We have the truth and not my truth or your truth. Facts could care less about feelings. Perspective may alter your view of the facts, but it still doesn't neglect the truth. Either 2+2=4, or it does not. Either 6 is a 6 or 9 is a 9. It can not be either-or. Regardless of perspective or feelings, 2+2 will never equal 6 or something that goes against the laws of mathematics or laws of logic.
Either Jesus died and was resurrected or not. When Jesus made the absolute claim that He was the only way to God the Father (salvation), then Jesus was making a truth claim that can only be either or but not both (true and false at the same time). A prophet's prophecy in scripture came true or not (if not, the apostles warned of false prophets). Test the prophecy against the Word of God, which comes first always. Or just as the physician/historian Luke the author of Luke the gospel, we see him taking these truth claims and writing an account based on his investigation as he was not an eyewitness like Matthew, Mark, or John.
Luke 1:3-4
New International Version
3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
The truth claims related to salvation or soul damnation should be the most important claim to be investigated in every individual's life.
1 Corinthians 15:12-17
New International Version
12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
If Christ had not been resurrected then as the hinge that Christianity is suspended by was false, then our faith would be futile or useless, causing this faith to collapse into the many unproven theoretical claims or pagan religions that fill the theocratic or philosophical world.
Jesus was very good at making verbal or physical statements to separate Himself from any other individual or message. For example,
Matthew 9:2-6
New International Version
2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”
4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.”
The teachers of the law were furious as they heard the Words of Jesus. They called Him a blasphemer, which is in the religious world a grave accusation that in those times was a death sentence.
What made them so mad? It wasn't necessarily the healing but the words, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” Only God has the authority to forgive sins. As to why the truth of C.S.Lewis's quote is that Jesus was either a liar, lunatic, or Lord. Either Jesus was God incarnate, the Word in the flesh, or He was either a liar or crazy.
Jesus gave us no other choice but to accept Him as Messiah or not. When scripture speaks of working out our salvation, we must not in a legalistic sense but in an intellectual/spiritual sense we give our lives over to God in both mind, body, and soul. Amen!
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