China

  (2) Salvation is becoming the sons of God.   The phrase "sons of God" carries a spiritual meaning. If everyone in this world were to say they are the sons of God, they would likely laugh and reject it. The reason is that they do not want to be interfered with by God. They regard God merely as a deity of worldly religion or superstition. They might view becoming a son of God as being possessed by a spirit. In the past, there were many shamans in our country. They view shamans as possessed by spirits — people who act according to the instructions of a spirit, predict the future, and so on. Becoming a religious person often begins with a desire to rely on God when facing difficulties in life or when facing death. Choosing a religion for oneself — while unwilling to be subordinate to God like in Christianity, but wanting to possess one — is a religion for oneself. This is called idolatry, which is prevalent mainly in Southeast Asia; it involves creating human or animal fi...

  2. We must discover the redemptive-historical significance within the Old Testament.   (1) Salvation Begins with Faith in God's Covenant   Ordinary people view Christians through the same lens as Buddhism. Consequently, they assume that Christians are exemplary and morally praiseworthy. When Christians engage in wrongful behavior, people respond with cynicism, saying, "Those are the ones who call themselves Christians." While this is not entirely wrong, it is not entirely right either, as Christianity deals with the issue of sin against God, not with dictating how one should live in the world. Nevertheless, immoral Christians inevitably face criticism because ordinary people view them through the lens of moral ethics. Furthermore, there are many who scoff, asking, "You have to live a good life in this world to go to heaven; does it make sense to say that simply believing in Jesus leads to heaven?" However, it seems that people think this way regarding "li...