Truth Talks

Eternal Life with God

When I was a little girl, my mom would tell stories that happened to her “20 years ago.” To a ten year old, 20 years sounded like an eternity. Now that I have more than four decades under my belt, it doesn’t sound so long ago. But eternity, how do we get our arms around that dimension of time and space?

God says he’s always been and always will be. Okay, by faith I can accept that about God without comprehending how it works. But, God also says that Christians will have eternal life. Another concept I accept without full understanding. Most believers do not struggle with the doctrine of eternal life; it’s the eternal death from the last few posts that pose the problem.

Christians generally agree that God is love and his holiness requires justice. It would be inconsistent with God’s character to be merciful to those who repent allowing them to enjoy eternal life while ignoring those who do not. His love allows eternal life and his justice demands eternal spiritual death. Each person gets to choose.

41 times, the New Testament offers its readers encouragement about eternal life. Jesus spoke clearly when he said,

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1–3)

Jesus returned to where he came from, his eternal presence with God the Father. His followers have the hope of joining him some day.

My local paper listed 51 obituaries yesterday—each person named entered eternity. Only those who had confessed Christ as their Savior before they took their last breath entered eternal life with the Father. The others face eternal life away from God. However, be encouraged as you consider friends, family or neighbors because:

God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

Truth Talk About Hell

If, as Janna wrote on her post earlier this week, “Keeping the end in mind [heaven] helps us endure through the hard times, [then] understanding the alternative to heaven… might also influence our actions.” The alternative in which she speaks is the place called Hell.

There are many teachings inside the church on the doctrine of Hell. The Way of the Master Radio recently interviewed a pastor of a large church in Minneapolis. This is but one pastor who, while trying to make church attractive and culturally relevant, is misinterpreting Scriptures on Hell. He is teaching that it is not a real place.

However, the Bible says:

1. The destiny of the unsaved is “the eternal fire prepared for the devil” (Matthew 25:41).
2. “And these [that ignored Jesus] will go away into eternal punishment, but the saved [those that followed Jesus] into eternal life” (Mathew 25:46).
3. It is a place “where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:47-48).
4. It is a place “for those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus… [a place] away from the presence of the Lord” (one of punishment and eternal destruction) (2 Thes 1:5–9).
5. “And the devil…was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur… [to] be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).

While we must be careful in our judgment of others, the biblical interpretation that Hell is not a real place is based on figurative interpretation of the Scriptures. Jesus and Paul were speaking literally when they discussed life after death. The truth about physical death is that no one escapes. The mortality rate of humans is still 100%.

Last month, my father-in-law passed from this earthly life into eternity. Because he knew Jesus, he will spend eternity in the presence of the Lord in a place called heaven. So, with only one chance to die and after this face forever, with or apart from God, the alternative to humanity’s heavenly destination becomes vital to those who don’t know Jesus as their Savior.

Talking about Hell may seem unpleasant. However, not talking about it doesn’t make it any less of a reality for those who die without Christ.

What will you do with what you know?