popular. Many leaders or organisation want the loyalty to be directed at themselves, not someone else. Thus some countries find Christians unwelcome, even when they are loyal and honest, because they are loyal to another Authority which may be a competitor to the state, especially when the state is not good.

What if Christianity is a scam?

For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? (Luke 14:28)
Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? (Luke 14:31)

What if Christianity is a scam? What would be the cost to you?

If I die and atheism turned out to be true, and there is no God, well, I just won't wake up. I think it is okay. I have wasted my time, but so have everyone else.

If Islam turned out to be true, we are more or less on equal grounds with everyone else. After all, Allah will weigh everyone's deeds on a balance to decide who will go to heaven or hell.

If Buddhism is true, then I will get a second chance with my reincarnation.

But what if Christianity is NOT a scam? Then you have to take note of this verse:
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)

Predestination vs Free will

When Romeo and Juliet committed suicide, were they doing it out of their own free will, or were they murdered by William Shakespeare?

Separatism and Pride

Sometimes, when we fight for the truth and separation from evil against heresies, we become proud. We prayed together with the Pharisee, "I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican (Luke 18:11 KJV)."

Spiritual Dwarfs

Many of us have normal bodies. We all can thank God that we all tall and beautiful people. Even when we are not so tall, our height is still within normal range. However, if our physical body were to reflect our spiritual life, we may not look so normal.
If we harbour sin in our life, our spiritual growth will be stunted. If our physical body reflect our spiritual growth, we would look like short little dwarfs, small body with an adult head.
We do not like to look like that physically, but we do not mind looking like that spiritually, because our spiritual life cannot be seen.

Early Christian Heresies

Early Christian heresies centered around the twin issues of the nature of God (Trinity) and the nature of Jesus Christ (Christological Controversies).

The official stand on these issues (according to all the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches) are as follows:
1. God is a trinity, three persons but one essence;
2. Jesus Christ was one person, simultaneously human and divine.

Modalism / Sabellianism
God is one person in three modes. This, of course, implies that Jesus Christ was purely divine, without humanness, and therefore could not truly have suffered or died.

Docetism
Jesus was divine, but only seemed to be human.

Adoptionism
Jesus was a human being who was "adopted" by God and granted a divine nature.

Monophysitism
Jesus Christ has two separate natures joined in one body.

Nestorianism
Jesus Christ had two natures - man and God which remained separate throughout his period on earth.

Apollinarianism
Jesus fully God, partially or incompletely human, Jesus divine will overshadowed and replaced the human. Apollinarians suggested that he had a human body and a human soul, but his mind was taken over by the eternal Logos.

Arianism
Jesus was a lesser, created being, a special creation by God for man's salvation.

Socinianism - (A version of Arianism)
Denial of the Trinity. Jesus is a deified man. This heresy still lives on in two very different forms, the Unitarians and the Jehova's Witnesses.