First, let me say that if you have not heard Mitt Romney’s speech, do go listen to it. As I write this, I have just listened to it from beginning to end. And, as I write this, it is displayed on the main page of his web site… as time passes, you may have to search for it on his site. Here is a link to his site:

Mitt Romney Web Site

Now, understand, I am not going to endorse ANYONE for President… in fact, I haven’t made up my mind yet. I am prayerfully considering who I will vote for, and I will most certainly vote! That is a right that we have in this great country that was purchased with the blood of many good men and women. I take it very seriously.

BUT, as you know if you have read this blog for any length of time… what I take MOST seriously is my faith, the Word of God (as found in the original texts of the Bible) and my commitment to God and His Son, Jesus Christ! THAT defines me, more than anything else. I KNOW the Bible is the Word of God… not some other book, or books. When it comes to allowing others to worship as they will, or believe as they will, I am all for their having freedom to do just that. That really IS what “Freedom of Religion” is about! So much today is expressed more as “Freedom FROM Religion!” THAT is not what the Founding Fathers of America meant. As Gov. Romney pointed out in his speech, they had many different denominations represented in their early meetings as well, and yet came together to found our great nation.

However, freedom to believe as we will does mean that when Jesus says of Himself, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) He means just what He says. Jesus is the ONLY way… no one comes to the Father God, but by Jesus. I believe, as the Gospel teaches, that there are NOT “many ways to get to God” but there is only One! And He is Jesus Christ. I am free to believe that. I am also free to do what He said to do, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” (Mark 16:14-18) I am constrained by my belief and acceptance of the truth and validity of the Bible to do as it says. I will speak, I will preach, I will “go ye.” Now, my commitment to “go ye” does not mean that you MUST believe what I preach… just that I must preach it! You are just as free to not receive as you are to receive. Obviously, from my perspective, it would be better for you if you did receive the Word of God and get born again. But if you choose to be one of the ones that hear, and yet do not believe, well, so be it! I have fulfilled my mandate to “go ye.” In the above verse, Jesus is clear about this point, “… he that believeth not shall be damned.” You may not like that He said that, but He did. You may not like that He said that He was the only way, but He did.

So then, Jesus can’t be “just a good man and great teacher” and still have the truth of the above scripture references be true. If all He was was a “good man and great teacher” and He said that… then He lied, and He was neither. BUT, if what He said is NOT a lie… then He IS the only way, and you must do something with that claim! He can’t just be “one of your great prophets,” or “one of the great teachers of humanity,” indeed, He MUST be dealt with on His own terms, by His own teachings! He said that He was God. Look at this portion of scripture from John 10:24-31:

John 10:24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
John 10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
John 10:26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
John 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
John 10:31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.

Why do you think the Jewish Leaders “took up stones again to stone him?” Because they knew and understood EXACTLY what it was Jesus had said to them… “I and My Father are One!” In other words, “I am God.” They believed it was blasphemy… and in fact, it WOULD have been, if He is not Who He claims to be! So, He is either the Son of God, God in flesh, or he is a blaspheming liar! Who do YOU say that He is?

Mitt Romney said in his speech that he believes Jesus Christ is God’s Son. That is great… BUT, the scripture in James 2:19 says, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” The difference is WHAT do you believe ABOUT Him? Being born again depends on you believing certain specific things ABOUT Jesus. What are they? You must believe that God is… that He exists. (Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” You must believe that God rewards those that seek Him. You must, specifically, believe what Romans 10:8-10 says:

Rom 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Rom 10:11 For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Rom 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

You MUST confess, personally, with your own mouth, that Jesus is the Lord of your life. You must believe that our Father God physically raised Him from the dead. Jesus’ resurrection was not some allegory, or great spiritual expression of truth. It is, and was, a literal historic fact. He was dead. God literally raised Him up. He is now alive forevermore. That is not an optional belief… it is vital and necessary, just like the other items listed above. Jesus is not “one of many.” He is the ONLY ONE! Mohammad is not a substitute, Joseph Smith is not a substitute, Buddha is not a substitute. ONLY Jesus is the “Way, the Truth and the Life.”

As to other doctrines… yes, in order to say that you believe in God, and His Holy Word, there are other things that you MUST needs believe to be a true, Bible believing Christian. Among those doctrines are: the literal Virgin Birth of Jesus (without His being born of a virgin, He would not have been qualified to bear all our sin, as He would have “inherited” the sin passed down by Adam.) Matthew 1:23, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” And that was quoting from the Old Testament reference, Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” So, again, did God lie, or is this a literal truth? It is, in fact, a literal truth! The mechanism that God used to come in the flesh to earth was by means of the Word of God… God Himself, becoming flesh…

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

The Word was God. All things were made by God, who is the Word. And finally:

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John 1:15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
John 1:16 And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.
John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
John 1:19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
John 1:20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
John 1:21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that Prophet? And he answered, No.
John 1:22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
John 1:23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah.
John 1:24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.
John 1:25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elijah, neither that prophet?
John 1:26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
John 1:27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
John 1:28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
John 1:30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
John 1:31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
John 1:32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
John 1:33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
John 1:34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
John 1:35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
John 1:36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

Jesus is the Word made flesh, Jesus is God, Jesus was literally born of a virgin and raised from the dead, and now sits at the Father’s right hand making intercession for us! Romans 8:34, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” So, these things are facts that must be dealt with. Every person must decide what they are going to do with these facts. They will either accept them or reject them, and they are free to do so!

Now, back to Mitt Romney… he says that he strongly believes in what the Mormon religion teaches… here is a synopsis of their belief in reference to some of the above truths:

Now, you have the facts. Now, you can decide. Not decide who you want for President, but rather, whether Mormon teaching is “just another Christian church.” It is very different.

Here’s our recent Spirit of Faith Podcast on this topic:

Download MP3
(Right-Click on the Link Above and Choose “Save” to Save the MP3 file locally on your PC.)