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Posts Tagged ‘What does it take to get into Heaven?’

LEARNING AND UNLEARNING

Posted in It's Not About 'Religion', tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 5, 2023| 1 Comment »

Well. This atheist meme certainly paints “religion” in a very bad light. And I get it. As a follower of Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God), I want nothing to do with the negative, judgemental attitudes that infest religion like a cancer.

So, from a Jesus-following perspective, what about the points made in the meme? Give me a few minutes to go over them and, hopefully, give you something substantial to think about.

  1. Am I “nothing” without God? From one viewpoint, absolutely. You, me, this planet and this universe would not exist without its creator. But my faith tells me all human beings are loved by God. No exceptions. He so much thinks YOU are “something” that He sent His Son to show us a new way to live, and then die to make up for ALL the wrong things His followers have done and ALL the right things we’ve failed to do. In that way, we are *everything* to God.
  2. Some of our desires are, indeed, sinful. My desire to always look good means I’ll sometimes lie or hold back information or avoid difficult situations. That’s sinful. Are you OK with all your desires? What actions have you done — or not done — because of your desires? Got any regrets?
  3. Our spiritual selves are of vital importance. Would anyone other than atheists (who claim we have no souls) think otherwise? But our physical selves matter just as much and I don’t know of any Jesus followers who disagree with me. That’s why so many Jesus followers support Samaritan’s Purse, LifeWater, International Justice Mission and other organizations that help people physically and spiritually.
  4. When this meme was created, I’m assuming “saving others” meant spiritually. Well, from my perspective, that’s false. I am not responsible for spiritually saving anyone. Jesus told His followers to “Go everywhere in the world. Tell the Good News to everyone.” See the difference? In words and deeds, I’m supposed to *tell* them about Jesus. It’s GOD who does the saving.
  5. Just one way to live? That’s ridiculously vague. People, including Jesus followers, live all sorts of lives. That said, Jesus told anyone willing to listen that “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Anyone who doesn’t like that has a problem with Jesus, not His followers. And if He is the Son of God, then he has the right to make this statement. (If you’re not sure who Jesus is, check out the ‘Links to other sites’ tab.)
  6. Are all people “broken”? You won’t like the answer, because all people older than toddlers, who have even a slight ability to discern right from wrong, are broken. All of us have done wrong and failed to do right. That includes you and it certainly includes me. Just ask my patient and forgiving wife. Now here’s the thing: Jesus told anyone open to hearing that “You must be perfect, just as my father in Heaven in perfect.” So, that’s what it takes to get to Heaven. Since we ALL fall short of this standard, we ALL need saving.
  7. Sometimes I can trust myself. Sometimes. Other times I miss the target more often than a drunk darts player. So in the end, I cannot trust myself to make the right decisions, to understand who I am and who God is. That’s just one reason why I follow Jesus. Because I CAN trust Him.

So, do my explanations help you better understand a life of faith? Does following Jesus (and avoiding “religion”) make more sense? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation. 🙂

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THE FACTS AROUND HELL AND UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 23, 2020| 4 Comments »

Maybe you’ve wondered about the very pointed question in this meme. Certainly atheists and others have long argued that a loving creator would never devise anything as horrifying as hell.

So stick with me while we examine the facts around hell and a loving God.

1. Hell was absolutely NOT created for human beings. Says who? Says Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is God’s perfect Son.

In one of the primary source documents about His physical life on earth, Jesus referred to hell as “the fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels.” That’s right. NOT for people.

2. God’s love is absolutely unconditional. How do I know that? Because there are people in Heaven right now who have lived lives much more wretched and evil than you and me. I wrote a blog about one of those people: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-ko.

Maybe that fact disgusts you. I understand. But every person on this planet, including you and me, has committed moral crimes – either through the bad things we’ve done or through the good things we’ve failed to do. Every. Single. Person. So who are we to tell God where people should go after their lives end?

3. Hell continues to exist because many, many people – past, present and future – want it to exist. No, I’m not losing my sanity. Hear me out.

Getting into Heaven is simple. Just be absolutely perfect. It’s the price of admission because Jesus said, “you must be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

How can anyone achieve this impossible standard? On our own, we can’t. But it’s a different story when we decide, with sober thoughtfulness, to follow Jesus. He sacrificed His life to pay the penalty for the moral crimes of every person who declares Him Lord and Saviour. For those followers, God doesn’t see our crimes; all He sees is His Son’s perfection.

So what happens to people who reject Jesus? They’re sending God a clear, unmistakable message: “I don’t want to go to Heaven when this life finishes. I want to go to hell.” And so the God of unconditional love grants them their wish, even though He desperately doesn’t want to.

I know God wants everyone – including YOU – in Heaven because one of the people Jesus personally trained to follow after him wrote “The Lord does not want any person to be punished forever. He wants all people to be sorry for their sins and turn from them.”

So consider Jesus to be a gift. All you need to do is accept it, then He’ll come into you life and start to make you more like the person He knows you can be. And when this life ends, you’ll meet Him face-to-face in Heaven. Interested? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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