My faith is not a static thing. While I am not in doubt that I am on the right path, I am constantly amazed at what I find as I walk it. The reading I am doing this week is from the Letter to the Romans in the Bible. I have read the first 5 chapters so far since Sunday. I have read them before, but I am struck by some of the things I read.
Particularly, I am pondering a question posed to me by a student. He asked me the dangerous question, "Why is Christianity the only way to heaven?" Well, that's the gist of the church's teaching. But how illogical to our minds that so many people could be left out of heaven because they have not heard of Jesus of Nazareth and have not had the choice to make. I told the student that we would give that more time for a real discussion at our next meeting. This not only kept us on our topic that day; it bought me time to think, think think!!!
So, this morning I am reading Romans, chapter 5 and ran across this: "Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men." Romans 5:18 (NIV)
Hmm. OK. I am concerned that taking this verse out of context presents a different message than, say, John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever should believe in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (Paraphrase from memory) Is Paul saying in Romans that faith is not necessary to be saved? That is what I usually think of as a universalist perspective; not wrong mind you, but not what I learned in Sunday school.
I have now had a friendly debate with my wife and as she points out, this passage is like Faith 100, and Faith 101 explains the need for faith. I'll buy that for now, but I will also keep reading. I can't wait to read the last page.