Celtic Odyssey

A dear friend of mine asked me: If someone were to come to you and ask, “What must I do to be saved?”, what would you tell them today [since you believe in Ultimate Redemption]? For the simple conversations with people who [just] want to know Christ, and want to consciously “come to Christ,” is there anything you’d say to them that echoes what you used to say as an Evangelical, minus the condemning “turn or burn” side? Or is it entirely, utterly different now? I have these conversations once in a while with people, but I’ve never known what those conversations would be like [from an Ultimate Redemption perspective]. I thanked my friend and said I’d have to get back to him. Since I’d never thought about this before with my current worldview, I wasn’t really certain how to answer. But, as the Spirit so often does for me with most things like this, a passage came to my mind. In Luke 10, the same question was brought to Jesus —  Luke 10:25-28 (NTE; adapted): [1] A lawyer got up and put...

  Matthew 25.14-30 (TIB; adapted): [1] “Again, [the Realm of heaven is] like a wealthy landowner who was going on a journey and called in three workers, entrusting some funds to them. 15 The first was given five thousand dollars, the second two thousand, and the third one thousand, according to each one’s ability. Then the landowner went away. 16 Immediately the worker who received the five thousand went and invested it and made another five. 17 In the same way, the worker who received the two thousand doubled that figure. 18 But the worker who received the one thousand instead went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried the money. 19 “After a long absence, the traveler returned home and settled accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five thousand came forward bringing the additional five, saying, ‘You entrusted me with five thousand; here are five thousand more.’ 21 “The landowner said, ‘Well done! You’re a good and faithful worker. Since you were dependable in a...