Faith is not salvation, observes New Testament scholar Eduard Schweizer. It is Jesus alone who brings salvation. Genuine faith is this recognition and conviction. Jesus Christ offers life abundant and life eternal to all who have faith in him.
There are many kinds of beliefs in society today: religious, moral, political, economic. But not all beliefs are created equal. In a pluralistic society, those of us who are disciples of Jesus are challenged to affirm that Jesus is "the way, the truth and the life," and that 'no one comes to God except through Jesus.' With this affirmation comes no condescension toward the beliefs of others who differ, for again it is not our faith that saves us, but rather Christ alone. We can readily find points of commonality in the religious perspectives of non-Christians, but our conviction is that Jesus Christ is the Light of the world, the One who 'has brought life and immortality to light.' We enter into dialog with persons who do not share our faith, learning from them as well as (hopefully) sharing with them insights from our own encounter with God. It is in such conversations, often, that our own convictions may be refined and deepened, as we push the boundaries of our spiritual comfort zone to think carefully with others who are coming from a different view.
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