Why do you think that God is real and other gods or religions are not?

(2) They believe that no single religious teacher can claim the allegiance of all; claims by Jesus as being the Way must be reinterpreted or rejected altogether.

(3) According to them, rather than the grace of God revealed in the Jesus of the Bible, “angels,” paranormal powers, or even raw human potential serve as “saviors” from the race’s predicament.

(4) Mixing and matching the objects of worship, they often identify themselves simultaneously in terms such as Buddhist, Jewish, and Presbyterian. Ultimately the NAM represents a return to polytheism, or the belief in many gods.

Cabal, T. (2007). How Should a Christian Relate to the New Age Movement? In C. O. Brand, E. R. Clendenen, P. Copan, & J. P. Moreland (Eds.), The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith (p. 1784). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Here are 7 reason we are confident that God exists:

(1) The argument from creation -

First, God discloses Himself and His power to everyone by the marvels of His creation—the amazing life support system of planet earth. We can discover some things about painters from their paintings. Similarly, in the magnificence of creation, with its microscopic complexities and cosmic expanse, we realize our dependence upon the Creator’s powerful existence and intelligent design (; ).

Lewis, G. R. (2007). What Is Divine Revelation? In T. Cabal, C. O. Brand, E. R. Clendenen, P. Copan, & J. P. Moreland (Eds.), The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith (p. 1823). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

(2) The testimony of the conscience -

God makes plain His moral nature and ethical principles for our wellbeing by implanting oughts and ought nots in every human spirit.

(3) The canon of scripture - ,

(4) The manifestation of Christ -

God made His just and loving plan of redemption known supremely in Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah.

(5) The Christian experience -

(6) The emergence of the church -

God communicated His redemptive purposes through spokesmen called apostles. Jesus taught and trained them for three years and they were eyewitnesses of His resurrection (). Through Paul, an apostle who later saw the risen Christ, God revealed His plan to unite both Jewish and Gentile believers in one body, the church ().

The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith Article: What Is Divine Revelation? (Gordon R. Lewis)

God communicated His redemptive purposes through spokesmen called apostles. Jesus taught and trained them for three years and they were eyewitnesses of His resurrection (Acts 1:21–22). Through Paul, an apostle who later saw the risen Christ, God revealed His plan to unite both Jewish and Gentile believers in one body, the church (Eph 2:11–22).

(7) The cosmological argument -

The name is used to refer to a family of arguments all of which hold that the existence of the world or universe...must be caused by God.

Cross, F. L., & Livingstone, E. A. (Eds.). (2005). In The Oxford dictionary of the Christian Church (3rd ed. rev., p. 425). Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press.

Anselm’s 3rd Cosmological Argument:

1. Something exists, and

2. owes its existence either to nothing or to something.

3. Nothing cannot cause something.

4. There is, then, a something, which is either one or many.

5. If many, the beings would be mutually dependent for their own existence or dependent on another.

6. They cannot be mutually dependent for their existence. Something cannot exist through a being on which it confers existence.

7. Therefore, there must be one being through which all other beings exist.

8. This being must exist through itself.

9. Whatever exists through itself, exists in the highest degree of all.

10. Therefore, a supremely perfect Being exists in the highest degree.

Geisler, N. L. (1999). Cosmological Argument. In Baker encyclopedia of Christian apologetics (p. 160). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

THE SITUATION IN COLOSSE AND WHY PAUL WAS WRITING

Culturally:

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: Colossians and . Why Was Colossians Written? The False TeachingThe majority of scholars, confronted with the wealth of data about the false teaching, have argued that it is syncretistic, a mix of two or more religious and/or philosophical traditions. While a quite astonishing variety of specific “mixes” has been proposed, the best argued and most persuasive has been presented by Clinton Arnold in a major monograph on the Colossian false teaching. Arnold argues, “The Colossian ‘philosophy’ … represents a combination of Phrygian folk belief, local folk Judaism, and Christianity.

Populated by both Jews and Gentiles

Purpose of the letter: Epaphras had brought this report to Paul in prisonThis letter was apparently in response to these false teachers/teachings

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: Colossians and . Why Was Colossians Written? The False Teaching3. The false teachers denigrated Christ. The assumption, widespread in the literature, that the false teachers were directly questioning the supremacy or sufficiency of Christ, especially in comparison with other spiritual beings, is based on what Paul says positively about Christ.

Approximately 11,000 Jews there in AD 62

Geographically:

Key verses: It should be noted that any teaching, philosophy, understanding, that would either explicitly state or imply that Jesus Christ is not ultimately supreme or completely sufficient in redemption and the forgiveness of sins must be refuted and declared as heretical teaching.

Laodicea was approximately 12 miles to the west

Ephesus was approximately 100 miles away

Modern day Turkey

Theologically:

“syncretism” - the amalgamation or attempted amalgamation of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought.

PNTC: The majority of scholars, confronted with the wealth of data about the false teaching, have argued that it is syncretistic, a mix of two or more religious and/or philosophical traditions. While a quite astonishing variety of specific “mixes” has been proposed, the best argued and most persuasive has been presented by Clinton Arnold in a major monograph on the Colossian false teaching. Arnold argues, “The Colossian ‘philosophy’ … represents a combination of Phrygian folk belief, local folk Judaism, and Christianity.

Purpose of the letter:

Epaphras had brought this report to Paul in prison

This letter was apparently in response to these false teachers/teachings

It should be noted that any teaching, philosophy, understanding, that would either explicitly state or imply that Jesus Christ is not ultimately supreme or completely sufficient in redemption and the forgiveness of sins must be refuted and declared as heretical teaching.

Message Points:

I. All created things had a beginning of existence (1:16)

II. All created things have been caused to come into existence (1:16)

Again, only finite, contingent beings need causes.

Geisler, N. L., & Brooks, R. M. (1990). When skeptics ask (p. 29). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Science is based on causality; every event has a cause. Things don’t happen willy-nilly. Even if we can’t know specifically what particular cause produced a certain event, we can say what kind of cause it must have been because of the kinds of effects we see today.

Geisler, N. L., & Brooks, R. M. (1990). When skeptics ask (p. 213). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Even the great skeptic David Hume said, “I never asserted so absurd a proposition as that anything might arise without a cause.”

Geisler, N. L., & Brooks, R. M. (1990). When skeptics ask (p. 219). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Robert Jastrow [a confirmed agnostic], founder and former director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, has summarized the evidence in his book God and the Astronomers, saying, “Now three lines of evidence—the motions of the galaxies, the laws of thermodynamics, and the life story of the stars—pointed to one conclusion: all indicated that the Universe had a beginning.”

Geisler, N. L., & Brooks, R. M. (1990). When skeptics ask (p. 220). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

III. All created things have been caused to come into existence by something or someone that existed before creation existed (1:17)

Athanasius (a.d. 298–373) ... Athanasius still faced persecution for his defense of the full deity of Christ. At the Council of Nicaea (in modern-day Turkey) in 325, Athanasius was instrumental in bringing about condemnation of the heresy of Arianism. Arius taught that the Father created the Son, who thus was only of similar substance (homoiousios) with the Father. Athanasius led the way in rejecting this unbiblical notion by stressing the Son’s being of the same essence (homoousious) as the Father ... Athanasius insisted that the Son had no beginning but rather was fully divine. Even though he was exiled five times for his courageous stance, Athanasius faithfully defended the biblical teaching of Christ. Hence, at his death, friends provided this epitaph: “Athanasius against the World.”

Cabal, T. (2007). Notable Christian Apologist: Athanasius. In C. O. Brand, E. R. Clendenen, P. Copan, & J. P. Moreland (Eds.), The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith (p. 1783). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Cross References:

- The scriptures affirm that Christ is He by which creation has been accomplished

- He was the glory of the Father

Who

- Glory manifested through miracles

- Jesus references His descent to the earth

- Power over sickness by the words of his mouth

- The healing of the crippled; power over infirmity

- Claims to be equal with God

- Creating of food for 5,000

- Jesus over creation

, , - His claims to be God

IV. All created things must be held together so that they can continue to exist without utter chaos (1:17)

What holds the universe together is not an idea or a virtue, but a person: the resurrected Christ. Without him, electrons would not continue to circle nuclei, gravity would cease to work, the planets would not stay in their orbits.

Moo, D. J. (2008). The letters to the Colossians and to Philemon (pp. 125–126). Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.

The work of creation included the continual sustaining of what was created. Looking to the present, ongoing routine of creation, therefore, Paul stated that Jesus keeps things in order. The Creator has not forgotten the creation. He daily maintains a balance in the universe.

Melick, R. R. (1991). Philippians, Colossians, Philemon (Vol. 32, p. 220). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

That all things “hold together” in Christ means that he is both the unifying principle and the personal sustainer of all creation. It springs from him and finds in him its common bond and center. He is, to use the words of Lightfoot, “the principle of cohesion” who makes the universe “a cosmos instead of a chaos” (p. 156; cf. ).

Vaughan, C. (1981). Colossians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon (Vol. 11, p. 183). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

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Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Hebrews 1:3 KJV 1900

The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., ). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

The Greek word translated “upholding” is φέρω (G5770) “carry, bear.” This is commonly used in the New Testament for carrying something from one place to another, such as bringing a paralyzed man on a bed to Jesus (), bringing wine to the steward of the feast (), or bringing a cloak and books to Paul (). It does not mean simply “sustain,” but has the sense of active, purposeful control over the thing being carried from one place to another. In , the use of the present participle indicates that Jesus is “continually carrying along all things” in the universe by his word of power. Christ is actively involved in the work of providence.

Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (p. 316). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House.

V. All created things must affirm the supremacy of Jesus Christ - the Uncaused Cause of all things.

Summary Statement: I believe that God is real and all other religions are false because of the obvious supremacy of Jesus Christ.

Conclusion: SEE ;

(1) AFFIRM THE SUPREMACY OF JESUS CHRIST BY BEING RECONCILED TO GOD.

Define “reconcile” - “to change from one condition to another,” so as to remove all enmity and leave no impediment to unity and peace, is used in

“to change from one condition to another,” so as to remove all enmity and leave no impediment to unity and peace, is used in

Application of reconciliation - the basis of the change being the peace effected “through the blood of His Cross.”

Have you been changed from enmity with God to friendship with God by believing on the resurrected Jesus and confessing him as Lord?

(2) AFFIRM THE SUPREMACY OF JESUS CHRIST BY SHOWING FORTH THAT YOU HAVE BEEN RECONCILED - , .

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