WHY THE WORLD IS GOING TO HELL
The world is going to hell: the fact is so obvious that it doesn't need repeating. What is not so obvious is why.
That last sentence needs some fine-tuning: in a sense it is obvious why the world is going to hell--the world does not believe Jesus is Lord. But why doesn't the world believe? That is the question, isn't it?
Paul tells us the god of this world--Satan--has blinded the eyes of the unbelievers. II Cor. 4:4 "The god of this age (KJV, world) has blinded the minds (KJV, eyes) of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."
That's the short answer to why the world is going to hell--Satan has blinded the eyes of unbelievers so they can't see the gospel of Jesus Christ as Truth. And I suppose few Christians would argue with Paul about that observation. But I'd bet my last dollar there's not many Christians out there who could tell you exactly how Satan goes about blinding the eyes of the unbeliever to the glory of the God revealed in the face of Jesus Christ.
The fact that we don't have a firm fix on how Satan goes about accomplishing his goal creates great tension in the Body of Christ on earth. In our hearts, we all know that Jesus does not want anybody to perish. Regardless of how much we've fined tuned the doctrine of election, none of us are comfortable in the presence of a world going straight to hell. No matter how well we can explain why the world is going to hell and at the same time explain that God really loves the world in spite of the fact the world is going to hell, none of us are comfortable with this situation. In our hearts we still feel deep tugging that make us think all those people who don't believe in Jesus, somehow, shouldn't be going to hell. We understand clearly that Jesus gave himself to be humiliated, suffer, die, and descend into hell precisely because He wanted to prevent the world from going to hell. The fact that the world is going to hell tempts us--and the world as well--to conclude that either Jesus is not capable of accomplishing his purpose, or we are not doing what He wants us to do. Those who are in Christ Jesus are tense because we know enough about Jesus to know His Will is not the problem.
Christians have a difficult time understanding how Satan blinds the unbelievers because we don't really want to face the answer. When the Lord finally breaks through and reveals the answer to us, it shakes all us saints to our bootstraps. It shakes us because we all come face to face with the fact that judgment does begin with the Church.
The fact is Satan uses Christians to blind the unbelievers. I can hear muttering coming from the amen corner: What does he mean we don't know Satan uses Christians? That's what we've always said.
Right, but don't relax yet: remember I said exactly how Satan does his work. We've always had some insight into how Satan uses Christians to blind the world to the glory of Jesus. We've always known the world watches professing Christians like a hawk waiting to pounce on the slightest signs of deviation from the ethical standards defined as "Christian" so they could justify the hardness of their heart toward the life and work of Jesus Christ. This has led to countless sermons and moved all of us to strive diligently to surrender anything that might cause anybody to stumble. But we've never quite grasped how Satan can use us to blind the eyes of the unbelievers even after we've quit fornicating and smoking and drinking and cussing and hanging around with those that do. All Satan needs is a Church full of Christians who haven't got a clue how they got saved. That's exactly what he needs.
Everybody knows how we got saved, you say? We got saved by believing that Jesus died for our sins and that He rose from the grave. Faith in that is how we got saved. No argument there.
But how did Jesus dying on the cross save us? Do you know the answer to that question? If you do, you know more than the esteemed panel of good doctors gathered together for a forum on the atonement in Christianity Today back in 1989. They didn't know. They couldn't tell anyone how they got saved so it would make sense to anyone other than another true believer. It was a mystery, they said. And those good doctors spotlighted in Christianity Today are no different from all the rest of the Protestant theologians and preachers teaching God's people today--not one of them can tell you how Jesus dying on the cross saved you from your sins.
Try telling the world you are saved because you believe you are saved. If believing you are saved is all there is to salvation, then the world can believe they are saved too. Jesus doesn't have to be a part of the equation if believing we are saved is all salvation requires.
You say people must believe in Jesus to be saved? So do I. That's what I say too. But I have sense enough to know that if I can't tell unbelievers why they must believe in Jesus to be saved, then I am going to make headway only with people who want to be like me, people who are willing to share my beliefs even when we don't understand exactly what we are believing.
You say we must believe in Jesus to be saved because that's what the Bible tells us to believe if we are to be saved? You say the Bible is the Word of God and that is reason enough and answer enough for anybody that is chosen to be a part of the kingdom of God? I hope so, I hope that's enough, because that is all the world is getting out of us saints today. I am writing this book, though, because I am convinced in the Lord that He wants more from us than the answers we've been giving.
I believe the Bible gives us another message to tell the world, a message that is different from the message being presented by the Church to the world today. Instead of the Bible telling us to believe in Jesus Christ because the Bible tells us to believe, I believe God wants us to believe in Jesus Christ because we understand exactly how his dying on the cross saved those who believe in Him from an eternity in hell separated from the presence of God. It is that message that I have spent the last few years receiving. I hope you'll let me tell you about it.
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