Aw... Hell!

This is a blog post about Hell.  First, let me start by saying that no one likes to discuss Hell.  It isn’t some great fantasy of Christians to talk fire and brimstone.  It’s hard for me as a Christian to think about Hell and what it really means.  However, I write this post because I think it’s important to understand the Bible, every part of the Bible. To not talk about this part of the Bible is to misrepresent Jesus and the scripture.

Now, not a week goes by that I don’t hear about how evil Christians are.  I hear them called bigots, narrow-minded, extreme, and borderline fanatical.  I recently heard someone say that they were worried about any faith that excluded people.  I hear that Christians are negative and selling a message of hate and fear. Then you hear people say that if Christians loved their neighbors they would just leave them alone.  Now that one really blows my mind.

First, you must understand that Christians believe in the Bible.  They just don’t think it’s a good book.  They believe it is the infallible Word of God.  Christians believe that in His love and mercy God revealed himself to men.  Those revelations were recorded in the Bible under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Christians believe that the Bible is a gift, a means for understanding God’s will and His plan for salvation.  Christians believe that plan was culminated on a cross when Jesus Christ was voluntarily sacrificed to pay for the sins of all mankind.  Christians believe that Jesus Christ was the finest of God’s revelations, because He told us exactly what was necessary for us to be saved.  God spoke directly to us, and left nothing more to chance.

Jesus gave us many messages while He was preaching.  He talked to us about the Kingdom of Heaven.  He spoke to us of love, God’s love (John3:16) and the love we should have for each other (Mark 12:31).  He told us to the love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, and mind (Luke 10:27) and to pursue the Kingdom of Heaven first and foremost (Matthew 6:33).  He taught us to be merciful and forgiving (Ephesians 4:32).  Among all of these teachings, He also taught things that no one likes to talk about.  He taught another message that people like to forget, Hell.  We never see a painting on that topic hanging on the wall of the Christian bookstore. 

Jesus taught us about Hell and the consequences for sin.  He taught us that none of us is righteous.  He taught us that the wages of sin are death, which means that if we got what we deserved we would be punished.  He told us what Hell would be like.  He told us that there would be those that would be cast away from God.  He even told us that there would be those that thought they were saved, and their false sense of worship would be revealed in the worst way, as they were also sent away from God (Matthew 7:21-23).  Now, I type that in a nice way, but Hell is not just being sent away.  There is nothing nice about it.  When you read what the Bible, what God says about Hell, it sends chills down your spine. 

Matthew 13:49-50

This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Mark 9:47-48

And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where " 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'

Revelation 14:10-11

…he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever…

When you really spend time thinking about these parts of scripture, you feel conflicted.  You think of all the people you love and care about and then you wonder where they will spend eternity.  I think about all the people I work with, play with, and just wave to as I go about my day.  Then I realize that if I really loved and cared about them I wouldn’t want them to have that kind of a future.  If I really loved those people, or even if I just liked them, I wouldn’t want them to have an eternity of torture.  Personally I think being called a few names is a small price to pay to prevent that from happening.

When you think about the long-term consequences of this decision, every other decision made in this lifetime seems to fade into the background.  Every other portion of this life seems to pale in comparison and seem inconsequential.  Does it really matter how much you weigh?  All the mundane matters of this world suddenly seem so silly when you think of God’s plan for the world, and the salvation of your neighbors.  Jesus told us that He wanted His message spread to the four corners of the world (Matthew 28:19-20).  Don't you think that means here in our community?

I’m not writing today’s post to frighten or scare you.  Although when you think about Hell, it is frightening and scary.  I am writing this post because I want everyone to remember what is really at stake.  When you wake up tomorrow what is the most important thing you could do?  What is the most important investment you could make with your time?  Find a neighbor, friend or co-worker and tell them the Good News.  Let them know that God has a better plan for them, a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).  Take a pause from the busyness of your day and have a conversation with someone you care about.  This conversation could mean more than a moment, it could mean an eternity.

Matthew 7:13-14

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

The Dragon

Once upon a time I was a dragon.  I was a sinner outside the grace of God.  I did what was best for me with little regard to eternal or immediate consequences.  I served and worshiped myself.  I lived a life based on here and now.  I would roar and breathe fire at any who dared defy me.  I was without humility, remorse, or regard. If I were to list all the sins I was culpable for it would be a long and shocking list. 

Then something happened.  I was driving along the I-40 freeway in Arizona, listening to the New Testament on cassette tape.  I was only listening to it because I had a long drive, and one can only listen to so much music and it was free.  I had been listening to it since I left Oklahoma the day before.  Suddenly, with absolute certainty, I knew that God was in the car with me.  I could feel His arms around me in a way I never had before.  At that moment I knew God was real, I was a sinner, and I absolutely wanted Him in my life. I can remember that exact moment and that exact stretch of road with precise detail to this very day.

After that I got off the road at the next exit and bought a cross at the gas station.  I finished my drive, but now I had a hunger for the Lord.  When I got home I went to the store and bought a Bible.  I started on page 1, and started my pursuit of God.  Despite many hiccups and mistakes, I was on my way.  I was now in fellowship with the Holy Spirit, and I was beginning the process of sanctification.

In the years that have followed, I have continued to study the Bible, attend church, was baptized, and have even found places to serve within ministry.  I see myself being changed and renewed in the Word.  I see myself growing in Christ, and I marvel that God would take such a profound personal interest in someone like me.  I am reminded of the novel by C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, where Eustace, the dragon, slowly has all of his scales pealed away revealing a boy.  I am reminded of how he described the experience…

"The very first tear he made was so deep and I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off. You know – if you've ever picked the scab of a sore place. It hurts like billy-oh but it is such fun to see it coming away." (7.41-42)

Like Eustace we are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, and as we renew our mind in the Word of God, we continue to change and grow.  Our past scales are slowly removed and we are made new in Christ. However, the consequences of our past sins do not depart from us.  Even though we are forgiven our transgressions and reconciled with God, we cannot forget our past or our debts.  The people we hurt are still hurt.  The wrongs we have committed are still wrong.

Recently I encountered one of those people who I wronged before I accepted God’s grace and mercy.  I ran into someone who didn’t know me as a child of God, but had only been burned by the dragon. I couldn’t really contend with the anger and hurt I had to face from that individual.  Despite the fact that they had also been wrong, I could not hide from the conviction of my own sins.  I saw my own past reflection, the dragon I had been, and I felt broken by it. 

I could only sit silently as I was told that I was not really a Christian.  That my actions were not Christian, and that I did not reflect the teachings of God.  They were absolutely right.  My actions were not Christian.  I had not acted in a way that would have brought glory to the kingdom.  Despite all that had happened since that sin had been committed, and despite my new walk with the Lord, I had sinned against this person.
 

When you reach that point there is really only one thing that you can do, seek forgiveness for your sins and try to make amends.  It didn’t really matter to me at that point what the other person had done, all that mattered was my own sin, and how I needed to make it right.  I wanted to act in a way that is pleasing to God. I confessed my own sin and accepted my blame.  I offered forgiveness to them silently, and asked them for my own.

Beyond that, I realize that no matter what I have done, or how I believe, I remain a sinner.  Daily, despite my best intentions, I sin against the Lord. Any righteousness is bestowed on me through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, and not by any work of mine.  There are mornings when I look in the mirror and still see a dragon.  There are days when I feel like roaring or breathing fire.

So today, I looked at the dragon I once was and I asked for forgiveness.  I asked for that person’s forgiveness and I asked for God’s forgiveness. I accepted the scathing remarks against my walk with faith, trusting that God would make all things right.  I trust that even if I am not a Christian that reflects the glory of God, that He has begun a good work in me, and I eventually will be with Him in Heaven…scales and all.

Philippians 1:6

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Mission: Possible

Recently I watched Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, and I was reminded of God. This isn’t remarkable, because once you start thinking about God, you start to see Him everywhere. There’s even a popular song on Christian radio that says, “You open my eyes, and I can see you all around me..”

The point is, I was watching this movie and it got to the scene where Agent Hunt goes up to a phone, and a message states, “Your mission, should you choose to accept it…” followed by a list of directions. I heard that and I was reminded of Abraham. I imagined Abraham standing under the clouds as a voice spoke out, “Abraham, your mission, should you choose to accept it…” Then I thought of all the other biblical heroes called to serve in a mission that seemed impossible.

God called upon these men and women to serve the kingdom of God. He asked them to do things that seemed impossible, and just like the movie; He gave them all the tools they needed to accomplish it. The only thing they had to do was accept the mission. The term goes, “should you choose to accept it…”

Not one of the people in the Bible, apart from Jesus, was qualified to accomplish the mission before the call arrived. None of our biblical heroes had to accept God’s will in their lives. All of them could have passed and let someone else serve. Esther didn’t have to approach the king; she could have lived as Queen without risk. Moses didn’t have to return to Egypt and confront the Pharaoh. David didn’t have to face a giant.

The same is true for you and me. We stand here in a phone booth watching a message that could self-destruct in five seconds. We are being presented with God’s will for our lives. Do we choose to accept it? The mission won’t be easy, it will seem impossible. We will be facing a powerful enemy. We aren’t being forced to do anything, God is giving us a choice.

However, should we choose to accept, we won’t be alone. In the movie, the computer tells Ethan that should he be caught or captured the agency will disavow any knowledge of him. That is where our story is different. There is absolutely no chance that should we be caught that God will abandon us. He will be right there with you every step of the way, guiding, supporting, and strengthening you. The only part required of you is to accept the mission.

This week I have struggled with some strong emotions related to personal areas in my life. I see the direction I wanted to go in and the plans I had for my life on the wide path. I can only see glimpses of what the future holds on His narrow path. God is asking me to serve Him, and to die to myself. He is asking me to take up His mission. It might mean sacrifice. It might mean suffering. It certainly means glory for the kingdom of God. So, this week, I am choosing to say yes, to God’s mission, and all that He can make possible.

Mark 10:27 NIV
Jesus looked at them and said, “with man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

Jesse's Prayer

The Bible tells us the story of King David. He was just a young shepherd boy, the baby of the family, when he was anointed God’s king by Samuel. The Bible also tells us how he traveled to deliver his brother’s food, and ended up on a battlefield. Close your eyes and see little David standing on an empty plain staring down a giant. The Bible tells us that he was so small that he couldn’t handle the weight of the armor. He was a scrawny little boy whose faith in God outweighed his fear. What courage! I read the story of young David and I find the courage God gives me, and I am ready to face my own giants. 

However, this week I look at this story differently. As I read this story I wonder how Jesse felt. Who is Jesse? Jesse was David’s father. How did Jesse feel when he saw Samuel place the burden of leadership on his youngest son? How did Jesse feel when he learned that David walked out onto that battlefield with a pouch full of stones to fight a monster?

This week I see my daughter facing her giants. Watching her face down her fears is a lot harder than when I face my own. Watching her walk out without any armor is terrifying and I find myself gripping my Bible with white knuckles. This seems the greatest test of faith I have had to face. How do I face it?

I remember that God loves her more than I do. God cherished her before I even knew that such a glorious child could exist. When Jesus was hanging on that cross, or kneeling before the whip, he was thinking of that wonderful little girl. She was in his heart every step of the way to Golgotha. I can trust my baby to a God that loves like that.

There is more to it than that. God loves me too. When it seems like the fears of parenting are about to knock me down, God is there to lift me up. If I step out of the boat, He will take my hand and lead me across the water. He will help me find my steps and He will give me the strength and courage I need if I turn to Him.

Philippians 4:6-7  

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don't forget to thank Him for His answers. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ.

So this week, as I let me little girl go, I think of Jesse. I think of Jesse standing there watching his baby anointed as God’s chosen king. I imagined the tightness in his chest as the realization of what his son will have to face comes to him. Then I remember that David learned faith from his father. I remember that Jesse was a man of faith too, and that he trusted God to watch over his child. It is then that I can see the missing piece. I see Jesse kneeling with his son, David, and praying to God.  So, I kneel down and I empty my heart, both my joys and fears to God. I choose to trust God with my daughter.  In trusting God, I find peace. 

The Old Fisherman

Once upon a time, in a small town, there was an old fisherman. Every day for him, was much the same. He would get up, pray and spend the day serving the Lord. He was a simple guy, and was always thankful for the blessings God gave, even when they didn’t really seem like blessings to other people.

As time went by, the small town began to change. It started to get modern and the pace started to change, but not for the fisherman. He would get up, pray, and spend the day serving the Lord. He was just that simple guy.  

Eventually, one day, he got up and he noticed that the small town wasn’t much like the one he knew as a boy. People spent all their time inside, in front of computers. Kids didn’t run and play barefoot in the neighborhood. Everyone jumped into their cars in the morning, and raced off to some job without talking to each other.

That morning when the fisherman got down on his knees to thank the Lord for his blessings, the Lord spoke to him. The Lord told him that he wanted to use him to show the people that faster, newer, and shiny wasn’t always better. He wanted to use the old fisherman to remind them to do things God’s way.

The old fisherman was humbled by the Lord’s request, and didn’t really know what to say. He tried to explain to God, that he was just an old man with bad knees. He said that he walked slower than he used to, and that he just didn’t understand the world as it was today. He said he didn’t really use computers or the fancy new phones.

God replied, “You’re exactly the man I need.” So the fisherman thanked the Lord, and got up to serve Him, just as he had done every other day.

That day, the old man was working in his yard with his granddaughter, and he was handed a flier for a fishing contest. The old man smiled at the paper, and thanked the young man who had given it to him. He set the flier aside, and then was surprised when his granddaughter started reading it aloud to him.

His granddaughter told him that first prize for winning the contest was a five hundred dollar prize. The young man said that with that much money, you could get the best fishing equipment money could buy. The fisherman smiled, and told them that you didn’t need any of those things, just a stick, a worm, and a hook. God would do the rest.

The young man laughed and said that he was an old fool. There is no way anyone could win a fishing contest without all those things. Then the Lord made himself clear. The old man signed the flier that very moment and handed the form back to the young man. He explained that he and his granddaughter would be at the contest the next day.

The next day, the old man and the little girl showed up at the contest. It was crowded with motor boats, fancy rods, and all the latest technologies. He had a single rod with a hook. As they signed in they were given a number and told they could start precisely at nine o’clock.

At nine o’clock he was still walking slowly to his spot. His knees still ached and it took longer than it used to, but he wasn’t in a rush. Around him things beeped and buzzed as the other contestants tried to pull the fish from the water. Other children watched as the other contestants used all this cool equipment to win the prize.

When the old fisherman got to his spot, he and his granddaughter set the pole aside. They knelt down on the soft mud of the shore and began to dig. The other fisherman laughed as the old man dug through the mud wasting his time. He would never win. The kids, however, saw something a lot more interesting than just watching a computer screen and ran to join him.

As technology raced around him, the old fisherman sat back and watched the children dig through the mud pulling out worms and putting them in a jar. He thanked the Lord while he watched the kids provide his bait. It took them a couple hours to find enough worms for the fishing.

When they were done, he slowly got to his feet, and showed the kids how to put a piece of the worm on the hook, lower it into the water, and wait for the bite. Within a few moments he had pulled a nice silver fish from the water. The kids all “oohed” and “aahed”. The old man simple thanked the Lord and did it again.

Within the next few minutes, the old fisherman had three more fish. The contestants around him started checking their equipment, and they couldn’t understand how he was doing it. Some changed their bait. Others tried new flies. Still others rebooted their radar systems. The old man thanked the Lord.

After his third fish, he decided it was time to rest. So he sat back against the shade of the tree, and handed his pole to his granddaughter. She was hesitant to take it, but he assured her she would be fine. He winked and reminded her that she knew the secret. Joined by the other children, she stood on the bank and fished as her Papa had taught her. As he dozed, she caught seven fish. Still, the other contestants couldn’t understand.

That afternoon, all the kids from the contest gathered at the bank with the old man and his granddaughter. They took turns passing the pole around, and after each fish they thanked the Lord for his blessings. Eventually the other contestants gave up, and joined the old man as well.

By the end of the contest, there was no doubt, that God’s way was the best. The old fisherman had gotten so many fish, that there was enough for everybody to take one home. At the end of the day, with a twinkle in his eye, he watched as his granddaughter accepted the cash prize for first place. He smiled as she thanked the Lord for his blessing.

One the way home, they stopped at their church and put the money in the offering. The old man asked his girl if she were sure, and she nodded. “He was the one that caught all the fish, so He should get the prize. Besides I feel like we have enough already.” The old man nodded, took the girl’s small hand in his and walked the rest of the way home.

This post is inspired by the story of Elijah and our Papa Gooch, 

a spirit-filled man that taught us to fish.

Misconceptions: Pt II

I decided to follow up my last post on misconceptions, with another along the same theme. It can be so frustrating to see the Bible and Christianity so boldly misrepresented by the uninformed. So in the effort to bring clarity to some of these issues, I am confronting another common misconception…

Misconception:
Jesus was just a great moral teacher.

Now I have heard this argument on so many levels, and not just from unbelievers. I have heard this from those who claim the Christian faith. They stated that Jesus was just a teacher modeling a moral lifestyle. This couldn’t be further from the truth, at least not if you have read the Bible. I plan to confront this on three different points: 1) he wasn’t a great teacher, 2) he didn’t actually teach morality, and 3) he wasn’t “just” anything.

First, I contest that Jesus wasn’t a great teacher, but that wasn’t really His goal. I have been a teacher going on six years now, and I can tell you that based on our teacher evaluation standards, Jesus would be trimmed. He didn’t instruct people in a manner that would make it easy for them to learn and process new information, Jesus spoke to the masses in parables, or stories. The Bible says that frequently after teaching, Jesus would have to explain all of his teachings to the apostles privately in simpler terms. Even then, He instructed His apostles not to reveal His teachings until the appointed time. That meant that most people walked away with no idea what He had been talking about. It was part of His plan that only those with “ears to hear” would understand His teachings until the appointed time that the Holy Spirit arrived to dwell within us. So, if anything, the Holy Spirit is a great teacher.

Matthew 13: 10-14 NLT

His disciples came and asked him, "Why do you always tell stories when you talk to the people?" Then he explained to them, "You have been permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others have not. To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them. That is why I tell these stories, because people see what I do, but they don't really see. They hear what I say, but they don't really hear, and they don't understand. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah, which says: 'You will hear my words, but you will not understand; you will see what I do, but you will not perceive its meaning.

Secondly, when Jesus taught to the masses, He wasn’t teaching morality. Jesus came to teach us about God and the Kingdom of Heaven, He did not come to teach us about right and wrong. God already did that when He presented the Ten Commandments to Moses. Jesus came to present absolute truth about the nature of God. He came to show us how to live in fellowship with God. He spoke of His relationship to God and His own divinity. He taught us how to break free from the bondage of sin. He forgave sins, healed the sick, and cast out demons. None of those things are distinctly tied to morality. If anything, Jesus taught us that our personal morality was insignificant to the plan for salvation. He taught that He was the fulfillment of the Law of Moses, because we couldn’t be moral enough to fulfill it on our own. He showed us that we were distinctly immoral and we were in desperate need of a savior, for not one of us is righteous. We needed the grace of a savior because we are bound by our own sin. He taught us that through a relationship with Him we would be forgiven and find everlasting fellowship with God.

John 14:6-7 NIV
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.

Finally, Jesus wasn’t “just” anything. Jesus didn’t live His life as a regular man. He never maintained that pretense. He repeatedly and consistently claimed that He was from God. He told people that God was His Father. He referred to the scripture of Daniel, when He identified Himself as the Son of Man, a name understood to mean the Messiah. When He stood before His accusers on Good Friday, He called Himself “I AM”, the name that God used when speaking with Moses, and told them that He would be seated at the right hand of the Father. He claimed to be the Master of the Sabbath and claimed the power of forgiveness. He taught He would destroy the temple, the holy place of God, and build it up again in three days. He taught that He was the only path to fellowship with God. To consider that Jesus was just a teacher, or just anything, is irrational. After the resurrection and ascension, the apostles and those that followed were willing to die to defend the divinity of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, there are people still being martyred today all over the world for Christ. Would you be willing to die for a man that was “just” a teacher?

C.S. Lewis - Mere Christianity
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

There have been many great moral leaders in the history of humanity. There have been people that have left a mark on our culture, but none so much as Jesus Christ. Nearly two thousand years after the crucifixion, the teachings of Christ are still being taught. His truth has been spread across the globe, and billions of people have fallen on their knees and called him Lord. People are willing to trek through foreign lands and face death to spread the Gospel. Jesus is the salvation of mankind. He is the perfect lamb that was slain to take away the sins of the world. He is the Living God who has existed since the beginning of time. He was, He is, and He is to come. He came to save us, and is seeking a relationship with you.

John 1:1 NIV
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Misconceptions: Pt I

One of my favorite hobbies is to read the news on NPR. I like to read all the articles, and then go down and read the comments. When you read the comments you see the foolishness of both sides. At times, the article is faith related, and then both sides really come out swinging. In the midst of the name-calling (both sides) and sarcasm, I sometimes see misconceptions about God posted there, and I thought it would be worth confronting some of those misconceptions.

Misconception:

If God loves us so much, how could He send us to Hell?

I don’t think anyone has had a conversation with an unbeliever and not heard this question. The truth is, that this is a total misconception. God doesn’t send you to Hell… you are choosing to go. Huh? To understand, you must first understand a little about our Creator.


God is perfect. God is holy. God is just. He has the awesome power of the sun, and His radiance extends beyond Him in waves of glory. Because God is just, holy, and perfect He cannot tolerate sin. If He did, He would no longer be just. If He allowed sin, He would no longer be holy. See the pattern here? It would be like a judge handing out pardons in court because he likes the defendants, or cares about them as people. 


God created us to enjoy the world and exist in fellowship with Him. He also loved us so much that He didn’t want to force our love in return, so He blessed us with free will. Well, we take that free will and we get into as much trouble as we possibly can. We enjoy our sin, and some of us are even in love with it. This means we cannot exist in fellowship with God anymore.


It would be like standing next to the sun (remember awesome power of the sun?) without any protection. What would happen if we did that? Well, we would be a pile of powder and ashes. Now, would it be fair to say that the sun chose to destroy us? Or would it be more reasonable to say that because we chose to be unprotected we suffered the consequences of trying to be that close to the sun?


Suppose we decided, as some do, that we just don’t care to be in fellowship with God, then it wouldn’t be like standing next to the sun. Can’t we choose just not to get that close? Should we go to Hell for that? The answer to that question is this… imagine a life without the sun. Our planet would be a frozen block of ice, floating in darkness, without the ability to sustain life. Sounds like hell, right? Living for eternity away from the glory of God is like that.

Now, God could have told us that because we had chosen to live a life of sin, that we were doomed, and he would have been just, holy and perfect to do so. After all He did present the Ten Commandments to Moses telling us how to be perfect, just and holy.  He could have watched and waited for us to reach that standard.  However, God loves us so much, that He chose to save us from ourselves before we deserved it. He knew we could never stand next to the awesome power of the sun without protection, so He sent us (wait for it) Son-screen.


Jesus came to earth both God and man, and He was able to live a perfect, just and holy life. Upon His death He could have instantly rejoined God in fellowship. However, out of love for us, He didn’t. He chose to take all of our sins upon Himself and accept our punishment. So according to the eyes of God, I have never sinned, because Jesus paid for them in full. All of my sins have been washed away leaving me as white as snow. Not backyard snow, but the blinding snow of Antarctica that hurts your eyes if you look directly at it.  This means that when I die, I get to go stand with the awesome power of the sun, and I won’t be destroyed. I will get to have eternity with God in heaven forever.


The only people who are going to Hell now, are the ones that are choosing to go. Jesus offered the same gift to you, that was offered to me. The only difference between me and someone else, is that I accepted it, and others reject it. If you choose to not take the protection of the Advocate who will speak to God on your behalf, it is your choice. It’s that same gift of free will that was given to all of God’s children. However, if you refuse, it’s because you are choosing to put yourself in Hell, and that’s the truth.

Truth:

God loves us so much, that He died so we wouldn’t go to Hell.

John 3:16-17 NLT

“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. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.