What does it mean ...

[John317]

JOHN3:17-- >>>The word is 2nd Aorist middle infinitive, the same as used in John 1: 12.

Quote:

Bill Ross-- Right. And note that it is not translated "power to became."

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

You'd be better off just getting about 4 or 5 really good, reliable Bibles and studying them and not worrying so much about the translation. I say this respectfully, my friend, but you don't understand Greek enough to be trying check every word and sentence to make sure it is translated according to your ideas. It's apparent to me that you haven't taken a class in it or you would know that Greek words are not always translated the same way.

Please take this to a professor of Koine Greek and ask him to spend a few minutes explaining this verse and these words to you. Some will be glad to do it. Do you live near a large university where they teach Greek or religion?

[BibleShockers]

>>>...Please take this to a professor of Koine Greek and ask him to spend a few minutes explaining this verse and these words to you. Some will be glad to do it. Do you live near a large university where they teach Greek or religion?

Well, I do have access to this teacher. Maybe he can help me?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoMUZo8ku8w

Bill

[John317]

My rendering is the correct one:

"I am before Abraham is born."

Bill Ross

Yeah, that would be Bible-shocker all right. Have you ever seen such a translation as that?

Can you give me the name of it? Who has translated it that way-- "Abraham IS born"?

There is a reason you will never see it translated that way. Do you know what reason that is? Because it is a second aorist middle.

Go check out Greek grammar text books and find out how it should be translated. Do you trust any teachers of Greek? Ask one to explain it to you.

[BibleShockers]

>>>...Have you ever seen such a translation as that?

Can you give me the name of it? Who has translated it that way-- "Abraham IS born"?

There is a reason you will never see it translated that way. Do you know what reason that is? Because it is a second aorist middle.

Go check out Greek grammar text books and find out how it should be translated. Do you trust any teachers of Greek? Ask one to explain it to you.

So you prefer "was born?"

Ok, "comes to be" then. Or "Abraham's birth." But you have your undies all in a bunch so maybe you should take some time off.

Your appeals to vague authorities (like "a local religion teacher") mean nothing to me. Just produce a principle of Greek grammar that explains why "I am" is offset at the end of the sentence.

Bill

[BibleShockers]

>>>...Have you ever seen such a translation as that?...

Ok, I took a few minutes to review the archives of B-Greek. Are you familiar with the list? Does the name "Carl Conrad" mean anything to you? If so, perhaps you will be satisfied with this:

http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek/archives/96-08/0219.html

His translation?:

"I am (exist) prior to Abraham's birth" = "I antedate Abraham's birth."

Bill Ross

[John317]

Your appeals to vague authorities (like "a local religion teacher") mean nothing to me. Just produce a principle of Greek grammar that explains why "I am" is offset at the end of the sentence.

Bill

I'm honestly, sincerely trying to help you get some answers. You can sometimes best do that by talking in person who understand a subject really well. I live near several universities, and have been helped on several occasions by going to professors and asking them a few questions about a topic in their major fields of study. You would be amazed at how happy they can be to help. They study those things for years and years, and it gives them pleasure to see people interested in their specialty. Many times if they have a few minutes of spare time, they are delighted to lay their other responsibilities aside and answer questions.

There's a reason why the sentence was stated or written the way it was. But that reason is not going to make sense to you just yet. So it is OK for you to translate it as you have, as "I am before Abraham's coming." Or even, "I am before Abraham was born." That is what Jesus would say, I'm sure, if he were talking to us today.

But what does that mean? Isn't that an odd way to talk? I think it is, don't you? I mean it would be for one of us to use that expression.

Why did Jesus say it that way? What did Jesus mean to say? Was he trying to play word games? No, I'm sure he wasn't doing that.

There's only one reason that makes any sense in the light of everything else he's been saying up to that point. He's telling them who He is. He's identifying Himself.

Remember that only a few verses back, they had asked Jesus who He is. See 8: 53. They ask, "Whom do you think you are?" In fact, if you go back to the beginning of the chapter, you notice lots of ways in which the subject of Christ's identity comes up. Starting at 8: 12, I will note the verses where the topic has to do with Jesus's identity:

8;12-- "I AM the light of the world." Right away, the Pharisees dispute with him over who He is.

8: 14-- "I know where I came from but you have no idea where I came from."

8: 18-- He talks about His Father who sent Him. (By the way, notice how often Jesus uses the expression, Ego Eimi [i AM] in this chapter.)

8: 19-- Jesus speaks again of how his hearers do not "know" who He is.

8:24---Jesus says, "If you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins." Who is Jesus saying He is, and who is Jesus saying they must believe He is?

8: 25--- "WHO ARE YOU?" they asked.

Jesus' answer: JUST WHAT I HAVE BEEN SAYING OR CLAIMING ALL ALONG

8:28-- When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I AM.

8: 38--- I keep telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence.

8: 42-- Jesus says He came from God.

8: 49, 42--- The Jewish leaders listening to Him tell Him that He is lying and is demon-possessed.

8: 58--- Before Abraham was born, I AM.

8:59-- the Jews pick up stones to kill Him.

In view of the above conversation, why do they want to kill him in verse 59?

John 10: 33-- The Jews said, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."

THIS PROVES WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD PERFECTLY WELL WHAT JESUS WAS CLAIMING WHEN HE SAID, "Before Abraham was born, I AM."

Who is Jesus claiming to be?

In my next post, I will present evidence of Christ's identity.

[BibleShockers]

>>>...8;12-- "I AM the light of the world." Right away, the Pharisees dispute with him over who He is.

In the 4th gospel, KOSMOS is not the physical world but rather "the lost community [of men]". The physical light of the world is the physical sun.

>>>8: 14-- "I know where I came from but you have no idea where I came from."

So where did he come from? In fact, let's stop the whole discussion until we can answer this...

Where did Jesus come from? Did he descend from the sky? Or was he born of a woman?

Or both?

If so, how is that?

Please be precise!

Bill

[John317]

Here's some of the Bible evidence showing us who Jesus was/is.

1) John 6: 38-- Jesus said, "I have come down from heaven." Compare carefully John 6: 33, 58 and 8: 42. He also said, "What if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?" John 1:18

2) Peter called Jesus Christ "the Author of life" (Acts 3: 15).

3) Paul said that Jesus Christ existed before coming to this earth. (Phil. 2: 5-7; compare Rev. 3: 14.)

4) Jesus Christ made the world (Hebrews 1: 2; Col. 1: 16, 17; John 1: 3, 10)

5) Hebrews says Jesus Christ reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of God's nature and that Jesus Christ upholds the universe by His word of power. (Hebrews 1: 3)

6) The prophet Micah says that the one who shall come forth to be the ruler in Israel (i.e., the Messiah) would be someone "whose origin, or goings forth, is from of old, from the days of eternity." (Micah 5: 2; compare carefully Luke 24: 44; Isaiah 9: 5 and Isaiah 53)

7) The Apostle Paul said that the "whole fulness of Deity [theotetos] dwells" in Jesus Christ. (Co. 1:9)

8) The angels were commanded by the Father to worship Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 1: 6; compare Matt. 4: 10 and Rev. 19: 10; Luke 24: 52; Rev. 14: 7).

9) Paul said the children of Israel "tested" or "tempted" Christ in the wilderness of Sinai. (1 Cor. 10: 9; compare 10: 4; and also Ps. 106:14)

10) Jesus said, "I AM the Alpha and the Omega" (Rev. 22: 13). He also said "I am the First and the Last." (Rev. 1: 17) God the Father likewise said, "I AM the First and the Last" (Isaiah 44: 6 and Rev. 1: 8).

[BibleShockers]

>>>Here's some of the Bible evidence showing us who Jesus was/is.

1) John 6: 38-- Jesus said, "I have come down from heaven." Compare carefully John 6: 33, 58 and 8: 42. He also said, "What if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?" John 1:18

I feel your passion here. But what are we to make of this? Did Jesus come down from the sky? Describe the event. I mean, was Jesus not born of a woman, just like everyone else?

Try to picture in your mind Jesus coming down from the sky. Can you do it? Biblically?

I'm not your enemy. I think this kind of work needs to be done in order to understand these writings.

Bill Ross

[John317]

>>>Here's some of the Bible evidence showing us who Jesus was/is.

1) John 6: 38-- Jesus said, "I have come down from heaven." Compare carefully John 6: 33, 58 and 8: 42. He also said, "What if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?" John 1:18

I feel your passion here. But what are we to make of this? Did Jesus come down from the sky? Describe the event. I mean, was Jesus not born of a woman, just like everyone else?

Try to picture in your mind Jesus coming down from the sky. Can you do it? Biblically?

I'm not your enemy. I think this kind of work needs to be done in order to understand these writings.

Bill Ross

Do you believe the New Testament? I don't need to be able to picture Jesus coming down in order to believe what the NT says. Before He was born as a human baby on this earth, the One we know of as Jesus did not have a human body.

There is much that we don't know about such things as how He came to this earth. The Bible simply does not give those kinds of details. Just like the Bible does not give us lots of details about the resurrection of the dead. God evidently did not see the need to reveals those things to us.

Read the account and then we can discuss it.

26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

34And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"

35And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy— the Son of God. 36And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God." 38 And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

================

1) God the father was Jesus' real Father. He did not have a human father. Mary was a virgin at the time of Jesus' conception and birth.

2) Jesus was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit who implanted Jesus in whatever form He was in, into Mary's uterus.

3) No sexual intercourse took place for Jesus to be conceived or born.

4) All things are possible with God. This means that if God wanted to implant a fertilized egg in Mary's womb, it would be no problem for God to do that.

5) We don't want to limit God in what He has told us in His Word that He did, simply because we can't imagine all the details. If the Bible says that Jesus Christ existed in heaven before coming to this earth, and if it says He returned to heaven after his death and resurrection, then that is what I believe, not because I can imagine all the details, but because I trust the Bible. It has proven itself to me as worthy of my trust.

If you like, we could discuss why it is important whether Jesus is God or not. Or whether he existed in heaven before or not. Do those things matter? What if Jesus was merely a human and no more than a man? What if the Lord Jesus Christ never existed before Bethlehem-- would it matter?

[John317]

>>>...Have you ever seen such a translation as that?...

Ok, I took a few minutes to review the archives of B-Greek. Are you familiar with the list? Does the name "Carl Conrad" mean anything to you? If so, perhaps you will be satisfied with this:

http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek/archives/96-08/0219.html

His translation?:

"I am (exist) prior to Abraham's birth" = "I antedate Abraham's birth."

Bill Ross

I think when you analyze the chapter and consider John 10: 33, it becomes obvious that Jesus was saying more than that He lived before the time of Abraham.

John 10: 33-- The Jews said, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."

THIS PROVES WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD PERFECTLY WELL WHAT JESUS WAS CLAIMING WHEN HE SAID, "Before Abraham was born, I AM."

[John317]

>>>...Have you ever seen such a translation as that?

Can you give me the name of it? Who has translated it that way-- "Abraham IS born"?

There is a reason you will never see it translated that way. Do you know what reason that is? Because it is a second aorist middle.

Go check out Greek grammar text books and find out how it should be translated. Do you trust any teachers of Greek? Ask one to explain it to you.

So you prefer "was born?"

Ok, "comes to be" then. Or "Abraham's birth." But you have your undies all in a bunch so maybe you should take some time off.

Your appeals to vague authorities (like "a local religion teacher") mean nothing to me. Just produce a principle of Greek grammar that explains why "I am" is offset at the end of the sentence.

Bill

It could be translated as "before Abraham was born" or "before Abraham came." Most of us would no doubt say "before he was born." That gives the accurate sense of the original.

In Romans 1: 2, the word can be translated as "was". He was a descendent of David. Or he was "made" a descendent.

[BibleShockers]

>>>Do you believe the New Testament?

What is a Testament?!

>>>I don't need to be able to picture Jesus coming down in order to believe what the NT says. Before He was born as a human baby on this earth, the One we know of as Jesus did not have a human body.

Where does the NT say that?

>>>There is much that we don't know about such things as how He came to this earth. The Bible simply does not give those kinds of details. Just like the Bible does not give us lots of details about the resurrection of the dead. God evidently did not see the need to reveals those things to us.

So how do you know he didn't have a human body? God and the "angels" do.

>>>..."Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

34And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"

35And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy— the Son of God. 36And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God." 38 And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

OK, so he will be **born**. He won't fly down from the sky.

>>>1) God the father was Jesus' real Father. He did not have a human father. Mary was a virgin at the time of Jesus' conception and birth.

Are we to understand that God inseminated her?

>>>2) Jesus was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit who implanted Jesus in whatever form He was in, into Mary's uterus.

Implanted? Not conceived?

>>>3) No sexual intercourse took place for Jesus to be conceived or born.

So was Jesus born from Miriam's egg or not? Was her egg inseminated? Was it God's semen?

>>>4) All things are possible with God. This means that if God wanted to implant a fertilized egg in Mary's womb, it would be no problem for God to do that.

So you do not think that he was at all human? He did not come from Miriam's egg? So he was not a Jew?

>>>5) We don't want to limit God in what He has told us in His Word that He did, simply because we can't imagine all the details. If the Bible says that Jesus Christ existed in heaven before coming to this earth, and if it says He returned to heaven after his death and resurrection, then that is what I believe, not because I can imagine all the details, but because I trust the Bible. It has proven itself to me as worthy of my trust.

Remeber, "heaven" just means "sky." It is a real, physical place.

When Jesus told Nick that he had to be born over, he expressed that he didn't see how that was possible. Jesus indicated that it was a metaphor. Is it possible that Jesus "coming down from the sky" is also a metaphor?

Mr 11:30 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.

>>>If you like, we could discuss why it is important whether Jesus is God or not. Or whether he existed in heaven before or not. Do those things matter? What if Jesus was merely a human and no more than a man? What if the Lord Jesus Christ never existed before Bethlehem-- would it matter?

Ok. Shoot!

Bill Ross

[BibleShockers]

>>>I think when you analyze the chapter and consider John 10: 33, it becomes obvious that Jesus was saying more than that He lived before the time of Abraham.

That he **lives** (present tense) (or rather "is").

>>>John 10: 33-- The Jews said, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."

THIS PROVES WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD PERFECTLY WELL WHAT JESUS WAS CLAIMING WHEN HE SAID, "Before Abraham was born, I AM."

Um, do you believe everything that the NT Jews say?

Joh 9:16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.

And it could read, "make yourself a god" which would be more likely because the Trinity was not invented yet.

And you are still appealing to that crappy translation and the fantasy that it alluded to Ex 3:14.

Bill Ross

[John317]

JOHN3:17-- >>>Do you believe the New Testament?

I'm simply asking if you believe what the Scriptures say.

A testament is a covenant or a will or agreement. It has reference to Jesus' covenant which was ratified by the shedding of His blood, or the giving of His life, for us.

In this case, I am asking if you believe the books you find in the Christian Greek Scriptures, books such as the gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and all the letters of Paul, etc., through the end of the book of Revelation.

If you look on the front of most of the collections of those books, as they are printed today, you will find the title, New Testament. Sometimes it is entitled, "The New Covenant." So I am asking if you believe those books.

[BibleShockers]

>>>...In this case, I am asking if you believe the books you find in the Christian Greek Scriptures, books such as the gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and all the letters of Paul, etc., through the end of the book of Revelation....

As I said before, I don't believe in anything that you have to ask "do you believe in..."

After many years of consideration of the matter I have concluded that the preponderance of evidence is against the veracity of said books.

Bill

[John317]

JOHN3:14-->>>I don't need to be able to picture Jesus coming down in order to believe what the NT says. Before He was born as a human baby on this earth, the One we know of as Jesus did not have a human body.

Quote:

BILL ROSS-- Where does the NT say that?

Where does the Bible say that Jesus did not have a human body before He was a human?

Do you believe Jesus had a human body before He took a human form and became flesh?

John 1: 14 says, "And the Word [Christ] became flesh and dwelt among us, and beheld His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

The Scriptures teach that there was a time before Jesus "became flesh." That means Jesus existed before His birth in Bethlehem. Phil. 2: 6, 7 also refers to a time when Christ was "in the form of God" prior to "taking the form of a servant and coming in the likeness of men."

The Bible tells us that God is Spirit [pneuma]. John 4: 24. God the Father is not a man. He does not have a human body. Jesus Christ took on a human form in order to live as a man and die for our sins.

[BibleShockers]

>>>Where does the Bible say that Jesus did not have a human body before He was a human?

Do you believe Jesus had a human body before He took a human form and became flesh?

You made an assertion:

"Before He was born as a human baby on this earth, the One we know of as Jesus did not have a human body."

I'm asking you where you are getting your information. How do I know that you are not just making this up? The people in the sky (God and the "angels") all have human bodies. So if Jesus was living in the sky, I would think he would have a human body as well.

If I said to you "Before Jesus was born, he lived in the sky in a human body" - how could you demonstrate to me that I was wrong?

Maybe Jesus was a walking, water-filled rock in the middle east before he was born:

1Co 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

At least that has some scripture to back it up.

But a person with no body living in the sky? A person who is a "member" of the Trinity God which includes a man and his father? No, now you are talking unbiblical madness.

Bill Ross

[John317]

>>>...In this case, I am asking if you believe the books you find in the Christian Greek Scriptures, books such as the gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and all the letters of Paul, etc., through the end of the book of Revelation....

As I said before, I don't believe in anything that you have to ask "do you believe in..."

After many years of consideration of the matter I have concluded that the preponderance of evidence is against the veracity of said books.

Bill

Then why do you believe anything they say? Why are we spending time discussing what they say and what they teach concerning Jesus Christ, if you don't believe you can trust what they say?

[John317]

John3:17-- >>>5) We don't want to limit God in what He has told us in His Word that He did, simply because we can't imagine all the details. If the Bible says that Jesus Christ existed in heaven before coming to this earth, and if it says He returned to heaven after his death and resurrection, then that is what I believe, not because I can imagine all the details, but because I trust the Bible. It has proven itself to me as worthy of my trust.

Quote:

BILL ROSS-- Remeber, "heaven" just means "sky." It is a real, physical place.

The Bible speaks of three heavens---

a) the atmosphere

the stars, etc.

c) the third heaven, which consists of God's sanctuary. This is a very real place. You can read about it in the book of Revelation, for instance, or the book of Hebrews, etc.

[BibleShockers]

>>>...Why are we spending time discussing what they say and what they teach concerning Jesus Christ, if you don't believe you can trust what they say?

I'm trying to stave off Altheimers!

Bill Ross

[BibleShockers]

>>>The Bible speaks of three heavens---

a) the atmosphere

the stars, etc.

c) the third heaven, which consists of God's sanctuary. This is a very real place. You can read about it in the book of Revelation, for instance, or the book of Hebrews, etc.

The first sky was in Gen 1. The second is the one that now is. The third is still future.

2 Peter 3:

5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

8 ¶ But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

9 ¶ The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us–ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

11 ¶ Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

But in your view, where is this third sky? In which direction? This is a very important question. In fact, this is one of the main reasons I don't have confidence in the Christian texts.

Bill Ross

[John317]

JOHN3:17-- >>>The Bible speaks of three heavens---

a) the atmosphere

the stars, etc.

c) the third heaven, which consists of God's sanctuary. This is a very real place. You can read about it in the book of Revelation, for instance, or the book of Hebrews, etc.

Quote:

BILL ROSS-- The first sky was in Gen 1. The second is the one that now is. The third is still future.

It is true that God will recreate the earth and the atmosphere surrounding our earth. But the heaven where God dwells and where the sanctuary of God is, such as described in Hebrews and Revelation, that exists right now.

Quote:

But in your view, where is this third sky? In which direction? This is a very important question. In fact, this is one of the main reasons I don't have confidence in the Christian texts.

Bill Ross

So one of the main reasons you don't have confidence in the Christian texts is that you cannot point in the direction of God's dwelling place?

The Bible does not tell us which direction it is in. Why is that of importance to you?

[BibleShockers]

>>>So one of the main reasons you don't have confidence in the Christian texts is that you cannot point in the direction of God's dwelling place?

I mean the whole cosmology.

>>>The Bible does not tell us which direction it is in. Why is that of importance to you?

But it does. It is supposed to be "up" and "above." Every page of the Bible presupposes a cosmology where the realm of the gods is just above a sky dome which has small lights embedded in it.

Now that we have manned space flights, it all seems so silly.

Bill Ross

[John317]

>>>...Why are we spending time discussing what they say and what they teach concerning Jesus Christ, if you don't believe you can trust what they say?

I'm trying to stave off Altheimers!

Bill Ross

You mean that I'm spending my time here so you can stave off Alzheimer's disease?

I thought you are seeking for truth in God's Word.

Evidently you don't believe it to be God's Word. Is that right? Is it just a collection of human documents as far as you're concerned?

Do you believe Hebrews 11: 6?

But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].

And Acts 4: 12--

And there is salvation in and through no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by and in which we must be saved.

The real question, then, is, have you (or do you) accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and the Lord of your life?

Take a look at this:

Romans 3:21-26

21 But now the righteousness of God has been revealed independently and altogether apart from the Law, although actually it is attested by the Law and the Prophets,

22Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). [And it is meant] for all who believe. For there is no distinction,

23Since all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory [a]which God bestows and receives.

24 [All] are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy), through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,

25 Whom God put forward before the eyes of all] as a mercy seat and propitiation by His blood [the cleansing and life-giving sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation, to be received] through faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over and ignored former sins without punishment.

26 It was to demonstrate and prove at the present time (in the now season) that He Himself is righteous and that He justifies and accepts as righteous him who has [true] faith in Jesus.

The bottom line for all of us is whether we have faith in God, diligently seek Him out, and have true faith in Jesus Christ.