When I first encountered this atheist graphic, I experienced a moment of heart sickness because there are Christians out there who actually think like this.
I see this kind of horrific mindset every time someone who claims to follow Jesus of Nazareth (whom many people believe is the divine Son of God) almost gleefully tells gay people or atheist people that they’re going to burn in hell.
it’s almost as if they think God WANTS some people to burn. Not only is that a sickening thought, it’s also wrong, wrong, wrong.
Here’s the truth, according to the original-source biographies of Jesus and writings by His earliest followers:
- God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost, but have eternal life.
- God is being patient with you. He doesn’t want anyone to be lost. He wants everyone to change their ways and stop sinning.
- God wants everyone to be saved and to fully understand the truth.
Does any of this sound like God is holding a lighter, just itching to turn you into a screaming torch?
These ancient quotes point to an important bottom line: every person on this planet has done wrong and failed to do right. No exceptions. And this is serious business because according to Jesus, God is perfect and that’s His standard for judging all of humanity.
When this life is finished, one of his earliest followers wrote that every one of us will appear before God and have to somehow explain away all the wrong things we’ve done and the right things we’ve failed to do.
I guarantee you it’s not going to go well. But God offers a solution: Jesus. When Jesus was found guilty of ridiculous, trumped-up charges and crucified on a Roman cross, that death paid the penalty you and I would have to pay for our moral crimes. He took our punishment on His shoulders.
I call that an extraordinary, life-changing gift. And that gift is available to EVERYONE. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done (or not done). As author Philip Yancey put it so well in What’s So Amazing About Grace, “God gave up His own Son rather than give up on humanity”.
How can you get in on this gift? Just accept it. That’s all.
When you believe that Jesus took the penalty for your moral crimes and decide you want to follow Him, He’ll come into your heart and start a life-long process of making you the person God created you to be. And when this life ends and you stand before God, the only thing God will see is His Son’s perfection.
Are you interested? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.
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