grace – Resounding Shophar Ministries

How Secure Are You?

I was recently asked by a friend I’ve known since my youth if I had written anything on this particular subject. While I have eluded to it at times, I have never focused primarily on the subject, but seeing that the return of Jesus for His bride is right around the corner I felt it was important to write on it. How secure are you in your relationship with Christ and eternity? Are you secure in it, or are you embracing a false security that could have disastrous consequences if you are not prepared when that trumpet sounds?

As we see the turmoil within society and the world at large increase in intensity faster and faster, it’s becoming more and more evident that we are actually living in the last days prophesied in Scriptures. As a part of these last days we know that Jesus will be returning for His Bride sometime in the very near future, and with that the question is asked, “How secure are you in your relationship with Christ?” It has been debated over the years to what extent one can be assured of their salvation and entrance into heaven, with some arguing that once you’re saved you’re always saved, and some arguing that each time you sin your salvation is lost and needs to be restored. Which one of these arguments are true, or is it an entirely different position somewhere between the two extremes?

The idea of “once saved, always saved”, also known as “eternal security”, has been around for years. What is believed by those who embrace such a doctrine is that once someone is saved, their eternal destination in heaven has been sealed and cannot be revoked for any reason. When asked about those who appeared to receive salvation yet later on in life seem to live a life apart from Christ, the common response is that the person wasn’t truly saved to begin with. It’s as if a person forfeits any free will when they get saved, having no freedom to change their mind at a later time in regards to salvation. Perhaps this is where the thought originated, that those who have experienced and received the love of Christ will automatically and without question give their lives to Him, and that they would never want to be without it? I wrote about such a person that had both observed and received Jesus’ love and acceptance for over three years, yet at the end he chose to make decisions that destroyed his relationship with Jesus and his eternal home in heaven, 30 Shekels of Silver. The teaching of “once saved, always saved” implies that at the point of salvation, salvation is complete and requires nothing more from the individual, except maybe to be loving and gracious towards others. For some, they will go to the extreme and say all their sins, past, present, and future, were forgiven at the point of salvation, and that there is now no more need to confess and repent of future sins as they were already forgiven. I realize Scripture is used to support the “once saved, always saved” doctrine, but is there Scripture that would contradict it?

I remember just a few years after high school sitting on the floor during one of our youth fellowship group meetings, or home group as some call them, at a youth leaders house. That night a question was raised that I had heard many times before, but this time it was different. The question asked, when does grace end? This, of course, was under the premise that a person could lose their salvation. So, when the question was asked, when does grace end, the Holy Spirit immediately pointed me to a scripture reference. It wasn’t one of those times where you’re trying to think of a scripture to answer a question or to support a perspective, and I definitely did not remember what the scripture said, but the Holy Spirit immediately gave me direction. Now, before I give you the reference, let me tell you something about myself. I’m one of those people that if you told me that the sky is blue, then I would conclude that it isn’t red. If you tell me that stepping on the accelerator pedal of a car will make a car go faster, then I would conclude that to take my foot off of it would make it go slower and perhaps stop. So, when I read the verse I’m about to give you I immediately made a conclusion based on what it said. In Romans 6:17, the Apostle Paul tells us “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered”. After reading that I believe God gave me the answer to the question that was asked. If salvation by grace is a result of obeying God from our heart, then it only makes sense that grace begins to cease when we no longer obey Him from our heart. It’s not so much an issue of whether or not we sin, but what is the condition and attitude of our heart when we sin. If our heart seeks to honor God and to be pleasing to Him in all our ways, then we are going to shun sin in our lives more and more, having an attitude of repentance and turning from sin that can be seen in our actions and behaviors. On the flip side, if we are continually trying to justify or defend why what we are saying or doing is okay, then our heart attitude isn’t right and will jeopardize the operation of God’s grace in our life. With the right heart attitude grace is in full operation, but it’s a dangerous place to be in if our heart attitude isn’t right and healthy in His sight.

I recently wrote another blog asking if Jesus is your Savior, or is He your Lord and Savior. In it we took a look at Matthew 7:21-23, and how that the ones Jesus turned away were practicing lawlessness even though they called Him Lord and did the supernatural in His name. They were doing their own thing, living as they felt was right and okay and not according to Scripture and what God had for them. The attitude of their heart was not one of obedience to Him, and as a result Jesus told them to depart from Him.

In Matthew 25:1-13, we read of Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins. In this parable, the virgins represent followers of Christ, Christians. All ten of them were patiently waiting, with full expectation, for the bridegroom to come get them, but only five were found ready and prepared when he did arrive. The five virgins that were not ready and prepared for him were left behind. The setting of this parable is in the context of the ancient Jewish wedding, a picture that is often times used to illustrate the wedding between Christ and the Church. To keep things brief, one of the aspects of the ancient Jewish wedding is that the groom and bride enter into a marriage covenant with each other, a process that isn’t completed until a future time. After entering into this marriage, the groom leaves for an indefinite period of time to prepare a place for her. Upon his return for his bride, the one whom he has entered into a marriage covenant with, if she was ready and prepared for him when he returned, he would take her back to his father’s house where the marriage process would be finalized and completed. If on the other hand he were to find that her affections were elsewhere or that she had not prepared herself for him as she ought, the groom could leave without her and give her a letter of divorce. This was what Joseph was going to do with Mary when he heard that she was with child, planning to “put her away privately”, Matthew 1:19.

In the parable of the unforgiving servant found in Matthew 18:21-34, Jesus gives us a picture of the place forgiveness should have in our life. In it, a king is settling accounts with his servants who represent Christians. A servant is brought to him that owes him an enormous debt that he could not pay, and when the king gives orders to have him sold along with his wife and children to pay the debt the servant begs for time. Out of compassion the king not only gives him more time, but he actually forgives, or cancels out, the debt this servant owed him. The servant then goes out and finds a fellow servant that only owes him pennies by comparison to what he had just been forgiven of, and despite the begging of this other servant for more time to pay, he has him thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the king hears of this he calls for the servant, rebukes him because he didn’t show the same kind of compassion and kindness towards the other servant that he had been given, and in anger recalls the debt that had initially been forgiven and sends him to the torturers until he paid it all. In a nutshell, when the king forgave the servant, that represents salvation, but because the servant didn’t extend forgiveness to others after he had first received forgiveness from the king, his past debt was remembered and he was sent off to be tortured. For those that say that this doesn’t apply to us, Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:35 that God will do the same to us if we don’t from our heart also forgive. The servant received salvation, but because he would not forgive his salvation was forfeited.

Some will argue that these teachings of Jesus are not relevant to us because they were before He died and rose again, but in Matthew 28:19-20, just before He ascended up into heaven, Jesus instructs us to teach others to observe and do ALL that He commanded us. He didn’t indicate only that which was after His resurrection, but all that He had commanded us to do. In a book that was written about 90 A.D., almost 60 years after Christ’s ascension, Jesus talks to seven churches made up of Christians in Revelation 2-3. In these chapters Jesus identifies what awaits those who overcome, and in Revelation 3:1-6 He talks to the church in Sardis. In Revelation 3:5 He tells them that if they overcome “He will not blot their name out of the Book of Life”. How can a person’s name be blotted out of anything without it first being put in it? Since a person’s name is entered into the Lamb’s Book of Life at the point of salvation, this can only mean that because they didn’t overcome as Christ instructed them to do they “lost” their salvation. Some people confuse the Book of the Living with the Book of Life, but they are two completely different books. The Book of the Living, which is what Moses referred to in Exodus 32:32-33, has the names of all people who are physically living. The Lamb’s Book of Life has all the names of those who have received salvation, whether they are currently dead or alive, which is only through Christ and the accepting of His sacrifice for our sins. The writer of Hebrews indicates in Hebrews 10 that it’s possible for some to “draw back” from the salvation they once received, and how that the just will endure and live by faith.

While I don’t embrace the teaching of “once saved, always saved”, also known as “eternal security”, I do believe a person can be secure in their salvation. When a person has a heart that seeks to honor and please God in all they do, to obey Him and His commands first and foremost, to actively shun sin in their life and be quick to repent when they do sin, which means to cease continuing in that sin, I believe a person can be secure in their salvation. But, if a person is continually trying to defend or justify their behavior or the presence of sin in their life, or they take the position that they have the right to decide when they will or will not obey God and His Word, no matter what it is, then they are at risk of forfeiting the salvation they began in. Some say for some to lose their salvation requires a complete turning of ones back to God, but I believe from what we’ve looked at in this and the previous blog it is possible for someone to “lose” their salvation and not enter into heaven without completely turning their back on Him. Does a person lose their salvation every time they sin? No, I believe that a person with the right attitude of the heart will experience God’s grace without measure during those times until they’ve had opportunity to recognize the sin and repent of it. The Holy Spirit will convict us when we’ve sinned, and when we continue in sin, but if we continue to ignore His conviction or try to say it isn’t Him then we run the risk of falling short of the prize that the Apostle Paul tells us about, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 and Philippians 3:12-16. The Apostle Paul tells us to push for the prize that awaits us, and Jesus tells us that there is a reward for those who endure and overcome till the end.

Do you want the prize, the crown awaiting those who persevere and overcome till the end? Do you want what awaits those who watch and prepare for the return of Jesus for His Bride? Don’t let your robes of righteousness become spotted and blemished with the world and sin. It’s up to you.

John Johansson (Pastor John)

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Recalibrating Our Thoughts

The way things are currently developing both within the country and around the world, I am compelled to address a series of topic over the next several weeks. A 40 day period Jews observe called Teshuva begins the evening of August 17, 2015, a period of time set aside for the purpose of repentance and preparation for Rosh Hashanah. Actually, the first 30 days is to prepare for Rosh Hashanah with the hope and prayer they will be resurrected up and not have to continue the following 10 days which they believe no one really wants to go through. Yes, those remaining 10 days are that bad. These 40 days are closely connected to the rapture, or the catching up, of the Church and the following 7 year tribulation period that will see the judgments of God poured out on the earth. So, over the next several weeks I hope to bring a series of blogs to helps us do just that, to re-evaluate our walk with Christ with the desire that we will make the necessary changes in our lives in preparation for when that trumpet sounds signaling our call home to be with Jesus.

Several weeks ago someone made some comments in Sunday school, an echo of what others have said to me over the years that concerns me. Some of the individuals that have made similar comments love God, and yet others their love for God could be questioned. Some have even voiced these comments more to justify their behavior than as a sincere belief they held, and I believe my dad could have possibly been one of those.

So, what are these comments that I’m referring to? Based on the idea that anything prior to Christ’s resurrection is of little or no relevance to us as we are now living in the dispensation of grace, this person in Sunday school commented that we are free from the law and rules, and that whenever one lives according to rules or commands they are really being legalistic. Is this truly the case, or is something missing with this way of thinking? If this way of thinking is wrong, is it really all that important? And if it is important, what is the danger in holding to such views?

Yes, we do live in a dispensation of grace. Yes, our salvation is not based or maintained by the keeping of rules and laws. And, yes, we are free from the bondage and the penalty of sin. So, where does that leave us? Does this mean that the keeping of any laws or rules is legalistic, or is our thinking off some in this area?

To begin with, some have mentioned the words of Jesus in John 8:36 as the basis for their reasoning that we are free from having to keep any laws or rules, but in context that is not what this passage is indicating. Jesus is talking about being free from sin, not laws and rules, yet some choose to use this as their reasoning for living free from having to keep laws and rules. Is this way of thinking consistent with all scripture, or for the most part after Christ’s resurrection for those who discount anything taught by Him before hand? No, it doesn’t.

As I mentioned before, some think that keeping or living according to any laws or rules is legalistic and should not be a part of a Christians walk with Christ. The fact that our salvation is by grace and not of works or in the keeping of the law confuses some into thinking rules and laws should not be a part of our lives, and this is a misconception held by many. Those who hold to such views fail to realize the presence of rules and commands throughout the New Testament in the lives of the early believers.

One of the first commands we see in the New Testament after Jesus’ resurrection, and just prior to His ascension, was a command in Matthew 28:19-20. In this passage Jesus is telling His followers to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to do all that He had commanded them. Did you catch that? Jesus is telling them, and us, to teach others to do ALL that He had commanded them?

In Acts 15:6-29 we read of the Jerusalem Council, headed by James the half-brother of Jesus and the disciples, how after much consulting among themselves and prayer presented a series of guidelines, or rules, by which gentile Christians were to live by. These were not rules they had to follow for salvation, but instead rules providing a set of guidelines by which they were to live by, guidelines that set them apart from non-believers, and the Holy Spirit approved of these.

We also have the Apostle Paul giving instructions on multiple occasions on how we are to live, a set of rules we are to follow. He tells children to always obey their parents, wives to be subject to their husbands, husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the Church. He also tells all of us to obey those in authority over us, to obey the laws of the land, and to grow in maturity in our faith, among others we can see throughout the New Testament. These are all commands that we are to live by as we become more like Jesus, commands that also work to separate us from looking or behaving like those who are not believers. Not only that, Jesus told us that if we truly love Him we will obey all His commandments, and He went further by stating that if we don’t follow all His commandments then we truly don’t love Him as we think we do.

Again, I am not talking about how to obtain or maintain ones salvation as that is another subject, but instead to refute the idea that there is no place in the life of a Christian for rules or guidelines by which we are to live by. After all, if that is the case, then why stop at stop signs, file taxes on April 15^th, pay for items at a store, or drive on the right side of the road? When one embraces a mindset of a life free of rules and laws, they are attempting to distance themselves from any accountability for their decisions and behaviors, and that is bad. When my dad, an otherwise strict and to some extent a legalistic person, held to such views, he was using it merely as a means for justifying his decision to keep God’s tithe for himself to control and give as he wanted. He was less concerned about honoring God with all he had or to reflect the Lordship of Christ in his life than he was in his intent on keeping control of his money for himself. Motivation is key, and to have a motivation that doesn’t seek to please or honor God is a motivation that seeks the satisfaction and the gratification of self.

It is becoming more and more evident that the return of Christ is right around the corner, and if that is the case as I and many others believe, then it is important for us to make sure we are ready for that day when it comes. I’m not saying that holding to such views as I’ve been addressing will keep someone out of heaven, though it might, but to not carefully and prayerfully consider these things could be very dangerous to your soul and your salvation. It’s time for us to check and see if our thinking needs to be recalibrated to match up with the Bible, and if it doesn’t then we need to take steps to get them readjusted to match God’s word. It’s not worth playing Russian roulette with. Wouldn’t you agree? Think about it.

John Johansson

Attitude Is Key

The other day I was watching someone on TV that made an interesting comment. In his attempt to describe the relationship Christ calls us to with Him, he indicated that once we receive salvation anything that is done in the body is pretty much meaningless, good or bad. He went on to say that if a person receives salvation, they could go out and sleep around to their hearts delight and it would have no bearing on their relationship and position with Christ. He did say that to do so would be simple stupidity, but he reiterated that it would not change their relationship with Christ and also implied that their eternal destination is secured. There is something definitely wrong with this picture, and the Apostle Paul had something to say about this type of mentality.

In the time of Christ and the Apostle Paul, the city of Corinth was the bustling place to be, a trade center it was also a place of much moral depravity and was well known for it. It was in this setting that the Apostle Paul went there and started a church with the good news of the Gospel. We have two of the three letters Paul wrote to this church in Corinth, letters that brought encouragement and direction as well as strong judgment and corrections regarding some of the behaviors of this church. One area that he addressed in his first letter to them involved a mentality that is shared by the minister I mentioned in the first paragraph. It is in I Corinthians 6:12-20 that we see Paul’s position regarding sexual immorality.

To make his point Paul starts off by reminding us of the liberty we now have in Christ, a liberty he cautions us about in Galatians 5:13 where he tells us not to use our liberty as an opportunity for the flesh. The Apostle Peter also gives the same instruction in I Peter 2:16, telling us not to use the liberty we have in Christ as a cloak for wickedness. Both Paul and Peter acknowledge the liberty we now have in Christ, but they also tell us not to use it for the benefit of our flesh or as an excuse or covering of wickedness in our life.

Later in the sixth chapter of I Corinthians Paul begins to address the sexual immorality that was prevalent in Corinth, specifically within the church in Corinth. The Christians in Corinth had adopted a view, the same as what the minister I was watching the other day is embracing, that their salvation was spiritual and what they did in and with their bodies had no effect or bearing on their relationship with Christ. As a result, the Christians in Corinth were involved in a variety of sexual immorality and thinking nothing wrong with it in regards to their relationship with God. So, Paul needed to set things straight by letting them know that their thinking was all wrong, and that in fact what they did sexually with their bodies did have an effect on their relationship with Christ. Paul goes on to say that our physical bodies are members of Christ, and that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. He then reminds us in verse 20 that we were bought with a price, and that we are to glorify God in both our body and in our spirit.

In Romans 6, Paul talks about our relationship to Christ and the place our bodies have in it. In I Corinthians 6 Paul mentions giving our members to a “harlot”, and how that should not be so, but in Romans 6 Paul takes a more general approach to this subject. To keep this in context, we need to remember that Paul is writing to the Christians in Rome, and as such tells us that it applies to us as well. In this chapter in Romans, Paul starts off with a couple of questions, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1-2 NKJV). He goes on in this chapter talking about yielding our members to sin or to righteousness, and that we become slaves to whatever we yield to. As Christians it is our responsibility to yield our members to righteousness and not sin. That doesn’t mean we will never sin again, but it means that we are now free to not sin if we are led by, walk in, and live in the Spirit. Just because we become a Christian doesn’t mean we’ve lost our free will to choose who or what we will yield to, it’s just that we are now able through the Spirit to resist sin and not walk or live in it anymore.

Paul continues in Romans 8 talking about two different kinds of Christians, those who are led by the Spirit and those who are led by the flesh. A popular verse, Romans 8:1, while I realize that some translations of the Bible omit part of it, many read and cling to the first part of that verse, and forget about or give little heed to the remaining part. Paul says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1 NKJV). As you read through this chapter you will see how Paul is comparing both the life and end results of both types of Christians. Some try to argue that those that Paul refer to as walking and living in the flesh are not Christians, but if we are raised to life with Christ because we were originally dead in our sins, how can a non-Christian die if they were never given life to begin with. The end result of a life led and lived according the flesh is that they will not be called the children of God and will die.

I admit, I am someone who tries to live and do things right, described by some as someone who is “by the book”, but I will be the first to say that I’m not perfect and have on many an occasion blown it either knowingly or otherwise. I am well aware of God’s grace and forgiveness and seek to extend it towards others, and I’m okay with that. I’m not perfect and sinless, and I don’t expect others to be either, but there is something that concerns me. It’s not so much that someone has blown it, or even if it was in a big way or not, but it’s the attitude of the person that can be very telling and disconcerting. It’s one thing for someone to stumble or fall in their walk with Christ only to get back up and “brush themselves off”, asking and being grateful for God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness with a genuine desire to not do it again, whatever “it” is. What is disconcerting is when someone that knows they’ve said or done something they know is wrong only tries to make excuses for it, adopting some type of rationalizing that “makes it okay” to blow it. These are people that need to take a real attitude check for themselves as it becomes an issue of attitude and motivations, specifically in regards to their own walk with Christ. Are they serving God because they want to, or are they doing so out of obligation or because it’s the way they were raised? When a person wants to serve God first and foremost simply because of who He is and what He’s done in their life, they’re not looking for ways to justify or rationalize wrong behavior. Instead, they’re looking with gratitude for how they can please Him in all they do, simply because they love Him and want to. When we try to make excuses and try to rationalize what we’ve said or done, that sends the message that we’re still being very self-centered, looking more to please ourselves than the One who made salvation available to each of us. It’s is during these times that we are actually being led by our flesh and not by His Spirit, which Paul addresses in Romans 8. Do we want to live being led by our flesh, or by His Spirit? It’s all in the attitude and motivations. Even I have to check my attitudes and motivations at times, making sure it’s pleasing and acceptable to Him. How about you?

The return of Christ for His bride is so close that we could say it’s imminent, and that stands to reason all the more why we should take an inventory of our attitudes and motivations regarding our walk and relationship with Christ. Are we truly living for Him, or for ourselves? Just because we get our attitudes and motivations right doesn’t mean that we will have “obtained”, as we should continually be looking to become more like Christ. How do we do that? We do that like the Apostle Paul instructs us in Romans 6, yield ourselves and the members of our bodies for righteousness and not for sin and the flesh, an ongoing task. When we talk of our members, it’s not just our hands, arms and legs, but it’s also our eyes, ears and mouth, as well as our thought life. Are we more concerned about pleasing Him or more concerned about pleasing ourselves and others?

It’s in the attitude. Maybe it’s time to do an inventory of your attitudes and motivations for living for and serving Him?

The Unthinkable

Recently I was reminded of one of the most popular sermons ever preached in America. A sermon that was given by Jonathon Edwards on July 8, 1741 in Connecticut was more spoken than preached but has gone down in history as one of the most powerfully preached sermons in history. While I have heard that Jonathon Edwards read in a monotone expressionless voice with his written sermon raised in front of his face where he couldn’t see the congregation, it is also reported that it was so powerful that people we’re groaning, crying out loud and digging their fingernails right into the pews in front of them. What was this sermon he preached, and what was it about? The message title was, “Sinners in the hands of an angry God”, and the theme was the fate of those who reject Christ as their savior and hell as it awaits them.

Hell is not a popular subject to talk about in churches anymore, and why is that? We live in a time when it is more popular to talk of the promises and grace of God, with what many have called a “seeker sensitive” gospel, than we are of the justice and wrath of God. Don’t get me wrong, we need to hear of the promises and grace of God, but if that is all we hear then the message is incomplete. This is also true of those who talk only of the justice and wrath of God without the promises and grace of God.

People don’t like to talk about hell, or that there is a chance they could find their eternal destination there, but nonetheless it is something that needs to be talked about. People like to think that either hell is a mere fabrication of those who seek ways to control others or to scare them into the Christian faith, or that if it does exist they are somehow exempt from going there. Many believe that if they live a good life and help others then they will somehow not go there, but that is under the premise one can work or earn their right to avoid hell, much like a ‘get out of jail’ free card. The problem is that no one can avoid hell apart from a saving relationship with Jesus.

Hell, a place of unending torment, was a place that God had prepared for Satan and the angels that followed him in the rebellion against God. Satan, once known as Lucifer, was one of the highest ranking angels in Heaven, but when he decided to elevate himself to be equal with and independent from God he was then kicked out of Heaven. Unlike what many may think, hell was never created or intended for humanity, but it was instead created and intended as punishment for Satan and the fallen angels. It wasn’t until sin entered humanity in the Garden of Eden that the penalty for that sin became the same as that of Satan and the fallen angels, eternity in hell. In Matthew 25:41 Jesus tells us that hell was prepared for Satan and the fallen angels, but in Isaiah 5:14 we’re told that hell enlarges itself daily and opens up its mouth without measure waiting for the descent of many into it. Hell was not intended for humanity, but humanity in its sin finds its eternal home there unless they obtain salvation through Christ, and Christ alone.

Many people believe that God is out there waiting with eager anticipation to hurl the wicked into eternal damnation and torment in hell, but that is not the truth. We read in 2 Peter 3:9 that “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” In John 3:18 Jesus tells us, “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” God has prepared a way by which all can be saved, that being through Jesus His only begotten Son, and it is ones choice to reject the only way God has provided that sends each one to hell.

Despite the fact that God has provided a way by which each one can avoid the eternal judgment of hell, it is amazing to me that so many will go to such extremes to avoid hell on their own merits. I mentioned earlier that there are some who want to deny the existence of hell, or at least change it into something far different and less than what it is. Others want to go one step further to deny even the existence of the one true God, or to say He is no different than any of the other man-made gods many believe in.

Whether it is someone that is bent towards proving the theory of evolution as true, or someone who chooses to believe that hell doesn’t exist, or even someone who cites their reasons for not living for Jesus, one of the core reasons for this is the determination to discount the existence of God in their lives. Many don’t like the idea of living the way they choose being judged as right or wrong by any person other than themselves, much less by a God who has the power to send them to a hell they don’t want to believe is real. People want to believe that there is no eternal penalty for the way they live, and in order to do so they must discount the existence and role of God in their lives, or at least create their own version of a God that is nothing but love and grace that will overlook the way they lived in conflict with His will and instructions. Many look at the injustices they see all around, especially those they’ve suffered themselves, and can’t see how a loving God would allow such things and therefore want nothing to do with Him. When it comes down to it each of them want to discount God and His Son, Jesus, as having any pertinent role in their lives, and that in doing so many want to believe they won’t be held accountable by God and suffer an eternal punishment in hell.

No matter how hard one tries to discount God and hell, or even their existence, this doesn’t change the fact that both God and hell exists. Hell is not a place in ‘fantasy land’ or a new vacation spot where you can party with your friends, but it is a place of unending torment with flames of fire that burn continuously. Hell is so bad that I wouldn’t wish it upon the worst person in humanity, but the fact still remains that those who reject the person of Jesus as both the only begotten Son of God and as their savior will find themselves there. While many want to focus on God being a loving God that wouldn’t send them there, they forget or don’t realize that they are in fact sending themselves there if they choose to reject Jesus in their life. People also want to discount the fact that God is not only a God of love and grace, but He is also a just God that will punish the ungodly. In Exodus 34:7, God tells us that “He will not clear the guilty”, holding them accountable for their decisions and actions.

If we want to focus on God’s love we also need to understand that it is because of His love that He will not allow the ungodly to escape hell and find their eternal home in heaven. You say that doesn’t make sense? Think of it this way. If a person chooses one way or another, directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, to reject Jesus and not surrender their lives to Him, God would be unloving towards those who chose to serve Him if He were to allow the ungodly into Heaven. His love for those who choose to follow and serve Him is great and He will not allow them to be exposed to sin and the ungodly that rejected Him in Heaven. Hell is a very real place, and while it was not intended for humanity to dwell there it is true that those who reject Christ will get their wish eternally by spending eternity there without Him. God is not going to violate the free will of anyone that rejects Jesus in this life by having or forcing them to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. The life we lead and the choices we make in this life will forever determine our eternal destination whether it be in Heaven or in hell. If you want to reject Him for whatever cause you deem sufficient, He will honor that by allowing you to choose, but you have to be willing to endure the consequences of those decisions.

In closing, no matter what your excuse for not surrendering your life to Jesus and living only for Him, you alone will be accountable for your decision. When you stand before God, and you will, your excuses will not be allowed, and those you seek to blame will have no bearing at that moment. Regardless of your excuses you will be judged by one thing, what did you do with His Son, Jesus? The Bible will be the standard by which all will be judged and there is no way to get around that.

John Johansson