Project 3:15
ESSENTIALLY:
“but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts,
always being ready to make a defense
to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you,
yet with gentleness and reverence;” – 1 Peter 3:15
BRIEFLY:
A compilation of responses from christians to the question “why do you believe in God?”
each a piece in the mosaic
to honor and bear witness to the God of the Bible,
who is first in our hearts
COMPREHENSIVELY:
DISCLAIMERS
1. God is the one who saves, not us. Our words cannot convince you or change your heart in and of themselves.
2. It’s best to hear the Gospel directly, explicitly, & in detail. This project is merely supplementary. The Gospel is the true story about who God is, why Christ died and rose from the dead, and who we are, all from the account of the Bible.
What does it mean "Christ saves"? From what? What is "faith" really? Is it believing in spite of the facts or believing blindly? (Spoiler: Nope, it's not! It's trusting something without appealing to a further authority). What is the nature of some attributes of God, what is He like? What is grace? What does repentance mean? How do I view myself (what's the difference between confidence, humility, low self-esteem, arrogance)? The Gospel answers these q's.
Here is one resource on the Gospel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXOWyjB7d24
Here is a passage from the Bible that touches many concepts of the Gospel: http://nasb.literalword.com/?q=rom+3%3A21-26
If you’re uncertain or confused, pray to God asking to understand and believe, to know Him and Him to know you. Here’s a resource to access the Bible: http://nasb.literalword.com/
All of these are of higher priority than reading the submissions. Please also take the submissions with a grain of salt, compare it to the Bible, as it's the ultimate authority.
3. It is ultimately an issue of the heart, not the intellect.
PURPOSES OF PROJECT 3:15
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For God’s glory, to express our love to the Lord!
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To encourage Christians (like Apollos did in Acts 18:27-28)
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To explain and expose people to the narrative and testimony of Christians in why they believe, in hopes that others might know God
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The submissions for Project 3:15 aren’t necessarily a direct application of 1 Peter 3:15. This project just prompts and encourages Christians to prepare or articulate why they believe. It doesn’t mean that they are ready by submitting a response, but it prompts preparation. More thorough detail of 1 Peter 3:15 and surrounding verses
THE STORY
A friend confronted me one night and asked me, “So, you believe in your God and that Jesus Christ is the only way. Isn't that intolerant?” From what I’ve gleaned and learned from others, I could only reply:
‘If I knew, as in if I were completely convinced and had ample, credible evidence that a train would run over your body and kill you tomorrow if you left work on time as you usually do, I would try vigilantly to tell you and convince you of it as well. My belief in God is similar.’
Truth in its nature is exclusive. You're either going to get run over by a train tomorrow, or you're not. This is the single most imperative aspect of our lives, and time is running out fast, so I urge you to address it.
SPECIAL THANKS
To Aaron Fong, Caleb Poon, Deanna Schrantz, Emily Ma, James Fong, & Sandra Lee
(for the hard work in composing your submissions)
To Alice Lee, Ariena Chi
(for editing)
To Course 101 ministry of Gracepoint Church and Laguna Chinese Baptist Church
for your faithful training and equipping