Something I've often heard people say when I've been out witnessing is "My god is a loving god who would never send anyone to hell." My response to them is, "Then your god is not the True God, of the Bible, but a false god." Truth isn't always pleasant to hear but it is necessary.
The Bible says in (Jude 22-23) "And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire;......"
Did you know that Jesus spoke more about hell than He did about heaven?
**"And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 13:42)
**"And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 13:50)
**"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:" (Matthew 25:41)
**"And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." (Matthew 25:46)
Modern-day Christianity has watered down the gospel and presented only half of the truth. The reason I like Chick tracts is that they present the WHOLE gospel....not just the 'Jesus loves you' part. Hell is real! and it's FOREVER!! I don't want ANYBODY to go there, so that's why I warn them. Like Mrs. R said in her comment on my last post, if there was a bridge that was out and I warn people about it, it doesn't make me 'unloving' or 'intolerant'. The people who DON'T warn you about it are the ones who are being unloving. I agree that talking about heaven and the love of God is much more pleasant but that's only half of the gospel message.
Fearing God is the sign of an intelligent and wise person:
**"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."
**"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding."
**"The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened."
**"And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement:" (Hebrews 9:27)
The good news is that:
** "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)
God doesn't want ANYONE to end up in hell but He gave us a free will. We must choose Him....and it's His way because He's God and He can do anything He wants, any way He wants to.
Hell was not originally created for man. God created hell for the devil and his demons but because of sin, the Bible says in Isaiah 5:14 that "Therefore hell hath enlarged herself,...." Hell had to be made larger to accomodate the growing number of people who reject the Saviour and therefore choose to go there. Yes, I said choose. It is a choice....a concious choice to reject God's provision and pridefully believe that you can be 'good enough' to get there.
**"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction,(hell) and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life,(heaven) and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)
God knows that many people will willfully CHOOSE to reject His provision. It seems that mankind wants to devise any other scheme, except the Biblical one, to get to heaven.
-Muhammad and Buddha didn't die for your sins......but Jesus did!
-Muhammad and Buddha are still in the grave.......but Jesus arose from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
**"There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." (Proverbs 14:12)
Here is an analogy I like to use. If you went to the doctor and he/she told you that you had cancer you wouldn't call him/her intollerant or think that the doctor was unloving because they told you an unpleasant truth......it's the same with the truth about hell only the news is better because there is a cure that is 100% effective. Placing your trust in Jesus Christ, repenting of your sin and asking Him to save you will keep you from ever having to experience hell.
I will finish up part 3 tomorrow. Part 3 will be about why 'being a good person' and doing 'good works' will not get a person to heaven.
