What does happen to those who never heard the Gospel? If Jesus is the only way to heaven, and someone has never heard about Jesus, how can they go to heaven when they die? If they don't go to heaven, then the only other alternative is hell? Is it fair to determine someone's eternity if they never had the chance to choose Jesus?
These are great questions. A few clarifying points are in order.
1. No one deserves to go to heaven. The prevalent opinion of today's culture is that heaven is the default destination for all people. Hell is only reserved for the really bad people. But that is not biblical. The Bible clearly states that no one is good. The Bible also clearly states that few will go to heaven and that many will go to hell.
2. God's fairness cannot be judged based on man's sense of fairness. We tend to be egocentric and we tend to put God in a box. Neither of these tendencies is biblical. In fact, God's way are not our ways. God's thoughts are not our thoughts. His ways are higher than our ways and beyond our full comprehension.
3. God is knowable. He has given everyone the ability to know Him because he has shown Himself to them. Every generation and every culture has sought after God and attempted to learn about Him. The one, true, invisible God has made Himself visible to all of us, if we will only seek after Him.
The person who wants to know God can know Him. "'You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,' declares the Lord." (Jeremiah 29:13-14)
We will delve more deeply into this topic this Sunday. See you then!
Randy
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Why do bad things happen to good people?
One of the most important questions for mankind to wrestle with is, "Why do bad things happen to good people?"
In fact, it is one of those questions that non-Christians pose in their search for meaning and purpose in life. Does the Bible answer that question? Yes it does, in various and sundry ways!
Perhaps the biblical character that comes first to mind when asking this question is Job. He is described as blameless, upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. If ever there were a good man, Job is it! And so, when we read in the pages of Job 1-2 all that happened to Job, we cry out, "Why did all this bad happen to such a good man?"
Forty chapters later, we learn two things. The first is that God is sovereign and His purposes are beyond our understanding. The second is that man is sinful from birth and that good is a very relative term that we throw around too quickly, thus rendering the premise of the question as untrue.
So, is anyone good? The sobering answer is "No." Romans 3:12 declares, "There is no one who does good, not even one." Mankind has always had a difficult time admitting or acknowledging this truth. So, if the premise is flawed, do we still have room to ask such a question?
The answer is "Yes." Come Sunday morning as we delve into purposes of God in allowing bad things to happen to reasonably good people!
Randy
In fact, it is one of those questions that non-Christians pose in their search for meaning and purpose in life. Does the Bible answer that question? Yes it does, in various and sundry ways!
Perhaps the biblical character that comes first to mind when asking this question is Job. He is described as blameless, upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. If ever there were a good man, Job is it! And so, when we read in the pages of Job 1-2 all that happened to Job, we cry out, "Why did all this bad happen to such a good man?"
Forty chapters later, we learn two things. The first is that God is sovereign and His purposes are beyond our understanding. The second is that man is sinful from birth and that good is a very relative term that we throw around too quickly, thus rendering the premise of the question as untrue.
So, is anyone good? The sobering answer is "No." Romans 3:12 declares, "There is no one who does good, not even one." Mankind has always had a difficult time admitting or acknowledging this truth. So, if the premise is flawed, do we still have room to ask such a question?
The answer is "Yes." Come Sunday morning as we delve into purposes of God in allowing bad things to happen to reasonably good people!
Randy
Monday, September 13, 2010
Who is Satan?
The Hebrew word for Satan means "adversary." In the Christian faith, he is real and he is opposed to God and all good. Jesus called him "the father of lies." He epitomizes evil and he desires to destroy all who have or will place their faith in Jesus Christ.
The two challenges that Christians face with regard to Satan are to treat him too lightly or to give him too much credit. A delicate balance between the two is prudent.
Biblically-speaking, Satan (or the devil) is referred to numerous times, either by name or by description, or both. He is the serpent in Genesis and the dragon in Revelation. He is Lucifer in Isaiah and the guardian cherub in Ezekiel. He is the accuser in Zechariah and the tempter in Matthew. He tortured Job and tormented Paul.
Sadly, many believe that Satan is caged up in hell and not active in the world today. They cite Jude 9, where it says that "the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home - these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judment on the great Day."
But we all know that you cannot build a doctrine on one verse. The whole counsel of Scripture must work together to put forth truth. First of all, the verse does not specifically mention Satan. Second, the context would indicate that this is a part of the fallen angels and not all of them, since Sodom and Gomorrah are used as an example of two cities among many that suffer immediate judgment. Third, there are numerous other passages that depict Satan as free and allowed to move throughout the world (Job 1-2; Zech. 3; Matt. 4; 2 Cor. 11; 1 Pet. 5; Rev. 12). Finally, he is described by Christ and Paul as the "prince of this world" (John 12:31) and the ruler of the kingdom of the air." (Eph. 2:2)
We will learn more this Sunday as we answer question #6, "Who is Satan?"
Until then, "resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
Pastor Randy
The two challenges that Christians face with regard to Satan are to treat him too lightly or to give him too much credit. A delicate balance between the two is prudent.
Biblically-speaking, Satan (or the devil) is referred to numerous times, either by name or by description, or both. He is the serpent in Genesis and the dragon in Revelation. He is Lucifer in Isaiah and the guardian cherub in Ezekiel. He is the accuser in Zechariah and the tempter in Matthew. He tortured Job and tormented Paul.
Sadly, many believe that Satan is caged up in hell and not active in the world today. They cite Jude 9, where it says that "the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home - these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judment on the great Day."
But we all know that you cannot build a doctrine on one verse. The whole counsel of Scripture must work together to put forth truth. First of all, the verse does not specifically mention Satan. Second, the context would indicate that this is a part of the fallen angels and not all of them, since Sodom and Gomorrah are used as an example of two cities among many that suffer immediate judgment. Third, there are numerous other passages that depict Satan as free and allowed to move throughout the world (Job 1-2; Zech. 3; Matt. 4; 2 Cor. 11; 1 Pet. 5; Rev. 12). Finally, he is described by Christ and Paul as the "prince of this world" (John 12:31) and the ruler of the kingdom of the air." (Eph. 2:2)
We will learn more this Sunday as we answer question #6, "Who is Satan?"
Until then, "resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
Pastor Randy
Friday, September 3, 2010
How Do I Know I am Saved?
How do I know I am saved? What a provocative question!
The truth is that most people who have at least professed to be Christian have asked that question at least once or twice in their life. For the Muslim, such a question cannot be answered. For the Christian, however, there is a definite set of proofs that one can apply to get at the answer very quickly.
As we evaluate the answer to that question and the proofs offered us in Scripture, we must be careful not to err on either extreme. For example, it is indeed a sobering thought that Jesus said, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matt. 7:13-14)
It is equally sobering to hear Jesus declare a few verses later, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matt. 7:21)
On the other hand, it is quite disconcerting that the American culture today places a great deal of emphasis on being "good." Most would say, "I am a good person, and since God is good, He will not send me to hell." This is a dangerous statement to make, as it presumes something about the nature of man that is NOT what God's Word teaches. The Bible says that "No one does good, not even one." (Rom. 3:12)
If we say we are good, we are lying. And lying is not good. This is a hard truth, but it is nevertheless the Truth. Many of us can't handle the Truth, and so we continue on in life not wanting to face that Truth. It's like a tough conversation that we know we have to have with someone, but we keep putting it off, wishing the need to have that conversation would somehow just go away.
That, too, is dangerous, because none of us knows when our last day on this earth will be. That is a hard truth as well. We like to think we are good and that we are in control. Neither of these presumptions is correct. God alone is sovereign and God alone is good. That means that you and I must come to grips with that Truth and submit to His pathway toward reconciliation with Him. That path to reconciliation begins and ends with Jesus. What have you done and what are you doing with Jesus?
Is He your Savior? If so, rejoice in the fact that you are saved. Is He your Lord? If so, rejoice that you will bear much fruit in this life, preparing yourself for a glorious life in heaven with Him.
See you Sunday!
Randy
The truth is that most people who have at least professed to be Christian have asked that question at least once or twice in their life. For the Muslim, such a question cannot be answered. For the Christian, however, there is a definite set of proofs that one can apply to get at the answer very quickly.
As we evaluate the answer to that question and the proofs offered us in Scripture, we must be careful not to err on either extreme. For example, it is indeed a sobering thought that Jesus said, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matt. 7:13-14)
It is equally sobering to hear Jesus declare a few verses later, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matt. 7:21)
On the other hand, it is quite disconcerting that the American culture today places a great deal of emphasis on being "good." Most would say, "I am a good person, and since God is good, He will not send me to hell." This is a dangerous statement to make, as it presumes something about the nature of man that is NOT what God's Word teaches. The Bible says that "No one does good, not even one." (Rom. 3:12)
If we say we are good, we are lying. And lying is not good. This is a hard truth, but it is nevertheless the Truth. Many of us can't handle the Truth, and so we continue on in life not wanting to face that Truth. It's like a tough conversation that we know we have to have with someone, but we keep putting it off, wishing the need to have that conversation would somehow just go away.
That, too, is dangerous, because none of us knows when our last day on this earth will be. That is a hard truth as well. We like to think we are good and that we are in control. Neither of these presumptions is correct. God alone is sovereign and God alone is good. That means that you and I must come to grips with that Truth and submit to His pathway toward reconciliation with Him. That path to reconciliation begins and ends with Jesus. What have you done and what are you doing with Jesus?
Is He your Savior? If so, rejoice in the fact that you are saved. Is He your Lord? If so, rejoice that you will bear much fruit in this life, preparing yourself for a glorious life in heaven with Him.
See you Sunday!
Randy
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