A lot of this post will be referring back to my arguments in earlier videos, so if you haven’t seen that yet, go ahead and find it. It is entitled “78 Answers: Hell or Heaven.
In this post I will be addressing questions 4-7
They are as follows:
4 Should a killer who genuinely repents be able to go to heaven
5. Should a kind-hearted atheist be forced to burn in hell for eternity
6. What about any “good” person.
7. Would you be happy if someone you loved was burning in hell?
Should and Shouldn't are moral terms. As such, I’m not sure if the questions are asking me to explain or asking me to judge if those things are right or wrong.
I’ll try to answer both.
Morally, Should good people go to hell, an evil people go to heaven.
Firstly, God can do whatever He wants, and I have no right and no moral ability to sit in judgement. God created everything, I think he knows a bit better how to run it than I do.
Secondly...how do you judge what qualifies as a good person? Take for instance, a murderer. Did he kill because he was protecting someone? Out of revenge? What if the person he killed had murdered his family? Was he mentally well? What if they rest of his life all he did was good things? What if it was an accident.
These questions are hard enough to answer in human court. Try in a court when you know each and every thought they had. Jenny fed the homeless, but she went mostly because she had a crush on the homeless shelter owner. Benjamin helped an old lady with her groceries, but when he was he was judging her constantly for being so over-weight and not taking care of herself when she was younger so she could do these things herself. Matthew loves working with the orphans in India, but he is doing it to impress the college he is applying for.
How do we judge what is too much sin for mercy. Is it quantity or damage done? Lets suppose one man was awesome his whole life. He was an obedient child. He grew up to be a high-school teacher who worked in the inner-city school for little pay and tutored for free after school. On the weekends he volunteered at animal shelters, and owned multiple rescued animals himself. During his summers He would travel over-seas to the poorest of countries and help hand out food, clothing and medicines. When tragedies hit he would take time off work to help. he went to Haiti after the earthquakes, Japan after the Tsunamis, and Louisiana after Katrina. But, one night while working late one of his students came in crying. One thing led to another and he ended up touching her. Now...should he go to heaven or hell? What if he was really sorry and quit his job to make sure he never did anything like that again?
What about girl? When she dies, if she goes to heaven, will she be forced to spend eternity with the man who molested her just because he’s a good guy?
Which opens up even more! What if everyone went to heaven? After all...no matter how "bad: someone is, we want them to have a chance to do better, right? Now murderers are with the people they killed for eternity. Hitler would be hanging out with all the Jews, blacks and gays he slaughtered. The suicide bombers on the flights that hit the twin towers would be living next to the people they killed and their families. Children would be stuck with their abusers, Who's to say that even if everyone could manage to forgive the other that evil wouldn't continue to flourish and more "bad stuff" wouldn't be done.
How can we separate the evil inclination in people without taking away freedoms? How do we take that desire to molest teenage girls away from that really nice professor. After all. He’s going to be surrounded by them.
You know what this heaven looks a lot like? Earth.
So we see that by judging God as being unfit to sit in judgement over man-kind, we are indicating that someone else might be better suited for the job. Actually, the one sitting in judgement is indicating that they themselves are better for the job. Would you like to make those choices?
Who gets into heaven or hell is far more involved for God. His plan includes not only justice...as each man is judged for His wrong, but mercy, as no one could reach the standards set by even an earthly court to live in such a utopia. he answer is through the work and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Through Christ the evil nature of man is put to death. When we die and go to heaven the only things that keeps a Christian in sin (the flesh, it’s called in the Bible, or the sin nature) is left behind. In heaven the worst of sinners has no desire to sin because they are so thankful to God for mercy and living in the light of all that is good and holy. . The victims of said sinners have received such amazing grace for their own sins that seeing those who harmed them in heaven will cause them only joy. You see, if you have been forgive for horrible sins, then you can forgive horrible sins.
Nothing has more draw than the glory of God. So in heaven when we are exposed in full to God’s perfection any addictions, sins or competing desires will fade away in the joy of being with the One we love most! No one is better than anyone else, because we have all sinned and have all been forgiven. The thief on the cross who repented just hours after he took his last breath will be equal with the early Christian martyrs who died horrible deaths before giving up on their faith.
God’s judgment has been poured out on his son...and His son has given us perfection so that, while we are still our own person with our own wills and our own desires, we are all perfect and sinless. That sounds good to me.
So, will the killer who genuinely repents go to heaven? According to the Bible yes. The thief on the cross, (previously mentioned) as described in the gospels was most-likely a murder too. After all, crucifixion was the worst execution invented in the world that we know of...even today. I highly doubt he got on the cross by stealing bread. More likely he pulled someone into an alley and stabbed or beat them to death before taking their stuff. Probably raped a few women too, as long as they were there. Just a guess.
Christ told him “Today you will be with me in Paradise”. He told him he was going to heaven. Not because of anything good he had done. He never got off that cross. He never got a chance to turn him life around.
What about the atheist. Will he go to hell. If he doesn't accept Christ, yes he will. No good deed he commits will ever be enough to wipe away his rebellion against God. God judges based on perfection. That’s not just moral perfection...it’s also motive perfection. Perfect motives always include God. If God is the ultimate good and the source of all good, you cannot truly do good if you are not doing it for and through him. Therefore, while an atheist or unbeliever can be morally good in their earthly life, they can never be blameless before God. Unless he turns from himself and runs to Christ for rescue, there is only one way it can end.
And yes, that goes for ANY unbelieving person. “good” bad, or anywhere in between.
Would you be happy if someone you loved was burning in hell?
Of course not. I think that answer is self-evident. But let me take it a step further. My heart hurts at the thought of ANYONE going to hell.
If I get to heaven and see Hitler and Osama Bin Laden having a coffee and talking about the wonders of God I will cry with joy! I don’t want a single soul lost to hell, and neither does God. That is why it is such a big deal for Christians when we speak to you about God. Sure, we can be nasty at times, but any true Christian only desires to see you come to Christ.
When A Christian hands you a Bible, or leaves a tract for you, or stops you on the street to talk to you, understand that they are not being hateful. In this modern world tolerance means everything, and it may seem hateful for someone to tell you that they disagree with you. For a Christian, this is how we express our love for you. Even if you don’t agree with us, understand that we are not getting anything out of it! I’m not saying everyone who talks to you about Jesus is right; or that there aren't jerks out there...there are. But true believers are driven by the love of God and love for man.
I believe the gospel with every fiber of my being. I know you may not. And it may be that nothing ever convinces you, but here is a start. Stop, listen, ask questions, and understand that we aren't here to condemn or judge, we are there motivated by a desire to see you in heaven some day.
No comments:
Post a Comment