Myth-Buster Series: "Does God get angry with me when I sin?" - God's Judgment vs. God's Discipline

Many Christians seem to deal with unnecessary shame, guilt, fear, doubt, depression, and despair because they confuse God's judgment with God's discipline. Contrary to what some may think, Christians are NOT perfect. They make mistakes and still struggle with sin even though they have been saved. Sometimes they are tempted to think that God is angry with them or that they have let God down because of something they have done. They might fear that God is judging them or that He has left them. But what does the Bible actually say about God's judgment and how He deals with Christians?

First of all, it's important to note that God does indeed hate sin (Proverbs 6:16-19; Psalm 5:4-6) and will punish every act of disobedience before all is said and done (Romans 2:5-8). The uncomfortable and unpleasant truth is that hell is real and some people will experience God's wrath and judgment there. Until that time, God's judgment on unbelieving people looks like Romans 1:18-32 where the Apostle Paul says three times (v. 24, 26, 28) that God "gave them over" or "gave them up" to their sin. He does nothing to stop them, but instead lets them run headlong to their own destruction without feeling any sort of remorse for what they are doing.

However, even though we all deserve that fate, God demonstrated His love for His people in that while we were still sinners, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins (Romans 5:6-8). Instead of judgment, God gives grace to His people. He still punished their sin, but He punished it when Christ took it upon Himself and received the full penalty for it (God's wrath) as He hung on the cross (Isaiah 53; Hebrews 10:10-14). Here's why that is such good news:

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1)

Christians have absolutely nothing to fear because ALL of their sin was placed on Christ (past, present, and future) and ALL of God's anger and judgment has already been poured out on Him. God no longer has any reason to be angry with His children or punish them. Jesus took all of that.

So what do we mean by God's discipline? Perhaps you’ve heard the saying, “God loves you right where you are, but He loves you too much to leave you there.” Even though God loves His people enough to die for them while they were still in the midst of their sin, He has a plan to change them from sinners into saints (Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1). From the time a person becomes a Christian to the time they die, God works on them. The Biblical word is “sanctify” which means to make holy, clean, or pure (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). As C. S. Lewis puts it, God is making us into little Christs. That is the ultimate goal and God will use every means necessary to move His children toward that end (Romans 8:28-29).

What does this process look like? It starts before people become Christians when the Holy Spirit first convicts them of their sin (John 16:8) and it continues after their conversion. Even after people become Christians, God continues to point out those areas of their lives that are not yet conformed to the image of Christ. God's discipline looks like that of a Father who faithfully guides His children to where He wants them to be which is where they need to be (Hebrews 12:4-11). He corrects them out of love because it is what’s best for them even though the process is uncomfortable. Christians experience an ongoing process of conviction and remorse for the sin that is still in their lives which then leads to confession, forgiveness, maturity, and an even deeper knowledge of God's love. 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 clarifies the difference between "Godly sorrow" which leads to repentance and "worldly sorrow" which leads to death. While we should feel remorse when we sin against God, we should not get sucked into a cycle of self-hatred, depression, and despair. Godly sorrow only lasts for a little while before God helps us move past it by remembering the truth: Jesus already died for that sin and God no longer condemns us for it.

It is important to note that Satan loves to confuse Christians by blurring the lines between God's judgment and His discipline. His weapons are lies and accusations (John 8:44; Ephesians 6:16; Revelation 12:10). When the Holy Spirit convicts someone of their sin, Satan jumps at the opportunity to shoot flaming arrows at them: "You really messed up this time!" "God hates sin. You've been sinning, so that means God hates you!" "You're never going to get anything right!" "God might not forgive you this time." "You'd better do something to make up for what you did." He is relentless as he tries to twist appropriate, "Godly sorrow" into guilt-ridden, self-hating, "worldly sorrow." His accusations sting because Christians can't deny that they have sinned, but these "arrows" can only do damage if Christians let Satan keep their focus on themselves and what they have done wrong. If they only look at themselves and how bad they are, they have no source of hope. However, Christians can use the "Shield of Faith" to extinguish those flaming arrows by keeping their eyes on Jesus and what He accomplished for them on the cross. Where truth is known, lies have no power. Faith must be placed daily in the reality that Jesus has already taken the punishment for sin and there is leftover anger for God's children. 

When God's children stumble,  fail, and sin, He is not surprised. He does not get frustrated or impatient with them. He does not roll His eyes at them. He does not get angry with them. He does not punish them. Why? He already dealt with their sin. For Christians to believe that God is angry at them, or punishing them, or judging them because they messed up is to believe that Jesus did not get the job done, that there is still some anger or some punishment left over for them. If you are upset by the sin in your life, that is a good thing! The Holy Spirit is convicting you and leading to you toward repentance. If you never feel any remorse about sin, that could be a sign of God's judgment (Romans 1:28). The next time you feel worried that you might have let God down or that He is angry at you for some reason, look to the cross and find comfort in the words of the Savior: "It is finished."

Myth-Buster Series: Understanding God's Will vs. Looking for "Signs"

Consider the following story:

"A man is contemplating whether or not God wants him to marry the woman he is currently dating. One morning, he prays and asks God to tell him what he should do. He then flips on the TV as he gets ready for work. While he’s getting dressed, he sees a news story about a woman with the same name as his girlfriend. Not sure what to make of that, the man leaves his apartment and starts walking to the office building where he works. He chooses a route that takes him past a jewelry store where he and his girlfriend had looked at rings a couple weeks earlier. He glances in the window and, to his amazement, sees that the ring his girlfriend had pointed out to him is on sale for 25% off! Concluding that God must be trying to tell him something, he dashes into the store and buys the ring on the spot. Less than a week later, he proposes (she says, “Yes!”) and the couple is married that June. Less than a year after that, the couple begins to experience some problems. She is anxious to have kids and start a family. He isn't sure if he really wants kids, but he knows he at least wants to wait a while. The fighting is terrible and the underlying tension when they aren’t fighting is even worse. The man looks at the frustration and hurt feelings involved with his marriage and wonders: Did I misread God’s signs when we were dating? Is God now trying to tell me that I made a mistake? Am I supposed to start over now and try to find the woman that God REALLY has in mind for me? God wouldn’t want us to stay in a situation that makes us so unhappy and miserable, would He?”

One may wonder how many self-professing Christians can relate to this man's predicament. When the "Christian" divorce rate is reportedly so close to the national average, it seems reasonable to conclude that at least a few people have had a similar experience wrestling with the question of "What is God's will for my life?" Indeed, this question likely comes to mind for many Christians at some point in their lives, especially when facing a significant life decision. Unfortunately, some of us spend weeks, months, and even years just waiting around for God to give us a "sign" so that we'll know what to do next. At the same time, we ignore His Word that has been placed in our hands. If we are really interested to know what God wants us to do, why would we neglect studying what He has already said to us?

The reasons might vary a little bit from person to person, but it basically boils down to a combination of three factors:

1.) "Supernatural" signs seem more spiritual, impressive, or exciting to us than reading an old book.

2.) Waiting for a sign is less work than reading an old (and thick) book.

3.) Cryptic and vague signs are easier to interpret in our favor than God's Word.

If we are serious about understanding God's will, then we need to consider how He has told us to go about it. First of all, God has given us stern warnings about divination - trying to gain insight about the future through pagan means like fortune-telling, interpreting omens, consulting spirits of the dead, etc. (Deuteronomy 18:9-14). We need to check our motives here to see if we're really interested in submitting to God's plan for our lives or if we just want to know what is going to happen before it happens.

Romans 12: 2 says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." The apostle Paul is telling us that if we are to rightly discern the will of God, it is going to involve our minds. We are going to have to do some thinking in this process and we will have to think differently than the way the world thinks.

Well, how does the world think? In Colossians 2:8, Paul says that "hollow and deceptive philosophy" depends on "human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." The world bases its thinking on man's ideas rather than God's truth and these ideas produce futile thinking. This phenomenon is as obvious today as ever with Secular Humanism becoming the prevailing worldview in our culture over the past couple of centuries. Based on the celebrated, human tradition of Darwinism, the Big Bang theory, and evolution via bacteria-to-human mutation, this narrative has produced such fruit as: Marxism, Nazi Germany, the Holocaust, the Soviet Union and other communist regimes across Asia with a reputation for mass genocide, eugenics (enter Margaret Sanger and Planned Parenthood), and finally rampant abortion in the United States and worldwide.

How are we as Christians supposed to think? Psalm 1:2 says that we are to delight in God's law and meditate on it day and night. In other words, we need to think Biblically! Unfortunately, this doesn't just happen overnight. We need to train ourselves to think this way through continued study and mediation. Unlike eastern meditation that involves turning off the mind and emptying it to achieve some higher level of consciousness, Biblical mediation involves engaging the mind that God has given us and filling it with His truth. God reveals His truth to us when we use our minds the way He designed them, not when we use them to come up with our own human traditions or try to set them aside entirely.

Once we start using our minds the right way and go to God's Word to hear from Him on His terms, we find that God has told us a lot concerning His will and He's rather clear about it. Here are a few examples:

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)

"It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable," (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4)

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

You may have noticed that none of these verses explicitly tell you which college to attend, what line of work to pursue, which person to marry, etc. However, that is where your mind and meditation on God's Word come into play. Walking in God's will means applying Biblical principles to everyday situations and decisions. It's rather difficult to guess "What Would Jesus Do?" if we're not in the habit of studying His words and actions.

If the man in our story had been reading his Bible on a regular basis and was in the process of training himself to think and pray Biblically, he would have known that "the prudent give thought to their steps" (Proverbs 14:15), that God loves children and calls them a blessing (Genesis 1:28; Psalm 127:3-5; Matthew 18:1-6), what to look for in a woman (Proverbs 31), that the role of a husband is to lay down his life as Jesus did for the Church (Ephesians 5:25-33), and that God intends for marriage to be permanent (Malachi 2:16; Matthew 19:6).

There is no need to remain stagnant and hampered by indecision. We may not know everything about God's plan for our future, but He has given us enough to make informed decisions. And even when it is not obvious to us which course we ought to take, we may still have confidence in our sovereign God who works all things according to the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11) which is for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28-29). In some matters, we might have two or three good options to choose from. There isn't really a "wrong" decision to make, so whatever we choose to do God simply asks that we do it for Him and His glory (1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:23). This, again, will drive you back to meditating on Scripture as you ponder what it means to do this or that for God's glory. But some of us need to stop worrying about making a mistake (as if we had the ability to throw off God's plan) and start living out of the freedom with which God has blessed us.

May your mind be transformed as your thinking is shaped and renewed by the wisdom found in God's Word. And may you seek His face through prayer and trust that if you acknowledge Him in all your ways, He will indeed make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-8).

For further study: Voddie Baucham's sermon - "Spirituality and Your Mind"

Myth-Buster Series: I'm a Christian and I don't need go to church.

So last week we busted the myth that you can pick and choose what you believe in the Bible. It's complete, it’s solid and its truth surpasses time and cultural thinking. I want to call this part two: I'm a Christian and I don't need to go to church.  How this part two, well again I have a story for you...well and addition to last week's story...

Again, I have seen and experienced this myth first. Last week I told you the story of how my family left the first church we attended when I was a kid because of last week's myth. After my parents made the decision to leave that church, they didn't hesitate in looking for new church. We attended a couple different churches in our town and ended up at a church in Sheboygan that felt similar in style to the one we left.  At this time I was in 8th grade. And just like last time, we got really involved. Things seemed to be going well: the priest was an interesting character but he believed God's word to be complete, to be authoritative and life changing. And I'm sure my mom had a lengthy conversation before we committed to this church. But the honeymoon only lasted for about three years...there were some issues arising with the national church. On the national level there was a priest who divorced his wife, came out as gay and had a partner and then was being ordained as bishop. Anyways, slowly things were changing at my church and my priest ended up leaving the church, soon followed by my parents, and it wasn't pretty. It left my family jaded about church.

I went off to college thinking I would find a church easily, but instead my experience left me critical, which made me rationalize the idea of well, I'm at Bible college, I don't need Sunday mornings when I have awesome classes during the week about God.

Now I don't know every Christian’s reasoning who doesn’t go to church. I know for me and my family, the changes at church were disappointing, frustrating and hurtful. I'm sure there are those who say they have experienced some hurt and don't want to experience it again. Then there are others who get saved, say I don't need church, I'm good, I'm saved, I've got Campus Life, my group of friends that I hang out with....you know the verse, " For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”  Matthew 18:20. Or have you seen that video by Jefferson Bethke, "Why I hate religion but love Jesus."  This has become a reason for some: "see this guys has a problem with the church and he's saved." 

Whatever the reason, we all must submit ourselves to God and what His word says.  My experience, my hurts, my opinions, it all needs to be submitted to what God’s Word says. And the same goes for those who are real about following Jesus, if you truly believe, you'll listen and do.

First, I need to make this clear: your salvation is not dependent on your church attendance. God doesn't care about how many times you go in a year, but he does care if you care about his people.  Even though your salvation is not dependent upon church attendance, it is vital for your long-term growth and healthy relationship with God and with his people.

Let's see what God's word says about the church...

Ephesians 1:22-23:  And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Ephesians 4:15:  Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head that is, Christ.

Ephesians 5:23-24: For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Colossians 1:18:  And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

What do these verses say about Christ's role with the church and our role? Christ is the head and we are the body. 1 Cor. 12:27 says we are part of the body, the moment you believe,  ^" Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."

If we are the body and Christ is the head, what does that mean? What kind of relationship are we to have with Christ?  Take a look at Ephesians 5:24, and Matthew 28:18:  Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  As we are the body of Christ we are the church we are supposed to submit to him and his authority, right?

Romans 13 talks about submitting to authorities in place. God says he has put them in place for our benefit.  The local church is one of those authorities God has put in place.

God did establish this for our benefit:

Now to Romans 12:3-5. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

As members of the body of Christ, we belong to each other...what does that mean?

Romans 12:10: Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. We have responsibility to each other.

We are to love others just as Christ loved

We are forgive each other just as Christ forgave.

We are to patient with one another.

There are a ton of verses about how we are supposed to treat one another within the church. God's word also talks a lot about how we are to hold each other accountable.

Matthew 18 and Hebrews 12 talks about how to handle church discipline. 1 Timothy give instructions for the local church, who should be deacons and overseers...how do conduct ourselves. 1 and 2 Corinthians has instructions about giving, worship, communion, gifts to serve the church. Titus is about church leadership and what should be taught within the church..All the letters written by Paul were letters to local churches....Romans, 1 &2 Corinthians, Philippians, Ephesians, Galatians, and Colossians.

And they weren't perfect either...they all had their problems...sexual immorality, idolatry, false teaching, gossip...etc...

So God created the church, establishing Jesus as the head of it, as members of the body we belong to each other meaning we have responsibilities...and we are to meet regularly...

Hebrews 10:23-25:  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

We meet regularly because we need to know what truth is:

1 Timothy 4: 6- 16:
⁶ If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. ⁷ Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. ⁸ For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. ⁹ This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. ¹⁰ That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.
¹¹ Command and teach these things. ¹² Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. ¹³ Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. ¹⁴ Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
¹⁵ Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. ¹⁶ Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

We meet regularly, to encourage on another, hold each other accountable.

When you don't meet regularly, we lose track of truth, we become hard hearted, we drift away from our faith. I know, I have been there.

Campus Life is not a church. We don't have pastors, deacons, elders. We are a part of the local church. We aren't multigenerational...we aren't here for your long-term growth. We are a tool to be used by the church.

As one has said, "there are no such things as lone-wolf Christians." It's true. As a follower of Christ we are called submit to the authorities God has put in place, one being the church. We understand that we belong to one another as one body, and we need to be plugged in regularly so that we can have healthy fellowship with Him and each other. We are in a battle against the evil in this world, and God gave us the church so we don’t have to fight alone.

Myth-Buster Series: I can pick and choose what parts I want believe are true in the Bible.

A long time ago when I was in 3^rd grade, my mom made a decision that changed my families’ life. She went on a retreat where she decided to commit her life to following Jesus. As soon as she got home, things started to change. We were that family that only went on Christmas and Easter services, and any other Sunday when we didn’t sleep in, which were few. Gone were the Sundays of sleeping in and going bowling or rollerskating or whatever activity. Sundays became a time of getting up early and somewhat dressed up only to fall asleep while reciting the Lord’s Prayer in an uncomfortable church pew. Over time we became that family that served everywhere in the church, cutting the grass, lighting the candles before service, reading Scripture during service, bringing snacks for Sunday school -- we became that family.

At the time I knew God was important but I didn’t understand a whole lot, like who Jesus was or what David had to do with Jesus or God. I just knew God was to be respected and feared. Anyhow, my mom was asked to be a part of a search committee for the new priest. Our previous priest had left for reasons unknown to me at the time. My mom, along with the team, interviewed candidates and eventually hired our new priest, Mother Barbara.

Mother Barbara made herself at home in our church and in our community. It was big news, the first woman preacher in town. Things at church seemed to go on as normal and by this time I was in sixth grade and was part of the youth group. Because our church was small we didn’t have a youth pastor so our priest led our small group. Again things were alright until one day she gave us an assignment and asked us to answer this question: “If you were God what would you do differently?” For some reason that question didn’t sit well with me. I talked it over with my mom and told her I didn’t know how to answer the question because I thought God was perfect and if I answer that question than I’m saying He’s not. My told me to write just that, so I did. When we met for youth group the next time we where suppose to share our answers, so I did and my priest got mad at me. I explained how it made me uncomfortable but she wouldn’t drop it. So of course I told my mom. Boy did my mom get upset and unaware to me at the time she was starting to have concerns with Mother Barbara.  My mom had been talking to her about creationism…what you need to know is my mom is a very passionate person, especially when it comes to truth, that’s where I get it from. Anyhow, she asked the priest about the matter and to my mom’s shock, the priest told her she didn't believe everything in Bible literally, that she thought evolution could be possible, and other things. She then said this comment to my mom: “If I believed everything in the Bible to be literal, then I wouldn’t be a priest.” WOW. Aren’t priests supposed to be teaching truth, teaching what the Bible says?

That didn’t go over so well with my mom, and being a pursuer of truth and follower of Jesus, we left the church. That is one of the best decisions my mom has ever made, first deciding to follow Jesus no matter what, two leaving the church, and three getting me plugged into Campus Life (I’ll explain later).

Now I don’t tell you this story for no reason but as real life understanding of tonight’s myth: “I can pick and choose what I want to believe about the Bible as true and follow the parts I like.”  I have experienced this myth firsthand and seen the impact it can have.

This is really the underlying theme to all the myths we have talked about and will talk about. For example when Mark talked about the “gay Christian,” people were picking parts of Scripture to focus on and acted if the rest didn’t matter, like the verses in Genesis about marriage or Romans 1. We also talked about hell, how people who want to believe hell isn’t real, eternal or permanent put more attention on God’s Love and forget the rest of his attributes (characteristics), like how is God is just and holy. We need to properly handle the Word of God. And God warns of what happens when people don't handle His Word properly. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:14-19:

  

Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. ¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. ¹⁶ Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. ¹⁷ Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸ who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. ¹⁹ Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

Remember Mark on the first night established that science answers the "what" questions but not the "should," and Scripture answers those "should" questions. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and Hebrews 4:12, God makes it clear we need his word to discern truth.

Going back to 2 Timothy 2:14-19, it says we need to handle of the word of truth correctly and to avoid godless chatter because the more we engage in it the more ungodly we become. Paul gives an example of how this is happening, how two individuals have a misunderstanding of the resurrection because they departed from the truth and it’s causing others stumble.

In college I read a book as part of a team Bible study. In the book, the author questions the traditional understanding of doctrine, truths found in the Old and New Testament. (Side note: every church has a doctrinal statement of what they believe and use Scripture to back it up. Even Campus Life has one. You should really know what your church believes and why they teach it.) The traditional/conservative understanding of doctrine/core truths from the Bible is that it’s solid -- firm like a brick. It does not move, bend or flex.  The author I mentioned challenges idea and talks about doctrine being a spring part of a trampoline. He states, doctrines should be flexible, like a spring and if you remove one spring you can still jump on the trampoline. He tried to argue, that if you treat doctrine, like a brick, and when it is remove the foundation crumples and I would agree that’s true. When you start to take a part a solid foundation, it’s going crack and crumble, that’s what happened to basement this summer. However, the author then tries to argue the virgin birth could have not happened, or that he doesn't think creation was a literal six days, and implies you can still have saving faith. You only removed two springs, so you can keep on jumping. This is problematic thinking. Now, I’m not saying you have to have an understanding of everything about Jesus, like the virgin birth or how creation came to be, in order to be saved. But when you decide to believe and trust Jesus is who he says he his wholeheartedly, this means you believe what he says about who he is and everything else he speaks on.  So let's see say what Jesus has to say about it -- how firm his words really are. Matthew 7:24-27 says:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Granted, springs weren’t invented until the 1700s (coiled springs at least), but Jesus describes the man who hears his words and puts them into practice: they are standing on a what? A rock! As different things arise that could destroy the house, it stands firm on the foundation of rock that it has. It is the same with believers: Jesus warned us that life wasn’t going to be easy or pretty. In John 15:18-25, Jesus makes it very clear that world is going to hate us, and in Matthew 7, the verses just before, Jesus talks about his word being a rock-solid foundation. He warns about false teachers and the destruction they bring (also read 2 Peter 2). This should not come as a surprise -- since the very beginning Satan has tried to attack God’s word (read Genesis 3).

God’s word does not bend or flex to what the world thinks should be done, nor does it bend or flex to our emotions or desires. God’s word is firm. It does not change, just as he does not change, even if we wanted him to (Malachi 3:6 and Numbers 23:19-20). His word is also complete. God makes that very clear in Revelation 22:18-19 and Deuteronomy 4:2 and 12:13.

Revelation 22:18-19, ^"I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. ¹⁹ And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll."

Deuteronomy 4:2, "Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you."

Deuteronomy 12:32, "See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it."

If God has made it so clear that His word is solid, does not change and is complete, then why do people pick and choose what they want to believe? Why did Eve enter a godless conversation with the serpent? We are living in a time where peoples' mottos are, “Do whatever makes you happy" or "follow your heart, it will never mislead you,” or a more recent one, “do what makes you happy because that makes God happy.” (Well first that’s not what God’s word says. Read Jeremiah 17:9 and then look up the cross references.) People don’t like being told they are wrong, being held accountable, or even idea of someone having authority over them because of our sin nature. However, this doesn’t give us the right to pick and choose what we want to believe is true. At the end of the day, God’s truth is still true no matter how hard we ignore it (Romans 1:18-32). Jesus addressed this issue in Mark 7:1-13. Verse 8 sums it up, “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” The Pharisees forgot what God actually commanded and put their own rules in place and then elevated them over God's words. 

The exact same thing is happening today and it’s dangerous.

It’s so important for us to have a proper understanding of how to handle God’s Word and really allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in all truth (John 16:13-15).

Myth-Buster Series: The Truth About Hell

Disclaimer: This is not the end-all, be-all authority on the matter of Hell. Nor is this a direct response to Rob Bell’s book, “Love Wins.” I would encourage you to read, “Erasing Hell,” by Francis Chan and “God Wins,” by Mark Galli. I would also recommend checking out Bible.org’s article, “What the Bible Says About Hell,” by Sid Litke (my father-in-law), a great resource for looking up key passages about hell. Remember to read what the Bible has to say about the matter because what God’s Word says about it is the only thing that matters.

As Mark and I were discussing topics for Ground Zero this fall and we talked about myth busters, the first myth that jumped to my mind was the one that came to the surface in Rod Bell’s book, “Love Wins.” When the book came onto the scene a few years ago, it caused quite the commotion within conservative Christian communities. Bell raises big questions that people in and out of the church have asked or even wonder about Hell: Of all the billions of people who have ever lived, will only a select number “make it to a better place” and every single other person suffer in torment and punishment forever? Is this acceptable to God? Has God created millions of people over tens of thousands of years who are going to spend eternity in anguish? Can God do this, or even allow this, and still claim to be a loving God? Does God punish people for thousands of years with infinite eternal torment for things they did in their few years of life?

Those are some big questions, hard questions, and honest questions. In the church we don’t talk about hell a whole lot because it’s depressing, dark, and scares some of us.  But nonetheless it is something that should be discussed because it is a reality, and God makes that clear in his Word.

After raising these big questions, Bell focuses on God’s love for all humanity and that being the sole purpose of why Jesus came in the first place. He fixates on this and his distaste for the traditional understanding of hell and then leaves the reader with the understanding that God wants to redeem all people, and therefore just as they had the opportunity to choose Christ in this life but refused, they will have another opportunity to do so in the next life.  We call this post-mortem salvation, to be saved after death.  The real question to ask is, what does God have to say about this? And to answer that we go to His Word.

First we need to remember that’s God’s word is what he says it is: 2 Timothy 3:16-17,  ^“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”; and Hebrews 4:12, For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Another thing we need to remember is that God is God, and we are not. We are created, He is the Creator. As Isaiah 55:8-9 puts it, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” We can’t even begin to think on the same level He does, nor even do what He does. And there are some things as we read His Word that make us uncomfortable because we wouldn’t have thought of doing that. Just because God does something that we don’t agree with doesn’t make Him less God. He is who is He is, and our opinions don’t change Him.

Now let’s talk about hell…

According to the Bible we only have one life to live. Hebrews 9:27 says, “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” We have one life and when we die we are going to face the consequence for our decision to trust in Christ for salvation or not. John 3:16-18 and 36 makes that point very clear, ^“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son… Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”

Next, there are no do-overs after this life. There is no going to Hell and then realizing, “Oops, I should have chosen to trust in Jesus and what he said, I would like to go to heaven now.” Sounds harsh but it’s truth. Jesus himself tells the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. In the parable Jesus tell about the life of two men, one a rich man and the other a beggar named Lazarus. They both end up dying and the rich man goes to hell and Lazarus up to Abraham’s side. The rich man cries out in agony to Abraham asking for just a drop of water from Lazarus’ hand for a moment of relief. However, Abraham tells him it’s impossible because there is great chasm splitting the two eternities so that no one can cross from one to the other. Then the rich man asks for Abraham to send Lazarus to his family so that they don’t end up where he is at. Abraham makes it quite clear that can’t happen either and that they have prophets and Moses to know the truth and they have opportunities to respond to it. 

Let’s recap, you have one life (Hebrews 9:27), depending on whether or not you put your faith and trust in Christ decides your eternity (John 3:16-18, 36) and once you are there in either Heaven or hell, that’s where you will be, no crossing between the two (Luke 16:26).

Next the word eternity means endless amount of time, or simply put, forever. Again God makes it very clear in his word that eternity is permanent and forever. In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus again paints a clear picture of what is to come after we die. He uses the illustration of separating sheep from the goats. The sheep are those who will inherit the kingdom, people who are accredited righteousness from God. The goats are those who ignore God while they were on earth. At the very end in verse 46 Jesus says, “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Both heaven and hell are eternal, forever. And eternity in hell is not a pleasant one. It’s one filled with suffering and punishment that last forever. Read Matthew 13:36-43, Revelation 20:11-15, and Luke 16:19-31. It’s not pretty.

People might not like to hear this and then question God’s character. “If He’s so loving, how could He do this?” Yes, God is loving but He is also holy and just. We, as the created, need to be humble in our understanding of our position before God. He is the Creator, the giver of life, who in the beginning made all things, including us. Love is a choice, and God before He ever created anything knew that we would reject Him but He still did it. He didn’t create us to be robots, He gave us a choice: Him or the world. Foolishly we chose the world and have been dealing with the effects of that sin ever since the beginning. However, because God loves us, He sent his one and only Son, to become sin for us so that we could be restored back to Him. Again, though, God gave a choice, to repent and believe in His son Jesus or not. God’s not forcing anyone who doesn’t want to be with Him to choose Him, but you better believe God is giving us every opportunity to accept such a wonderful gift. Read Romans 1:18-32, makes it very clear. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”   That is some good news!