He was my dad’s friend. I didn’t know him that well.*
He was dying in a hospital close by and I was pretty sure he didn’t know the Lord.
So I went to see him.
He was happy to see me and didn’t seem offended when I moved from small talk to share Christ.
When I finished he said, “If I believed in a god it would be a universal god who saves everyone.”
He seemed to appreciate my visit, but he wasn’t buying my Christianity– not even on his deathbed. He died the following week.
If we made up our own god, most of us might choose a god who saves everyone…well, maybe not Hitler or serial killers. Even we have some standards when we make up our own gods.
Yes, we can imagine our “perfect” god and set our standards, but one day we will be judged by a truly Perfect God, who has perfect standards and offers everyone the only way to be saved (2 Samuel 22:31; Psalm 18:30; John 3:16; Acts 4:12).
*This situation happened over 15 years ago in another city and none of this man's family members knew I had visited him. So I feel comfortable sharing it here.
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God HAS saved everyone when He sent His son Jesus Christ to suffer and die for our sins...However, you must put in some effort yourself for salvation. All God asks is that you believe in Jesus Christ to be saved...If you can't even do that for God after all He's done for you, maybe you deserve Hell!
ReplyDeleteYou are exactly right...God doesn't ask the impossible of us...All He asks is that you believe in Jesus Christ, our ONLY salvation...If you can't do something as simple as that then you deserve what you 're going to get.
DeleteSalvation is of the Lord. Not us. It's entirely His work to save a soul. Left to our own devices we would never turn to God. It's the working of the Holy Spirit to cause a soul to seek Christ.
DeleteU know I am a Christian that believes in a loving, Pursuing God. He is the Shepherd looking for his lost sheep. He sees ur heart and ur circumstances. Have u ever been so dejected/rejected/abused that u could not feel God or were not even exposed to his true being to know how to behave and love? I’m sure ALL of us have or will at some pt in our existence on Earth. Do u think God would dump u b/c of that? Or do u think He may show u how LOVED u have been on the other side of ur life on Earth, How beautiful a creation u were and how that being can still exist? God does nothing wrong!!! Every LIFE is not a mistake !!! And our Loving God will pursue his children :)
ReplyDeleteHi Erin,
DeleteYes, we have a God who pursues us, who loves us, and who gives us every opportunity to follow Him. He is so much more patient and loving and forgiving than any of us.
But He has very, very clearly told us in His Word that those who reject Him will go to Hell. If we believe what Scripture tells us about His great love, then we must believe what it tells us about the punishment of those who reject His love.
Either both are true or neither are true because both are clearly proclaimed in God's Word.
I do think we have been inconsiderate if we say ppl should just go to hell, I know the God who abounds in love for his ppl, so let not be any one who will condenm, only God can do that, we are just vessels to diliver his word the rest is up to Him (God)
ReplyDeleteHi Unknown,
DeleteYou are right that we cannot condemn any person to Hell. That is God's job. But we are commanded to warn people that if they reject Christ's free offer of salvation, they will go to Hell. That is our responsibility.