Every sunrise is a gift from God!
Kauai sunrise 2003
Last summer I had a conversation with a lovely lady about my faith. She wanted to know what I believed about God and she asked many questions. I've thought about that conversation often since then, praying for her and praying that my words answered her questions.
As a Christian it's inevitable that someone will ask, "How can a loving God send people to hell?"
My response is, "He doesn't!" Let me explain.
Without getting into heavy theological areas where I have no business treading let's keep this to simple facts.
God is good. In Him is light, and joy, and peace and blessings. In this world we all enjoy these gifts, whether you believe in Him or not. The sun rises every morning giving light and warmth. We enjoy laughter and smiles and love and friendship. Heaven is an extension of this state of blessing, except that God will be present. It will be like the Best Day Ever that never ends!
In this world there is also evil because mankind is sinful. We have a human nature that runs counter to God's perfect will and as a result bad things happen. Consider a place where evil abounds because there is no force for good to quell it? That is Hell. Hell is the absence of God. The sun never rises in Hell. It's like the worst, most horrible night ever that never ends.
In this world we have the opportunity to choose God. To accept His gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. To live in harmony with His will. We can also choose to ignore His gift and all of His benefits. One of which is eternity spent in His presence. The alternative to eternity in God's presence is eternity separated from Him. That is Hell. God is Light so without God, hell is absolute darkness. God is Love so without God, hell is a place devoid of love. You get the idea.
Now back to the question and my answer. We choose our place in eternity when we choose to believe in Jesus Christ or not. Everyone who has ever walked this earth has been nudged by the Holy Spirit to consider God and His love for mankind. God does not want anyone to experience Hell so He communicates with us in our spirit; it's that still small voice that urges us to believe.
Hell was created for the devil and his cohorts. It was never God's plan that His beloved creation should ever know a day without His presence. Of course, He wants us to choose Him, to exercise our free-will in saying yes to Jesus Christ. It is our CHOICE. The only ones that God sends to Hell are those for whom it was created. WE choose whether to spend eternity with God or without Him.
My prayer is that you will consider the question of eternity. If you are teetering on the fence I pray that you will fall into Jesus' loving arms.
If you have more questions, please email me: nkrueger410 (at) gmail (dot) com.
blessings everyone, have a wonderful week
nancy
Nancy, so wonderfully said! I pray that your witness to this precious lady made a difference and she made a decision for Christ. I always consider it a privilege and honor to share Christ and thank you for doing it here. If I never get to see you here, I will see you there :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for putting this so succinctly, Nancy! I love making the gospel simple because it really is simple!! Love your heart:)
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you from one sister to another!
AMEN!!! You explained it in such a simple and beautiful way!!! This past Saturday (Sabbath), I was at Princeton University and the young speaker, Jeffrey Rosario, spoke on this exact topic that you explained here. He explained it the way you did, except he presented it for a large body of university students. It was grandiose and GOD's presence was felt!! I'm so thankful to GOD that I get to hear this message twice (with you now)... That means, GOD really wants me to embrace and savor this message. Thanks for sharing your witnessing experiences with us, because they also minister to many more! Continued blessings, sweet Nancy!!! XOXO
ReplyDeleteGoing to share your post on my Twitter... Hope you don't mind (:
ReplyDeleteVery well expressed! I always appreciate how you share your faith. It is encouraging and uplifting to me. Hugs!
ReplyDeletevery thoughtful post Nancy. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your faith.
ReplyDeleteLovely post.
ReplyDeleteMy husband always gives this analogy:
We are given an ATM card with an account with more money than we can imagine. It's up to us to use the ATM card. It's up to us to make the decision to receive all of the love and blessings God has for us!
Bless your heart for sharing this, Nancy. Simply and beautifully stated - you are a real pilgrim of your faith. Hugs!
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