As we read through the Bible, God's inerrant word, we can see that there are 2 ways to live. This would be God's way or the devil's way. Moreover, there are 2 ways to die - those who die while trusting in Jesus as their personal Saviour, and those who don't.
In addition to this, we can see clearly that there are 2 destinations that people can end up in. Those who die right with God go to Heaven, those who don't go to Hell. This is so clearly taught in the Bible it is irrefutable. However, there are "Christians" calling themselves " Universalists" who believe that everyone gets to Heaven eventually. There is even a forum on the internet going under the name of "Evangelical Universalists' Forum". These people manipulate God's word and use it deceitfully in order to justify the ludicrous suggestion that if a person dies in an impenitent state then he, or she, will still get to Heaven. Indeed, one such person even suggested to me that atheists will be in Heaven even if they don't repent of their atheism.
Despite such verses as 2 Thess. 1 v 7-9, (which teach that God's judgement rests on those who do not know Him) and Matthew 25 v 46 (which teaches that there is eternal blessing for the saved and eternal punishment for the lost) these poor creatures still insist that everyone will get to Heaven in the end.
Not only are they deceitful in their use of God's word but they are leading others astray. Put yourself in the place of the following person (we'll call him "James"):
James has led a life full of doing harm to others, he robs people, he cheats on his wife by going off with other women (and other men!), he swears with every other word, he constantly picks fights and arguments with others, he is frequently in and out of prison, and he is an atheist to boot. This man, should he truly repent and accept Christ, will be saved. God will be merciful to him. However, he doesn't see the need to repent for one simple reason - a universalist told him that everyone gets to Heaven in the end. Once he heard that he reasoned thus with himself "even if there is a God I've got nothing to worry about because there is no Hell and God will see me right in the end".
This man does not see the need to repent and so he continues in his debauched life. Eventually he dies and goes to Hell. Of course, he is ultimately responsible for his own sins as he chose to live in them and not repent. However, the universalist is also responsible because he told him a falsehood about God and led him into living in a fool's paradise.
If universalism is true then James would get to Heaven, even though there has been no repentance. That would be a travesty of justice and would immediately call into question the credibility of God as One who is holy, and cannot allow sin into Heaven.
Moreover, if universalism is true then seeking to obey the great commission would be a complete waste of time. Why bother telling others about Jesus, and risking persecution, if everyone gets to Heaven in the end?
The Bible is crystal clear - those who repent and accept Christ as their personal Saviour will enjoy the blessings of an eternal Heaven; those who don't will endure the torments of an eternal Lake of Fire! Revelation 20 v 15.
Wednesday, 16 October 2013
Friday, 4 October 2013
Is this person beyond redemption?
Due to the fact that we frequently hear disturbing news reports we have tended to become hardened to the sufferings of others. However, the main item on last night's 6 o'clock news was so shocking that most of us would have been deeply distressed. It revolved around a "lady" by the name of Amanda Hutton (no relation to me, I hasten to add) who had starved her son to death and then left him for 21 months without alerting anyone to what had happened.
She has rightly been sent to prison for manslaughter and, no doubt, many are saying that she should spend eternity in Hell for what she had done. The question remains though - is she beyond redemption? Can a person who has caused so much suffering to a small child ever find God's forgiveness and mercy? The answer is yes.
What she did was wicked; however, the Bible says that we have all fallen short of God's standard. We have all sinned and failed God in so many ways. Even if we haven't killed anybody we have all hated people in our hearts and, according to Jesus in the sermon on the mount, that is the same as killing them. (Matthew 5 v 21-22).
However, the good news is that when Jesus died on the cross He paid the price for our sins and rose again to be our Saviour. That means that any of us, if we are truly repentant and accept the Lord Jesus as our personal Saviour, will find God's forgiveness and mercy. Once we have made our peace with God we can have assurance of Heaven even if we have had an evil past - Christ's blood wipes the slate clean.
The implications of what I have written above are not too popular. Most people don't object to the idea of a Heaven for those who haven't hurt others and a Hell for child killers. However, when we tell them that all of us deserve Hell they won't be too pleased about that: and when we tell them that even the vilest and most wicked of people will get into Heaven by repenting and accepting Christ then we are likely to be extremely unpopular to the point of being hated and despised.
The Bible though, is crystal clear - in Acts 16 v 31 the Apostle Paul said, to a particularly violent and nasty man, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you WILL be saved".
The glory of the Christian Gospel is that God's mercy is there for ANYONE who will turn from sin and turn to Christ. Assurance of Heaven is there for ANYONE who accepts Christ as their personal Saviour. Perhaps this is why many who have led bad lives do turn to Christ, and the so-called respectable, law-abiding people refuse the Gospel. The latter think that they do not need Christ; on the judgement day they will realise, to their cost, that they did need Him - but it will be too late.
She has rightly been sent to prison for manslaughter and, no doubt, many are saying that she should spend eternity in Hell for what she had done. The question remains though - is she beyond redemption? Can a person who has caused so much suffering to a small child ever find God's forgiveness and mercy? The answer is yes.
What she did was wicked; however, the Bible says that we have all fallen short of God's standard. We have all sinned and failed God in so many ways. Even if we haven't killed anybody we have all hated people in our hearts and, according to Jesus in the sermon on the mount, that is the same as killing them. (Matthew 5 v 21-22).
However, the good news is that when Jesus died on the cross He paid the price for our sins and rose again to be our Saviour. That means that any of us, if we are truly repentant and accept the Lord Jesus as our personal Saviour, will find God's forgiveness and mercy. Once we have made our peace with God we can have assurance of Heaven even if we have had an evil past - Christ's blood wipes the slate clean.
The implications of what I have written above are not too popular. Most people don't object to the idea of a Heaven for those who haven't hurt others and a Hell for child killers. However, when we tell them that all of us deserve Hell they won't be too pleased about that: and when we tell them that even the vilest and most wicked of people will get into Heaven by repenting and accepting Christ then we are likely to be extremely unpopular to the point of being hated and despised.
The Bible though, is crystal clear - in Acts 16 v 31 the Apostle Paul said, to a particularly violent and nasty man, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you WILL be saved".
The glory of the Christian Gospel is that God's mercy is there for ANYONE who will turn from sin and turn to Christ. Assurance of Heaven is there for ANYONE who accepts Christ as their personal Saviour. Perhaps this is why many who have led bad lives do turn to Christ, and the so-called respectable, law-abiding people refuse the Gospel. The latter think that they do not need Christ; on the judgement day they will realise, to their cost, that they did need Him - but it will be too late.
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