One thing I have found out through many years of talking to people about God are the many different views people have about who God is and what His Word says. Having a difference of opinion on some things is okay, but some are simply not debatable. We, in the body of Christ, have bought into lie that there is no absolute truth. We claim that what is true to one may not be true to someone else. Many Christian pulpits claim that all religions lead to Heaven as long as you are sincere. We argue over whether Hell is real or false, whether Jesus was married, whether we evolved, or were created by a perfect creator. Instead of letting our lives and culture be transformed by the Holy Word of God, we try to change His Word to suite our culture. The funny thing though, is that no matter how many times, or ways, we try to change it, we cannot. God's Word is God's Word. What it meant when it was penned is what it means today. Yes, I am aware that we live in different times. We must remember that even though we live in different times, it is still God's time. We may think that with our many Universities, and high-tech jobs, that we are in control, but God is still in control. In our quest and longing for more knowledge, we have rationalized God. We act as if God is subject to our laws and rules. No matter what we think, no matter what we say, no matter how we twist the scripture, God's Word is the inerrant, infallible, inspired Word of God. We spend so much time trying to find the hidden meaning of a passage (even when there are none) or making the scripture say what we want it to say, that we forget to do what it says, and that is to simply obey.
God created everything. He did not evolve us, He created us. God's Word is clear on that. God looked at His creation and said it was good. He didn't say "This will turn out good", but that it "was good". When you look at the idea of evolution, you can plainly see that there is no way possible for the earth and its inhabitants to be created that way. The only logical conclusion is that we have a Supreme Creator. God said He created the earth, why is that so hard to believe? We like to claim God has the power to do so much, yet we can't believe that He can create. If God doesn't have the power to create us, what makes us think He has the power to save us? And, yes, we must be saved.
That's the other thing we tend to try and rationalize. The truth is, though, that there is a place called Hell. As unpopular as this is, it is true. We can say it does not exist, we can say it is not real, but that does not change the fact that it is real. No matter what we say or what we do, Hell is real, and we are all are deserving of it. We can deny it all day long, but in the end, it's still real.
The bottom line is that no matter what we believe, or think, there is truth. And that truth is that God created man, man sinned against God, thus allowing sin to enter this world, dooming all of mankind to this place called Hell.
There is good news, however, and this good news is that, although we are deserving of Hell, we don't have to go there. God sent His only Son to earth to be mocked, beaten, and to give His life on the cross of Calvary so that you and I don't have to go to this place called Hell. You see, our sin debt is one that we can not pay, but praise God, He paid it for us with the shed blood of Jesus Christ. So we have been spared an eternity in hell, but only through Jesus' death and resurrection, not by anything else. No other way can get you to Heaven. Not Muhammad, not Buddha, not ourselves and not anybody or anything but the shed blood of Jesus. This may not be politically correct, but it is true. 2000 years ago Jesus Christ said that He was the door. And 2000 years later, He is still the Door. Not a door, but THE door.
We can debate things all day long, but in the end no matter how much we twist or deny them, some things still happened.
- Man is still sinful
- Jesus still died on the cross, was resurrected three days later, and is still the Son of God and our savior.
- Heaven and Hell are still real and eternal.
- And whether or not we put our faith in Jesus and turn from our sins still decides in which one we will spend our eternity.
What we believe or say about these truths does not make them any less true. It is not up to us. But what we do with these truths will change our lives forever.