I Can't Believe in a God that....
One of the problems that I see with evangelism in a post-Christian society is that people have really tough questions that they know "shut down" the majority of Christians. This is the first in what may end up being a series of posts dealing with sticky evangelistic topics. I don't feel like I am very good at evangelism, but I want to get better, and how else to get better than to dive right in to one of the trickiest topics out there.
"I can't believe in a God that sends good people to hell."
This is probably one of the toughest questions out there. The majority of non-Christians don't see themselves as any different than Christians. They see us as hypocritical, judgmental, and "just like them". So why do Christians say that we exclude other religions and the non-religious from this fantastic "heaven" that we desire so much? Why would a good God send decent people to hell? What we do isn't "that bad" really, is it?
I've been contemplating for awhile really, and there are a LOT of controversial ideas of heaven and hell. So rather than get into a big theological discussion of which of those I believe in the most, I thought I would focus on the easiest answer of all. What if He doesn't? What if we all go to the same place, and it's either heaven or hell?
Here's a "real world" example. If the world were to end today, in a horrible nuclear centered explosion where every world power set off their nuclear stockpile at the same time, we would all be experiencing the same thing, right? So, now let's imagine that some small percentage of the people on earth knew about this nuclear disaster. They were provided special glasses and outfits so that they would not go blind, and were completely sheltered so that they could see and experience, but were totally unaffected by the amazing power shooting around them. Obviously, these protected few would be sad that so many would be dying around them, and this is not the best example, but imagine that those not protected never actually die. Everyone is exposed to the exact same power, but some are protected, and some are not. Everyone was offered the same protection, some chose to believe and use what they were given, and some laughed at the warning they were given.
Even the worst person in the world is given a choice of where they want to go. But if you lived your whole life in open defiance to a deity that you maybe believed in but didn't take seriously, I'm not sure you would ask to go to Heaven. God is supremely powerful. More powerful than the largest nuclear blast we can imagine. With His breath, He spoke the entire universe into existence. From that one word, the universe continues to expand exponentially, thrown forth by His command. Can you stand under that power? I know that I cannot.
The difference is not that I am a better person. The difference is that I am hopeful enough in Jesus grace, that I would choose to be near that power. I know that a sacrifice had to be made. I know that my sins would consume me in His presence as surely as Sodom and Gomorrah. I know that I am not holy or righteous enough on my own to stand. But to me, heaven is being exposed to that glory. Sitting in that power and knowing that Jesus sacrifice was enough. That's where I want to be when I die. Not in a fluffy way. Not in a self-righteous way. Not in a way that would exclude anyone on this planet.
Yes, God is love. He is completely loving, and He is also completely holy. For those that don't have Jesus grace on their lives, I think that heaven would be hell to them. To stand in front of the greatest power, beyond our imagination, and know that there is nothing you can ever do to explain to this force beyond nature that you scoffed at Him, that you purposefully ignored Him, that you thought yourself more powerful than He. Can you really say at that time, that what you did was not "that bad"?
So, when a post-Christian claims that they can't believe in a God who would be so unloving that He wouldn't "allow" people into heaven, know that I don't necessarily disagree with that sentiment either. Fortunately, He is a God that is beyond my imagination, but I do know that He is holy enough that we would not be able to stand in His glory. So, whether heaven and hell are two separate places or one, know that it is not unloving for Him to separate the non-believers from His presence. It may very well be a better place for them to be in hell than in heaven.
Again, these are ideas in my head, and God is beyond our imagination. So rather than dissect the theology of heaven and hell the next time someone brings up a tricky question like this, with hundreds of possible answers, try to think of what they really mean. Why does God not love me enough to let me into heaven? He does absolutely love you, and in His love, He cannot let an unholy people see His power, or they will surely die. But, do not be afraid. He has sent His Son. To pay the penalty for all you have already done and all you will continue to unknowingly do. All you have to do is dive in.
"I can't believe in a God that sends good people to hell."
This is probably one of the toughest questions out there. The majority of non-Christians don't see themselves as any different than Christians. They see us as hypocritical, judgmental, and "just like them". So why do Christians say that we exclude other religions and the non-religious from this fantastic "heaven" that we desire so much? Why would a good God send decent people to hell? What we do isn't "that bad" really, is it?
I've been contemplating for awhile really, and there are a LOT of controversial ideas of heaven and hell. So rather than get into a big theological discussion of which of those I believe in the most, I thought I would focus on the easiest answer of all. What if He doesn't? What if we all go to the same place, and it's either heaven or hell?
Here's a "real world" example. If the world were to end today, in a horrible nuclear centered explosion where every world power set off their nuclear stockpile at the same time, we would all be experiencing the same thing, right? So, now let's imagine that some small percentage of the people on earth knew about this nuclear disaster. They were provided special glasses and outfits so that they would not go blind, and were completely sheltered so that they could see and experience, but were totally unaffected by the amazing power shooting around them. Obviously, these protected few would be sad that so many would be dying around them, and this is not the best example, but imagine that those not protected never actually die. Everyone is exposed to the exact same power, but some are protected, and some are not. Everyone was offered the same protection, some chose to believe and use what they were given, and some laughed at the warning they were given.
Even the worst person in the world is given a choice of where they want to go. But if you lived your whole life in open defiance to a deity that you maybe believed in but didn't take seriously, I'm not sure you would ask to go to Heaven. God is supremely powerful. More powerful than the largest nuclear blast we can imagine. With His breath, He spoke the entire universe into existence. From that one word, the universe continues to expand exponentially, thrown forth by His command. Can you stand under that power? I know that I cannot.
The difference is not that I am a better person. The difference is that I am hopeful enough in Jesus grace, that I would choose to be near that power. I know that a sacrifice had to be made. I know that my sins would consume me in His presence as surely as Sodom and Gomorrah. I know that I am not holy or righteous enough on my own to stand. But to me, heaven is being exposed to that glory. Sitting in that power and knowing that Jesus sacrifice was enough. That's where I want to be when I die. Not in a fluffy way. Not in a self-righteous way. Not in a way that would exclude anyone on this planet.
Yes, God is love. He is completely loving, and He is also completely holy. For those that don't have Jesus grace on their lives, I think that heaven would be hell to them. To stand in front of the greatest power, beyond our imagination, and know that there is nothing you can ever do to explain to this force beyond nature that you scoffed at Him, that you purposefully ignored Him, that you thought yourself more powerful than He. Can you really say at that time, that what you did was not "that bad"?
So, when a post-Christian claims that they can't believe in a God who would be so unloving that He wouldn't "allow" people into heaven, know that I don't necessarily disagree with that sentiment either. Fortunately, He is a God that is beyond my imagination, but I do know that He is holy enough that we would not be able to stand in His glory. So, whether heaven and hell are two separate places or one, know that it is not unloving for Him to separate the non-believers from His presence. It may very well be a better place for them to be in hell than in heaven.
Again, these are ideas in my head, and God is beyond our imagination. So rather than dissect the theology of heaven and hell the next time someone brings up a tricky question like this, with hundreds of possible answers, try to think of what they really mean. Why does God not love me enough to let me into heaven? He does absolutely love you, and in His love, He cannot let an unholy people see His power, or they will surely die. But, do not be afraid. He has sent His Son. To pay the penalty for all you have already done and all you will continue to unknowingly do. All you have to do is dive in.
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