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Is Jesus God?
7 min read
I was once asked, "How could Jesus be God? Wasn't he just a prophet?"
This is a very good point... the ramifications of this is if Jesus isn't God or God's son then all of Christianity is really worthless. But the issue is not what we want to believe, but rather, who did Jesus claim to be? And is his claim true?
Just some things to think about... would the religious leaders of Jesus' day have had him killed if he was just a prophet or teacher? Many considered him to be a good man and he had a lot of followers. It seems like what he taught, like love your neighbor, do good to your enemies, etc., and all of the healing and feeding the poor he did wasn't really worth having him imprisoned, beaten and crucified. So why were the religious leaders so mad at him?
Was Jesus just a good teacher, or did he claim to be more?
Jesus claimed equality with God. In John 5 we read that Jesus healed a lame man on the Sabbath. And because he did this "work" on the Sabbath the religious leaders got upset at him. This is how John 5:16-18 reads:
"16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. 17 Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." 18 For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God."
He called God "MY Father" and not "OUR Father" indicating to the Jews that he was personally relating himself to God. And the Jews completely understood him as equating himself with God. This was blasphemous to the Jews and according to their law was punishable by death.
Jesus also acted as if he was God. According to Jewish theology only God could forgive sins. In Mark 2:5 we read where Jesus healed another man and after healing him he said, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Here's the response from the Jews to what Jesus just said in Mark 2:6-7:
"6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
None could forgive sin except the one against whom all have sinned. Jesus must have thought he was God to act as God in forgiving people's sin.
Jesus called himself God. In John 10 we read where Jesus is teaching and in the middle of his teaching, in verse 30, he says, "I and the Father are one." That, of course, did not sit well with the Jews. John 10:31-33 reads:
"31 Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" 33 "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."
Why were they wanting to stone him? Even though he was a man, he claimed to be God.
So even after all the healing, feeding and good things he taught, the Jewish leaders had him arrested. Why? If he was just a prophet and good man it doesn't make sense. Unless the Jews thought something else.
At Jesus' trial in Mark 14:61-65 we read:
"...the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" 62 "I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." 63 The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked. 64 "You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" They all condemned him as worthy of death. 65 Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, "Prophesy!" And the guards took him and beat him."
The most confirming evidence of Jesus' claiming to be God was expressed in his response and in the reaction of the religious leaders. Look at what the high priest said, "Why do we need any more witnesses?" At that point the Jews were faced with two alternatives: that Jesus' assertions were outlandish blasphemy or that he really was God. They chose blasphemy.
In most trials the accused are tried for what they are alleged to have done. This was not the case in the trial of Jesus.
He was tried for who he claimed to be and for nothing that he had done. And so he was tried, convicted of blasphemy, was severely beaten, and died a torturous death on a Roman cross.
What was wrong with him? Why go through all of that? At any point he could have said, "Hey, just kidding, I'm not really equating myself with God. I really don't think I'm God. You just misunderstood what I was saying." But he never did. Why? Was he lying? Maybe he was crazy? Or was he really God?
Only 3 possibilities surface in the case of Jesus. Either he was lying about being God, or he was crazy (a lunatic) just foolishly believing he was God, or he really was God. There aren't logically any other possibilities. He hasn't left any others open to us.
Was he a liar? Could he be a good, moral prophet and teacher and yet make up all of these lies about his equality with God? No. He would be deceitful and untrustworthy. It seems by his miracles that he was backing up this claim, so a lot of people of his day continued to follow him. And even when he was arrested, tried, beaten and crucified, he never once changed the position of his claim to be God. See he died because of that claim. People will die a lot of times for what they believe is true. But never will a person die for what they know is a lie. He couldn't have been just a good teacher and then died for what he knew was a lie.
Was he crazy then? Maybe he mistakenly believed he was God because of some mental disturbance. After all, it's possible to be both sincere and wrong. Only crazy people think of themselves as God and are put in counseling or an institution because of it. But this one is hard to pin on him because of the clarity and depth of his teaching. He was incredibly consistent in his behavior and intellectually "wowed" the crowds that followed him. Many modern psychiatrists confirm the sanity of Jesus based on what he did and said. So it's unlikely that he was deranged.
So was he God? What do you think?
Christians don't believe Jesus is God because they say he is God. Christians believe Jesus is God because HE claimed to be and proved it. He proved it by raising himself from the dead. If Jesus raised himself from the dead, then it all makes sense. His claims to be God, his forgiving of sins and his teaching about eternal life being found only in him comes together at his resurrection. And if someone raises himself from the dead, thereby showing that he has power over death, then that's the guy I'm going to follow. We can totally trust him and what he taught if that happened. And we can trust his claim that he is God.
For evidence of his resurrection check out the following:
www.leaderu.com/everystudent/e…
www.leaderu.com/truth/1truth22…
This is a very good point... the ramifications of this is if Jesus isn't God or God's son then all of Christianity is really worthless. But the issue is not what we want to believe, but rather, who did Jesus claim to be? And is his claim true?
Just some things to think about... would the religious leaders of Jesus' day have had him killed if he was just a prophet or teacher? Many considered him to be a good man and he had a lot of followers. It seems like what he taught, like love your neighbor, do good to your enemies, etc., and all of the healing and feeding the poor he did wasn't really worth having him imprisoned, beaten and crucified. So why were the religious leaders so mad at him?
Was Jesus just a good teacher, or did he claim to be more?
Jesus claimed equality with God. In John 5 we read that Jesus healed a lame man on the Sabbath. And because he did this "work" on the Sabbath the religious leaders got upset at him. This is how John 5:16-18 reads:
"16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. 17 Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." 18 For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God."
He called God "MY Father" and not "OUR Father" indicating to the Jews that he was personally relating himself to God. And the Jews completely understood him as equating himself with God. This was blasphemous to the Jews and according to their law was punishable by death.
Jesus also acted as if he was God. According to Jewish theology only God could forgive sins. In Mark 2:5 we read where Jesus healed another man and after healing him he said, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Here's the response from the Jews to what Jesus just said in Mark 2:6-7:
"6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
None could forgive sin except the one against whom all have sinned. Jesus must have thought he was God to act as God in forgiving people's sin.
Jesus called himself God. In John 10 we read where Jesus is teaching and in the middle of his teaching, in verse 30, he says, "I and the Father are one." That, of course, did not sit well with the Jews. John 10:31-33 reads:
"31 Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" 33 "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."
Why were they wanting to stone him? Even though he was a man, he claimed to be God.
So even after all the healing, feeding and good things he taught, the Jewish leaders had him arrested. Why? If he was just a prophet and good man it doesn't make sense. Unless the Jews thought something else.
At Jesus' trial in Mark 14:61-65 we read:
"...the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" 62 "I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." 63 The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked. 64 "You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" They all condemned him as worthy of death. 65 Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, "Prophesy!" And the guards took him and beat him."
The most confirming evidence of Jesus' claiming to be God was expressed in his response and in the reaction of the religious leaders. Look at what the high priest said, "Why do we need any more witnesses?" At that point the Jews were faced with two alternatives: that Jesus' assertions were outlandish blasphemy or that he really was God. They chose blasphemy.
In most trials the accused are tried for what they are alleged to have done. This was not the case in the trial of Jesus.
He was tried for who he claimed to be and for nothing that he had done. And so he was tried, convicted of blasphemy, was severely beaten, and died a torturous death on a Roman cross.
What was wrong with him? Why go through all of that? At any point he could have said, "Hey, just kidding, I'm not really equating myself with God. I really don't think I'm God. You just misunderstood what I was saying." But he never did. Why? Was he lying? Maybe he was crazy? Or was he really God?
Only 3 possibilities surface in the case of Jesus. Either he was lying about being God, or he was crazy (a lunatic) just foolishly believing he was God, or he really was God. There aren't logically any other possibilities. He hasn't left any others open to us.
Was he a liar? Could he be a good, moral prophet and teacher and yet make up all of these lies about his equality with God? No. He would be deceitful and untrustworthy. It seems by his miracles that he was backing up this claim, so a lot of people of his day continued to follow him. And even when he was arrested, tried, beaten and crucified, he never once changed the position of his claim to be God. See he died because of that claim. People will die a lot of times for what they believe is true. But never will a person die for what they know is a lie. He couldn't have been just a good teacher and then died for what he knew was a lie.
Was he crazy then? Maybe he mistakenly believed he was God because of some mental disturbance. After all, it's possible to be both sincere and wrong. Only crazy people think of themselves as God and are put in counseling or an institution because of it. But this one is hard to pin on him because of the clarity and depth of his teaching. He was incredibly consistent in his behavior and intellectually "wowed" the crowds that followed him. Many modern psychiatrists confirm the sanity of Jesus based on what he did and said. So it's unlikely that he was deranged.
So was he God? What do you think?
Christians don't believe Jesus is God because they say he is God. Christians believe Jesus is God because HE claimed to be and proved it. He proved it by raising himself from the dead. If Jesus raised himself from the dead, then it all makes sense. His claims to be God, his forgiving of sins and his teaching about eternal life being found only in him comes together at his resurrection. And if someone raises himself from the dead, thereby showing that he has power over death, then that's the guy I'm going to follow. We can totally trust him and what he taught if that happened. And we can trust his claim that he is God.
For evidence of his resurrection check out the following:
www.leaderu.com/everystudent/e…
www.leaderu.com/truth/1truth22…
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
Only Christians Go to Heaven?
8 min read
Q: If only Christians go to Heaven then does that mean more than 3 quarters of the world go to ‘hell’? I think it must be pretty crowded at this point.....and what about animals? They don’t know Jesus from a blade of grass to munch on........so does that mean heaven is a huge church that sings hymms, has bar-b-ques (guess that answers the animal part of my question), on Easter Sunday with Jesus as the guest of honor and never a sorry word is ever said??
These are great questions. I have decided to break them down and address them one at a time.
>>”If only Christians go to heaven....?”
That depends on what is meant by the term Christian. To be a true Christian is to be one who has received forgiveness of sins by the Grace of God through repentance and faith in Christ and are following Christ as Lord of his/her life..
>>”does that mean more than 3 quarters of the world go to ‘hell’?”
No one knows the hearts of men but God. So the number of people going to hell is really impossible for anyone to say. That means the question really is: Do I know where I am headed when I die?
>>”I think it must be pretty crowded at this point.....”
Could be a fair assumption... Another interesting question at this point is why do people go to hell anyway?
“It is appointed man once to die and after that to face the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) A very popular assumption is that if my good outweighs my bad then I should be OK when I get there. “I’m a pretty good person, and I think God is going to take that into consideration.” But what would concern me is this:
How good is good enough? Where is the line drawn to let me know if I really am OK?
The Bible gives a test for this goodness and it is called the 10 Commandments.
Do you think you have kept the 10 Commandments? Have you ever told a lie? Ever stolen something? Ever coveted? Ever lusted? Ever used God’s name in vain? Ever disobeyed your parents? Has God always been first in your life?
I’ve broken all of them. Standing before God, would He find you innocent or guilty of breaking His commands? He will find you guilty if you have broken even one.
If guilty, would He send you to Heaven (reward) or hell (punishment)? “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23). None of us can measure up to the standard of God’s righteousness. You are guilty (and so am I) of sinning (breaking His laws) against God Himself, and, because you have a conscience, (con-with, science-knowledge) you have sinned “with knowledge.”
Isn’t it true that every time you lied, stole, lusted, etc., that you knew it was wrong? I knew it every time.
Some more bad news though. You have actually angered God by your sin and are made an “enemy of God in your mind through your wicked works,” (Colossians 1:21) This news scared me. If God is all powerful and was able to create the entire universe out of nothing, I know I certainly didn’t want to be His enemy. People go to hell because they have broken God’s Laws and in order for God to be good He must be just and punish all lawbreakers (you, me and the whole world).
So that’s the bad news.
The Good News is...even though we broke the law... Jesus (God in flesh) paid our fine. The Bible tells us there is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood. (Hebrews 9:22) And so Jesus shed His for us on the cross... And we can trust Him and what He did because He rose from the dead. No one else has power over death.
In response to Him you should Repent: You as a fallen human are a rebel who must lay down his arms, which are sins, surrendering to God, saying you are sorry, realizing you have broken His law, and are ready to start life over again (being born-again)–that is the only way out... This process of surrender is what God calls repentance.
“Now he commands all people everywhere to repent...” (Acts 17:30) You must cry out to Him for mercy, turn away from your sins, and He will give you full pardon, for all sins past, present and future. And place your Faith in Him: Be faithful to follow after Jesus and obey His commands. Read the Bible daily and do His will.
“He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins..” (1 John 1:9) God does not want you, or anyone, to perish. He is rich in mercy and compassion, and has provided a way for you to be forgiven. He has invited you to come to Him for a FULL PARDON and receive the free gift of Eternal Life. You cannot earn it, and you don’t deserve it, but God is offering it to you as proof of His love for you.
>>”and what about animals? They don’t know Jesus from a blade of grass to munch on........”
All of creation is waiting for the “Great Renewal.” This is what the Bible says in Romans 8:19-22:
19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
Animals may have a soul, but are innocent as to the sin Adam brought into the world. So they do not need God’s forgiveness as humans do. They will all be renewed and restored on the Day Christ returns, when He renews all of the heavens and earth, taking away death and decay.
>>”so does that mean heaven is a huge church that sings hymms, has bar-b-ques (guess that answers the animal part of my question), on Easter Sunday with Jesus as the guest of honor and never a sorry word is ever said??”
Huge Church? As to the “building” or settings of Heaven, it will be an environment like nothing we can imagine–better than anything we could dream. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “However, as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for
those who love him.’”
Barbeques? Not sure. But the Bible speaks of Feasts. For example, “Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” (Revelation 19:9)
Easter Sunday? A type of Easter will occur. Jesus rose from the dead on the first Easter almost 2000 years ago, proving that He is God and that He has authority over death. He has promised that those who die trusting in Him will be raised from the dead as well, in new, perfect bodies and that we will live forever on the renewed earth with Him.
Revelation 21:1-8
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
So what about you? Where do you stand? Have you repented and placed your faith in Him? Thank you for reading all of this...Please take some time to seriously consider it.
Consider supporting this and more by becoming a Patron:
www.patreon.com/user?u=2730408…
These are great questions. I have decided to break them down and address them one at a time.
>>”If only Christians go to heaven....?”
That depends on what is meant by the term Christian. To be a true Christian is to be one who has received forgiveness of sins by the Grace of God through repentance and faith in Christ and are following Christ as Lord of his/her life..
>>”does that mean more than 3 quarters of the world go to ‘hell’?”
No one knows the hearts of men but God. So the number of people going to hell is really impossible for anyone to say. That means the question really is: Do I know where I am headed when I die?
>>”I think it must be pretty crowded at this point.....”
Could be a fair assumption... Another interesting question at this point is why do people go to hell anyway?
“It is appointed man once to die and after that to face the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) A very popular assumption is that if my good outweighs my bad then I should be OK when I get there. “I’m a pretty good person, and I think God is going to take that into consideration.” But what would concern me is this:
How good is good enough? Where is the line drawn to let me know if I really am OK?
The Bible gives a test for this goodness and it is called the 10 Commandments.
Do you think you have kept the 10 Commandments? Have you ever told a lie? Ever stolen something? Ever coveted? Ever lusted? Ever used God’s name in vain? Ever disobeyed your parents? Has God always been first in your life?
I’ve broken all of them. Standing before God, would He find you innocent or guilty of breaking His commands? He will find you guilty if you have broken even one.
If guilty, would He send you to Heaven (reward) or hell (punishment)? “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23). None of us can measure up to the standard of God’s righteousness. You are guilty (and so am I) of sinning (breaking His laws) against God Himself, and, because you have a conscience, (con-with, science-knowledge) you have sinned “with knowledge.”
Isn’t it true that every time you lied, stole, lusted, etc., that you knew it was wrong? I knew it every time.
Some more bad news though. You have actually angered God by your sin and are made an “enemy of God in your mind through your wicked works,” (Colossians 1:21) This news scared me. If God is all powerful and was able to create the entire universe out of nothing, I know I certainly didn’t want to be His enemy. People go to hell because they have broken God’s Laws and in order for God to be good He must be just and punish all lawbreakers (you, me and the whole world).
So that’s the bad news.
The Good News is...even though we broke the law... Jesus (God in flesh) paid our fine. The Bible tells us there is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood. (Hebrews 9:22) And so Jesus shed His for us on the cross... And we can trust Him and what He did because He rose from the dead. No one else has power over death.
In response to Him you should Repent: You as a fallen human are a rebel who must lay down his arms, which are sins, surrendering to God, saying you are sorry, realizing you have broken His law, and are ready to start life over again (being born-again)–that is the only way out... This process of surrender is what God calls repentance.
“Now he commands all people everywhere to repent...” (Acts 17:30) You must cry out to Him for mercy, turn away from your sins, and He will give you full pardon, for all sins past, present and future. And place your Faith in Him: Be faithful to follow after Jesus and obey His commands. Read the Bible daily and do His will.
“He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins..” (1 John 1:9) God does not want you, or anyone, to perish. He is rich in mercy and compassion, and has provided a way for you to be forgiven. He has invited you to come to Him for a FULL PARDON and receive the free gift of Eternal Life. You cannot earn it, and you don’t deserve it, but God is offering it to you as proof of His love for you.
>>”and what about animals? They don’t know Jesus from a blade of grass to munch on........”
All of creation is waiting for the “Great Renewal.” This is what the Bible says in Romans 8:19-22:
19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
Animals may have a soul, but are innocent as to the sin Adam brought into the world. So they do not need God’s forgiveness as humans do. They will all be renewed and restored on the Day Christ returns, when He renews all of the heavens and earth, taking away death and decay.
>>”so does that mean heaven is a huge church that sings hymms, has bar-b-ques (guess that answers the animal part of my question), on Easter Sunday with Jesus as the guest of honor and never a sorry word is ever said??”
Huge Church? As to the “building” or settings of Heaven, it will be an environment like nothing we can imagine–better than anything we could dream. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “However, as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for
those who love him.’”
Barbeques? Not sure. But the Bible speaks of Feasts. For example, “Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” (Revelation 19:9)
Easter Sunday? A type of Easter will occur. Jesus rose from the dead on the first Easter almost 2000 years ago, proving that He is God and that He has authority over death. He has promised that those who die trusting in Him will be raised from the dead as well, in new, perfect bodies and that we will live forever on the renewed earth with Him.
Revelation 21:1-8
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
So what about you? Where do you stand? Have you repented and placed your faith in Him? Thank you for reading all of this...Please take some time to seriously consider it.
Consider supporting this and more by becoming a Patron:
www.patreon.com/user?u=2730408…
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
Life everlasting on earth...
12 min read
Here is another interesting question from a friend:
Can God bring about everlasting life on Earth?
That is God's intention with the earth, life everlasting here. God and man living together forever. Things as they are now are not what will continue to be. All of creation is waiting for that Day when Jesus returns and restores not only those who have placed their faith in Him but the earth and this universe as well.
This is what the Bible says in Romans 8:19-22
19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
When we die the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 12:7, "... and the dust returns to the earth as it once was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it."
Jesus says in John 3:14-16, "14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16 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."
Sure people in Heaven will not die. But they will not stay in Heaven forever. Heaven, in a sense, will be brought to earth along with those dwelling there now. Revelation 21 tells us about this (as addressed in the part after the next part of this answer).
They then asked:
Is God Almighty (or all powerful)?
God created everything and so logically has all power since He is not a part of the creation itself. Time, space and matter all came into existence at the first instance of creation. If God created time, space and matter, He must not be bound by time, space and matter and is therefore infinite, all knowing and all powerful, hence, almighty.
Revelation 1:8 says, "8 'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.'"
So if He is almighty and can have complete creative control over the universe, then He can certainly change this universe from one dissolving into decay (running out of usable energy) into one that is everlasting (sustained by His infinite presence).
Does the scripture say anything about that?
All scripture focuses on this. The entire story of the Bible is about God Almighty working to save and restore all of creation (that fell because of man's rebellion) through the redemption brought about by Christ's death and resurrection and full restoration for all creation revealed at His final return.
Jesus suffered and died on a cross and then rose from the dead almost 2000 years ago, proving that He is God and that He has authority over death. He has promised that those who die having repented and are trusting in Him will be raised from the dead as well, in new, perfect bodies and that we will live forever on the renewed earth with Him.
Revelation 21:1-8
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
2 Peter 3:9-13
9 The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. 10 But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness 12 as you wait for and earnestly desire the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be on fire and be dissolved, and the elements will melt with the heat. 13 But based on His promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will dwell.
Again from my friend:
Why then is the shift to heavenly life?
The "shift to heavenly life" is only temporary as we know Heaven to be now. When our physical body dies our spirit returns to God. The Bible uses the phrase "fallen asleep" (1 Thessalonians 4:13) as a euphemism for death, describing the body's outward appearance. The spirit's departure from the body ends our existence on this earth. The physical part of us "sleeps" until the resurrection, while the spiritual part of us relocates to a conscious existence in Heaven.
Paul wrestled with his longing to consciously be with Christ in spirit or to remain in his body and continue the work for the gospel. He writes about this in Philippians 1:21-24:
"21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body."
Paul did stay around for awhile and taught more about repentance and faith that will secure anyone's place with Christ in Heaven when we die and on earth forever when He returns.
Look at this passage from the Old Testament...
Daniel 12:2-3 reads:
"2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever."
And then in the New Testament...
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 reads:
"13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words."
And with Christ's return those who have placed their faith in Him will inhabit new, undying, everlasting bodies like His to live with Him forever on the earth.
1 Corinthians 15:41-50:
"41 The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. 42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven. 50 I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable."
All of this has focused on those going to Heaven or dying with faith in Christ. Another interesting question at this point is why do people go to Heaven anyway?
"It is appointed man once to die and after that to face the judgment." (Hebrews 9:27)
A very popular assumption is that if my good outweighs my bad then I should be OK when I get there. "I'm a pretty good person, and I think God is going to take that into consideration." But what would concern me is this: How good is good enough? Where is the line drawn to let me know if I really am OK?
The Bible gives a test for this goodness and it is called the 10 Commandments.
Do you think you have kept the 10 Commandments? Have you ever told a lie? Ever stolen something? Ever coveted? Ever lusted? Ever used God's name in vain? Ever disobeyed your parents? Has God always been first in your life?
I've broken all of them.
Standing before God, would He find you innocent or guilty of breaking His commands? He will find you guilty if you have broken even one. If guilty, would He send you to Heaven (reward) or hell (punishment)?
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (Romans 3:23).
None of us can measure up to the standard of God's righteousness. You are guilty (and so am I) of sinning (breaking His laws) against God Himself, and, because you have a conscience, (con-with, science-knowledge) you have sinned "with knowledge." Isn't it true that every time you lied, stole, lusted, etc., that you knew it was wrong? I knew it every time.
Some more bad news though. You have actually angered God by your sin and are made an "enemy of God in your mind through your wicked works," (Colossians 1:21) This news scared me. If God is all powerful and was able to create the entire universe out of nothing, I know I certainly didn't want to be His enemy.
People go to hell because they have broken God's Laws and in order for God to be good He must be just and punish all lawbreakers (you, me and the whole world).
So that's the bad news.
The Good News is...even though we broke the law... Jesus (God in flesh) paid our fine.
The Bible tells us there is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood. (Hebrews 9:22) And so Jesus shed His for us on the cross... And we can trust Him and what He did because He rose from the dead. No one else has power over death.
In response to Him you should Repent: You as a fallen human are a rebel who must lay down his arms, which are sins, surrendering to God, saying you are sorry, realizing you have broken His law, and are ready to start life over again (being born-again)–that is the only way out... This process of surrender is what God calls repentance. "Now he commands all people everywhere to repent..." (Acts 17:30) You must cry out to Him for mercy, turn away from your sins, and He will give you full pardon, for all sins past, present and future.
And place your Faith in Him: Be faithful to follow after Jesus and obey His commands. Read the Bible daily and do His will. "He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.." (1 John 1:9)
God does not want you, or anyone, to perish. He is rich in mercy and compassion, and has provided a way for you to be forgiven. He has invited you to come to Him for a FULL PARDON and receive the free gift of Eternal Life. You cannot earn it, and you don't deserve it, but God is offering it to you as proof of His love for you.
Can God bring about everlasting life on Earth?
That is God's intention with the earth, life everlasting here. God and man living together forever. Things as they are now are not what will continue to be. All of creation is waiting for that Day when Jesus returns and restores not only those who have placed their faith in Him but the earth and this universe as well.
This is what the Bible says in Romans 8:19-22
19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
When we die the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 12:7, "... and the dust returns to the earth as it once was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it."
Jesus says in John 3:14-16, "14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16 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."
Sure people in Heaven will not die. But they will not stay in Heaven forever. Heaven, in a sense, will be brought to earth along with those dwelling there now. Revelation 21 tells us about this (as addressed in the part after the next part of this answer).
They then asked:
Is God Almighty (or all powerful)?
God created everything and so logically has all power since He is not a part of the creation itself. Time, space and matter all came into existence at the first instance of creation. If God created time, space and matter, He must not be bound by time, space and matter and is therefore infinite, all knowing and all powerful, hence, almighty.
Revelation 1:8 says, "8 'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.'"
So if He is almighty and can have complete creative control over the universe, then He can certainly change this universe from one dissolving into decay (running out of usable energy) into one that is everlasting (sustained by His infinite presence).
Does the scripture say anything about that?
All scripture focuses on this. The entire story of the Bible is about God Almighty working to save and restore all of creation (that fell because of man's rebellion) through the redemption brought about by Christ's death and resurrection and full restoration for all creation revealed at His final return.
Jesus suffered and died on a cross and then rose from the dead almost 2000 years ago, proving that He is God and that He has authority over death. He has promised that those who die having repented and are trusting in Him will be raised from the dead as well, in new, perfect bodies and that we will live forever on the renewed earth with Him.
Revelation 21:1-8
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
2 Peter 3:9-13
9 The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. 10 But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness 12 as you wait for and earnestly desire the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be on fire and be dissolved, and the elements will melt with the heat. 13 But based on His promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will dwell.
Again from my friend:
Why then is the shift to heavenly life?
The "shift to heavenly life" is only temporary as we know Heaven to be now. When our physical body dies our spirit returns to God. The Bible uses the phrase "fallen asleep" (1 Thessalonians 4:13) as a euphemism for death, describing the body's outward appearance. The spirit's departure from the body ends our existence on this earth. The physical part of us "sleeps" until the resurrection, while the spiritual part of us relocates to a conscious existence in Heaven.
Paul wrestled with his longing to consciously be with Christ in spirit or to remain in his body and continue the work for the gospel. He writes about this in Philippians 1:21-24:
"21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body."
Paul did stay around for awhile and taught more about repentance and faith that will secure anyone's place with Christ in Heaven when we die and on earth forever when He returns.
Look at this passage from the Old Testament...
Daniel 12:2-3 reads:
"2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever."
And then in the New Testament...
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 reads:
"13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words."
And with Christ's return those who have placed their faith in Him will inhabit new, undying, everlasting bodies like His to live with Him forever on the earth.
1 Corinthians 15:41-50:
"41 The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. 42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven. 50 I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable."
All of this has focused on those going to Heaven or dying with faith in Christ. Another interesting question at this point is why do people go to Heaven anyway?
"It is appointed man once to die and after that to face the judgment." (Hebrews 9:27)
A very popular assumption is that if my good outweighs my bad then I should be OK when I get there. "I'm a pretty good person, and I think God is going to take that into consideration." But what would concern me is this: How good is good enough? Where is the line drawn to let me know if I really am OK?
The Bible gives a test for this goodness and it is called the 10 Commandments.
Do you think you have kept the 10 Commandments? Have you ever told a lie? Ever stolen something? Ever coveted? Ever lusted? Ever used God's name in vain? Ever disobeyed your parents? Has God always been first in your life?
I've broken all of them.
Standing before God, would He find you innocent or guilty of breaking His commands? He will find you guilty if you have broken even one. If guilty, would He send you to Heaven (reward) or hell (punishment)?
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (Romans 3:23).
None of us can measure up to the standard of God's righteousness. You are guilty (and so am I) of sinning (breaking His laws) against God Himself, and, because you have a conscience, (con-with, science-knowledge) you have sinned "with knowledge." Isn't it true that every time you lied, stole, lusted, etc., that you knew it was wrong? I knew it every time.
Some more bad news though. You have actually angered God by your sin and are made an "enemy of God in your mind through your wicked works," (Colossians 1:21) This news scared me. If God is all powerful and was able to create the entire universe out of nothing, I know I certainly didn't want to be His enemy.
People go to hell because they have broken God's Laws and in order for God to be good He must be just and punish all lawbreakers (you, me and the whole world).
So that's the bad news.
The Good News is...even though we broke the law... Jesus (God in flesh) paid our fine.
The Bible tells us there is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood. (Hebrews 9:22) And so Jesus shed His for us on the cross... And we can trust Him and what He did because He rose from the dead. No one else has power over death.
In response to Him you should Repent: You as a fallen human are a rebel who must lay down his arms, which are sins, surrendering to God, saying you are sorry, realizing you have broken His law, and are ready to start life over again (being born-again)–that is the only way out... This process of surrender is what God calls repentance. "Now he commands all people everywhere to repent..." (Acts 17:30) You must cry out to Him for mercy, turn away from your sins, and He will give you full pardon, for all sins past, present and future.
And place your Faith in Him: Be faithful to follow after Jesus and obey His commands. Read the Bible daily and do His will. "He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.." (1 John 1:9)
God does not want you, or anyone, to perish. He is rich in mercy and compassion, and has provided a way for you to be forgiven. He has invited you to come to Him for a FULL PARDON and receive the free gift of Eternal Life. You cannot earn it, and you don't deserve it, but God is offering it to you as proof of His love for you.
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If you could know the outcome...
19 min read
If you could know the outcome of one day of your future would you want to know and what day would that be?
Many say that they would, in fact, like to know the outcome of one day of their future and often point to days that they anticipate as being positive experiences. Take for instance the outcome of a wedding day, or the first day with a first child, or landing a dream job, or possibly the outcome of a major sporting event. A guy told me, "I'd like to know about tomorrow, so I could get the winning lotto numbers." Knowing something good is in your future tends to brighten the days between now and then. Who wouldn't want to know about something good–something to look forward to?
On the flip side, some say that they don't want to know their future. They are afraid it would rob them of the element of surprise and could make life rather boring. Others say that knowing something of their future could change the way they behaved and so they don't want to know. They don't want it to affect the way they are living now. "I'm content to take things one day at a time," has often been the reply.
It seems as if the older you are the more likely you are to want to know the outcome of your last day. Especially since that would tell you when your last day would be. Knowing when would sober us into making sure we ramped up the quality of our remaining days–doing the things we've always wanted, saying the things we felt we should, etc. A man once told me, "I would want to make the most of what I've got left and so I'm trying to do that anyway."
A few have questioned that if they could know about just one day, would they be able to change the outcome of that day based on what they did between now and then, especially if a disease or death would be involved. Could they thwart some sort of disaster or bad experience? Because of our will to live we see that such information would be useful in preserving what is precious to us. A gas station attendant admitted, "I'd want to know, only if I could do something about it. If I can't change anything, then I probably don't want to know."
So, what if you could? What if you could know the outcome, and have the opportunity to somehow change it? Would you?
And so we get to the heart of my question. It's one that is actually spiritual in nature and involves all people everywhere. My own answer to the question, "If you could know the outcome of one day of your future would you want to know and what day would that be?" is yes... I want to know about the day after my last day. Specifically, what happens to us when we die?
----------
The going death rate in America is 10 out of 10. What's the saying, "There are 2 things you can count on in life, death and taxes?" Well I'm not so sure about the taxes (I know some people who are good at getting out of that), but I'm pretty sure about the death thing. No one survives. And the thing about it is, we are going to be dead a lot longer than we're alive. So it seems reasonable to be very concerned about the state you find yourself in after you're gone. I mean, I'm already scared to death of "getting dead," but what's on the other side seems so much bigger.
The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27 that "man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment."
A very popular assumption is that if my good outweighs my bad then I should be OK when I get there. "I'm a pretty good person, and I think God is going to take that into consideration." But what would concern me is this: How good is good enough? Where is the line drawn to let me know if I really am OK?
Hence, the "Good Test." How do you know if you are a good person? Do you think you are good enough? The Bible gives us a test for this and it is based on the 10 Commandments.
Why the 10 Commandments? The Bible tells us that God wrote with His own finger on the stone tablets the expression of His nature, which is moral perfection. Thus, He set the bar for His standard of good as defined by these 10 laws.
So are you ready for the test? Here goes...
1. Have you ever told a lie?
This comes from the 9th commandment, "You shall not lie." You don't have to lie habitually to be a liar. Unfortunately, it only requires one. What would you call me if I lied to you?
(J- Man, I am certainly guilty of this one a thousand times over)
2. Have you ever taken something that didn't belong to you?
The value of the object doesn't matter. The 8th commandment says, "You shall not steal." Taking something, anything, that belongs to someone else makes us a thief.
(J- yep, I've done that)
3. Have you ever used the Lord's name in vain?
Basically, this is taking God's name and instead of using it to give Him honor, we use it to express disgust and rake it through the mud of dishonorable language. The 3rd commandment goes, "You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." This makes us a blasphemer.
(J- this one is pretty severe and yet I have done it)
4. Have you ever had an impure sexual thought about someone?
Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, [7th commandment] 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." This applies to men and women. If you lust, God sees the heart and considers that to be the same as adultery (which is simply sex outside of marriage, whether before or during).
(J- this one gets a lot of guys, me too. If you have red blood in your veins and you were once a teenager...)
Last one, this one is tough...
5. Have you ever hated anyone or furiously called someone a fool or idiot?
The 6th commandment says, "You shall not murder." Jesus warned, "Whoever is angry with his brother without cause, is in danger of judgment... But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell." (Matthew 5:22). "He who hates his brother is a murderer," (1 John 3:15).
(J- Yowza! Have you ever driven on 400 in rush-hour? Not so pretty)
So how'd you do? If you are like me, and everyone else on the planet, and if you were honest, you most likely have failed all 5 of these in one way or another. And there are 5 more we didn't even look at with their cannons pointed right at us!
So now comes the bad news. Staying honest with this, by your own admission you are a liar, a thief, a blasphemer, an adulterer and murderer at heart, and you have to stand before God one day in judgment. How do you think you will do on that day? Do you think He will find you innocent or guilty of breaking His laws?
Again, if you are anything like me, He will find you guilty.
And if you are found guilty, should you go to Heaven or Hell?
If you were to answer honestly, you should go to Hell. All of us should go to Hell.
Who of any one of us can say we are not guilty of breaking even all 10 of the Commandments? (You can read the rest in Exodus 20:3-17) This is what the Bible means when it says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (Romans 3:23). None of us can measure up to the standard of God's righteousness. You are guilty of sinning (breaking His laws) against God Himself, and, because you have a conscience, (con-with, science-knowledge) you have sinned "with knowledge." Isn't it true that every time you lied, stole, lusted, etc., that you knew it was wrong? I knew it every time.
Some more bad news though. You have actually angered God by your sin and are made an "enemy of God in your mind through your wicked works," (Colossians 1:21) This news scared me. If God is all powerful and was able to create the entire universe out of nothing, I know I certainly didn't want to be His enemy.
But wait, and this was my argument, what about my good things? I thought God was good and loving, Couldn't He, in His goodness, forgive or overlook sins? After all, I have done some good, right?
"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags..." (Isaiah 64:6) Basically, our "good" deeds are like used toilet-paper compared to God's Holiness and Purity. He is so infinitely pure and righteous that we really can't compare. Consider this:
Could a good judge let criminals and lawbreakers just go free without paying for their crimes? If you knew of a human judge who turned a blind eye to the crimes of a guilty rapist... would you describe him as a "good" judge?
No... That would be a corrupt judge. And see, God could never be a corrupt judge.
Or it would be like a criminal saying, "But Judge, I only killed and raped this one time. Most of the time I'm a nice guy. Don't you think that counts for something?" A good judge would say, "You should be nice, but that doesn't change the facts of your guilt as a criminal. I will not let criminals go free."
God's goodness demands that He be totally just and sees justice done. He will punish ALL the rapists, murderers, thieves... But He won't and can't stop there. He will also punish ALL liars, the lustful adulterers (gulp), idolaters, and blasphemers, (Revelation 21:8). And the place of punishment is the eternal lake of fire, or Hell.
I know this may be hard to swallow, and seems harsh. But it is a harsh reality. So I must ask, please don't read any further until you answer this question honestly, take your time to think about it: Your conscience tells you you are guilty and the consequence of your sins is eternal punishment, does it concern you that if you died in your sins you should go to Hell?
Absolutely it should. It does me. It horrifies me. And I am horrified for you! This is a very serious matter and takes some very serious consideration. If you were to die in the guilt of your sins, you should go to Hell. But... is there a way out of this? If it is true that we are all sinners and we should all go to Hell, then who exactly goes to Heaven? Do you know of anything that God may have done to remedy this situation?
God does not want you, or anyone, to perish. He is rich in mercy and compassion, and has provided a way for you to be forgiven. He has invited you to come to Him for a FULL PARDON and receive the free gift of Eternal Life. You cannot earn it, and you don't deserve it, but God is offering it to you as proof of His love for you.
Are you ready for the good news?
Let's go back to the courtroom for a moment:
You are standing in front of a judge, guilty of multiple serious crimes. All the evidence has been presented and there is no doubt of your guilt. Your apologies and good works cannot erase your crimes; therefore, you must be punished. The fine for your crimes is $500,000 or imprisonment, but you don't have a dime to your name. The judge is about to pass sentence when someone you don't even know steps in and shouts, "Wait, your Honor! In love for this person, I would like to pay the fine." So he writes a check for the full $500,000 and reaches across the railing to hand you the check. You are standing there looking at his outstretched hand holding the offered payment, what are going to do?
Take it! Receive the payment! Why not? So you take the check, hand it to the judge and he sees that the check is good. The court accepts the money and declares that your debt has been paid in full. The gavel comes down as the judge announces, "You are free to go." The law and justice have been satisfied, all because of a stranger's sacrificial demonstration of love for you. And now it begs the question, how would you respond to that person?
You would feel like you owed Him your life, right? I know I would. And see, that's what God did for you 2000 years ago.
The Bible says that the God of the Universe became a man (Jesus Christ), and suffered and died on the cross for your sins and mine so that we could be set free. It's as simple as this:
We broke the Law... but Jesus paid our fine.
The Bible tells us there is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood. (Hebrews 9:22) And so Jesus shed His for us on the cross...
"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)
"God demonstrated His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us." (Galatians 3:13)
Do you understand God's great love for you? Can you see your need for His forgiveness?
So how does one get this forgiveness? How can we receive the pardon?
Forgiveness comes through repentance. You must do what He commands and "Repent... so that your sins may be wiped out and times of refreshing may come from the Lord." (Acts 3:19) You must "repent... for the remission [or forgiveness] of sins..." (Acts 2:38)
Repentance. What is it? Some say it is asking for forgiveness and trying to never do bad things again. Others describe it as making a 180 degree turn. The Bible says that people "should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds." (Acts 26:20)
C. S Lewis, author of the "Chronicles of Narnia," described repentance something like this:
You are a soldier of the rebel army. You are marching up a hill, weapon in hand, ready to face the enemy who is headed in your direction. But you notice that the closer you get to the enemy, the bigger and bigger he appears to be, and his weapons are much more powerful than your own. You ready your tiny gun, but start to shiver with fear. Now is the time, fight or flee? If you fight, you know you won't survive. If you run, you won't be fast enough to outreach his cannons. What will you do? Fight, flee, or... fall?
Quickly, you fall to your knees, drop your weapons, hold up your hands and surrender. The enemy rushes forward, but instead of attacking, he embraces you, and stands you up. He then says, "Rebel, your surrender is made complete and full pardon will be given, if you would turn and march with me. Because a way has been made so that I will have mercy on all those who completely surrender and march in the lines of my army."
And so you do. You change sides, are given a new uniform and new weapons. Your life has been spared and you gladly march in the way of your new commander.
We all are of the rebellion, sinners marching against the righteousness of God. But when we come face to face with God and the cannons of His Commandments we are presented with a choice, to fight, flee, or fall. Many fight outright and eventually lose, because God is too powerful and His Law is insurmountable. If you run from Him, you too will lose, since there is nowhere you can go where he is not. The only option that makes sense then is to fall. Fall at His feet in repentance, crying out for mercy, surrendering wholeheartedly to Him. And He will give you pardon.
You must turn away from sin and turn to God. Desire to have nothing to do with sin, and surrender your life to the One who can save you. Jesus died to set you free, and then He rose from death to be your Lord, proving that we can trust Him. If anyone can raise Himself from the dead, there must be something incredible about Him, and that's the guy I want to follow! No one else has power over death.
Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) If you will confess and forsake your sins (repent) and trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, God will forgive you and you'll pass from death to life.
So what does it mean to "put your faith in Jesus Christ?" It means to personally trust in Jesus the same way you'd trust in a parachute if you had to jump 25,000 feet out of an airplane. You wouldn't just "believe" about the parachute; you would put it on! In the same way, the Bible says, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ..." (Romans 13:14) and you will be saved. There are millions of people who "believe" Jesus exists... but they have not put on the Savior–there's a BIG difference. And the difference will be obvious when you "jump" through the door of death. You are to show your full dependence on Him, and not of yourself.
So today, with all your heart—turn away from sin, surrender to and place your faith in Jesus Christ. Please don't put it off. We know that we certainly don't know when we will die, and when that comes it will be too late.
Now there is nothing magical about these words, but this is something like what I said when I repented:
"Dear God, today, right now, I surrender to you. I turn from all my sins and confess them to you [name them], and I place my trust in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. Please have mercy on me, a rebellious sinner. Please grant me your gift of everlasting life. Thank you for paying my penalty in full. Thank you for your love. Amen."
It is the attitude of your heart that God is concerned with. If you are fully surrendered, He will transform you from the inside out. You will think and feel differently as you learn to trust and obey Him. God will give you new strength and desires to live right, love others, and love Him above all else. Read your Bible everyday. Learn about Him. He is trustworthy and loves you.
-------
And so we come full circle. If you could know the outcome of one day of your future would you want to know and what day would that be?
We do know of one day of everyone's future, "man is destined to die once..." And there is nothing we can do about that.
But we also know of another day of everyone's future, "...and after that to face judgment." We can know the outcome of that day.
"Now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." (Acts 17:30-31)
"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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." (John 3:16-18)
Revelation 20:11-15 tells us what that day of judgment looks like. Please take this chance to read it:
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
The Book of Life holds the names of all those who have received pardon. If you repent and place your faith in Christ, He knows your name, and you can walk out of the courtroom of God's justice having your debt paid by Christ's blood and being declared, "free to go."
Knowing this, how will it affect what you do between now and then?
Many say that they would, in fact, like to know the outcome of one day of their future and often point to days that they anticipate as being positive experiences. Take for instance the outcome of a wedding day, or the first day with a first child, or landing a dream job, or possibly the outcome of a major sporting event. A guy told me, "I'd like to know about tomorrow, so I could get the winning lotto numbers." Knowing something good is in your future tends to brighten the days between now and then. Who wouldn't want to know about something good–something to look forward to?
On the flip side, some say that they don't want to know their future. They are afraid it would rob them of the element of surprise and could make life rather boring. Others say that knowing something of their future could change the way they behaved and so they don't want to know. They don't want it to affect the way they are living now. "I'm content to take things one day at a time," has often been the reply.
It seems as if the older you are the more likely you are to want to know the outcome of your last day. Especially since that would tell you when your last day would be. Knowing when would sober us into making sure we ramped up the quality of our remaining days–doing the things we've always wanted, saying the things we felt we should, etc. A man once told me, "I would want to make the most of what I've got left and so I'm trying to do that anyway."
A few have questioned that if they could know about just one day, would they be able to change the outcome of that day based on what they did between now and then, especially if a disease or death would be involved. Could they thwart some sort of disaster or bad experience? Because of our will to live we see that such information would be useful in preserving what is precious to us. A gas station attendant admitted, "I'd want to know, only if I could do something about it. If I can't change anything, then I probably don't want to know."
So, what if you could? What if you could know the outcome, and have the opportunity to somehow change it? Would you?
And so we get to the heart of my question. It's one that is actually spiritual in nature and involves all people everywhere. My own answer to the question, "If you could know the outcome of one day of your future would you want to know and what day would that be?" is yes... I want to know about the day after my last day. Specifically, what happens to us when we die?
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The going death rate in America is 10 out of 10. What's the saying, "There are 2 things you can count on in life, death and taxes?" Well I'm not so sure about the taxes (I know some people who are good at getting out of that), but I'm pretty sure about the death thing. No one survives. And the thing about it is, we are going to be dead a lot longer than we're alive. So it seems reasonable to be very concerned about the state you find yourself in after you're gone. I mean, I'm already scared to death of "getting dead," but what's on the other side seems so much bigger.
The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27 that "man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment."
A very popular assumption is that if my good outweighs my bad then I should be OK when I get there. "I'm a pretty good person, and I think God is going to take that into consideration." But what would concern me is this: How good is good enough? Where is the line drawn to let me know if I really am OK?
Hence, the "Good Test." How do you know if you are a good person? Do you think you are good enough? The Bible gives us a test for this and it is based on the 10 Commandments.
Why the 10 Commandments? The Bible tells us that God wrote with His own finger on the stone tablets the expression of His nature, which is moral perfection. Thus, He set the bar for His standard of good as defined by these 10 laws.
So are you ready for the test? Here goes...
1. Have you ever told a lie?
This comes from the 9th commandment, "You shall not lie." You don't have to lie habitually to be a liar. Unfortunately, it only requires one. What would you call me if I lied to you?
(J- Man, I am certainly guilty of this one a thousand times over)
2. Have you ever taken something that didn't belong to you?
The value of the object doesn't matter. The 8th commandment says, "You shall not steal." Taking something, anything, that belongs to someone else makes us a thief.
(J- yep, I've done that)
3. Have you ever used the Lord's name in vain?
Basically, this is taking God's name and instead of using it to give Him honor, we use it to express disgust and rake it through the mud of dishonorable language. The 3rd commandment goes, "You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." This makes us a blasphemer.
(J- this one is pretty severe and yet I have done it)
4. Have you ever had an impure sexual thought about someone?
Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, [7th commandment] 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." This applies to men and women. If you lust, God sees the heart and considers that to be the same as adultery (which is simply sex outside of marriage, whether before or during).
(J- this one gets a lot of guys, me too. If you have red blood in your veins and you were once a teenager...)
Last one, this one is tough...
5. Have you ever hated anyone or furiously called someone a fool or idiot?
The 6th commandment says, "You shall not murder." Jesus warned, "Whoever is angry with his brother without cause, is in danger of judgment... But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell." (Matthew 5:22). "He who hates his brother is a murderer," (1 John 3:15).
(J- Yowza! Have you ever driven on 400 in rush-hour? Not so pretty)
So how'd you do? If you are like me, and everyone else on the planet, and if you were honest, you most likely have failed all 5 of these in one way or another. And there are 5 more we didn't even look at with their cannons pointed right at us!
So now comes the bad news. Staying honest with this, by your own admission you are a liar, a thief, a blasphemer, an adulterer and murderer at heart, and you have to stand before God one day in judgment. How do you think you will do on that day? Do you think He will find you innocent or guilty of breaking His laws?
Again, if you are anything like me, He will find you guilty.
And if you are found guilty, should you go to Heaven or Hell?
If you were to answer honestly, you should go to Hell. All of us should go to Hell.
Who of any one of us can say we are not guilty of breaking even all 10 of the Commandments? (You can read the rest in Exodus 20:3-17) This is what the Bible means when it says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (Romans 3:23). None of us can measure up to the standard of God's righteousness. You are guilty of sinning (breaking His laws) against God Himself, and, because you have a conscience, (con-with, science-knowledge) you have sinned "with knowledge." Isn't it true that every time you lied, stole, lusted, etc., that you knew it was wrong? I knew it every time.
Some more bad news though. You have actually angered God by your sin and are made an "enemy of God in your mind through your wicked works," (Colossians 1:21) This news scared me. If God is all powerful and was able to create the entire universe out of nothing, I know I certainly didn't want to be His enemy.
But wait, and this was my argument, what about my good things? I thought God was good and loving, Couldn't He, in His goodness, forgive or overlook sins? After all, I have done some good, right?
"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags..." (Isaiah 64:6) Basically, our "good" deeds are like used toilet-paper compared to God's Holiness and Purity. He is so infinitely pure and righteous that we really can't compare. Consider this:
Could a good judge let criminals and lawbreakers just go free without paying for their crimes? If you knew of a human judge who turned a blind eye to the crimes of a guilty rapist... would you describe him as a "good" judge?
No... That would be a corrupt judge. And see, God could never be a corrupt judge.
Or it would be like a criminal saying, "But Judge, I only killed and raped this one time. Most of the time I'm a nice guy. Don't you think that counts for something?" A good judge would say, "You should be nice, but that doesn't change the facts of your guilt as a criminal. I will not let criminals go free."
God's goodness demands that He be totally just and sees justice done. He will punish ALL the rapists, murderers, thieves... But He won't and can't stop there. He will also punish ALL liars, the lustful adulterers (gulp), idolaters, and blasphemers, (Revelation 21:8). And the place of punishment is the eternal lake of fire, or Hell.
I know this may be hard to swallow, and seems harsh. But it is a harsh reality. So I must ask, please don't read any further until you answer this question honestly, take your time to think about it: Your conscience tells you you are guilty and the consequence of your sins is eternal punishment, does it concern you that if you died in your sins you should go to Hell?
Absolutely it should. It does me. It horrifies me. And I am horrified for you! This is a very serious matter and takes some very serious consideration. If you were to die in the guilt of your sins, you should go to Hell. But... is there a way out of this? If it is true that we are all sinners and we should all go to Hell, then who exactly goes to Heaven? Do you know of anything that God may have done to remedy this situation?
God does not want you, or anyone, to perish. He is rich in mercy and compassion, and has provided a way for you to be forgiven. He has invited you to come to Him for a FULL PARDON and receive the free gift of Eternal Life. You cannot earn it, and you don't deserve it, but God is offering it to you as proof of His love for you.
Are you ready for the good news?
Let's go back to the courtroom for a moment:
You are standing in front of a judge, guilty of multiple serious crimes. All the evidence has been presented and there is no doubt of your guilt. Your apologies and good works cannot erase your crimes; therefore, you must be punished. The fine for your crimes is $500,000 or imprisonment, but you don't have a dime to your name. The judge is about to pass sentence when someone you don't even know steps in and shouts, "Wait, your Honor! In love for this person, I would like to pay the fine." So he writes a check for the full $500,000 and reaches across the railing to hand you the check. You are standing there looking at his outstretched hand holding the offered payment, what are going to do?
Take it! Receive the payment! Why not? So you take the check, hand it to the judge and he sees that the check is good. The court accepts the money and declares that your debt has been paid in full. The gavel comes down as the judge announces, "You are free to go." The law and justice have been satisfied, all because of a stranger's sacrificial demonstration of love for you. And now it begs the question, how would you respond to that person?
You would feel like you owed Him your life, right? I know I would. And see, that's what God did for you 2000 years ago.
The Bible says that the God of the Universe became a man (Jesus Christ), and suffered and died on the cross for your sins and mine so that we could be set free. It's as simple as this:
We broke the Law... but Jesus paid our fine.
The Bible tells us there is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood. (Hebrews 9:22) And so Jesus shed His for us on the cross...
"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)
"God demonstrated His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us." (Galatians 3:13)
Do you understand God's great love for you? Can you see your need for His forgiveness?
So how does one get this forgiveness? How can we receive the pardon?
Forgiveness comes through repentance. You must do what He commands and "Repent... so that your sins may be wiped out and times of refreshing may come from the Lord." (Acts 3:19) You must "repent... for the remission [or forgiveness] of sins..." (Acts 2:38)
Repentance. What is it? Some say it is asking for forgiveness and trying to never do bad things again. Others describe it as making a 180 degree turn. The Bible says that people "should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds." (Acts 26:20)
C. S Lewis, author of the "Chronicles of Narnia," described repentance something like this:
You are a soldier of the rebel army. You are marching up a hill, weapon in hand, ready to face the enemy who is headed in your direction. But you notice that the closer you get to the enemy, the bigger and bigger he appears to be, and his weapons are much more powerful than your own. You ready your tiny gun, but start to shiver with fear. Now is the time, fight or flee? If you fight, you know you won't survive. If you run, you won't be fast enough to outreach his cannons. What will you do? Fight, flee, or... fall?
Quickly, you fall to your knees, drop your weapons, hold up your hands and surrender. The enemy rushes forward, but instead of attacking, he embraces you, and stands you up. He then says, "Rebel, your surrender is made complete and full pardon will be given, if you would turn and march with me. Because a way has been made so that I will have mercy on all those who completely surrender and march in the lines of my army."
And so you do. You change sides, are given a new uniform and new weapons. Your life has been spared and you gladly march in the way of your new commander.
We all are of the rebellion, sinners marching against the righteousness of God. But when we come face to face with God and the cannons of His Commandments we are presented with a choice, to fight, flee, or fall. Many fight outright and eventually lose, because God is too powerful and His Law is insurmountable. If you run from Him, you too will lose, since there is nowhere you can go where he is not. The only option that makes sense then is to fall. Fall at His feet in repentance, crying out for mercy, surrendering wholeheartedly to Him. And He will give you pardon.
You must turn away from sin and turn to God. Desire to have nothing to do with sin, and surrender your life to the One who can save you. Jesus died to set you free, and then He rose from death to be your Lord, proving that we can trust Him. If anyone can raise Himself from the dead, there must be something incredible about Him, and that's the guy I want to follow! No one else has power over death.
Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) If you will confess and forsake your sins (repent) and trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, God will forgive you and you'll pass from death to life.
So what does it mean to "put your faith in Jesus Christ?" It means to personally trust in Jesus the same way you'd trust in a parachute if you had to jump 25,000 feet out of an airplane. You wouldn't just "believe" about the parachute; you would put it on! In the same way, the Bible says, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ..." (Romans 13:14) and you will be saved. There are millions of people who "believe" Jesus exists... but they have not put on the Savior–there's a BIG difference. And the difference will be obvious when you "jump" through the door of death. You are to show your full dependence on Him, and not of yourself.
So today, with all your heart—turn away from sin, surrender to and place your faith in Jesus Christ. Please don't put it off. We know that we certainly don't know when we will die, and when that comes it will be too late.
Now there is nothing magical about these words, but this is something like what I said when I repented:
"Dear God, today, right now, I surrender to you. I turn from all my sins and confess them to you [name them], and I place my trust in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. Please have mercy on me, a rebellious sinner. Please grant me your gift of everlasting life. Thank you for paying my penalty in full. Thank you for your love. Amen."
It is the attitude of your heart that God is concerned with. If you are fully surrendered, He will transform you from the inside out. You will think and feel differently as you learn to trust and obey Him. God will give you new strength and desires to live right, love others, and love Him above all else. Read your Bible everyday. Learn about Him. He is trustworthy and loves you.
-------
And so we come full circle. If you could know the outcome of one day of your future would you want to know and what day would that be?
We do know of one day of everyone's future, "man is destined to die once..." And there is nothing we can do about that.
But we also know of another day of everyone's future, "...and after that to face judgment." We can know the outcome of that day.
"Now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." (Acts 17:30-31)
"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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." (John 3:16-18)
Revelation 20:11-15 tells us what that day of judgment looks like. Please take this chance to read it:
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
The Book of Life holds the names of all those who have received pardon. If you repent and place your faith in Christ, He knows your name, and you can walk out of the courtroom of God's justice having your debt paid by Christ's blood and being declared, "free to go."
Knowing this, how will it affect what you do between now and then?
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