Why
grace is
rejected?
The most common reasons and objections that cause people to
turn their backs on God and salvation. Read why they are bad
excuses
The idea of man's
own scientificity and wisdom keeps many outside the kingdom
of God. They may think they are scientific, when in fact
their worldview is based on faith, just as every Christian's
worldview is based on faith. Each of us is based on faith.
Usually
when people talk about science, they mean Darwin's theory
that man is descended from lower animals. However, they fail
to consider that if their origin is in primitive animals,
how can they trust their brains and reasoning? They may
consider themselves wise, but wouldn't their rationality be
at a loss if it came from some ape-like creature or even
from the Big Bang?
The errors of the
church and the wrongs committed in the name of God are the
reason why many turn their backs on God. However, they do
not take into account that each person is responsible to God
only for his own life, not for that of others. No one can
appeal in the last judgment for what others have done wrong.
In
this matter, attention should also be paid to what Jesus and
the apostles taught. They repeatedly urged people to repent,
abandon injustice, and love their neighbors. If someone does
not want to follow this, it is the person's own fault, not
the fault of God or the Christian faith.
The existence of evil
and suffering in the world is a difficult problem for many.
Why hasn’t God removed evil from the world? However, if God
were to remove evil from the world, it would also affect
each of us because we have not always walked according to
what is right. We ourselves are part of this problem.
The
Bible's solution to evil is simple. Every person must repent
in their life. That will instantly eliminate most of the
suffering. The problem is that we don't always want to obey
these most important teachings of the Bible.
A distorted view of
God can keep many outside the kingdom of God. Many do not
understand the two sides of God: His hatred of sin and
injustice, and His love for people. He has both of these
sides.
His
hatred of sin and injustice is expressed, for example, in
his condemnation of a society that has fallen into deep evil
or in his condemnation of an unrepentant sinner to hell. He
would not be a good God if he did not react in any way to
evil and only turned a blind eye to everything.
Another
important attribute of God is love, which was revealed
especially through Jesus Christ, the Son of God. God was in
Christ and reconciled the world to himself, so that every
person could receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
As a result, when a person turns to God, he enters the
eternal kingdom of God
For many, the
Christian teaching on sexuality, that sex is only for the
marriage of a man and a wife, and not for other heterosexual
or homosexual relationships, can be a stumbling block. If
someone does not understand this, it is nevertheless a clear
teaching of the New Testament. If we reject it, we are
entering dangerous waters. We should strive in the direction
that Jesus and the apostles taught us.
The
existence of damnation can be a problem for many people.
But, as stated, God does not want anyone to go to damnation.
Jesus came into the world so that every person could be
saved. A person will go to damnation only if he hardens
himself and does not want to turn to Jesus. Unfortunately,
most people reject Jesus, thus rejecting God's grace and
salvation.
When reading the Bible one can see clearly that God has a
good plan for everyone. The Gospel of John states that God
loved the world so much that He sent His son, Jesus Christ,
so that nobody would perish (John 3:16). Furthermore, the
First Epistle of Paul to Timothy describes how God “will
have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of
the truth.” (1 Tim 2:4). It is definite that He wants people
to come to Him and wants to give them eternal life.
In spite of everything, many people reject God's call to
salvation and repentance. They do not want to turn to God.
They have all sorts of excuses for rejecting God's call—just
as the following verses show what happened in the time of
the Apostles. Therefore, in the future lines, we will begin
to get acquainted with the most common objections that
people have to the Christian faith. We start with science.
- (Acts 13:45,46) But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they
were filled with envy, and spoke against those things
which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was
necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken
to you: but seeing you put it from you, and judge
yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, see, we
turn to the Gentiles.
1. "I am scientific"
The perception of one's own scientificness and wisdom is one
of the reasons why many turn their backs on God and the
Christian faith. A person likes to think that he has a
scientific view, that he is rational , and that his view is
unbiased, dispassionate, and based on facts. At least no one
wants to admit that he is a religious fanatic or, for
example, a fundamentalist, which some newspapers and
journalists like to use (many lump all religiosity and
also Islam into this group). Almost everyone
distinguishes between faith and science, and that man
himself is free from all prejudices and preferences. The
writing below by a free thinker well reflects this attitude
held by people who consider themselves to be scientific:
I wish briefly that people would think scientifically.
Generally,
it looks like most people try to manage by thinking as
little as possible. (…) The most important part of a
scientific way of thinking is freedom from prejudices,
predilections and devotions. The target of a scientist is
always the truth, regardless of how unpleasant it may be or
how much confusion it may cause to people whose beliefs it
shows wrong. (1)
So, what do people consider to be a scientific approach?
Most people believe it means following an atheistic
philosophy that includes believing that the universe came
into being by itself, that life came into being by itself,
and that all species evolved from one simple cell that came
from the ocean. A person who claims that he or she is
scientific usually means that these statements about our
origins are true. We will not address the accuracy of those
claims in this writing. Instead, we will look at this
“scientific approach” from another perspective.
Scientific approach or faith? If
we start from the idea that someone's worldview is
scientific and not based on faith at all, does such a person
exist? How many people act only on facts in the field of
science and in ordinary life, but do not use their faith? Is
it possible to find such a person?
If we are honest, practically no one works without
faith. In the field of science, it manifests itself in
trusting the credibility and information of others. Their
opinions are considered reliable because they are thought to
be in the know about things. It is exactly the same in the
area of ordinary life. Even in that, we trust in what others
say and consider their words to be true. We personally check
only a small part of the things that we assume to be true.
Therefore, everybody believes in something; nobody
stands on neutral ground. Every person believes in
something; also one who believes he bases everything on
facts. There is no such thing as a completely scientific
man, because it is impossible.
The following examples highlight the importance of faith
and its occurrence in everyday life:
• A girl trusts her mother's word that she will get a new
dress. It is faith.
• People believe that such a place as Antarctica exists,
even though very few have been there.
• When there are store advertisements in newspapers, we
believe them and go shopping based on them.
• History is an area where we know everything based on the
word of others. For example, the existence of Napoleon and
Caesar can no longer be proven scientifically, but we have
to rely on the word of others. It is a faith that everyone
has to lean on.
• Questions about the origin of the universe, life and man
belong to the area of faith. None of us witnessed the birth
of these things. There are only different theories about how
they started, but scientifically it is impossible to prove
their origin.
So, whenever we deal with the three basic pillars of the
scientific ideology – the origins of the universe, the
origins of life and the theory of evolution – we end up
having to accept the following conclusions:
• The idea of how the universe began is based on faith. The
two most common ideas are that it came into existence by
itself or that the universe is God's creation. The problem
is that we cannot prove either of these notions
scientifically because we cannot go back in time. If one is
scientific in this area, one should actually have been
looking at the early moments of the universe, but that is
impossible. That's why we believe in one or the other
theory, but no one has absolute proof. If we claim
otherwise, we are mistaken.
• The origin of life is a similar matter. No one was there
to witness it. Therefore, this concept is also based on
faith. So far, there is not the slightest evidence that life
could have originated by itself.
• The theory of evolution is based on the belief that in the
past there has been evolution from simple forms of life
towards more complex forms. No one has witnessed whether it
really happened. Many well-known paleontologists have
strictly denied the notion that there are intermediate forms
between basic groups in the fossil record.
Can we trust the brain of an ape?
When it is a question of the term “scientific view”, it
usually refers to the theory of evolution, in which life
evolved from simple life forms and humans evolved from
ape-like creatures. Or if we go far enough in the
evolutionist thought model, it leads to the fact that man
too was born as a result of the big bang from a small space
the size of a pinhead. This is how people might think in
this naturalistic thought model.
But there is a big problem with the same way of
thinking: how can you trust a person's judgment if he is
descended from an ape or even more primitive life form? If
his brain and thinking are the result of only random
processes, does it make sense to value such information?
Doesn't his sanity lose its bottom if it comes from some
ape-like creature or even the Big Bang? Reasonable
reasoning, notion of one's own scientificness and
intelligence is questionable if the person's background is
like that. It can be a case of great self-deception and risk
of delusions. We cannot rely on our scientificness if our
origins are irrational and impersonal. Anyone who claims
otherwise is not himself scientific.
I remember how a young man said in a seminar, “I cannot
believe in creation, I believe in the Big Bang. We are only
a result of chance and random events. There is no God. What
do you say to that?”
I replied, “Well, if we are the result of chance, then
also your brain is a result of chance. Therefore, your ways
of thinking which determine your logic are also the result
of chance. If your logic is the result of an occasional
series of events, you cannot be sure that it has developed
in the right way. You cannot even be sure that you are
asking the right questions because you cannot trust your own
logic.”
He was speechless. Later, he came to me and asked about
the best books concerning the subject, saying that he should
think seriously about this issue. He had begun to understand
that without an absolute (God) he would have nothing. (2)
The question of the existence of God. A
person who has a “scientific view of the world” may also
deny the existence of God. People with such an atheistic
approach are confident when saying that there is no God who
created everything and with whom people can interact. Faith
in God is only considered to be wishful thinking, something
to which reasonable and scientific people do not resort.
Naturally, it is difficult to prove that this atheistic
view is right. If somebody says, “There is no God”, that
does not prove that God does not exist. It is a question of
religious bias, not of certain knowledge, because no one has
unlimited knowledge of everything. That would require
complete and exhaustive information on all matters, but that
is impossible for us. How does a person know that God does
not stay in that sector, about which he himself has no
knowledge? It is very possible because every person is a
finite being. Therefore, we are left with only belief or
disbelief in the existence of God.
However, according to the Bible, something can be known
about God. It will be evident in at least three areas that
we are going to look at.
Nature,
its beauty and complexity testify to the Creator. Similarly,
human personality, reason, emotions and the difference from
animals are compatible with the Bible's description. These
are not absolute proofs of God, but the Bible's teaching
that God has created everything and made man in his own
image can be deduced from them. This evidence fits better
with a theistic worldview than with the impersonal and
irrational beginning of everything.
- (Ps 19:1) The heavens declare the glory of God; and the
firmament shows his handiwork.
- (Rom 1:19,20) Because that which may be known of God is
manifest in them; for God has showed it to them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation
of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the
things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so
that they are without excuse
What about the possibility that nature has not born from the
hand of almighty God? In this atheistic model, we encounter
big problems for which no solution has been found. The
Bible's model of an almighty Creator is a much more
reasonable concept.
• The Big Bang theory is one of the most incredible
theories. The idea that hundreds of millions of galaxies and
stars, Earth and other planets, seas, rocks, giraffes,
elephants, man, flowers, trees, butterflies, birds,
mosquitoes, fish and other creatures have come from a space
the size of a pinhead is a completely absurd idea. This
thing can be believed, but it doesn't seem like a very wise
theory.
• As stated, the origin of life has not been proven. The
more information has been accumulated, the bigger the
problem has been identified.
• The absence of intermediate forms suggests that the
species have been separate from the beginning. This fact
fits better with the biblical description than the atheistic
model.
History.
Historical research has repeatedly confirmed the accuracy of
the Bible's descriptions. At least 30 people from the New
Testament are mentioned in other sources, so the question is
about historical people and things. Of course, this in
itself does not prove the inner teaching of the Bible to be
true, but it gives a good reason to find out about things.
God’s revelation. What
about more direct evidence for God's existence? Those who
are atheists and agnostics often make the argument that if
God exists, why doesn't he reveal himself to us? "Show us
God and we will believe," they say.
However, God has already shown Himself to us. The entire
revelation of the New Testament is based on the fact that
God became a man through Jesus Christ, lived a sinless life
as a human, took our sins to the cross and opened us a path
to Heaven. God took the initiative and approached us in
human form as the New Testament shows. Jesus himself said
that he was not of this world like other people, and that he
had come from heaven to do the will of his Father. This
matter, God's revelation, is well expressed in the following
verses:
- (Hebr 1:1,2) God, who at sundry times and
in divers manners spoke in time past to the fathers by the
prophets,
2 Has in these last days spoken to us by his Son,
whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom also he
made the worlds;
- (John 1:18) No man has seen God at any time, the
only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he
has declared him.
- (2 Cor 5:19,20) To wit, that God was in Christ,
reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their
trespasses to them; and has committed to us the word of
reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did
beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be you
reconciled to God.
So God has already revealed himself and made known his plan
and will for every person.
However, one thing prevents people from understanding
this matter: disbelief. When the letter of Hebrews says that
without faith it is impossible to please God, this is true
of atheists and agnostics who do not want to believe the
revelation of the Bible.
God has indeed revealed himself and exists according to
the Bible, but disbelief and an attitude where people don't
even want to find the truth - many exclude in advance the
possibility that God could announce Himself - prevent them
from reaching clarity and certainty. When Jesus said that
”He that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be
opened” (Matt 7:8), not many are ready to even seek.
Then it is impossible for them to find anything. The Bible
talks about wrong attitudes, unbelief, faith and finding God
in the following way. Do you have an unbelieving heart so
that you reject in advance the possibility that God exists
and that he wants man in His communion:
- (Hebr 3:12) Take heed, brothers, lest there be in
any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the
living God.
- (Rev 21:8) But the fearful, and unbelieving,
and the abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and
sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their
part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which
is the second death.
- (Hebr 11:6) But without faith it is impossible to
please him: for he that comes to God must believe
that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him.
- (1 John 5:10) He that believes on the Son of God has the
witness in himself: he that believes not God has made
him a liar; because he believes not the record that God gave
of his Son.
- (Hebr 4:2) For to us was the gospel preached, as well as
to them: but the word preached did not profit them,
not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
- (2 Cor 5:7) For we walk by faith, not by sight
- (Rom 4:3-5) For what said the scripture?
Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for
righteousness.
4 Now to him that works is the reward not reckoned of grace,
but of debt.
5 But to him that works not, but believes on him that
justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for
righteousness.
- (Mark 4:39,40) And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and
said to the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and
there was a great calm.
40 And he said to them, Why are you so fearful? how is
it that you have no faith?
2. The faults of the church
Disappointment with Christianity and its representatives is
one reason why people abandon faith and God. The reason may
be disappointment in someone close to you or disappointment
in the church and "narrow-minded religiosity". Therefore,
many cannot stand any talk about faith and God, but reject
it sharply and rebel against it.
As far as imperfection in people is concerned, it is
true that it appears. It is true that few are good examples
and even fewer can say in Paul's words: ”Be you followers
of me, even as I also am of Christ.” (1 Cor 11:1). In
the same way, religion can be the kind that does not include
spiritual life, but is hypocrisy. It was fought against
already during the early church and e.g. John the Baptist
said to certain people:
- (Matt 3:7-9) But when he saw many of the Pharisees and
Sadducees come to his baptism, he said to them, O generation
of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to
come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to
our father: for I say to you, that God is able of these
stones to raise up children to Abraham.
When the faults of the Church and wrongs done in the name of
God through the centuries are pointed out, one should note
what Jesus and the first disciples taught. If we take a look
at their lessons, we will see that, "the unrighteous shall
not inherit the kingdom of God," and that Jesus has never
known these evildoers. Also, Paul predicted a similar kind
of behavior after his departure. He taught that savage
wolves will come that will not spare the flock.
This means that not all people who appear in the name of
God and Jesus are his own, despite claiming so (As Paul said
in Titus 1:16, “They
profess that they know God; but in works they deny him”). Jesus
said about false prophets: "You
shall know them by their fruits."
(Matt 7:16), and this is certainly true of every person:
- (Acts 20:29-31) For I know this, that after my departing
shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the
flock.
30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking
perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three
years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with
tears.
- (Matt 7:21-23) Not every one that said to me, Lord, Lord,
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the
will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out
devils? and in your name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess to them, I never
knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.
- (1 Cor 6:9) Know you not that the unrighteous shall
not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived…
However, it is good to note that even if someone has turned
to God, there may still be a lot of deficiency in his life.
There are people on different levels, and for example the
Corinthians were still little children in Christ, because
Paul wrote how there was envy, strife and other problematic
behavior among them. On the other hand, however, Paul
himself could say to others: "Brothers, be followers
together of me, and mark them which walk so as you have us
for an example." (Phil 3:17):
- (1 Cor 3:1-3) And I, brothers, could not speak to you as
to spiritual, but as to carnal, even as to babes in Christ.
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for till now
you were not able to bear it, neither yet now are you able.
3 For you are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you
envying, and strife, and divisions, are you not carnal, and
walk as men?
Account only of ourselves.
Secondly, when referring to the wrongs committed by churches
throughout history, it is worth noting that each of us is
ultimately only responsible for our own actions, not those
of others. That is, even though it is true that many wrong
things have been done, we certainly cannot invoke the
mistakes and wrongdoings of others and use that to justify
our own behavior. If we put our own lives in order and first
remove the "beam" from our own lives, there is already a lot
to do in it (Matt 7:5 You hypocrite, first cast out the
beam out of your own eye; and then shall you see clearly to
cast out the mote out of your brother’s eye.):
- (John 21:21,22) Peter seeing him said to Jesus, Lord, and
what shall this man do?
22 Jesus said to him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what
is that to you? follow you me.
- (Rom 14:12) So then every one of us shall give
account of himself to God.
- (Rom 2:6) Who will render to every man according to
his deeds:
- (Rev 20:12-15) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand
before God; and the books were opened: and another book was
opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were
judged out of those things which were written in the books,
according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death
and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and
they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This
is the second death.
15 And whoever was not found written in the book of life was
cast into the lake of fire.
Impact of God on the society. People
criticising the so-called Christianity have plenty of
justified statements, as noted before. These are not
unfounded accusations.
However, it is important to see that when God touches a
person, such a person's life should change. If it doesn't
get any better, and he continues to kill, steal, and break
laws, this person is lost, as the previous verses showed.
The next example describes what can happen when God has a
stronger influence on society. He will then change the lives
of many. It is not a Big Brother control society, of which
there are examples in history, but that the vast masses of
the people have changed internally. The description is from
the 19th century:
I have told that the moral situation changed greatly through
this revival. The city was new, economically prosperous and
enterprising but full of sin. The population was especially
intelligent and ambitious but as the revival swept through
the city by bringing large crowds of its most remarkable
people, men and women, to conversion, there happened a very
miraculous change concerning the order, peacefulness and
morality.
I had a talk with a lawyer many years later. He had been
converted in this revival and was a general prosecutor in
criminal cases. Because of this office, the criminal
statistics were thoroughly familiar to him. He said about
the time of this revival, “I have examined documents of
criminal law and noticed a surprising fact: while our city
has grown three times larger after the times of the revival,
there has not been even a third of the indictments than
there were before. So miraculous an effect did the revival
have on our society.”(…)
(...) Both public and personal opposition gradually
abated. In Rochester I did not know anything about it. The
salvation had its own great visitation, the revivals were so
powerful and moved so widely, and people had time to become
acquainted both with themselves and the results of them to
such an extent that they feared to oppose them as before.
The priests also understood them better, and the wicked were
convinced that they were acts of God. This idea of them
became almost common, so clear was the sane nature of the
conversions, so really transformed, “new creations”, were
the converts, so thorough a change occurred both in
individuals and in the society, and so permanent and
undeniable were the fruit. (3)
3. Evil in the world
When a negative attitude towards spiritual matters has been
justified, one reason, in addition to the faults of the
churches, is evil in the world. It is thought that God
cannot possibly exist because there is so much evil and
suffering in the world, and because justice does not exist.
It is difficult for many people to reconcile these matters
with the existence and love of God, as the next quote
indicates:
But this is actually only a part of a larger problem. It is
namely difficult for me to relate to an idea about a God of
love. The problem is not only evil in the church, but evil
in the whole world. If God created this world and if He
cares for it, why is there so much bloody suffering in the
world? You answered in your letter that God cannot be
regarded as being responsible for that, because He has given
man freedom to choose between right and wrong. But I think
that this question cannot be pushed aside so easily. When a
man, in his freedom of choice, chooses to do evil and the
result is pain and suffering for innocent people, then God
simply cannot be the "loving" God you claim Him to be! (4)
However, this thing proves the Bible's word to be true. For
when we look at the Bible, it already talks about the Fall,
which brought sin into the world, in its opening chapters.
While man originally lived in wonderful harmony together
with animals, the situation changed when the Fall occurred.
Then man's reason darkened, his will bent to evil, and he
lost the peace of his conscience. God's image in man was
also corrupted and sin and death entered the world, as shown
in Romans. It is difficult to deny that the world is in the
state indicated in the Bible:
- (Rom 5:12) Why, as by one man sin entered into the
world, and death by sin; and so death passed on all
men, for that all have sinned.
The fall into sin is therefore a reality in the world. It
manifests itself in evil, suffering, selfishness and death,
which are its consequences. Auschwitz and Rwanda would
certainly not have happened if the world was not truly in
the power of evil, as John wrote (1 John 5:19). It also
manifests itself in the need for police and armed forces in
societies. They are needed because human goodness is not
trusted. It's not just about upbringing and circumstances,
but about original sin that lives in us. This is how the
Bible teaches in many places. The practical evidence is too
great to deny the Fall. The following example continues on
the same topic:
Everyone burst into laughter.
Michael continued his speech:
- Professor Joad was of the opinion that there is nothing
wrong with human nature that would not be cured by a higher
civilization, better opportunities and a better environment.
Then came war. When Joad contemplated misery of the pain
and destruction, he came to the conclusion that the events
of that moment and also of history are a long account of
man’s inhumanity towards other people. He came to notice
that theologians had one common viewpoint, which the
philosophers did not emphasize, namely that in human nature
there is some fault, and that fault could be called original
sin. From these starting points, Joad progressed from sin to
the need for salvation and from the Savior to God, who sent
Him to atone for the sins of men. Joad experienced an
intellectual conversion to Christianity and became a member
of the Anglican Church. "A higher level of education, better
opportunities and a better living environment," he finally
said, "have not yet brought about a better society, as
evidenced by the growing crime statistics of welfare
countries."
(5)
The will of God and man.
When Jesus lived on Earth he taught the Lord’s Prayer to His
disciples. One of the things Jesus taught his disciples to
ask God for was that His will would be done in earth. He
advised His disciples to pray for this because it was God’s
plan and because for the time being, His will comes true
perfectly only in Heaven:
- (Matt 6:10) Your kingdom come, Your will be done in
earth, as it is in heaven.
This suggests one of the biggest reasons behind the
existence of suffering in the world. Here on the Earth it is
not the will of God that comes true, but the will of man.
While there is no evil and suffering and other problems in
heaven, there are in the world and mainly because of the
evil of people. Here people choose to do wrong instead of
reducing the evil in the world. If only we followed Jesus'
instructions in the Sermon on the Mount about loving our
enemies and repented as John the Baptist and Jesus and the
apostles taught, the world would be a better place. However,
these instructions are not always followed, and therefore
the world can hardly become better than it is now. God's
will is not fulfilled in people's lives and we don't always
want to change for the better:
- (Matt 3:1,2) In those days came John the Baptist,
preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2 And saying, Repent you: for the kingdom of heaven is
at hand.
- (Acts 26:19,20) Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not
disobedient to the heavenly vision:
20 But showed first to them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem,
and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the
Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and
do works meet for repentance.
- (Matt 25:42-45) For I was an hungered, and you gave me
no meat: I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you
clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and you visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw
we you an hungered, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or
sick, or in prison, and did not minister to you?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Truly I say to
you, Inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of
these, you did it not to me.
Only a temporary state.
Although there is evil in the world and God's will is often
not fulfilled, the good thing is that the current state of
the world is only temporary. Wars, sufferings and diseases,
which make it difficult for many to believe in a loving God,
are after all only a temporary phase before perfection. We
can see from the Bible how all the consequences of the Fall
will be removed, the creation will be renewed and new
heavens and a new earth will be created, where there will be
no more pain, sickness and sorrow, because all the former
has passed away. Death – our last enemy -- will be destroyed
and will not disturb anyone anymore. According to Jesus' own
words, He is the way to this kingdom:
- (John 10:9) I am the door: by me if any
man enter in, he shall be saved…
- (John 14:6) Jesus said to him, I am the way,
the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father,
but by me.
- (1 Cor 15:26) The last enemy that shall be destroyed is
death.
- (Rev 21:1-6) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth:
for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away;
and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down
from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her
husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold,
the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with
them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be
with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and
there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things
are passed away.
5 And he that sat on the throne said, Behold, I
make all things new. And he said to me, Write: for these
words are true and faithful.
6 And he said to me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the
beginning and the end. I will give to him that is thirsty of
the fountain of the water of life freely.
4. What is God like?
One stumbling block for many people, and an issue that
should be pointed out, are the wars mentioned in the Old
Testament and the understanding of what God is like. The
next paragraph written by a former agnostic provides a good
example of the opinions held by many people:
And then another problem. You have spoken very much about
the love of God, etc. But I remember that the God of the Old
Testament is quite different! Didn’t He destroy the whole
planet by sending the Flood? Quite an angry guy! And didn’t
He order that the Canaanites must be destroyed – including
the women and children? And didn’t he
burn Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes? It does not sound that
your loving God has done this. (6)
When responding to the honest criticism above, it
is good to take into
consideration at least the next observations. They can
provide new perspective on the issue:
Historical writings. Firstly,
it is good to note that the Bible’s description of wars and
other events is like those in any other book of history,
even though the Bible is the word of God. It describes these
events and early phases in the history of mankind, as do
other history books; except that events in the Bible take
place over a period of several centuries.
Wars and other events and people are mentioned in the Old
Testament because history books usually do this. Rarely do
they describe peaceful and normal periods: very often times
of crises are focused upon.
World War II is a fairly recent example. Much more has
been written about it than about the decades before it, even
though it only lasted a few years. It shows how usually
extraordinary events (the miracles of the Bible are among
them) are recorded better than events of normal and peaceful
times. The Bible is no exception in this regard.
Sin debt.
Secondly, it is good to note that when the Bible tells about
Sodom and the Canaanites, the judgment of these nations was
due to their own wickedness. When it is known about the
Canaanites that they burned their children alive in fire
(Deut 12:31, 2 Chron 28:3), and were otherwise bad people,
the judgment did not meet them by chance. The wickedness of
these people had achieved its peak and their debt of sin had
become full. Similarly, the Israelites later angered God and
suffered for it. The fulfillment of the sin debt, is also
possible in today's society, because even here people have
gone very far in evil:
- (Gen 15:16) But in the fourth generation they shall come
here again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet
full.
Concept of God.
When in the quote mentioned above the former agnostic
honestly criticized the concept of what God is like, so it
is good to study this issue in the light of the New
Testament.
When we look at the New Testament, according to it,
Jesus is the express image of God (Hebr 1:3) and in which
God revealed Himself perfectly. Jesus said, “he that has
seen me has seen the Father” and this is what we should
believe. The Bible also says, that “God is love” (1
John 4:8).
Therefore, if we want to know what God is like, the best
verses are such passages that speak about Jesus, His
character and what He said. Let’s study this issue in the
light of the next verses:
- (John 14:8,9) Philip said to him, Lord, show us the
Father, and it suffices us.
9 Jesus said to him, Have I been so long time with you, and
yet have you not known me, Philip? he that has seen me
has seen the Father; and how say you then, Show us the
Father?
- (Matt 11:28-30) Come to me, all you that labor and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke on you, and learn of me; for I am meek and
lowly in heart: and you shall find rest to your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
- (Matt 22:15,16) Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel
how they might entangle him in his talk.
16 And they sent out to him their disciples with the
Herodians, saying, Master, we know that you are true, and
teach the way of God in truth, neither care you for any man:
for you regard not the person of men.
- (Luke 15:1,2) Then drew near to him all the publicans and
sinners for to hear him.
2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man
receives sinners, and eats with them.
- (John 10:10,11) The
thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to
destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they
might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd
gives his life for the sheep.
- (1 John 4:8,16) He that loves not knows not God; for
God is love.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God has to
us. God is love; and he that dwells in love
dwells in God, and God in him.
5. What is love?
One reason why people reject the message of the Gospel is
their idea of what love is and what it is not. Many are
offended by attitudes of some people or if certain
behaviours are described as sinful. They say straight away:
“Don't judge,” and "don't be narrow-minded". Because of
these attitudes they reject the whole message of the Gospel.
One behaviour is homosexuality – an act often justified
by those who favour a position of tolerance and love. It has
been said that there is nothing wrong with two adults having
a sex relationship with each other, even though they are of
the same sex. The following quote illustrates such an
attitude:
However, we made mistakes. We noted, for example, that
preaching against homosexuality caused a fully negative
reaction. In the city that had been famous for a protective
attitude towards minorities of the society through the ages,
our preaching, in which we judged homosexuality, offended
the desire of Amsterdam’s inhabitants to protect weaker. We
offended the sense of justice of an ordinary man. A part of
that sexual liberation is a monument for homosexuality in
one of the market places of the city. Sexual freedom has
been taken to glaring extremities in Amsterdam, which is
regarded as the capital city of homosexuality in Europe. It
is estimated that every weekend ten- to fifty thousand
homosexual men or women come to Amsterdam because of its
famous night life and events. Also heterosexuals, including
grandmothers, react powerfully, if we spoke against
practising homosexuality and when we emphasized that it
indicates how far the city of Amsterdam has gone away from
the norms given by God. (7)
The love of God. When
we start to investigate the matter, it is good to start with
love, because it is true that everyone needs it --
homosexuals and heterosexuals -- and that cannot be denied.
Who wouldn't want to be accepted and liked? Every human has
this basic need and it is good that it is fulfilled. It
would be good to experience it from the womb. The background
of many homosexuals, too, is often traumatic interpersonal
relationships (men have usually had a bad relationship
with their father, been rejected by peers, or they have
suffered sexual abuse by someone of the same sex; women have
usually had problems with their relationship with their
mother).
However, when we look at the New Testament, the whole
point of it is that we have been loved unconditionally.
Several verses teach that when we were far away from God,
when we were His enemies and sinners, we were loved by Him.
It includes homosexuals as well as the worst and smallest
sinners. Every person can be the object of the same love, as
we can see:
- (Rom 5:8) But God commends his love toward us, in
that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for
us.
- (Rom 5:10) For if, when we were enemies, we were
reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much
more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
- (John 3:16) For God so loved the world, that
he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life.
What is the truth? Although
every person in the world – including homosexuals – can be
the object of God's love, it is still important to raise the
question of what the truth is and whether our actions have
meaning. It hardly comes up in the secular media.
This question is important. Because if the message of
the Bible and especially the New Testament is true, it shows
us that fornicators, adulterers, murderers, but also persons
who practice homosexuality - a lifestyle that is often
defended with love in our society - will not inherit the
kingdom of God. So a good question is, how true are e.g. the
following verses and how many take these words seriously? If
they are true and we reject them in spite of everything,
then are we not acting foolishly? Anyway, our mistake is
that we think about things very short-sightedly only in
terms of pleasures and do not think about eternity:
- (1 Cor 6:9,10) Know you not that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived:
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortionists, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
What does the previous thing mean in practice, it is clear
that an unrepentant person cannot enter God's communion and
heaven. When Jesus and the apostles called for a change of
heart and to give up sins, these words should be taken
seriously and not made in vain (Matt 4:17 From that time
Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom
of heaven is at hand). The problem with many is that
they never think the whole matter through or admit that they
have sinned. They do not admit homosexuality or extramarital
affairs as a sin and that is what prevents them from being
forgiven. Because even though Jesus is the Savior of sinners
and grace has come through Him, it does not benefit anyone
who claims to be sinless and does not admit to having done
anything wrong. In the Lord’s Prayer, which is familiar to
many, we are told to pray for the forgiveness of our sins,
but it is only useful to us if we first admit that we have
sinned. This is the starting point for true forgiveness:
- (Luke 11:4) And forgive us our sins; for we
also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us
not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
- (1 John 1:8-10) If we say that we have no sin, we
deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar,
and his word is not in us.
Furthermore, it is good to note that God's love and mercy,
which has appeared to us through Jesus Christ, can change
our whole life. It applies to homosexuality as well as other
addictions and desires such as freedom from alcoholism,
tobacco, anger, porn addiction... It is possible to free
yourself from all these things. If it is said that it is not
possible, then the following words of Jesus are claimed as a
lie. The practice at least shows that many have freed
themselves from the previous issues. Are we ourselves ready
to change and join this process:
- (John 8:36) If the Son therefore shall make you free, you
shall be free indeed.
6. Why is there damnation?
Damnation is an issue over which many may stumble. It is
difficult for people to comprehend the existence of such a
place and they cannot understand why God will send some
people there to suffer an eternal sentence.
However, in this area it is good to take into account the
following points, which are important for the matter:
The goodness of God.
So many find it difficult to accept the idea of damnation.
They may consider it unjust and think about how it fits in
with God's goodness. They may vigorously fight this idea.
However, the same thing can also be seen in that way that
God would not be a good God if He forgave unrepentant
wrongdoers. For if wrongdoers, dictators and tyrants who
enjoy their evil - perhaps torturing others - and do not
want to change, were to be forgiven, would that not be an
acceptance of injustice? Wouldn't God then give His consent
that these wrongdoers have done evil to others? How can such
God be good, who accepts evil and who allows evil to gain
victory over good? One would not expect such a thing from a
perfectly good God.
It is just the existence of judgment day and damnation for
wrongdoers that makes us believe in the victory of goodness
and the goodness of God. If there were no final day of
judgment, when the unjust will be judged, and those who have
suffered unjustly will be compensated, God would not be a
good God - otherwise he would accept and consent to
injustice. The fact that there is a doomsday, is proof of
the victory of goodness and that evil does not get the final
victory. It shows that God is on the side of good against
evil.
No one needs to go to damnation.
Secondly, it is good to understand that no one needs to go
to damnation. God is love (1 John 4:8) and does not want
anyone to go there. In fact, the core teaching of the whole
gospel is that Jesus has come into the world to save sinners
(Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save
that which was lost.) and that all sins were laid on Him
(Isa 53:6 …and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of
us all.) Each of us can be saved from the condemnation
of damnation through the atonement work of Jesus if we turn
to Him and repent our sins. At the same time, we get eternal
life as a gift:
- (1 Tim 2:3,4) For this is good and acceptable in the
sight of God our Savior;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to
the knowledge of the truth.
- (John 3:16) For God so loved the world, that
he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in
him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
- (Luke 15:3-7) And he spoke this parable to them, saying,
4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one
of them, does not leave the ninety and nine in the
wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he
find it?
5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his
shoulders, rejoicing.
6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and
neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me; for I have found
my sheep which was lost.
7 I say to you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over
one sinner that repents, more than over ninety and nine
just persons, which need no repentance.
- (Eze 18:23,32) Have I any pleasure at all that the
wicked should die? said the Lord GOD: and not that he should
return from his ways, and live?
32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dies,
said the Lord GOD: why turn yourselves, and live you.
The only reason why many are not saved is that they turn
their back on God's grace and ignore His call. Luke 14:15-18
indicates this: And when one of them that sat at meat
with him heard these things, he said to him, Blessed is he
that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. Then said he to
him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And
sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were
bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And
they all with one consent began to make excuse…
The well-known Finnish preacher Niilo-Ylivainio wrote
about the same thing in his time. He described the
nonchalant attitude taken towards God by people, and tried
to get people to understand the grave consequences from such
behavior:
"Uncertainty gnaws me day and night. There is enough of it.
But I am gnawed more by those people who are going to
Hell. I see a line of people, a crowd that only walks. Shout
to them, explain to them, teach them, try to gesticulate and
to describe, that they are walking towards devastation! So
what happens then? They just go! They just walk! They just
slide! They laugh and walk toward the gates of hell!
You think about 'old Niilo' now, I can see by your face.
You think, So you spoke and preached, and what of that.
I am compassionate by nature. I have always been like
that. I would so love people to Heaven, if it helped. But
when I was younger, I tried to frighten people to faith.
My intentions were good.
People say that my preaching was hard and harsh, and
indeed it was. My intentions were good. I thought that if
the frightfulness of the Judgment and the heat of Hell are
described to people in the correct way, they will come to
their senses.
Then, I still tried to prolong the moment of resolution. I
asked and asked, persuaded, and tried to win time in order
to give them a possibility until the very last moment. (…)
Yes, some were also saved by frightening. It worked on
many. They understood that I wasn't scaring them for the
sake of money, but that I was serious. Hardness, if it is
straight talk, has its place. I was tough because I was
worried about them. I thought that it is now up to me
whether these people go to Heaven or to Hell.
It was honest work in the sense that people were honestly
told where they were going. Being honest was hard on me. It
cost me my strength and health already as a young man." (8)
Charles G. Finney wrote about the same topic in the 1800s.
He proved in a good way what sort of treatment God received
from people, even though He had sent His only Son and loved
them. Many people have reacted in the same way as these
people in the example. They have rejected time and time
again the love of God:
I had my pocket Bible in my hand and I read this text from
it, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life." I don't remember much of
what I said, but I know that I couldn't stop thinking about
the kind of treatment God receives from people as gratitude
for His love. This thought filled my heart with pain; that's
why I poured my whole heart onto them, with tears flowing
out of my eyes.
I saw several men there, from whom I had heard awful
mockery on the previous day. In the meeting I referred to
them and told what they had said and how they had shouted
condemnation of God to each other. I poured my whole heart
onto them. I said that they "barked blasphemy along roads
like dogs of hell", and that I had come here as "to the edge
of hell". Everyone knew that my words were true, and it made
them shiver. But they didn't look like they were hurt, they
only cried like me. There was hardly a dry eye in the whole
room.
The restaurant owner had refused to open the meeting room
in the morning. But after this first meeting, he rose and
announced that he will open it in the afternoon.
The people scattered all around the area and spread the
information everywhere, and in the evening the meeting room
was almost as full as a school in the morning. Everyone who
could come was in the meeting, and the Lord allowed me to
attack them in quite a miraculous way. My sermon seemed to
be quite new to them. I also felt as if I had let hail and
love fall on them at the same time, hailstones accompanied
with a great deal of love. The mockery and profanation,
which they heaped and heaped on the name of God, seemed to
expand my love toward Him to extreme pain. I rebuked and
disciplined them with all my heart, but in spite of it all I
felt so much sympathy for them, that they could not have
mistaken it. I have never heard them blame me for excessive
severity, even though I have probably never before in my
life spoken so severely.
That day's work caused large amounts of people to be
converted. Since then, whenever I informed that I was having
a meeting anywhere, at any time, people came to hear me. The
work started immediately and progressed with great speed.
Twice I preached in the village church, sometimes I held a
prayer meeting, and usually I preached in a school in the
neighborhood at five o'clock in the afternoon. (9)
Call to the new life
We have addressed the objections that people sometimes raise
when someone tries to teach them about the Gospel and
eternal life. They are very common objections and seem to be
reasonable, and are often used to reject all spiritual
matters and the act of turning to God. Through them, the
good idea and the message of the Gospel that God wants to
save us and bring us to His eternal kingdom may have been
thwarted. From His side, everything is already ready and we
can receive eternal life as a gift, but we ourselves can
reject His call and love. It is possible if we turn our
backs on His gift of eternal life:
- (Luke 14:15-18) And when one of them that sat at meat with
him heard these things, he said to him, Blessed is he
that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.
16 Then said he to him, A certain man made a great supper,
and bade many:
17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that
were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse...
- (Rev 21:6) And he said to me, It is done. I am Alpha and
Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to him
that is thirsty of the fountain of the water of life freely.
- (Rev 22:17) And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And
let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is
thirsty come. And whoever will, let him take the water of
life freely.
Next, we teach how you can be saved and answer God’s call.
1. Turn to Jesus Christ and give your life to Him
Turn to Jesus Christ. Tell Him that you are a sinner who
needs salvation and that you want the plan of God to come
true in your life. At first, there is no need to try to
become better. Just go to Him as you are with all of your
faults. According to the Bible, there is eternal life only
in Jesus and therefore we must turn to Him so that we can
get it:
- (John 5:40) And you will not come to me, that you
might have life.
- (John 6:68,69) Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord,
to whom shall we go? you have the words of eternal life.
69 And we believe and are sure that you are that Christ, the
Son of the living God.
- (John 10:9) I am the door: by me if any
man enter in, he shall be saved...
2. Receiving.
When there is eternal life only in Jesus Christ, it is
natural that you must receive Him into your life. You can
simply say, "Lord, Jesus, come into my life!
According to the Bible, he already stands outside the door
of our hearts, in order to enter our lives:
- (Rev 3:20) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if
any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to
him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Therefore, if you have received Him into your life, then you
are the child of God, you have eternal life, and you have
been born again - regardless of your feelings - as the
following verses show:
- (John 1:12) But as many as received him, to them
gave he power to become the sons of God, even to
them that believe on his name
- (1 John 5:11-13) And this is the record, that God has
given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He that has the Son has life; and he that
has not the Son of God has not life.
13 These things have I written to you that believe on the
name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have
eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the
Son of God.
The prayer of salvation:
Lord, Jesus, I turn to You. I confess that I have sinned
against You and have not lived according to Your will.
However, I want to turn away from my sins and follow You
with all my heart. I also believe that my sins have been
forgiven through Your atonement and I have received eternal
life through You. I thank You for the salvation that You
have given me. Amen.
REFERENCES:
1. V.T. Aaltonen: Miksi en ole
kristitty, p. 199, 200
2. Ken Ham: Valhe,
evoluutio, The Lie: Evolution, p. 44
3. Charles G. Finney: Ihmeellisiä
herätyksiä, p. 245,246, 249
4. Gregory A. Boyd and
Edward K. Boyd: Epäilijän kirjeet,
(Letters from a skeptic),
p. 26,27
5. J. Edwin Orr:
100 kysymystä Jumalasta (100 Questions about God), p. 59 -
60
6. Gregory A. Boyd and
Edward K. Boyd: Epäilijän kirjeet,
(Letters from a skeptic),
p. 169
7. Floyd Mcclung: Elämää helvetin esikartanoissa (Living
On The Devil’s Doorstep), p. 186,187
8. Mauno Saari: Saarnaaja, p. 268,269
9. Charles G. Finney: Ihmeellisiä herätyksiä, p.
81,82
More on this topic:
Six major lies. Six arguments that
appear in the literature of God-rejecting people. Read why
they are not worth believing in and why they are based on a
lie
An open letter to Skepsis ry. The scientific or unscientific
nature of the Skepsis Association? Learn how representatives
of Skepsis are not scientific, though they may think so
Dawkins and The God Delusion. Richard Dawkins is known for
his anti-Godliness, as evidenced by the book The God
Delusion. Read whether Dawkins' arguments make sense or not
The book and
society. Read
how the Bible and the Christian faith have affected
literacy, health care, and other positive ways. Many are
blind to this fact
Is God good or bad? Is God good and just or not? Many do not
realize that Jesus was and is the perfect image of a
heavenly God
Christian faith and prejudice. People have a variety of
objections to the Christian faith and to God. Read if these
objections and prejudices make sense
People who reject God. Today, people in the West reject God
because they do not believe in creation or disagree on moral
issues
|
Jesus is the way,
the truth and the life
Grap to eternal
life! |
More on this topic:
Six major lies. Six arguments that
appear in the literature of God-rejecting people. Read why
they are not worth believing in and why they are based on a
lie
An open letter to Skepsis ry. The scientific or unscientific
nature of the Skepsis Association? Learn how representatives
of Skepsis are not scientific, though they may think so
Dawkins and The God Delusion. Richard Dawkins is known for
his anti-Godliness, as evidenced by the book The God
Delusion. Read whether Dawkins' arguments make sense or not
The book and
society. Read
how the Bible and the Christian faith have affected
literacy, health care, and other positive ways. Many are
blind to this fact
Is God good or bad? Is God good and just or not? Many do not
realize that Jesus was and is the perfect image of a
heavenly God
Christian faith and prejudice. People have a variety of
objections to the Christian faith and to God. Read if these
objections and prejudices make sense
People who reject God. Today, people in the West reject God
because they do not believe in creation or disagree on moral
issues
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