Hi Fish,
Don't you love it when a plan comes together? Here I was, just sitting here wondering how to explain the depth of God's love for us, just wondering how to explain the length God has gone just to be able to forgive us -- if we will, by grace through faith, receive Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. And, viola! -- Fish, you give me a perfect seque into our discussion.
In 1993, before my mom's passing, she was in Helen Keller Hospital recuperating from a stroke. She and I were alone in her room, watching a Christian show on television and talking. I made the statement,
"Mom, you know that Jesus will forgive a person, no matter how bad he has been, if he will only ask Jesus to be his Lord and Savior. It does not matter if that person has killed twenty people; if he will turn to Jesus Christ in repentance, and ask Him to come into his heart as his Lord and Savior -- that person will be forgiven." Her response almost knocked me off my chair when she innocently said,
"I didn't know that." Of course, I should not have been surprised; for my step-father had been taking her to a cult church for twenty years. So, how could she have known the truth of salvation? Praise God, before she died, the Lord in His wonderful way brought her to a place where she could hear the Truth and be saved. Now she is with Him for eternity.
How do we know the depth of God's love for us? We are told in Romans 5:8,
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Do you love anyone enough that you would send your only son, your only child, to die for that person? Yet, that is what God did for us; He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross -- for the sole purpose of offering every single one of us the opportunity to gain eternal forgiveness and eternal salvation through His death. He died that you might live; yet, He now lives that your might have eternal life -- with God. That is the depth of God's love for you.
He will not force you to believe. You can go on believing in Darwin/Dawkins/Harris/Hitchens, et al, and worshipping at their altar of worldly treasures and pleasures -- if you are that foolish. Or, you can turn to Jesus Christ, ask His forgiveness (regardless of your sins; regardless of how sinful a life you might have lived or may be currently living; regardless of the times you might have scoffed at Jesus Christ, God, the Bible) -- and He will forgive all sincere petitions for forgiveness. He will come into your heart and life (Revelation 3:20) and be your personal Friend, your personal Lord and Savior -- if you sincerely ask.
A good friend of mine, Olga Robertson, a devout Christian lady from Lebanon, has spent nearly fifty years of her life sharing the Gospel with prison inmates. She spent twenty-five years living inside the walls of the New Bilibid Prison, a large prison in Manila, Philippines -- where the prisoners built a house for her within the prison wall. She and her adopted Filipino son, Shalom, lived among the prisoners -- from small time thieves to hardened convicted murderers. In her book
"The Men In My Life," she shares many stories of her involvement with convicted criminals; many of them murderers. And she shares the sorrow of seeing men on death row, men who had received Jesus Christ into their hearts -- but, still must pay the ultimate civil penalty for their crimes. On the other hand, she has seen men, convicted criminals, who became Christian believers while in prison -- leave prison after serving their time and become pastors on the outside; spending the rest of their lives serving Jesus Christ. Yes, there is forgiveness; regardless of your sin -- if you will humble yourself, repent, and ask Jesus to come in and dwell within you.
You can read more about the life of this amazing woman at:
http://www.calvarymagazine.org/Personal_Testimony/personal_testimony_25.pdf And, you can read the Blog of a young Filipina who has the privilege of being Olga Robertson's friend:
http://fransyl.multiply.com/photos/album/51/A_Day_with_Mommy_Olga_Robertson Fish, regardless of how badly you want to paint Christians as being foolish for knowing that our God is real, for knowing that the Bible is His Written Word for all believers, for knowing that eternal life comes only through Jesus Christ -- it is you, my Friend, who is being foolish.
"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:20) .
Sadly, we are told of those who prefer the gods of this world over their Creator,
"For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures" (Romans 1:21-23).
My Friend, Fish, I sincerely pray that you will one day realize that your scoffing, your denial of God -- is only your way of trying to deny your accountability to Him. You and I WILL one day stand before Him in judgment. Of this there is no question. I just pray that you will be with me and all other believers at the Bema Seat Judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10, 1 Cor 3:11-15, 1 Peter 5:4); where all believers will receive their rewards for the life lived here on earth. Some will receive many; others like Bill Gray will just rejoice at being in heaven with Him.
In 2 Corinthians 5:10, we are assured,
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." And, we are told in Romans 14:11-12 (nkjv),
"For it is written: 'As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.' So then each of us shall give account of himself to God." You see, Fish, we are promised, and Jesus does not break His promises, that,
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).
The only alternative to the Bema Seat Judgment is the Great White Throne Judgment described in Revelation 20:11-15. This judgment is a true demonstration of God's perfect justice -- for here, He allows all non-believers to stand before Him and bear witness of their own disbelief, their own mocking and denial of Him, their own sinful lifestyle. Then, He pronounces judgment,
"And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." I am sorry, my Friend, there is no easy way to soften it; a person, in this life, must make a choice (making no choice is making a choice) between following Jesus Christ or following Satan. There are no other choices; there are no other alternatives -- these are the only two eternal destinations: heaven with Jesus Christ -- or hell with Satan.
With all my heart, I pray that you will put aside your worldly arrogance, your fear of accountability, and receive Him as your personal Lord and Savior.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill Gray
billdory@pacbell.net
Alabama bred,
California fed,
Blessed by God to be a Christian American!
