'god exists but hes going to throw me into hell cos i'm a terrible terrible sinner, so no motivation there for me'
I know of course when you say that you think its a really funny joke. You dont really believe that theres a God so you're just having fun mocking the whole idea. But for sure i can tell at least 2 things from this statement.
1) You figured out you're a sinner
2) You got the message of the gospel wrong
Many people reject Christianity without even knowing what it is all about.
I find it weird. Dont people ever realise why Christians try to reach out to others and not, say, Buddhist? Instead people have a tendency to tell us to be more like others and stop telling everyone about God.
Its not that we dont respect the opinions of others but how many times must we say that we KNOW its true and we want YOU to experience the love of God in your life as well.
But somehow thats the way it is. People just cannot accept it like that. I cant say i know how that feels but i know many people who do and they overcame.
Dont people ever feel an emptiness in them? A longing for something more? A hole that doesnt seem to be filled? Something to strive forward to everyday?
For there to be hope in your life?
I know everyone feels that way sometimes. And then perhaps computer games, or relationships, or whatever other stuff you name it seem to be the solution.
But you get tired of it after awhile. What difference does it make.
You know the one thing that can fill that gap in your heart?
True love.
And by the way did you know that God is love? No not God has love. God is love.
But honestly how many people right now are going 'ah this is rubbish'.
I can never say enough. I know its hard to believe like this. I know its hard that after more than a decade of your life where you believed that God doesnt exist, its hard for you to suddenly see that he does live.
To be honest i wish i can just poof at let you know what it is like so that you can decide. I can give you 100% assurance that if you know what it feels like to have God in your lives, you will want it too.
But God doesnt work that way. Thats like taking away your free will isnt it? God gave us the right to choose.
Oh and on evidence i could give you alot of it. Proof about God. If you really have a stinging question thats keeping you away from God, go ahead and ask me i could help you resolve it. If not, to be honest, even after i make everything clear to you, you still wont believe. You just cant relate to it. Its like knowing how people in India are living. Even given a description you wont know. So i wont go into apologetics unless there is a need to.
But really, one day i hope all of you will open your eyes to see the truth. That Jesus dwells in us.
---
The Gospel:
Christianity isnt about doing more good deeds that bad deeds then you will go to heaven. It isnt about following a set of rules and regulations stircty to the death, it isnt about us having to be holy and pure and sinless. This is a very common misconception.
Heres the truth as it is.
We have all sinnned and will end up in hell. There is always sin in our lives. Be it lying, stealing, lust and so on and so forth. Nobody is perfect. If you can lead a sinless life yes sure you can go to heaven but have any of us done that? Well the sad truth is no. Sins come into our lives and corrupts us. The way the world is nowadays is definately not our ideal state. But we have come to accept it. We have come to accept the sin in our lives as something that will always be there. Thats why we think its alright to do this, to do that. However, because God is holy, he cannot allow anyone who is unholy in his presence, cannot allow anyone who is unholy to enter the kingdom of God. So where do we all go? We go to hell.
But God is a loving God. He can't allow all men to go to hell like that. Thus, he gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. Someone had to pay the price for sin. If Jesus could live a perfect life and die on the cross for us, he would have conquered sin, conquered death, conquered hell. And thats what he did for us all. After he died on the cross, but because he was sinless, by the grace and power of God, 3 days later he came back to life.
Anyone who is willing to repent from his sins and seek God's forgiveness will be saved. If we are willing to repent and confess our sins before God, by the grace of God and the blood of Christ, we will be saved from hell and obtained a place in heaven. It is not by our works that we enter heaven and no bad thing we have ever done is ever too evil for the forgiveness of the Almighty God. Not only that. Our new lives dont begin only after we die, it begins the moment we accept Christ into our lives!! God will send the Holy Spirit to come into our lives to guide us every step of the way. Life ahead may not be perfect, it does not mean that we will no longer have trials and tribulations. It doesn't mean that we will one hundred percent sin no more. But gradually, by the power of the Spirit, you will see your life change drastically from what it was.
That, is the Gospel. So to all those who say 'i've done too many horrible things in my life', Christ didnt die for the righteous. He died for the sinners. For that is how much God loves you.
Open your eyes to see the truth. And the truth shall set you free.
I know of course when you say that you think its a really funny joke. You dont really believe that theres a God so you're just having fun mocking the whole idea. But for sure i can tell at least 2 things from this statement.
1) You figured out you're a sinner
2) You got the message of the gospel wrong
Many people reject Christianity without even knowing what it is all about.
I find it weird. Dont people ever realise why Christians try to reach out to others and not, say, Buddhist? Instead people have a tendency to tell us to be more like others and stop telling everyone about God.
Its not that we dont respect the opinions of others but how many times must we say that we KNOW its true and we want YOU to experience the love of God in your life as well.
But somehow thats the way it is. People just cannot accept it like that. I cant say i know how that feels but i know many people who do and they overcame.
Dont people ever feel an emptiness in them? A longing for something more? A hole that doesnt seem to be filled? Something to strive forward to everyday?
For there to be hope in your life?
I know everyone feels that way sometimes. And then perhaps computer games, or relationships, or whatever other stuff you name it seem to be the solution.
But you get tired of it after awhile. What difference does it make.
You know the one thing that can fill that gap in your heart?
True love.
And by the way did you know that God is love? No not God has love. God is love.
But honestly how many people right now are going 'ah this is rubbish'.
I can never say enough. I know its hard to believe like this. I know its hard that after more than a decade of your life where you believed that God doesnt exist, its hard for you to suddenly see that he does live.
To be honest i wish i can just poof at let you know what it is like so that you can decide. I can give you 100% assurance that if you know what it feels like to have God in your lives, you will want it too.
But God doesnt work that way. Thats like taking away your free will isnt it? God gave us the right to choose.
Oh and on evidence i could give you alot of it. Proof about God. If you really have a stinging question thats keeping you away from God, go ahead and ask me i could help you resolve it. If not, to be honest, even after i make everything clear to you, you still wont believe. You just cant relate to it. Its like knowing how people in India are living. Even given a description you wont know. So i wont go into apologetics unless there is a need to.
But really, one day i hope all of you will open your eyes to see the truth. That Jesus dwells in us.
---
The Gospel:
Christianity isnt about doing more good deeds that bad deeds then you will go to heaven. It isnt about following a set of rules and regulations stircty to the death, it isnt about us having to be holy and pure and sinless. This is a very common misconception.
Heres the truth as it is.
We have all sinnned and will end up in hell. There is always sin in our lives. Be it lying, stealing, lust and so on and so forth. Nobody is perfect. If you can lead a sinless life yes sure you can go to heaven but have any of us done that? Well the sad truth is no. Sins come into our lives and corrupts us. The way the world is nowadays is definately not our ideal state. But we have come to accept it. We have come to accept the sin in our lives as something that will always be there. Thats why we think its alright to do this, to do that. However, because God is holy, he cannot allow anyone who is unholy in his presence, cannot allow anyone who is unholy to enter the kingdom of God. So where do we all go? We go to hell.
But God is a loving God. He can't allow all men to go to hell like that. Thus, he gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. Someone had to pay the price for sin. If Jesus could live a perfect life and die on the cross for us, he would have conquered sin, conquered death, conquered hell. And thats what he did for us all. After he died on the cross, but because he was sinless, by the grace and power of God, 3 days later he came back to life.
Anyone who is willing to repent from his sins and seek God's forgiveness will be saved. If we are willing to repent and confess our sins before God, by the grace of God and the blood of Christ, we will be saved from hell and obtained a place in heaven. It is not by our works that we enter heaven and no bad thing we have ever done is ever too evil for the forgiveness of the Almighty God. Not only that. Our new lives dont begin only after we die, it begins the moment we accept Christ into our lives!! God will send the Holy Spirit to come into our lives to guide us every step of the way. Life ahead may not be perfect, it does not mean that we will no longer have trials and tribulations. It doesn't mean that we will one hundred percent sin no more. But gradually, by the power of the Spirit, you will see your life change drastically from what it was.
That, is the Gospel. So to all those who say 'i've done too many horrible things in my life', Christ didnt die for the righteous. He died for the sinners. For that is how much God loves you.
Open your eyes to see the truth. And the truth shall set you free.