Not Just Fire Insurance!

In any discussion about the possibility that Hell may not be forever, one question always comes up:

 If everyone eventually gets to heaven, why share your faith?

Some time ago I received a fund appeal letter from a mission organization that directly related to this issue.  The letter explained,

"The work of missions is not a numbers game, but numbers don’t lie.  Statistically, in the time it probably took you to scan the envelope, open the letter, and read these first two sentences, 10 human beings died having never heard the good news about Jesus.  Gone forever.

I’m told that about 150,000 people will die today!  Nearly half of them will have never heard that Jesus came that they might have life.  In fact, most of them live in places where they have no reasonable access to that truth . . .

We can sensationalize the numbers, but people are not numbers.  Jesus died for people, and as Dr. Henry said, 'The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time.'”

Won’t proclaiming the message that God will ultimately restore all of His creation to its intended perfection strip people of the motivation to share the message of Christ with others?  Why should missionaries and other dedicated Christians subject themselves to ridicule and deprivation by going out of their way, often to distant and backward lands, to tell others the “Good News” if everyone will get to heaven someday, anyway?  Won’t the message that God will eventually restore all have a dangerously negative effect on missions and evangelism?

The “Good News” Really Is Good News!

The Gospel does much more than simply provide a fire insurance policy to keep people out of Hell. 

People are not individuals whose lives may be important for a while, or even for a lifetime, but who are ultimately meant to be burned up or thrown away.  People are created beings of inestimable worth who need to be rescued by God from pursuing wasted, meaningless lives.

The Great Commission that Jesus gave commands us to make disciples, not just to make converts.  Evangelism is a by-product of making disciples and loving your neighbor.  If you are a true disciple of Jesus Christ who is growing in faith and in your relationship with God, you will be prepared and have a desire to share the truths you have learned with others.  If you genuinely love your neighbor, you will be alert to opportunities to not only try to convert them, but to help the whole person by ministering to the various needs in their lives that the Gospel addresses. 

Jesus came to give people an abundant and meaningful life.  The eternal life that He gives begins in the here and now, not just the hereafter.  As people fit in with God’s plan for their lives, they will experience reconciliation with God and one another, forgiveness of their sins and the ability to forgive those who have wronged them, power to overcome sinful patterns and behaviors, freedom from bondage to addictions, and true purpose.  The result is the greatest joy and true fulfillment possible. 

The “Good News” really is Good News!  And as the prophet Jeremiah explained when lamenting the fall of Jerusalem, God’s goodness doesn’t have a time limit attached to it.

“No one is cast off by the Lord forever.  Though He brings grief, He will show compassion, so great is His unfailing love.”

Adapted from Heaven's doors . . . Wider Than You Ever Believed!

Available in Paperback, eBook and Audiobook formats

Spending Time With "Sinners"

By George W. Sarris

When was the last time you had lunch with a real “sinner?”

I don’t mean someone who disagrees with you on a theological issue, or is a member of a different church or denomination, or smokes and drinks beer or wine (assuming you don’t), or has an attitude you don’t like. I mean someone whose lifestyle and value system are clearly in conflict with the standards of Scripture.

I ask that question because Jesus had meals with “sinners” quite often!

He was maligned by those who opposed Him as a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. 

When Matthew answered the call to follow Jesus, he held a great banquet for Jesus at his house – at which time many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.  

As He told the parable of the lost sheep, the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear him – to which the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

So, why would Jesus want to eat and spend time with those whose beliefs and lifestyles were clearly opposed to Him and His truth? Why would God ever want us to have lunch . . . or dinner . . . or coffee . . . or tea with “sinners?” The answer is actually quite easy – so we can get to know them well enough to be able to minister to them!

Who Are They?

“Sinners” are not the problem. They are the opportunity. And, not just an opportunity for us to witness to them so we can boast to our friends that we won another convert. “Sinners” are created beings of inestimable worth who need to be rescued from pursuing wasted, meaningless lives.

The gospel is more than just the message of salvation. Biblical truth relates to all areas of life – marriage, family, work, health, finances, government and many other areas. It’s God’s perspective on life. In an effort to win converts, Christians have focused for far too long on winning arguments instead of building relationships. But, it is as we build relationships that opportunities will arise where we have the privilege of sharing with others how God’s truth relates to the issues and difficulties that they experience in life.

Building Relationships

“Sinners” actually enjoy talking about meaningful things if they know that we will not be offended if they disagree with us.

I had an opportunity this past week to talk with a man over coffee. In the course of the conversation he mentioned that he believed abortion is okay in certain circumstances. As those who have read my blogs know, I am strongly opposed to abortion. In March of this year and again in June, I posted articles addressing that specific issue. However, as we talked, I didn’t get offended or defensive about what he said. I simply listened and shared some of my reasons why I disagreed. Then, we moved on to talk about other things – many of which we agreed on.

My goal was not to win an argument or try to convince him in one conversation that I am right and he is wrong. My goal was to establish a relationship with this man so that at some point in the future – when he is open and willing to listen – God will provide an opportunity where I can share with him the truths of God’s Word as they relate to specific needs in his life.

A number of years ago, I began to build a relationship with a “sinner” who had views on various issues that were almost the complete opposite of mine. He considered himself very “spiritual,” and we often had significant conversations about our beliefs. He listened to me, and I listened to him.

On one occasion as my friend began to wax eloquent about a particular issue, I saw an opportunity to ask him if he had ever asked God to reveal Himself in a way that he would understand. He said he had not, and I encouraged him to do so. “But,” I said, “don’t do it unless you are serious. If God is real, and if He does reveal Himself to you, it will probably mean that you will have to make some changes in your lifestyle. So, don’t do it unless you mean it.”

I saw him again about two weeks later and asked if he had prayed as we had discussed. To my surprise, he said that he did.

The next time I saw my friend was the night before he died. He had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer sometime after our conversation. I went to see him in the hospital and asked if he knew who I was. He nodded, “Yes”. I asked if he wanted me to leave, and he shook his head, “No.” I then commented about the significance of our conversation a few months before and asked if I could pray for him. Again, he nodded, “Yes.”

I don’t know what transpired in my friend’s life over the months between when we spoke and when he died. But, I do know that the relationship we had developed opened up an opportunity for me to share very specifically with him at an opportune moment.

Genuine Love

God loves “sinners.” His love for them was demonstrated by the fact that while we were still “sinners” Christ died for us. God wants us to genuinely love them, too.

People inherently know whether our interest in them is real or fake. So, why would “sinners” ever want to come with us to an event at church or listen to us share the gospel with them or follow our advice about some issue in their lives if we’ve never taken the time to get to know them as people?

As Jesus explained to those who questioned His practice, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

             Visit George W. Sarris on YouTube, Facebook, or his website.

Will Love Really Win . . . Today?

Jesus made very clear what He thought was the key characteristic of those who are truly His followers. Interestingly, it wasn’t right doctrine.

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

That is not to say that right beliefs are unimportant. What we believe is very important. However, those of us who are old enough to remember what we thought to be true and essential twenty or thirty years ago know that our minds have changed in some important ways since then. We are all in a process of spiritual and intellectual growth as God’s Holy Spirit works within us to draw us closer to Him. Jesus makes it clear that He values how we act toward one another more than whether or not we always agree on what we think. It’s the heart that is most important to God, not the brain.

Scripture makes it clear that this sentiment is not limited to an isolated comment by Jesus. The apostle Paul, never one to be accused of being an intellectual slouch, clearly explained his perspective on the issue – if we have all knowledge and can fathom all mysteries, but do not have love, we are nothing.

The apostle John was actually quite blunt when he expressed his views on the subject. He said that anyone who claims to love God whom he has not seen while hating his brother whom he has seen is a liar.

While attending a dinner party at Matthew’s house that included a number of people who clearly did not have their doctrines in line with the “teaching of the elders,” Jesus told a group of critical Pharisees what God really desired – mercy, not sacrifice.

So . . . ?

I mention this because of the angry and very unloving remarks that have been expressed on many occasions from Christian brothers and sisters who have spoken very pejoratively about the views of Rob Bell. His controversial book about Hell and future judgment was soundly condemned by a large percentage of the evangelical community because what he said didn’t fit in with what has become the “teaching of the elders” for us. However, he asked a lot of honest questions that people in both the religious and non-religious communities have been asking for centuries.

The editor at HarperOne who was in charge of Rob Bell’s book posted an article recently addressing this very issue, and asking some questions that we would do well to ponder:

But why such hostility? Why would leaders attack as a threat and an enemy someone who shares their views of Scripture, Jesus, and the Trinity? What prevented leaders from saying, “Thanks, Rob, interesting views, but here is where we disagree”? When did “believing the right things” become equated with determining who is “saved” so that, as some have claimed, affirming Rob’s teachings might jeopardize one’s eternal destiny?. . . What exactly is so threatening about Rob’s expansive vision of God’s love and grace?

Dealing With Controversy

Over the years, two underlying principles have governed the way I approach controversial issues within theology.

The first is that, because all systems of theology are written by human beings, I assume that all systems of theology are flawed to one degree or another. John Calvin and his followers were brilliant men. Jacob Arminius and his followers were also brilliant men. Francis Chan, Mark Galli, Tim Keller, Albert Mohler, Richard Mouw, John Piper and many others who have opposed or supported Rob Bell are brilliant men who have all done wonderful things for the kingdom of God. But they are all human, so some of their ideas are incorrect.

The second principle I try to follow is that when wise, Godly individuals differ on a theological issue, tread lightly. One of the two groups may be right and the other wrong. But it may also be the case that both are right and both are wrong – that a third alternative that neither is considering may ultimately reconcile the two.

I pointed out in an earlier post that the view that Hell is not forever was a prominent view among many in the Early Church who spoke the language of the New Testament as their mother tongue, and who were closest to the Apostles. Some were actually instrumental in formulating the creeds that undergird our Christian Faith today.

Rob Bell and the early Greek Fathers have suggested a third alternative. Perhaps the best response from us would be to listen to what they have to say, consider it carefully, and then treat them as Christ commanded us to . . . in a loving manner.