Real News

by Taylor Weber

Image from Snopes.com -- see article debunking the story.

On June 20, 2016, a Canadian tourist and fisherman made an astounding catch, pulling a 3,000-pound great white shark out of Lake Michigan.  At his interview with World News Daily Report, he shared, “We reeled in the beast for a good 4 to 5 hours before we finally shot it and wounded it to the head.”

Perhaps you know ... but great white sharks live in salt water; Lake Michigan is composed of fresh water. What a crazy story!

That story also never actually happened. It was fabricated by Internet trolls who wished to stir up controversy--and that they did!  Our world is full or rumors, untrue stories, and people who wish to lead others astray.

In matters of religion, much controversy and “fake news” has circulated about the role of good works.  Some Christians argue that good works must be done in order for heaven to be received. What’s wrong with that? It’s a hoax just as much as the story about the fisherman catching the massive shark.  Relying on our own works puts our eternal destination on our shoulders--something sinful Christians should tremble thinking about! Instead, Jesus Christ alone is the object of saving faith. Without Jesus, we are damned. With him, we are saved! God the Father sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to serve as our substitute through his death and resurrection. God the Holy Spirit enables people to believe this as true. Only through Jesus and what he has done for us can we be confident about our eternal home. The word of God’s Spirit tells us, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

We praise God that our eternal destination is not contingent on our own works and thank him for working faith in us.  Now, we live for him!

This is the true story we have received from God, by faith.