Uncovering False Teachings: Universalism's Second Chance to be Saved

 

Universalism is the belief that God is so loving that He will give every single person a second chance to be saved by Jesus and go to Heaven--even if they refuse to enter into a positive relationship with Jesus in this life. The argument, basically, goes as follows:

1. Not all people on this earth have the opportunity, during their lifetimes, to hear about or accept Jesus or the "real Jesus."
2. God loves all people and wants to save all people.
3. God is a just God who wouldn't send someone to Hell based on a technicality, such as rejecting Christ out of ignorance or based on false reasoning. 
4. Therefore, a just and loving God cannot require that all people have a relationship with Jesus before they die and will, in fact, offer them a second chance to come face-to-face with the real, loving, saving Jesus after they die so they can finally get right with Him and enter into Heaven.

On the surface, this argument seems to be consistent with the loving character of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. However, in this post, I will point out the primary flaws as well as the logical absurdities that follow this view. I will then present the truth of the Gospel as defined by Jesus Himself and the writers of Scripture. Finally, I will respond with the biblical solutions to the perceived problems universalism tries to avoid.

Universalism's Primary Flaws

1. Universalism Can't be Supported with Scripture.

Granted, attempts have been made. There are many verses about God's love and willingness to forgive. Jesus prayed for the forgiveness of His enemies as He hung on the cross. (Luke 23:34) Universalists reason that, if Jesus prayed for it, God would've just done it, regardless of the condition of the hearts of the people in question. But there simply are NO verses or passages or parables that verify this belief nor suggest that ALL people, once dead, will get another chance to accept Jesus or get right with God and then enter Heaven. Rather, Scripture teaches precisely the opposite: that "...people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment," (Hebrews 9:27). And Jesus's parable in Luke 13:22-30 makes it clear that once the doors of Heaven close, any who have not believed in Him will not get in. According to Scripture, the only thing that will happen post-death is Christ's judgment--no second redemptive act, no second offers of salvation, no second chances (Matthew 25:31-46). Therefore, unless you were one of those people of faith who died prior to the coming of Christ (Hebrews 11:13-16, 39-40) or believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior (Matthew 7:21-23, John 14:6, I Thessalonians 4:13-18), you do NOT belong to God and you will NOT get a second chance to figure this out after you die.

2. Universalism Compromises the Gospel.

One of the concepts universalism teaches is a different understanding of what Jesus actually did on the cross. They don't like the idea that God would sacrifice His son or that He would demand a sacrifice at all. So, according to universalism, Jesus didn't actually "pay" for your sins with His death. He merely allowed Himself to be killed as a demonstration of love--to show the world their own evil and to show them what love does. This re-imagining of the Gospel is part of the fallout of giving everyone a second chance. The first, in-this-life-chance, then, becomes irrelevant, and so does the Gospel. This different "gospel" is also the consequence of a general distaste for and misunderstanding of the way God's character is described in Scripture. They imagine that God is in His Heaven, turning a blind eye to Jesus--His son--as He suffers on the cross. But God was the one on the cross--just as much as Jesus. They were still ONE. Jesus felt the full weight of the world's sin. He felt a separation from the Godhead. But there was no genuine separation, or Jesus could not have paid the price for our sin or conquered death. Jesus is God. Jesus is the Holy Spirit. All three Persons of the Godhead chose to hang on that cross, each experiencing the torture and natural consequences of our sin so that we don't have to. That's the true Good News, and it is the clear teaching of Scripture. (See: Leviticus 17:11, John 3:16, 14:6, I Peter 1:18-19, 2:24, Hebrews 9:12-15,  Ephesians 1:7, Galatians 1:4, 3:13, Romans 5:10, 10:9-10, I Corinthians 1:30, Colossians 1:20-22, etc.). Universalism disregards the Gospel of Jesus and redefines it because they don't know God, they don't trust His Word, and they don't believe that anything God has done in this life--including dying on the cross for our sin--will ultimately be relevant.

3. Universalism Excuses What God Condemns.

The most uniform and consistent warning in Scripture is to avoid idolatry. The first TWO of the Ten Commandments deal with it (Exodus 20:3-5). When asked which of the commandments was the most important, Jesus said, "The most important one is Israel, listen! Our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your mind, and with all your strength" (Mark 12:29-30). However, universalism completely disregards God's clear and consistent warnings against following other gods in this life, and it ignores God's claims about Himself as being a "jealous God" (Exodus 20:5). According to universalism, it doesn't really matter what you believe, which gods you follow, or whether you love or hate your true Creator and Savior. You'll end up choosing Jesus after you die, so no harm no foul. Universalism makes God's and Jesus's warnings obsolete and it makes their urgency and seriousness seem foolish and exaggerated. After all, if universalism is true and we all get a second chance after death to learn the truth face to face with Jesus, it doesn't matter what I believe now. I can be a Buddhist, a Mormon, a Christian Scientist, an Muslim, a Hindu, a Baha'i, an atheist, or even a Satanist. I can believe Jesus was a fraud. I can hate Christians and everything they stand for. I can fill my life with hedonistic activities, pagan rituals, and everything God condemns because... if you get a second chance where you WILL accept the truth, your first chance is irrelevant.

4. Universalism Assumes God Can't or Won't Reach All People in This Life.

The motivator behind universalism is to avoid the desperate fear that maybe God just isn't truly good or truly fair. Universalists believe that there are many people who have died never hearing the name "Jesus" and many who have rejected Jesus merely because Jesus was misrepresented to them. Therefore, they reason, a good and loving God wouldn't hold them responsible for not believing in Him. (For example: the Muslim child who was raised to believe in love and kindness but was only taught about Mohamed, the jungle dweller who never hears of the Bible or Jesus, the abused child raised in foster care whose only message about God/Jesus was at best a false representation and so he/she rejects God based on this false information.) However, this is a very small view of God and it completely ignores vast swathes of Scripture that say precisely the opposite: that God wants to save all people, that Jesus died to save the entire world, that all people will be given the opportunity to acquire faith in God or reject Him, and that one's choice for or against the Truth in this life will have eternal consequences. (More on this to follow.)

5. Universalism Contradicts Scripture.

In order to push forward a different gospel than the one clearly defined by Jesus in Scripture, one must ignore vast portions of the Bible and push forward ideas the Bible simply doesn't support. Universalism does both these things, resulting in many clear contradictions. Here are a few that I've already pointed out:

• Universalism claims we get a second chance to come to faith after we die. The Bible says we are judged after we die based on our faith during this life. (Daniel 12:2, Mark 8:34b-38, Luke 16:19-31, Hebrews 9:24-28, Romans 1:20, 2:5, II Corinthians 6:2, etc.)
• Universalism claims God can't save everyone during this life. The Bible teaches that salvation is available to all people during their lifetimes. (I Timothy 2:3-6, Mark 13:10, Luke 19:40, Matthew 13:3-9, John 3:16-17, etc.)
• Universalism claims Jesus didn't die as an atoning sacrifice, but merely as a demonstration of God's love. The Bible teaches that it is by Jesus's atoning death on the cross that we can be redeemed from our sin. (Leviticus 17:11, John 3:16, 14:6, I Peter 1:18-19, 2:24, Hebrews 9:12-15,  Ephesians 1:7, Galatians 1:4, 3:13, Romans 5:10, 10:9-10, I Corinthians 1:30, Colossians 1:20-22, etc.)

6. Universalism Assumes a Second Chance Will Matter.

Universalists have very little faith in the human ability to seek and find God and/or in God's ability to adequately reveal Himself to all people of all tribes, creeds, and nations. Since the Bible and reality seem to agree that many, many people are lost and have rejected God (including some seemingly very good people), something must be amiss with human intelligence, with God's plan and methods, or both. Because they don't want to fathom that a good and loving God could allow anyone to go to Hell (or, if so, only serial killers and terrorists), they must accept the non-biblical doctrine of the post-death, second chance at grace. However, not only does Scripture make it clear that all people will be given plenty of opportunity to come to a saving knowledge of the true God in this lifetime (Romans 8:31-39), it also teaches that, once someone rejects God, a second chance won't be offered, and, even if it were offered, it wouldn't make a difference--even if someone rises from the dead to prove it (Matthew 28:11-15, Luke 14:15-24 and 16:19-31, Romans 3:20, Hebrews 9:27, Revelations 20:11-15, 21:27).

7. Universalism Assumes Most People Would Love Jesus if they Met Him.

The appeal of universalism is that all people, if they were just given a real chance to meet Jesus and experience God's love, couldn't help but to love Him back and want to be with Him. They then look at a world and history full of people who have rejected God, and reason that God simply must not have given them an appropriate chance. Therefore, it's not really humanity's fault for rejecting their Creator and Savior. It's God's fault for not reaching them. But not only does this belief cast God in a very disparaging light, it disregards what Scripture teaches about faith and the lack thereof. After all, many who met Jesus face to face in this life still rejected Him, even after His resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:11-15). In fact, they continued to hate Jesus so much, they went so far as to persecute anyone who dared believe in Him (Matthew 5:10, Mark 10: 29-30, Luke 6:22, John 15:18, II Corinthians 11:16-28, II Timothy 3:12). The sad reality is that human beings are far more likely to reject Christ than to love Him (Matthew 7:13, 13:3-9). And, contrary to popular belief, the Bible teaches that this lack of faith has nothing to do with race, region, culture, or personal circumstance. Rather, all people have been given plenty of evidence to believe in and follow the true God, so that, if they don't, they will have no excuse (Romans 1:20, 8:31-39, Jeremiah 23:23-24). Furthermore, Christ came to "proclaim good news to the poor... freedom for the prisoners... recovery of sight for the blind... [and] to set the oppressed free" (Luke 4:18). Therefore, even great personal trauma cannot keep someone from seeking and loving Christ. Only pride can do that (II Corinthians 7:14, James 4:10, Proverbs 29:23, Jeremiah 13:17, Psalm 73:6, Obadiah 1:3, etc).

8. Universalism Misunderstands the Concepts of Love and Justice.

I suspect that the universalist's favorite verse is, "God is love" (I John 4:8). It's one of mine, too. And the Bible is rich with verses that describe how deeply God loves us (I John 3:1), how He has pursued us (Jeremiah 31:3), cares for us (Psalm 23:1-6), and gave His life for us (Galatians 1:4). However, God's love is not a simple, unilateral, surface type of love. God's love (indeed, all love) requires truth and holiness and justice to be love. You can't love what you don't know--truth. You can't love if your love is motivated by selfish gain--holiness. And since love is only manifested within a reciprocal relationship, you can't have a love relationship without mutuality--justice. Yes, God is love. But God is also just. It is because of His justice that He forgives (I John 1:9) and also because of His justice that He will judge those who have not turned and been forgiven (Acts 17:31). The deal isn't that God will save us merely because He loves us. His love for us motivated his offer of salvation, but He will only save those who willingly choose to enter a love-based, reciprocal relationship with Him by accepting Jesus's sacrificial offer of grace and forgiveness. We must want Him to get Him. After all, God is not a bully. Because He loves us, He respects our free will. And, because of our sinful state, it goes against His nature (yes, even against His love nature), to rescue those who don't want to be rescued. In fact, if He were to pull sinful, pride-filled people into His presence against their will, without them first being cleansed by the sacrificial blood of Jesus, they would be consumed in the fire of God's holiness and glory. After all, God is also a "consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29, Matthew 3:12) and no sinful person can look upon Him and live (Exodus 33:20).

9. Universalism is not Christianity; It's Just Another Works-Based Religion.

Within Christianity and Catholicism, there are a great many differences of opinion on theological issues and religious practice. However, most of these differences aren't enough to strip someone of the title "Christian." As long as the Gospel itself is left intact, we can all confidently call one another brothers and sisters in Christ. Universalism, however, strikes at the heart of the Gospel itself and substitutes a different gospel for the one defined in Scripture. For this reason, universalism cannot rightly be called a "Christian" faith system. It is a different religion altogether. And, like every other religion out there, it is a works-based religion (if a somewhat watered down one.) Though universalism claims we all get a second chance (and so, what we do and believe now hardly matters), they still focus very much on the performance of good deeds during this life (e.g. helping the poor, being generous, rejecting bigotry, and trying to love like Jesus.). Since Jesus does speak harshly about "wicked" people being judged, universalists fear it may be possible that the hyper-evil people of this world might yet find themselves in Hell (or obliterated). So, the only way to ensure that you'll accept Christ's second chance after you die is to be a good person by embracing love during this life. However, Scripture clearly teaches that Jesus's offer of salvation was an act of pure, undeserved grace. We can't earn it. We can't work for it or purchase it or deserve it. It is a free gift. But if we don't accept it, we can't be saved. (John 3:16-17, 5:24, Acts 4:12, 16:30-31, Romans 10:9-10, Galatians 2:15-16, Ephesians 2:8-9, II Corinthians 5:21, Titus 3:4-7, Revelation 3:20, etc.)

Universalism's Logical Absurdities

1. Their God is Letting Us Suffer for No Reason.  

If Jesus is planning on giving everyone a second chance and saving us all after this life is over, what is He waiting for? What is the purpose of this life? Why not just kill us all and get the suffering over with so we can all just go be with Him in Paradise? I mean, skip to the end already! Doesn't the fact that the universalist's little god is just letting us suffer for no reason contradict our understanding of God's love? Letting wickedness and suffering continue without restraint and for no eternal purpose isn't love, it's cruel torture.

2. Their God is So Limited, He Can't Be God.

The god of the universalists is extremely limited and a very bad strategist. Like the God of Scripture, he goes to all the trouble of creating this world and making perfect people, only to be rejected when we choose to follow our own desires. However, at this point, things take a weird shift for the god of the universalists. Where the God of Scripture has a clearly defined plan for our redemption, this little god gets stuck. His perfect world is ruined and people are running amuck. And, since our salvation isn't an essential part of his plan, he has no eternal purpose for continuing this miserable existence. Sure, he attempts to show us a better way by sending Jesus to meander around for a while and let himself get killed. He even raises Jesus back to life to show people that love conquers all.... But while some people seem to get it, others don't, and now there are so many of them, and they're all spread out, and they're all so entrenched in their false religions that this tiny god can't seem to do anything about it. "Oh, well," this micro-god reasons. "I'll just wait for them to die, and then I'll grab them by the collars, look them in the eye, and tell them the truth face-to-face." Except there's one problem with that: this minuscule god can't possibly be the huge, omnipresent, all-knowing, and all-powerful God of the Bible. The God of Scripture doesn't have trouble communicating. He's never flustered, or desperate, or in need of an escape hatch for a failed plan. He doesn't waste time, overlook suffering, apologize, or get frantic and pushy. And He doesn't accept excuses for our lack of faith--particularly because He's given us every opportunity to follow Him (Romans 1:20). And, no, He's not being unfair to demand faith in Jesus as a prerequisite for a relationship with Jesus. It's the epitome of justice. Anything less would be weakness, inconsistency, and arbitrariness. No. Any "god" who acts like the god of the universalists simply isn't God.

3. Their God Contradicts Himself.

The God of Scripture says He's a jealous God (Exodus 34:14) and repeatedly tells us to avoid idolatry, stop sinning, and follow Him alone. He came as Jesus to die in our place and become the Way to salvation through grace for those who believe on His Name. But, while the universalists seem to be using the same Bible, they insist these passages have little to no eternal weight. You can, in fact, follow Muhammad or Buddha or a god of your own imagination for all the days of your life and still end up enjoying a full relationship with the true God in Heaven one day. You can bow down to idols. You can sacrifice your children to Molech or to your own sexual freedom through abortion. You can engage in homosexuality, hedonism, sex-trafficking, pedophilia--you name it. Doesn't really matter, because you're getting a second chance. You can even hear about Jesus and decide He's not for you. Though the God of the Bible tells us salvation is found in Christ alone (John 3:36, Acts 4:12, I Timothy 2:5, etc.) and that those who continue to sin will not be saved (I John 3:9), universalism makes every kind of evil permissible for your entire life. Well, which is it, little universalist god? You can't have it both ways.

4. Death is the Way to Salvation, Not Jesus.

Although Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6), universalism claims this doesn't actually apply until after we die. So, I'm not sure why Jesus came and participated in this life at all. Seems like a waste of time and a lot of suffering for nothing. After all, if we don't all have the capacity to recognize and accept Jesus during this life, then Jesus isn't the true way to our salvation, death is. Universalism seems to assume some magical quality of life after death that will make us more accepting of a relationship with God. It's as if we'll gain spiritual eyes that will allow us to see the truth that God was simply unable to show us during this lifetime. Frankly, I'm not sure I'd trust that, if God couldn't get through to us now, that He'll be able to do it later. Didn't He design this life for that express purpose? Oh, that's right. The micro-god of the universalists has no purpose for this life.

5. Free Will and Morality Are Arbitrary.

The universalists want to insist that, because God is love, He will save everyone--regardless of how good or bad we are in this life. But if only your post-death decisions matter for eternity and we will choose God at that time, is there such a thing as free will at all? There's really no way to know for sure. Furthermore, universalists assume God is going to excuse our evil deeds, but at the same time, they insist we embrace love, help the needy, and treat all people with tolerance and respect. But here's the clincher: If your evil deeds and false beliefs don't matter in this life, neither do your good beliefs or good deeds. And, in many cases, there's really no way to tell the difference. After all, if a perfectly holy God is going to excuse evil, how evil could it be? If God is withholding value judgments, what right do we have to make any--even about our own choices? If everyone's getting into Heaven, why bother worrying about beliefs, attitudes, or behavior? None of it is going to matter in the end. And if God is overlooking our suffering for some unfathomable reason (see #1 of this list), why bother helping the hurting? All slates will be wiped clean, including ours....

6. Universalism Makes Following Universalism Unnecessary

This one makes me laugh, actually. Because if universalism says nothing we believe ultimately will matter, why follow universalism? I'll enjoy my life a lot more just not worrying about any of it, and no universalist can logically claim that my hedonism or atheism or whatever is going to land me in any worse standing with God than what they want me to believe. So... yeah.

The Truth of the Gospel as Defined by Jesus and the Writers of Scripture

The Gospel Message:

God made you in His image. He loves you with His entire Being. But you are subject to the sinfulness of this world. You are lost. On your own, you cannot hope to make yourself clean enough to be in the presence of a perfectly holy God. However, God knew you and loved you before the creation of the world, and He had a plan in place for your rescue. His plan was Himself. In the Person of Jesus Christ, God Himself took the penalty of your sinful state, paid the price, and conquered death so that you could be free. This is the ONLY way you can have an eternity with God in His Heaven. But being made in the image of God means you also have free will, as He does. You get to choose whether to enter into a positive relationship with Jesus or to follow your own way or some other false theology. If you do not choose to follow Christ and accept His pardon for your sin, you are choosing to face the penalties of your sin on your own, which means an eternity separated from God in a place or state called Hell. However, if you choose to believe in Christ, you will live your life according to His example. After your death, you will be raised again alongside all other people to be judged. Because you know Jesus, He will welcome you into Heaven and a new, eternal life in God's presence.

(Genesis 1:27, John 3:16-18, Romans 3:23, Isaiah 64:6, Romans 6:23, Titus 3:4-7, John 1:12, Acts 4:11-12, Colossians 1:5, I John 3:2, Revelations 22:5.)

"Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God" (John 3:18). 

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him" (John 3:36).

 "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death" (Proverbs 14:12).

Related Topics for Further Study:

Though I speak disparagingly about universalism in this post, the universalists I've met are kind, generous, caring people. Most of them are struggling or former Christians who have embraced universalism in order to solve problems they've identified within mainstream Christian theology. Some of these problems are genuine. Some are not. Below are some links to some biblical responses to the problems universalists and many people perceive with the traditional Gospel, God's grace, and God's judgment.

But, Is God Is Really Able and Willing to Save ALL People During Their Lifetimes?

Would A Loving God Send People to Hell?

How Could a Good God Sacrifice His Son?

 

Do Those Who Died Prior to Jesus's Coming Get a Second Chance?

But the Bible says God Hardens People's Hearts. Isn't that Evidence that He Isn't Willing to Save All People In This Lifetime?

Will God Judge Us Based on Our Deeds or on What We Believe About Jesus?

Will God Judge Us Based on Our Deeds or on What We Believe About Jesus?

The Bible says we'll be judged "according to what we have done" (Revelations 20:13). And Jesus said the angels would separate the wicked from the righteous (Matthew 13:49) on the day of judgment. Does that mean we'll be judged based on our deeds rather than on what we believe about Jesus. Universalists want to see all people get into Heaven or, at least, all good people. And most universalists assume all people will suddenly "get it" or become good when they meet God after they die. They don't like the idea that one must know and believe in Jesus prior to death to be saved, because they consider most non-believers to be pretty good people who deserve to get into Heaven and be spared Hell.

However, though Scripture consistently puts emphasis on righteousness vs. wickedness and on good deeds vs. evil deeds (because it's important!), it is also exceedingly clear that salvation comes through no other name under heaven except that of Christ alone (John 3:18, 36, 14:6, Ephesians 2:8-9, Acts 4:12, Romans 3:21-25, 10:9-10). Scripture also makes it clear that rejecting Jesus IS a form of wickedness and, all by itself, is deserving of punishment.

"All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you" (II Thessalonians 1:5-10, emphasis added).

You can't have Jesus without JESUS! Although Christ's forgiveness and salvation is equally available to all humanity, there are vast groups of people whose hearts are so hard that they will NEVER turn to Him--regardless of anything He does to convince them of His love and grace (Genesis 6:5-6, Isaiah 42:18-20, Romans 2:5). That doesn't mean He condemned them in advance to Hell. That doesn't mean they didn't have ample opportunities during this life. That doesn't mean He ordained or designed them to be this hardhearted. Rather, God in His great love for us--even "while we were still sinners" (Romans 5:8)--took the penalty of our sin on His own shoulders, suffered and died in our place, spread His Good News to all mankind, and offered us a chance to spend eternity with Him. 

"Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God" (John 3:18). 

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him" (John 3:36).

Do Those Who Died Prior to Jesus's Coming Get a Second Chance to be Saved?

According to Paul, people of faith who died without first receiving "the things promised" will still be welcomed into Heaven. However, these people were already people of faith when they died. Therefore, they need no second chance. He writes,  

"All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them... These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." (Hebrews 11:13-16, 39-40, emphasis added). 

Therefore, no, those who died prior to Christ will not be given a second chance. As Paul explained earlier in Hebrews, people will "die once" and after that "face judgment" (9:27). But they don't need a second chance. By remaining in faith in the true God and looking forward in hope to His glorious Savior, the Messiah, until their deaths, they will be saved and welcomed into Heaven.

Is God Willing and Able to Save All People During This Life?

Universalism's most serious motivator for redefining the Gospel and the salvation process is that they don't believe God has given all people enough of a chance to accept Jesus during this lifetime. They are rebelling against traditional understandings of Heaven and Hell, traditional teachings about salvation and the Gospel, and against Calvinism, (which claims that God created some people for Heaven and some people for Hell and there's little if anything we can do about it).

However, Scripture paints a very different picture than either of these extremes. God "wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth," which is why Jesus "gave himself as a ransom for all people" (I Timothy 2:3-6). John 3:16 specifically talks about the "world" having the offer of Christ's salvation--not just a select few. Jesus said, that the "gospel must be first preached to all nations" (Mark 13:10), and Peter explains that, though Jesus seems slow to return, He's merely giving more people time to be saved while they are still alive and still have that chance (II Peter 3:9). 

Speaking of those who fail to testify to the truth, Jesus said, "If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out" (Luke 19:40). Consider the parable Jesus told of the scattered seed, recorded three times in Matthew 13:3-9, Mark 4:3-8, and Luke 8:5-8. In each version, the seed of the knowledge of God is scattered widely and, though most choose not to believe, there is no place where the seed doesn't land.

Furthermore, we have many examples of people God called out of civilizations that seem completely devoid of God's truth: Abraham, Noah, Moses, Rahab, King Josiah, the Ethiopian eunuch, etc. If anyone seeks to know God, God promises they WILL find Him (Matthew 7:7-8).

Are Christians Buying Into a False Faith?

Could it be that Christianity--despite its loyal masses and moral trappings--is a false faith after all? Could it be that Jesus wasn't Who He claimed to be--or worse--never existed at all? Could it be that when we cry out to God, no one hears us?

The Bible condemns such faiths, for faith--no matter how sincere--is only as valid as the object of that faith.

They say to wood, 'You are my father,' and to stone, 'You gave me birth.' They have turned their backs to me and not their faces; yet when they are in trouble, they say, 'Come and save us!' Where then are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come if they can save you when you are in trouble! For you have as many gods as you have towns, O Judah. (Jeremiah 2:27-28)

So, if the Bible is so adamant about the futility of such faiths, then the "truth" the Bible puts forth had better be valid. In other words, there must be a great deal of evidence for the validity of Scripture as truth, or that verse would be nothing but a clever deception (not to mention the rest of it).

Interestingly, there is indeed a vast amount of evidence for the validity of Scripture--so much, in fact, there have been no accusations that have been able to stand their ground against it. What about the many accusations that the Old Testament was simply mythology? Ahh... but archeaology has brought silence to most of those and brought into serious question the rest. And, what about the theory Jesus never existed? Well, that has been soundly blasted out of the water. (For a small taste of this, see: Did Jesus Actually Exist?) And, what about the consipiracy theories--those that claim Jesus' disciples merely collaborated and made up the stories of Jesus so they could start a new religion? But, of course, those have been proven (through a study of extra-biblical historical documents, the religious and political history, the prophetic fulfillments, contextual coherency & accuracy, documental preservation, archeaology and eye-witness accounts) to also be false.

So, if there are so many evidences for the Bible's accuracy and validity and so few arguments against it, why doesn't everyone believe? Because spritual truth is given directly by God and only by God.

"The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Cor. 2:14) (See also Mat. 16:13-17)

It cannot be figured out. It does not come through study. It does not come by being born into it. It is a gift--and it is given only to those who have been called by God and respond to His call.

"No one can come to me [Jesus] unless the Father who sent me draws him. Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. This is why I told you that no one can come to me unelss the Father has enabled him." (John 6:44-45, 65)

Now, we are all called by God at one time or another. (See: Jeremiah 7:13, Matt. 18:10-14, John 3:16-17, 2 Peter 3:9) So, there are none that are not chosen to be His, but we are not all called at the same time nor in the same way. Also, even once we are called, we are not forced to believe. That is our choice--although God has made belief very available, simple and appealing. (I mean, what's not appealing about being forgiven for our sins, reunited with God--the omnipotent and loving Being who made us, having his all-knowing guidance during our lives and having the assurance of paradise with Him after we die?)

So, could Christians be buying into a false faith? No. Not as long as that faith is in Jesus Christ--fully God and fully man--as defined by the Scriptures (both Old and New Testaments but no other books). The question then is, why haven't you accepted Jesus yet? Is it because God hasn't called? Or, is it because you haven't answered? Hopefully, though, it isn't because you have rejected Him outright. If so, I ask you to take another look.

Would God Forgive a Sinner Like Me?

Have you struggled with the fear that you are already too far down the wrong road to ever turn back? Have you doubted that God would be willing to save you after all the wrong you have done?

Paul, the writer of most of the New Testament, wrote:
"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life." (I Timothy 1:15-16)

And Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mark 2:17)

As He said, Jesus did not come for perfect people, but for flawed people. He does not expect us to clean ourselves up first, because that would be impossible. For how can we be made clean unless we have the Cleaner? Jesus is the Cleaner and His forgiveness is available to anyone who will believe in Him and accept that forgiveness. Jesus will take us just as we are, but He will not leave us that way. God takes a very dim view of sin. (See this post.) Accepting Christ's forgiveness is not simply a claim to fire insurance, it is entering into a relationship with God--a relationship that will change and grow over time.

So, no matter who you are or what you've done, forgiveness is yours for the taking and the Bible promises, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." (Isaiah 1:18)

Need a little help with that first step? Go to this post: How Do I Accept Jesus?

Then, the next time such things worry you, consider this passage:

This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. (I John 3:19-20)

Is There a Hell?

Do people still really believe in Hell?
Is there really a place where damned souls will go? Is life really some ambiguous test to see who’s good and who’s bad? People throughout history have disagreed about the nature of hell, its existence and its purpose. However, in this post, I will deal with the biblical explanation and illuminate some of the misconceptions, both within secular society and Christian tradition.

What is the biblical origination of hell?
The first time Hell is mentioned in the (KJV) Bible is in Deuteronomy 32:22. The Hebrew word is “lwaX” and its English equivalent is “sheol”, meaning, “sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit, Sheol - the OT designation for the abode of the dead: place of no return, without praise of God, wicked sent there for punishment, righteous not abandoned to it, of the place of exile, of extreme degradation in sin” (Strong’s).

In the New Testament, Jesus used the Greek word, “gevenna” when speaking of spiritual hell; however, the word also referred to an actual place on earth. Gehenna is the English transliteration of the Greek form of an Aramaic word, which, in turn, is derived from the Hebrew phrase “the Valley of [the son(s) of] Hinnom”. (Baker Ency. Of the Bible, v.1) Strong’s tells us: “Hell is the place of the future punishment call "Gehenna" or "Gehenna of fire". This was originally the valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, where the filth and dead animals of the city were cast out and burned; a fit symbol of the wicked and their future destruction.” Additionally, the Valley of Hinnom was used for ritual infant sacrifice to the pagan god, Molech. Later, after King Josiah rid the region of such practices, the valley was used, as Strong’s tells us, for burning of refuse and dead animals. Interestingly, it was also used as a place to burn the dead bodies of criminals.

Unfortunately, both terms—sheol and gehenna—have been mistakenly considered to be synonymous with “hell” and are translated the same in some English versions of the Bible—hence, the confusion among Christians as to their real meaning. It is important to note that “sheol” in the Old Testament refers to a temporary abode of the lost between death and their final resurrection unto judgment. “Gehenna” is the place of ultimate and everlasting punishment where Satan, his demons and the wicked will be cast (Matthew 10:28). Additionally, “Tartarus” (used only once in 2 Peter 2:4) designates the place where the angels who fell during the original satanic revolt are imprisoned.

What is Hell like?
Hell (Gehenna) is described by Jesus as “a fire that shall never be quenched” in Mark 9:43 & 45, which seems to be a reference to Isaiah 66:24. Other terms associated with Hell include “eternal punishment” (Matthew 25:46), “torments” (Luke 16:23), “…kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” (Revelations 6:8), “Lake of Fire” & “second death” (Revelations 20:14), “burning brimstone” (Revelations 19:20), “…tormented day and night forever” (Revelations 20:10), and “outer darkness” and “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12, 22:13 & 25:30). Pretty much, this isn’t somewhere you want to go, and if you believe that going to hell is inevitable for you, you are believing a lie.

Did God create Hell?
I don’t think the Bible is especially clear on this subject. We know that it was “prepared” (Matthew 25:41), but it does not specifically state who created it or how Hell was created. It is certainly possible that it was prepared by God; however, one idea is that Hell is not so much a place as it is a state of being (which would make sense given the fact that souls exist in a spiritual rather than physical form). This state of being is eternal separation from God, which by its very definition could be a place of torment. In other words, it is possible that Hell is not so much a created place as it is a place/state from which God has removed His presence, His protection and His glory (all things which both the lost and the saved alike enjoy here on earth). Could it be that when God leaves, hell is simply the natural result? This concept, I believe, is more in line with the nature of God as I see it described in the Bible. God desires that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9) and neither does He delight even in the destruction of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23), but instead desires that all would live (John 3:16,17).

Who is Hell for?
Matthew 25:41 specifically states that hell was “prepared for the devil and his angels”. God has absolutely no desire that any man or woman go to Hell. He did not prepare Hell for us, but for Satan and his followers. In fact the Bible says, 1Thessalonians 5:9 - "For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." God has only ever wanted us to spend eternity with Him in heaven. God has chosen us for paradise; however, He is not going to force us to choose Him. To be with God means to be reconciled to God, made pure and brought into a love relationship with Him. He offers this freely, but He will not force it on us. We must love Him back—and love demanded is no love at all.

Does God send people to Hell?
Matthew 25:31-46 seems to be the best description of the way in which people end up in Hell. When Christ “sends” people to Hell in this passage, it’s not so much “sending” as it is directing souls toward the only available alternative for those who can not enter into Heaven. It’s either-or, not both, and there’s no middle ground or third option. Either you get into Heaven through Christ’s payment or you don’t because you have rejected His sacrifice on your behalf. The choice, then, is entirely ours. In that sense, Christ does not “send” anyone to Hell. However, we might choose to send ourselves. This passage shows how the decision had been made long before these people stood before Christ—a decision made only by them.

Who will go to Hell?
Revelations 20:15 Though God desires that no human man or woman go to Hell, the Bible is clear that some will end up there. This verse shows that only those whose name is not found in the Book of Life, will go to Hell. The Book of Life is a record of all those who have accepted Christ’s substitutional payment for sin. If your name is written in this book, then you have nothing to worry about.

How can I escape Hell?
I’m not big on selling Christ as a form of fire insurance; however, neither can I deny that escaping Hell is a big bonus to getting to know the only One who holds the keys to Heaven. The fact is Jesus Christ—fully God, fully man, a member of the Triune God—came to earth in human form so that He might live a perfect life and die in our place. Only a perfect sacrifice can negate the hold Satan has on our souls. By rights, we belong to Satan, thanks to our long legacy of being in sin; however, if a payment is made on our behalf—the blood of a perfect sacrifice—we have the right to accept that payment and enter into God’s presence in Heaven. Through that payment our sin is covered, our guilt is released and our righteousness in God’s eyes secured. We are made “perfect” as Christ is perfect. (That is not to say that we will never again sin, but that our souls have been purchased by God through Jesus Christ and we now belong to Him and are freed from our bondage to Satan.)

Now, that’s the math, so to speak, but here’s the heart of the issue: Jesus longs for us to be present in Heaven with Him one day, yes—but more importantly, He longs for our love. He wants to enter into a harmonious, intimate love relationship with Him. He wants to be present in our lives from this moment until we draw our dying breath. He wants to be our strength and our joy and our confidence in times of trouble. And, when hard times come we know that we have nothing to fear, for God is true to His promises and once we are in His loving hands, nothing can snatch us out of His grasp. Psalm 49:15, 16 & John 10:28 See also How Do I Accept Jesus?

Should Feelings be a Basis for Faith?

Perhaps you have come across religions who say something like this: "If you have a question about our faith and aren't sure it's really true or not, just pray and ask God to give you assurance. If you experience a burning in your chest through His Holy Spirit, then you know that these things can be trusted."

Or, perhaps, you have had some kind of heightened emotional experience connected with a religious belief and, though certain aspects of that belief seem to be contradictory, you are hesitant to question them because you do not want to dismiss the validity of that experience or admit that you could have been emotionally misled in some way.

Let me offer you these words of encouragement from the Bible: Test everything. Hold on to the good. I Thessalonians 5:21

God is a mysterious Being, to be sure, and our interactions with Him will undoubtedly be quite emotional from time to time; however, He wants us to have a faith based on knowledge, wisdom and committed love, not simply emotion. Psalms 119:66 tells says, Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in your commands. And, Proverbs 2:6 says, For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. (See also: Proverbs 8:10, Proverbs 11:9, Proverbs 20:15, Proverbs 23:12, Proverbs 24:3-4, Isaiah 33:6, Phillipians 1:9-11, Colossians 1:9, 2 Peter 1:5-11)

It's important to note that, while emotion itself is not a bad thing (it was given to us by God, after all), it was never intended as a means by which to determine truth. Why? Because emotions are deceptive and can be easily swayed and manipulated by various outside forces, not the least of which is Satan himself. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us, The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

So, if our own hearts (i.e. our emotions) can be deceptive, how do we know if what the man behind the pulpit is saying is true or not? How do we know if someone is trying to deceive us? How do we know if our past emotional experiences were based on truth or on lies? We do some digging! We study and pray and then study some more. Then, once we determine that the Bible can be trusted, we use it as a lens through which we test everything else. The Bible itself actually tells us to do so through the example of the Bereans: Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Acts 17:11

You may have also noticed that these same religions that encourage a reliance on emotion, rarely encourage deep, personal study of the Bible--even if they claim that the Bible is one of their accepted religious texts. Much more emphasis is given to other, extra-biblical writings, which invariably contradict the Bible (and, hence, lead to this need for emotional validation, since intellectual validation is unobtainable.) However, the Bible welcomes deep study and is fully capable of standing up under scrutiny. God also warns us in I John 4:1-3 to be wary of those who would seek to mislead us:

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ [as defined in the Bible--added by author] has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

Remember, don't trust in your emotions or in reason apart from study, but search out these things in God's Word. Proverbs 28:26 reminds us, He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be kept safe. And Proverbs 3:5-6 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Also, II Corinthians 13:5 gives us some good advice: Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test?

Let me also share one more short passage with you, which is one of my personal favorites:

James 1:5-6

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask of God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.


Remember, God desires to speak to us--to our hearts, yes, but also to our minds. God, who created us, including every aspect of our beings--our emotions, our intellect, our sexuality, our spirits, our bodies, etc.--can, therefore, speak to every part of us, fill every part of us and fully sustain every part of us. We don't have to close off our minds in order to experience God--quite the opposite! And, when things don't make sense, He wants us to ask for wisdom--which He promises to give to us in abundance without finding any fault in us for needing it. What a wonderful promise!

How Do I Accept Jesus?

So, you've discovered Jesus's offer of forgiveness! You've realized He is the most amazing person who ever lived! You believe He was Who He said He was (God), died in your place, and came back to life, and now you're ready to ask Him to extend that payment over your life and take the lead!

How do you go about that? You tell Him that you commit your heart, your life, and your trust to Him. Basically, you do this the same way you would enter a marriage. You fall in love, you declare your love, and you commit yourself and your future to the One you love--in this case, Jesus.

The Bible says, "...if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)

Remember, you can talk to God at any time and in any way. He, being all-knowing, can hear your most secret thoughts. You don't have to say anything aloud or stand on your roof and shout. He hears you. In fact, He can read your heart even when you can't come up with the words. In this case, however, it's important that you make a conscious decision and tell Him that you are accepting Him into your heart and your life. Remember, this isn't a magical formula. Your conversation and relationship with God is a private, intimate communication between the two of you, and if you really want Him to be your Savior, Lord, and Friend, you're not going to botch it by saying the wrong thing. If, however, you aren't sure how to start or what to say, I have written a prayer below:

Dearest Lord Jesus,

Thank you so much for loving me and coming to die on the cross for my sins. I know I have sinned and that my sin has separated me from having an intimate relationship with You. I no longer want to face my future alone. Please come into my heart and into my life. I accept Your sacrifice and Your forgiveness from this moment forward. Please teach me to know You, love You, trust You, and follow You. Draw me into a close love relationship with You. I love you, Jesus, and I thank you.

Amen

Welcome to God's family! If you entered into a relationship with Jesus today, I would certainly LOVE to hear from you! I would love to celebrate with you and encourage you and answer any questions you might have.

In the meantime, here are some verses to encourage you in your new life in Christ Jesus:

John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (See Context.)

John 1:12-13 “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (See Context.)

Ephesians 1:13-14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Psalm 118:6 “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

Jeremiah 31:3 "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness."

Psalm 55:22 "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall."

Isaiah 43:1b "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine."

The Nature of Sin

The word "sin" in the Hebrew Bible is: "chatta'ah", which is an archery term. When the archer took aim and missed the bull's eye, the instructor would yell, "Sin!" I have also heard that each ring on the target, as seen below, represented one "sin". So, the further away from the bull's eye your arrow landed, the higher the number of "sins" acrued. In this competition, like in golf, the lower the final score, the better off you are. Now, let's say you're an archer, and your arrow falls short of the bull's eye. What do you do? Do you throw your bow to the ground and give up? No. You take aim and try again. Taking this analogy a little further, would a good archer ever try to hit something other than the target during practice, like, say a tree, a rock, or one of the other students? No. He or she does his/her best to aim at the bull's eye and only the bull's eye.

Sinning against God is also missing the mark. It is falling short, making a mistake, and revealing our imperfections. The Bible says, "...For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (Romans 3:23), and: "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." (Isaiah 64:6)

Most people I know wouldn't disagree with the above verses--at least in that everyone has made mistakes. We may disagree about how or why that happened and we may disagree as to the degree of our "lostness" or about what should be done about it, but most people agree that we are a broken people. There is something missing--a hole that needs to be filled. In fact, the inability or the refusal to admit guilt of any kind is indicative of a severe personality disorder. To be able to admit our own sinfulness is a vital part of our character, but hardly an extraordinary one. More importantly, we must decide what should be done about it... and here begins a journey.

Let me ask: Who sets the standard for good behavior? While each of us will adopt a code of behavior we endeavor to follow, none of us actually came up with it. Why is it wrong to steal or lie or gossip? Why is it wrong to commit murder or have an affair or manipulate others for our own self-interests? And, these questions naturally lead to others, such as: Why are these actions considered "wrong?" Why do I have to abide by these rules or any rules? Where did the concept of morality originate? Why is one person's concept of morality any better than another's?

Obviously, the concept of morality came from somewhere. I believe it came from a perfect and holy God. And, herein lies the problem. If there is a God who is holy and perfect and if we are flawed and imperfect, how can there be any communion between us?

Most religions of the world say something like the following: "If God (or, divine force) loves me and sees I am trying my best, He'll understand and let me into Heaven." This is the "weights and balance" argument at work. In other words, if my good deeds outweigh my bad deeds, I'll get into Heaven (or to the next life.) There are several problems with this belief system:

1. There is no commitment required from us. I don't even have to believe in a supernatural being at all. I can live my life, just doing my best, and let this be my fall-back hope for those times I start to fear death. This is why there are so many people who claim a religion but in the same breath say they are "non-practicing."

2. There is no relationship available. If I am trying hard to be good enough, all the attention is on me. A holy God? Why would He want to have anything to do with me? And why would I bother trying to have a genuine relationship with Him? I would fear He would just reject me, or make my life harder than it already is. Besides, I already know I just have to be good. It's better just to focus on that and hope for the best.

3. This is a system that promotes fear. I'm not a gambling person. I don't have the nerves for it, but I'd much rather gamble with my money or my car or my home than with my soul. When I die I want to KNOW where I'm going. I refuse to live my life in the constant fear of what is to come.

4. We make ourselves vulnerable to human manipulation. If I am afraid of death because I think I might not be good enough for whatever awaits, what do I do? I try to be as good as I can be while I can. And, if someone with clout in the religious community offers to show me how to do this more effectively, I would be inclined to follow them. This is how we end up with hyper-legalistic, religious societies that force women into submission, pressure men to perform at a ridiculous level, and ignore or abuse children. This kind of thing has gone on for a millennia and continues today, and there is nothing these people would like better than to add you and I to their number.

5. There is no assurance of salvation. No matter how hard I work, how many old ladies I escort safely through traffic, how much money I give to starving children around the world, and how many hours I donate at the local soup kitchen, I will never, never, never know for sure if it was enough.

6. It is a cosmically flawed game of comparisons. If I am worried about whether or not I'm good enough, I always have one fall-back--to find someone who I think is worse than I am. "Well," I comfort myself, "I know I'm not perfect, but I'm not nearly as bad as that guy!" We can always find someone who appears worse than we are. But is that what God is going to be doing? No. When He makes the comparisons, He's going to be comparing us with Himself--with absolute perfection. Now where do we stand?

Sin is not something we can undo. We are linear and no matter how much we would like to, we can't go back and fix our mistakes. We can pay for the thing we stole, ask forgiveness for the lie we told, and make amends the best we can for the friend we betrayed, but the past remains unaltered. The man who cheats on his wife may say, "I'm sorry," but is that enough to make it all go away? No. Our guilt is eternal and unchanging. More depressing still, no matter how hard we try to be good, we fail. Even our best efforts aren't good enough to make us worthy to enter the presence of a holy God.

Does God love me? Yes.
Does His love mean He's going to let me in? No.

Regardless of His great love for us, God still remains holy. God cannot change His character. He cannot be less than He is. He cannot align Himself with imperfection. Some people think this means God isn't good or isn't as powerful as some claim. They reason, "Well, if He is Who He says He is and if He wanted to let me in, He could." No. Why? Because of what would happen to us anyway. The Bible describes what happens when anything or anyone who isn't perfectly holy comes anywhere close to God's presence. They die. His glory would destroy us unless we are made perfectly clean and righteous first.

Sin is a very divisive thing. You've seen its destructive power in your life and in the lives of everyone around you. It humiliates, separates and destroys. Sin is catching. It is taught and it is learned. Parents pass ugly behaviors and attitudes on to their children and grandparents to their grandchildren. And sin touches the innocent. It's devastating effects spread from the one who commits the act to the victims until we shake our fists at heaven and cry out, "WHY HAVE YOU LET THIS HAPPEN TO ME?!"

The Bible has this to say:

"When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." (James 1:13-15)

Sin is an incredibly dangerous disease and, unfortunately, none of us are immune to it. We have all been infected and our deaths are imminent. But that is not the end of the story. Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son [Jesus] sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:34-36) (See Context.)

Is There Life After Death?

A too-brief flame
Grzegorz Wojcik (Wojnicz, Poland)
Photographed March 2006, Wojnicz, Poland


I found that picture at the Smithsonian website. They were having a contest and I really liked this one. It made me realize again how much we don't know about what lies beyond our deaths. Even as a Christian and having the Bible to shed some light on the hearafter, it is still a great mystery. Yet, many people don't believe in life after death, and I can see why. To my knowledge there is absolutely no physical or scientific evidence for such a thing. The only "evidences" (to use the term loosely) we have are deathbed accounts of what is being seen or felt or heard--just before the light goes out of their eyes and they leave this world. I find it interesting that these deathbed murmurings tend to be bright and joyful when Christians die and full of fear and sorrow when non-Christians die. Overall, though, these stories are much less frequent these days since most are doped up on pain-killers during those final moments (for humanitarian reasons, of course.)

Of course, I don't think we really need evidence for life after death to believe in it, since we have so much other evidence to believe in Jesus. Since He said so, I believe it because I believe in Him.

It is frightening, though, to recognize our own mortality--the fragility of our existence on this earth--especially if we believe that our existence will come to an abrupt and bitter end when that last breath escapes our lips. I think this thought is what atheists try most to avoid. It's an ugly, hopeless end, to be sure. No wonder so many of us try so hard to make a name for ourselves on this earth--desperately hoping that maybe, and at least, we won't be forgotten.

Of course, there is the possibility that some things may be very real but invisible and undetectable to us. The fact remains we can only know what exists, not what doesn't exist. Confused? Let me explain: If I wanted to know if there was gold in China, made a search and found some, I would know gold existed in China. If, however, I spent a great deal of time searching and didn't find any gold in China, would that mean it didn't exist there? No. I would literally have to search every single molecule in China, including those that come into the country every second. Only then, would I be able to definitively prove that there was no gold in China. So, in order to know for certain that there is no God and no spiritual presence, I would have to search the world, the galaxy and the cosmos. I would have to know everything. It's just not possible, so if we truly want to be open to truth we must leave that door open. (This is why there are so many more agnostics than atheists. They have wisely recognized this truth.)

So, what if? What if we do have a spirit? What if there is a God? What if, after death, we must make an account to that Being of our existence on earth? Is being a good person enough? And, if it is, how much good do I have to do to outweigh the bad? Are we trapped in some cosmic guessing game? And, what if, after doing my very best my whole life, I come face to face with the Creator only to realize it wasn't enough? I fell short. I am forever lost because although I tried my hardest, there was still sin in my life and perfect holiness cannot coexist with sinfulness. What if, though that Being loved me and offered me a way out, I passed up His plan for salvation in favor of my own minuscule and jaded efforts?

What if?

What if you're right? What do you get? You get to close your eyes and let every thought and memory and desire completely cease to exist. You get a cold grave. You get to decompose until nothing is left.

But, what if you're wrong? You can spend your whole life hoping that the grave will be your final resting place. You can bank your eternal soul on the hope there is no afterlife, for to be sure, if there is and you're not ready... well... who knows what could happen? As ugly as the grave sounds, a cessation of existence would be vastly preferable to what might await a corrupt, unforgiven soul. Isn't it, at least, worth another look? For, if you find Truth, you know it's there. If you don't find Truth, it could very well be out there waiting for you. What do you have to lose if you were to keep searching and keep yourself open to finding Truth?

Here's a great song by Nicole Nordeman called, "What If?"

(To be honest, I don't usually like this argument--the "what if you're wrong" argument, not because it isn't true or worth serious thought, but because it often ignores the basic truth of God's deep love and sacrifice for us. My reason for accepting Jesus's offer of forgiveness and payment for my sin had nothing to do with trying to escape hell, and everything to do with falling in love with Him and desiring to be in an intimate relationship with my Creator, Father, Savior and Friend. "Becoming a Christian" isn't spiritual fire insurance. Repeating a prayer on the back of a Christian pamphlet won't get you into Heaven. Spending time warming a bench in church or giving 10% of your income to charity won't do it, either. This is something that happens in your heart and only you can govern whether or not you will open your heart to falling head over heals in love with Him and make the decision to trust Him with your life.)

Don't let the flame of your life be snuffed out in the face of uncertainty.