It's been since March since I blogged last. I am sorry. I probably won't blog much since I've been writing Bible studies for our local pregnancy center, but when I do have something to write, I will write.
In recent weeks, a woman who I consider a false teacher in the church passed away. Although I did not agree with anything she said, I was sad at her passing and that thought that she may or may not be with the Lord and has lost that opportunity forever.
But that's not the point of this blog. This morning I dreamed that I was having dinner with her and a some other people. Toward the end of the dinner, we had really bonded as friends and she gave me a huge hug. I had realized in the dream that it was the week before she would pass away that Friday, so Thursday, I resolved to send her an email to share the gospel.
I woke up with tears in my eyes. I sat and wondered, what if some of the women who I really love died and were lost forever. There are certain people in your life that you become more than friends with, that you even develop those in-love feelings for. How can I love them if I don't care for their souls or constantly share the Gospel with them even if they already know it?
And I know of at least one relative that I was close to who lapsed into each popular anti-Biblical lie one by one until I could no longer follow her on Facebook because I hate arguments and arguing, even though I end up doing it. I think the feeling was mutual. I'm saddened by that because we aren't guaranteed tomorrow. We could die any moment and realize that maybe the Bible really was to be interpreted the way it's been interpreted for at least the past 2000 years.
So here's the Gospel plain and clear. We have a Holy God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He created the world and created humans as his image, little copies of him that would spread his praise all over the world. We betrayed him by sinning, and we brought death into the world. There was no death or pain before that, therefore, the world cannot be that old.
Our sins separate us from God, and if we die apart from God, it will be permanent. But God sent Jesus to die in your place. If you accept his Son as your Savior and substitute for your punishment, then he will send you the Holy Spirit to change you to be more like him, and when you die, you will live forever with God in happiness and joy.
Don't believe the lie that there is no hell. Hell was not made up by the church to get your money and to control people. If there is no hell, then all the horrible things people do to each other will go unpunished, and God would not be just. Either we will die for our sins, or Christ died for them. But sin, must be punished, and we need that accountability so that we don't keep destroying each other.
Don't believe in evolution theory or long ages. You can be a Christian and believe those things. I was once before I understood that science doesn't actually prove old ages. The evidence is what you make of it. But if the Bible is true, then true science won't contradict it. But if we evolved from animals through a long process of death and rebirth, then there is really no sin or death for our Savior to save us from. And then, there is no Gospel. But God made humans special and separate from the animals, and there was no death or pain before humans sinned really fast, and I'm so happy to know that death will be defeated when Christ returns and was not a part of his original creation.
And also don't believe the lies that you can have sex outside of a marriage between man or woman or that God didn't know what he was doing when he made you one gender or the other. Love is not sex and sex is not love. The secular world has painted a very one-dimensional view of love that only exists to satisfy carnal lusts. Our God has given us a much better world where we can love people deeply in many ways. Those feelings you have for your friend aren't a sign that you were called to a romantic relationship. They're actually better: an intense friend love that exists for God's glory and for their uplifting. The main idea is to get to know God, and if he brings you someone of the opposite gender to marry, then rejoice. Until then, love God first and love your friends by getting to know them, not their bodies.
And finally, pray that I can be bolder to share the Gospel with people and to love the unlovely. And never, ever rejoice when someone dies away from the Lord. Apart from his grace, I would be there, too.
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