I asked a group of Christians how they would feel if they got to heaven and found Buddhists, Hindus, homosexuals and women who'd had abortions sitting around laughing with Jesus.
Silence.
I waited. I repeated the question.
"That would never happen because the Bible is clear that people like that won't be there."
"What if they were?", I pressed. "After all it's His heaven, He can let in whomever he wants. What if people whom you knew for a fact didn’t believe in Jesus made it to heaven just like you did? How would you feel?
Again, silence.
After I told them about another group to whom I had posed the same question, and that group's consensus was "Angry. Cheated.", this group began to open up a little.
What surfaced was a sentiment among "the faithful" that it would be unfair of God to allow others in who had not "played by the rules" by which they themselves had kept for years.
(reminded me of this story that Jesus told. Matthew 20:1-16)
Many people in Christianity feel they have been called to safeguard heaven from people whose actions don’t deserve it, and deep down want people to pay for their shortcomings. After all, "it’s only fair."
"Houston, we have a problem."
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(An excerpt from The Shack by William P. Young", p. 192)
Papa (God): "Honey, you asked me what Jesus accomplished on the cross; so now listen to me carefully; through his death and resurrection, I am now fully reconciled to the world."
Mack: "The whole world? You mean those who believe in you, right?"
Papa: "The whole world, Mack. All I am telling you is that reconciliation is a two-way street, and I have done my part, totally, completely, finally. It is not the nature of love to force a relationship but it is the nature of love to open the way."
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God is love. God loves everyone. God has unlimited patience with everyone, believers and unbelievers. His patience is an expression of His love.
He is loving and patient with all His children, even the one's who don't yet believe in Him.
He is hoping to win their heart. How do you know that someone who doesn't believe in God today will do so three months from now?
He is not loving and patient only to those who believe, but especially to those who don't... in hopes that they one day will.
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3 comments:
Yes, sometimes I too have found myself with the "older brother complex." (The Prodigal Son story in Luke 15.) "Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a ...whatever... that I might make merry with my friends." (NKJV) What a rotten attitude! MM
Hey, Jim.
I haven't been her in awhile so I apologize if this is an old post, but I just felt the need to say yes, believers only.
Those who do not accept Jesus' gift of salvation and repent of their sins will not inherit the kingdom. They will die in their sins and be cast into the lake of fire with the devil and his angels.
That's not my interpretation, that's what the Lord said in His word.
You already know this so I am a bit confused about the purpose of this post.
Homosexuals and women with abortions will certainly and undoubtedly be sitting in heaven with the Lord, covered by the blood of Jesus; however practicing bhuddists and hindus (who have not confessed that Jesus is Lord and repented of their sins) will not be there.
C'mon, man. I see the point about thinking outside the box and realizing God's perfect outreaching love, but you know that not everyone are children of God. You have to be born again, born into the kingdom. Scripture declares all others of their father, the devil.
Billy, Thanks for dropping by and for posting your comment. Apparently you weren't the only one who was confused. If you haven't done so, check out the next day's post entitled "backlash" --
http://pastorjimthompson.blogspot.com/2009/04/backlash.html
The point of this post is not who's getting in, but rather whose job is it to determine who is getting in.
The point was not who is going to heaven, but who does God love. My conviction is that God doesn't just love believers, but everyone (God loves the whole world).
He doesn't just love people who have turned to Him, but He loves everyone in hopes that they will turn to Him.
JimT
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