And like us the non believer didn't get to choose their parents , their country , their color , their language and all the rest of it.
And like us they didn't have any say as to whether or not they would like to be born at all.
So when the unbeliever dies , we christians generally assume they will suffer some sort of horrible fate , some say hell , some say seperation from God and some say this and some say that.
Given all of the above , it seems unfair and cruel to punish some one who never asked to be here in the first place. So do you think there is still hope for the unbeliever even after death ?......I like to think there is , as I have family and friends who have passed on and were all unbelievers , and I hope to see them again one day.
If we are to blame God for creating us, then we have to blame ourselves as well for cooperating with Him in procreating. But true to our inherited sin nature, we blame Him alone - even for the sins we freely choose to commit subsequently.
Even so, God - Who has always been both Judge and Redeemer Himself - provided a Way to - not receiving all that we long for in this temporal life - but to receive eternal life through faith in His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. His sacrifice is such a pure expression of Holy Love that anyone in any circumstance has no excuse to live out their lives indifferent to God's requirement of faith as our only Answer to the dilemma we find ourselves in. This act of Love is enough proof of God's goodness that we can recognize His sovereignty in all things - especially things we don't understand. And remove ourselves from our little makeshift thrones upon which we would presume to judge HIM.
What then, can be more fair that everyone everywhere in every circumstance to be invited to share in this same promise of grace that overshadows any hardship we endure for such a wee blink in time - in comparison to eternity?
So tragically yes, many whom we love will perish because they will stubbornly refuse such grace - ultimately spitting on the cross of Christ and encouraging all others to join them.
There is no one Who loves them more and is more grieved than God Himself. Look at how Jesus wept. He will not force His Love - for He cannot contradict Himself - Who IS Love.
Inquire of any born-again, Bible-believing, Spirit-filled follower of Christ - who have and are suffering no less than the resolute unbeliever - if God is worthy of that faith - and we will say 100 times yes - because there is nothing more valuable to us than enjoying His imputed righteousness and the incredible joy and privilege of knowing Him more and more fully through His Son - and serving Him.
Nothing!
It is far better to suffer for righteousness than for unrighteousness - with a hope that defies our circumstances.
It all comes down to what we value most while here: getting everything we could ever want (including our vision of how things should be), or giving it all up in response to the Holy One - Who gave up more than we could ever imagine or replicate - for a world full of the ungrateful and the wicked...
... namely all of us.
Isaiah 45:8-12 NIV
“You heavens above, rain down my righteousness;
let the clouds shower it down.
Let the earth open wide,
let salvation spring up,
let righteousness flourish with it;
I, the Lord, have created it."
“Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker,
those who are nothing but potsherds
among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,
‘What are you making?’
Does your work say,
‘The potter has no hands’?
Woe to the one who says to a father,
‘What have you begotten?’
or to a mother,
‘What have you brought to birth?’
“This is what the Lord says—
the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker:
Concerning things to come,
do you question me about my children,
or give me orders about the work of my hands?
It is I who made the earth
and created mankind on it.
My own hands stretched out the heavens;
I marshaled their starry hosts."
Job 40:1-8 NIV
"The Lord said to Job:
"Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?
Let him who accuses God answer him!”
Then Job answered the Lord:
"I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?
I put my hand over my mouth.
I spoke once, but I have no answer—
twice, but I will say no more.”
Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm:
“Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.
"Would you discredit my justice?
Would you condemn me to justify yourself?"
2 Peter 3:9 NIV
"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
John 3:16 NIV
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Enough?
God bless us all who do, and shall, believe and obey!
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