The Joys of Self-Reflection

Okay, so having attended now the second service at Door of Hope Church, I find myself challenged to either justify or find fault with my Baha'i leanings.  We read today the verses leading up to those studied last week of Matthew 7:21-23.  Interestingly, verses 15-20 were the final reason that I became a Baha'i.  And now, verses 13-14 has me looking at things to determine if that decision was correct.  And still, I question whether I am justifying my faith by interpreting things rather differently than Pastor Craig, or if I'm seeing things clearly.  As usual, my method is to write it all out.

So, first, verses 13-14 say in the King James version of the Bible (that authorized by Baha'u'llah as being the inspired word of God and acceptable translation):  "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

While the implication for a Christian is that Christianity is the only way to heaven and all other roads lead to hell, it doesn't actually say that.  It does say few will find the proper way, but doesn't define who those few are, and what exactly those few must believe.

To explain a bit about Baha'is, it is believed that God has manifested His spirit at different times and in different places, to teach mankind what it needs to know for that age.  The spiritual teachings are the same - only the social teachings change.  Now, unique to Jesus Christ is that He was the only one born as the Son of God.  He also had the unique destiny of sacrificing himself to save all of mankind.  That was His gift to man.  No other Manifestation of God has made those same claims, which puts Jesus the Christ in a unique position.

Baha'is also believe that the Manifestation (in this instance Jesus, the Christ - yes, I separate that for a reason) has the ability to speak with both the voice of the man (Jesus) and the voice of God (Christ).  When Christ speaks, it is generally prefaced with "I Am."  Whole other project that I'll get around to explaining and giving examples of.  However, if you look at the seven times Christ makes those statements in the Bible, they can take on a whole different meaning if you substitute "God" for "I Am".

So, if, hypothetically, we accept that the Christ spirit is that manifested portion of God Who teaches mankind at different times and in different places, identified by both a man's name and a title (Jesus, the Christ; Mirza Husayn Ali, Baha'u'llah - meaning the Glory of God - others of course, but we're just dealing with Christianity and the Baha'i Faith at the moment), it puts a bit of a different twist on things.  Spiritual teachings the same - the Baha'i Faith is equally if not occasionally more strict than various sects of Christianity.  Both require a personal decision by the individual - to choose to follow the teachings.  In Christianity, that is often through baptism and/or confirmation; in the Baha'i Faith, it is a decision that is not allowed to be made until a person is at least 15, and must be discussed with the Local Spiritual Assembly to determine if you understand what it means to be a Baha'i.  Acceptance is not an automatic rubber stamp.

In itself, becoming a Baha'i is definitely not a wide gate, but is it the proper narrow gate?  Is it possible that we follow a false prophet and therefore, as discussed by Pastor Craig regarding Matthew 7:21-23 ("Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?   And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."), God will not recognize us when the day of Judgment arrives?

At this point, I do not believe I have chosen wrongly, but I also realize that I was guided to this Church for a reason - whether it be to test my faith, to help me gain more certitude (which opens up a whole different can of worms regarding the Faith and some of my choices), or to make me think about whether the path I am on will lead to the wrong gate.