It does not seem very fashionable these days for churches to talk about what happens to non-Christians when they die. In part this trend is due to the fact that talking about people going to hell is not seen as very PC. In our multi-faith, multi-cultural world, the idea of saying to someone that their religion won't save them is frowned upon.
Such "hell and damnation" talk is often seen as intolerant if not arrogant, and some would decry it as having imperialist overtones, where the self-righteous Europeans seeks to civilise the rest of the world, by converting them to Christianity. However, if we take even a cursory look at history we will quickly realise Christianity started with non Europeans, and grew despite Roman imperialism, eventually subverting that imperialism to it's own advantage along the way. Not to mention the minor point the majority of Christians in the world today are neither white nor European!
Passing over the tricky bits?
The problem with ducking the tough bits of Christianity, things like; sin, judgement, death and hell, is that we end up presenting people with a fairy tale faith, where the ending is always happy. We all know that this is not a true picture of life, nor is it a true picture of the Christian faith. Real life is tough at times, we may experience some "Disney World" moments but they are few and far between. Real life is made up of grit, grime and tears interspersed with times of joy and laughter, there are rain clouds as well as the sunshine in the real world.
So as Christians we need to be prepared to talk to people about the reality of sin, death and hell, as well as grace, forgiveness and heaven. We need to allow God to show us how to handle these matters openly but with wisdom and grace, we want to show that we hate the sin, whilst loving the sinner.
Would you like water with that?
Christmas is a time when it should be easy to talk about God's love, but in doing so we need to be prepared also to talk about His righteousness. Many people know that Christians say that Jesus came to save the lost, but precious few people know what Jesus came to save us from, or why we need saving. This ignorance is largely down to the fact that for too long the Church has spoken only of God's love, and spoke of it as if justice and righteousness are side issues that don't really matter. The truth is that God is a God of love, and righteousness, and justice... So we water Him down at our peril!
The fact is that just like you and I, our friends, family and neighbours all fall short of God's standards of righteousness*. Consequently they will stand guilty and condemned before God, unless they accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Their guilt will mean that they face eternity without God and the uncomfortable truth is that their destiny is hell.
Changing destinations
Thankfully we know that they don't need to end up there. As Christians we know that they can change direction. We know that with God's help and by His grace they can become heaven bound, with a guarantee of life without end. What's more we know that Jesus offers much more than "pie in the sky when we die", such is His love and grace that many of us can testify that being a Christian is about having abundant life here and now, what one writer called "Steak on the plate while you wait."
So let's not become so PC that we are scared to talk about the truth of the gospel. Let's be excited about inviting people to Bethlehem Live. Let's remember, it's as much about saving people from Hell, as it is about getting them into Heaven, and even above that it's about each of us having a relationship with God, that starts here and now and continues forever!
Let's renew our determination to pray for those around us who don't know Jesus. I know it's tempting to put it off 'till later, but the reality is there is no time like the present. Don't forget to take the time to listen to God as part of praying, there are things He wants to say to you to help you bless your friends.
*Romans 3:23
Such "hell and damnation" talk is often seen as intolerant if not arrogant, and some would decry it as having imperialist overtones, where the self-righteous Europeans seeks to civilise the rest of the world, by converting them to Christianity. However, if we take even a cursory look at history we will quickly realise Christianity started with non Europeans, and grew despite Roman imperialism, eventually subverting that imperialism to it's own advantage along the way. Not to mention the minor point the majority of Christians in the world today are neither white nor European!
Passing over the tricky bits?
The problem with ducking the tough bits of Christianity, things like; sin, judgement, death and hell, is that we end up presenting people with a fairy tale faith, where the ending is always happy. We all know that this is not a true picture of life, nor is it a true picture of the Christian faith. Real life is tough at times, we may experience some "Disney World" moments but they are few and far between. Real life is made up of grit, grime and tears interspersed with times of joy and laughter, there are rain clouds as well as the sunshine in the real world.
So as Christians we need to be prepared to talk to people about the reality of sin, death and hell, as well as grace, forgiveness and heaven. We need to allow God to show us how to handle these matters openly but with wisdom and grace, we want to show that we hate the sin, whilst loving the sinner.
Would you like water with that?
Christmas is a time when it should be easy to talk about God's love, but in doing so we need to be prepared also to talk about His righteousness. Many people know that Christians say that Jesus came to save the lost, but precious few people know what Jesus came to save us from, or why we need saving. This ignorance is largely down to the fact that for too long the Church has spoken only of God's love, and spoke of it as if justice and righteousness are side issues that don't really matter. The truth is that God is a God of love, and righteousness, and justice... So we water Him down at our peril!
The fact is that just like you and I, our friends, family and neighbours all fall short of God's standards of righteousness*. Consequently they will stand guilty and condemned before God, unless they accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Their guilt will mean that they face eternity without God and the uncomfortable truth is that their destiny is hell.
Changing destinations
Thankfully we know that they don't need to end up there. As Christians we know that they can change direction. We know that with God's help and by His grace they can become heaven bound, with a guarantee of life without end. What's more we know that Jesus offers much more than "pie in the sky when we die", such is His love and grace that many of us can testify that being a Christian is about having abundant life here and now, what one writer called "Steak on the plate while you wait."
So let's not become so PC that we are scared to talk about the truth of the gospel. Let's be excited about inviting people to Bethlehem Live. Let's remember, it's as much about saving people from Hell, as it is about getting them into Heaven, and even above that it's about each of us having a relationship with God, that starts here and now and continues forever!
Let's renew our determination to pray for those around us who don't know Jesus. I know it's tempting to put it off 'till later, but the reality is there is no time like the present. Don't forget to take the time to listen to God as part of praying, there are things He wants to say to you to help you bless your friends.
*Romans 3:23
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