“Roger, not everyone believes in your god. Why do others have to live by what you believe?” I was asked this on “social” media two weeks ago in reference to my standing against same-sex marriage, which the nation is soon to vote on through a postal plebiscite. Not all who questioned or commented were as polite, but the overall theme of the others was similar – “your god.” From what I could see, most of the people responding looked to be in their 30’s, so I can only imagine, as it is for most people of that age, life’s very good for them so who needs God anyway? Answer: they need God!
Perhaps someone reading this post doesn’t believe in God and asks the question, “Why do I have to live by what you believe?” Firstly, the fact that you say you don’t believe in God changes nothing in real terms. God is never going to make Himself non-existent simply because you don’t want believe in Him. How silly can one get? Secondly, you do not have to live by what I believe, but you would be extremely wise if you did so. Why? Because you have no guarantees you’ll be around tomorrow. You could die suddenly within the next 60 seconds. You could die this morning, this afternoon, this evening or this night. And if you do, here’s what happens: the moment your soul leaves your body in physical death is the moment you come face to face with God.
God has many, many names – all of them significant – but the most significant of all is, Lord Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus Christ is the human manifestation of God, who came into this world as Savior 2000 thousand years ago. Savior of what? Savior of your sin-filled soul. What is sin? Sin is transgression of the law of God. Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness 1 John 3:4. So, in the eyes of God you are a lawless rebel! Now I understand you think otherwise presently, but your thinking will change in a nanosecond should you die as a lawless rebel. You’re in desperate need of the Savior. For God so loved the world (you and me) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3:16.
I encourage you not to be so dishonest with yourself that you deny you’re a sinner. You know you are because everybody knows they are. God has built that reality firmly into our conscience. Even if you believe your sins not to be as many or as serious as that of others you know will not get you off the hook. One sin a day x 365 days a year equals 365 sins. Multiply those by a life span of say 85 years and you stand before God with 31025 sins on your slate. Imagine if you sinned twice a day. How about three times a day? How about thirty times a day, which is more accurate? That’s 930750 sins. Given that the Holy and righteous God can’t look at even one sin, you’re in a lot of trouble! You need the Savior alright, but it’ll be too late if you die without Him.
The wages of sin is death…… Romans 6:23. Eternal death is what is meant in that Scripture and that most surely gets paid to lawless rebels after physical death. Quote: “The second death, everlasting perdition. Every sinner earns this by long, sore, and painful service. O! what pains do men take to get to hell! Early and late they toil at sin; and would not Divine justice be in their debt, if it did not pay them their due wages?” – Adam Clarke …… but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus gave us a similar promise. I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life John 8:12. In life Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior; at death Jesus Christ is Lord and Judge.
One great commonality among lawless rebels who say they don’t believe in “your god.” Nearly all believe in heaven. When kind aunt Daisy or funny uncle Jack died, off they went to heaven, no matter how lawless or rebellious they might have been when living here. They don’t only tell their kids that, they tell themselves that! Hell doesn’t exist though, in their warped and twisted thinking. “What sort of a God would be so cruel as to send someone to hell?” they ask, not wanting the answer! Hell has no place in their thinking. Forget the fact that Jesus spoke of hell as He did of heaven. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Matthew 23:33. And, He was not afraid to tell hypocrites that hell was where they were headed.
Another great commonality among lawless rebels who say they don’t believe in “your god.” When faced with truth they love to put up smokescreens. What about polygamists in the Bible? What about Christian adulterers? What about Christian divorces? What about Christian sex perverts and pedophiles? As if that’s any sane reason to reject a holy and righteous God! No thought do they give at all to the reality that hiding behind hypocrites makes them a hypocrite too! The hypocrisy of others will not be on their mind when coming face to face with Jesus at death, only the hypocrisy they themselves indulged in. One glance at His eyes like a flame of fire on that day and they will wish they had never been born Revelation 1:14.
Two or three of those people questioning or commenting on “social”media were parents of babies and toddlers. It’s not difficult to work out what moral values they’re going to grow up with. They won’t need sexual deviants, despots and perverts to poison their young minds. By the time they enter the school classroom the parents will have already done the job. Whether such parents believe or don’t believe in God, the charge remains: Woe to you who call evil good and good evil; who put darkness for light and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Isaiah 5:20-21. When one grows up godless, godlessness is almost certain to be carried on down the line.
Reading comments to others for taking the stand against same-sex marriage showed not all denied the existence of God, but they did deny the Biblical God. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe – and tremble! James 2:19. No sense of trembling did I discern there and then, but tremble is what they will do when they come face to face with God if they don’t turn to Him for the saving of their soul. The reason the demons tremble is because they know its too late for them to turn back. At the mere mention of God they are increasingly tormented; they know what awaits them up ahead and they shudder with horror at the thought of it all. The eternal lake of fire burning with brimstone awaits them Revelation 19:20.
Speaking of demons (evil spirits), most people do not believe in their existence and laugh, mock, and sneer at we few who do. For starters, it is demons who have put it into the minds of same-sex marriage advocates that this “marriage” should be legitimized. Demons know God’s mind on the matter; they know that at some point His judgment is coming down on all lawlessness, rebellion and immorality, sexual and otherwise. That’s why they’ve got people all over the globe in such a frenzy of rage against everyone who doesn’t agree with them. It’s their plan to take as many people into the lake of fire and brimstone with them. And you who laughs at this proclamation right now – that’s not you, that is a demon laughing through you.
Jesus said Satan the devil is the ruler of this world John 14:30. The apostle Paul said he is the god of this age 2 Corinthians 4:4. That doesn’t mean that he is not God’s devil for he surely is; God has him on a leash. The fact that Satan is a created being though means he can only be in one place at a time, hence the work of demons, his many evil emissaries. Same-sex marriage is a “creation” of Satan and the promotion of it is carried out by demons – lying, deceiving, sexually perverted, militant, belligerent and violent demons. In other words, all that you see being expressed by people advocating for this “marriage”currently is the work of demons using human beings. This is why I’ve written this post; I don’t want these demons to lead you into hell.
What’s the difference between sin and sins? Sin is the nature we’re all born with, sins are the morally injurious, Christ-offending thoughts and actions we commit on a daily basis because of our sin. To be set free from sins, we must be delivered from sin. That’s what makes Jesus Christ the most important Person of your life. Why die a lawless rebel when you can have your sin and all sins washed away by Jesus’ blood, never to be held against you again? Don’t die a lawless rebel! “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the LORD, “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool…..” Isaiah 1:18. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1 John 1:9.
“What sort of a God would be so cruel as to send someone to hell?”
Blaming God for our rebellion and sins will not work well for us at either the Judgment Seat of Christ or the Great White Throne. Not even a little bit!
Right on, Larry. Thank you.