"Why do you judge other religions"? A question posed to me.
It seems harsh to non-believers when a Christian takes the stand of dismissing other religions. It's more inclusive and tolerant to simply not be bothered by other's beliefs. 'To each his own'. Yes and no - (more on this later).
The truth of it is - if I sit with it. Ponder it. Wrestle with it - I'm left in tears.
My heart aches for God. I know He most absolutely does not need my pity nor my empathy - and still, the thought of Him, being rejected shatters me.
When you take into account that there are those who don't believe that the Bible is The Word of God - Or even believe that there is a God, the argument simply stalls - comes to a halt - a complete full-stop.
Where does a follower of Christ go with that? How do you walk away and not be affected by someone's strong disbelief?
It comes at a cost. This unbelief. A deliberate denial that has the gravest of eternal consequences (believe it to be true or not).
I'm rambling - I do this when I'm trying so very hard to not be offensive... I do better when I just say it...
So I'm just going to say it.
If you look around, (and I mean - really look around). What do you see? To keep it simple - the world/earth. And all she holds. Us humans. And all that we are, inside and out.
It's complex to say the least. Utterly divine in nature and undeniably complex. The details. So intensely intricate - each one depending on the next for survival...how did it all come to be? It didn't just appear. We most certainly did not 'evolve from monkeys'. There had to be a Creator of the created.
If we can, at the least agree that something/someone is responsible for all of it - then we can at the most conclude a Higher Power. A Creator.
Then the question poses - Why? Why earth? Why us?
I can surmise best by relating to my humanness (more specifically my nature of being mom).
As noted by an admirable scholar (Dr. Michael S. Heiser) God loved so much that He made us. (To love and to be loved). I totally get this! At an elementary level ask me why I desired first and then had all of my babies? My answer. To love and to be loved!!! To adore and cherish. To bless. To guide. To have companionship. I could not see a life without children. Family.
And so it is with God.
Like God, we create a home and we want to fill it up. With love.
Now- back to why it would shatter my spirit when the argument arises that God is not who He says He is and that the Bible is not what He says it is. And that neither heaven nor hell are our final destinations. If they exist at all (?)
Hell was created for Satan. Okay? Let's think. Back to love. Is a forced love, love?
If you have a group of friends, family members - and love, friendship, trust, loyalty, commitment, kindness, faithfulness are just the relational state of being - there would be a desired communion. If you sensed the opposite of all these things - the effect would be the opposite as well - the desire to not commune.
We don't want feigned love. Disingenuous friendship. Lack of trust. Phoney loyalty. Disregard for commitment. Insincere kindess. Bleak faithfulness.
We wouldn't accept forced relationship. That's not love. Love is a choice - a decision. We choose to love those that we commit to. Those whom we brought forth into this world. Those whom we choose to develop relationships with. Because there is great benefit to this. (Granted, we should be loving to everyone).
I know this is long winded - hang in there with me, please.
In comes free will. We have the right to choose. Back to the parent comparison - we are capable of loving our children, providing for them, guiding them and at the same time - disciplining them. Of course we expect their love- but cannot demand it. We hope that they would love us - but we cannot force them to.
God too. He doesn't want/need our forced love. 'Cause forced love is not love.
We were created to dwell with our Father in heaven for all of eternity, loving one another. Funny how my whole life's desire has looked similar to this with regard to my own children (likewise, we are His children). I've always hoped and envisioned a home (the main house) with a cluster of homes for each of my grown children and their families surrounding mine - where we would be on the same land, sharing life.
God sees us all with Him, sharing life. But if my kids choose to not live on this property that I imagined - I would not be able to force them. They would need to choose.
Here's the dinger. If God - so graciously allows us this same free will- to come to Him lovingly, while here on earth, why would He THEN
force our hand at the time of eternity? If you're choosing life without Him - (He allows this - it's your choice) and He, being so gracious, loving and kind will
NOT force you to then spend all of eternity with him.
For arguement sake, lets say there are choices. Two destinations. If not one, then the other.
Back to the very beginning. It had to start somewhere.
Father. Son. Holy Spirit.
God. Who made us. Died for us. Left us His Spirit. The ultimate sacrifice made. The only requirement - to truly, truly repent - turn from sin and choose Him through faith and - receive His grace.
Now, I know a thing or two about disobedient children. I am one.(And not being able to force them). What a heart wrenching ache it is to know this. To live with this. The love most certainly remains a constant. (but there also has to be an acceptance of their choice) along with hope and fervent prayer.
***When one asks, "How can God allow the doors to heaven to be shut, if He is all love?" reference the above statement again...
Now, if our own human hearts break at this, how much more so - God's?
***Bonus Note:
No one - not a one, is so far gone that they are beyond redemption. It's through your faith in God, your belief in Him, and what was accomplished once and for all on the cross (grace) that we are redeemed. God's grace and mercies are new each and every morning. He. Is. Forever. Love.
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