I go to many conversation groups (MeetUps). Some are hostile
to my testimony and presentation of the Gospel. Others tolerate it, while
another group even seems to encourage it and thank me for it.
The Bahai’s seem to lack a comprehensive set of divine promises
and teachings about the identity of their God. However, they do believe that
their God is just and loving and seeks the unity of all people and believe that
each is endowed with a divine dignity. Consequently, the Bahai’s I’ve met
follow peace and love out of a devotion to their relatively unknown God.
I have little dispute with their moral teachings. They resemble those of the Bible. Consequently, I have been merely trying to add to their understanding of their unknown God, and, amazingly, they seem to be appreciative.
I have little dispute with their moral teachings. They resemble those of the Bible. Consequently, I have been merely trying to add to their understanding of their unknown God, and, amazingly, they seem to be appreciative.
Often, among those who practice virtue, especially those who
reject the existence of a God, I feel that I can detect a whiff of
self-righteousness. However, I have not been able to detect this among my Baha’i
friends.
They seek unity among all people. This fact has made me
suspect that it is this quest that has led them to express appreciation for
what I had been sharing about the Christian faith. They seem to be humble and
willing to admit that they are far from their ideal. They also have a hope that
their God forgives them. Sound familiar? However, they have little
understanding of the Gospel. For them, it seems that God could and does forgive
without Jesus’ death.
Two questions emerge:
·
Will this form of spirituality continue to motivate
them, and more importantly,
·
Will God honor it?
Fruit production only occurs in certain seasons and times. I
love to sniff fragrant flowers. However, their scent will only last
temporarily. After a few seconds, I can no longer enjoy it. The scent simply
disappears.
The same phenomenon also pertains to doing good deeds. At
first, they are very satisfying and even elevating. Then they become tiring.
This is why the Bible warns us:
·
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in
due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9)
I see the same phenomenon at play in liberal churches, which
have denied basic tenants of the faith. Consequently, although they still
believe in doing good, they do so with little confidence that it serves God’s
truth. Consequently, their zeal fades. When they rejected God’s Word, they also rejected God.
Consequently, they lack the guiding and validating testimony of the Holy Spirit
which accompanies His Word. Therefore, they are languishing.
My Baha’i friends haven’t
explicitly rejected the Scriptures, but they too lack the conviction of the
Spirit. Consequently, I sense a lack of confidence among them, a troubling
uncertainty.
The second question
is more important. Will God honor or validate the Baha’i faith? On the one
hand, Biblically faithful Christians believe that we all face the condemnation
of God (Romans 6:23; 3:10-20, 23) and that the only salvation available is
through faith in Jesus (John 3:16; 5:24; 14:6).
Does this two-sided fact eliminate the Baha’is? Well, yes, but…
There are those who are on the road to salvation. Jesus had
been asked by a scribe about the greatest commandments. Jesus answered, and the
scribe praised His answer:
·
And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he
said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one
dared to ask him any more questions. (Mark 12:34)
Jesus’ answer is somewhat uncomfortable. Instead of a world
where there are only the saved and unsaved, Jesus indicated that there is also
a third category of people – those “who are not far from the kingdom of God.” I
would like to believe that some of the Baha’i I’ve met fall into this category.
This doesn’t mean that they have arrived. They might even turn aside as Jesus’
parable of the Seed and the Soil indicates. However, their devotion to God
suggests that they might be heading in the right direction.
Jesus also gave another indication of the existence of this
third category:
·
“And this is the judgment: the light has come
into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because
their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and
does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does
what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works
have been carried out in God.” (John 3:19-21)
Notice that Jesus’ final sentence also gives evidence of
this third group, “who does what is true” and will eventually “come to the
light.” This demonstrates that their “works have been carried out in God.”
(Their works are only the evidence – the fruits – of God’s work in their lives
and not the cause of salvation, which is faith in the mercy of God.)
What are we to think about King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4) and
the Ninevites who had repented at the preaching of Jonah? Were they saved? Did
they simply receive a temporary reprieve? The Bible doesn’t explicitly tell us.
What then do I communicate to my Baha’i friends? Nothing
beyond the hope extended us through God’s Word!
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