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From: davem@bnr.ca (Dave Mielke)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Does God love you?
Message-ID:
Date: 10 Apr 93 09:30:06 GMT
Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu
Organization: Bell Northern Research, Ottawa, Canada
Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu
I have come across what I consider to be an excellent tract. It is a
bit lengthy for a posting, but I thought I'd share it with all of you
anyway. Feel free to pass it along to anyone whom you feel might
benefit from what it says. May God richly bless those who read it.
=======================================================================
D O E S G O D L O V E Y O U ?
Q. What kind of question is that? Anyone who can read sees signs,
tracts, books, and bumper stickers that say, "God Loves You." Isn't
that true?
A. It is true that God offers His love to the whole world, as we read
in one of the most quoted verses in the Bible:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life. John 3:16
However, God's love is qualified. The Bible says:
The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he
loveth him that followeth after righteousness. Proverbs 15:9
For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of
the ungodly shall perish. Psalm 1:6
Q. But I am not wicked. I am a decent, moral person. Surely the good
I have done in my life far outweighs whatever bad I have done. How
can these verses apply to me?
A. By God's standard of righteousness even the most moral person is
looked upon by God as a desperate sinner on his way to Hell. The
Bible teaches that no one is good enough in himself to go to Heaven.
On the contrary, we are all sinners and we are all guilty before
God.
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There
is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after
God. Romans 3:10-11
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately
wicked: who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9
Q. If I am such a wicked person in God's sight, what will God do to me?
A. The Bible teaches that at the end of the world all the wicked will
come under eternal punishment in a place called Hell.
For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the
lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase,
and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. I will heap
mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them. They
shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat,
and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of
beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust.
Deuteronomy 32:22-24
Q. Oh, come on now! Hell is not real, is it? Surely things are not
that bad.
A. Indeed, Hell is very real, and things are that bad for the individ-
ual who does not know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. The Bible
makes many references to Hell, indicating that it is both eternal
and consists of perpetual suffering.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was
cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15
So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come
forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall
cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and
gnashing of teeth. Matthew 13:49-50
... when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with
his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them
that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory
of his power; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
Q. That is terrible! Why would God create a Hell?
A. Hell is terrible, and it exists because God created man to be
accountable to God for his actions. God's perfect justice demands
payment for sin.
For the wages of sin is death; Romans 6:23
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ;
that every one may receive the things done in his body,
according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
2 Corinthians 5:10
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak,
they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
Matthew 12:36
Q. Does that mean that at the end of the world everyone will be brought
to life again to be judged and then to be sent to Hell?
A. Indeed it does; that is, unless we can find someone to be our
substitute in bearing the punishment of eternal damnation for our
sins. That someone is God Himself, who came to earth as Jesus
Christ to bear the wrath of God for all who believe in Him.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one
to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of
us all. Isaiah 53:6
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for
our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him;
and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also
received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the
third day according to the scriptures: 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
2 Corinthians 5:21
Q. Are you saying that if I trust in Christ as my substitute, Who was
already punished for my sins, then I will not have to worry about
Hell anymore?
A. Yes, this is so! If I have believed in Christ as my Savior, then it
is as if I have already stood before the Judgment Throne of God.
Christ as my substitute has already paid for my sins.
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he
that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath
of God abideth on him. John 3:36
Q. But what does it mean to believe on Him? If I agree with all that
the Bible says about Christ as Savior, then am I saved from going to
Hell?
A. Believing on Christ means a whole lot more than agreeing in our
minds with the truths of the Bible. It means that we hang our whole
lives on Him. It means that we entrust every part of our lives to
the truths of the Bible. It means that we turn away from our sins
and serve Christ as our Lord.
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one,
and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and
despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Matthew 6:24
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be
blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the
presence of the Lord; Acts 3:19
Q. Are you saying that there is no other way to escape Hell except
through Jesus? What about all the other religions? Will their
followers also go to Hell?
A. Yes, indeed. They cannot escape the fact that God holds us account-
able for our sins. God demands that we pay for our sins. Other
religions cannot provide a substitute to bear the sins of their
followers. Christ is the only one who is able to bear our guilt and
save us.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none
other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be
saved. Acts 4:12
Jesus said:
I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the
Father, but by me. John 14:6
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9
Q. Now I am desperate. I do not want to go to Hell. What can I do?
A. You must remember that God is the only one who can help you. You
must throw yourself altogether on the mercies of God. As you see
your hopeless condition as a sinner, cry out to God to save you.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much
as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying,
God be merciful to me a sinner. Luke 18:13
... Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, ...
Acts 16:30-31
Q. But how can I believe on Christ if I know so little about Him?
A. Wonderfully, God not only saves us through the Lord Jesus, but He
also gives us the faith to believe on Him. You can pray to God that
He will give you faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God: Ephesians 2:8
God works particularly through the Bible to give us that faith. So,
if you really mean business with God about your salvation, you
should use every opportunity to hear and study the Bible, which is
the only Word of God.
In this brochure, all verses from the Bible are within indented
paragraphs. Give heed to them with all your heart.
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of
God. Romans 10:17
Q. But does this mean that I have to surrender everything to God?
A. Yes. God wants us to come to Him in total humility, acknowledging
our sinfulness and our helplessness, trusting totally in Him.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a
contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalm 51:17
Because we are sinners we love our sins. Therefore, we must begin
to pray to God for an intense hatred of our sins. And if we
sincerely desire salvation, we will also begin to turn from our sins
as God strengthens us. We know that our sins are sending us to
Hell.
Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him
to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his
iniquities. Acts 3:26
Q. Doesn't the Bible teach that I must attend church regularly and be
baptized? Will these save me?
A. If possible, we should do these things, but they will not save us.
No work of any kind can secure our salvation. Salvation is God's
sovereign gift of grace given according to His mercy and good pleas-
ure. Salvation is
Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:9
Q. What else will happen at the end of the world?
A. Those who have trusted in Jesus as their Savior will be transformed
into their glorious eternal bodies and will be with Christ forever-
more.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:
and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are
alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be
with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
Q. What will happen to the earth at that time?
A. God will destroy the entire universe by fire and create new heavens
and a new earth where Christ will reign with His believers forever-
more.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in
the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and
the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and
the works that are therein shall be burned up. ...
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new
heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
2 Peter 3:10,13
Q. Does the Bible give us any idea of when the end of the earth will
come?
A. Yes! The end will come when Christ has saved all whom He plans to
save.
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the
world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end
come. Matthew 24:14
Q. Can we know how close to the end of the world we might be?
A. Yes! God gives much information in the Bible concerning the timing
of the history of the world and tells us that while the Day of the
Lord will come as a thief in the night for the unsaved, it will not
come as a thief for the believers. There is much evidence in the
Bible that the end of the world and the return of Christ may be
very, very close.* All the time clues in the Bible point to this.
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden
destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with
child; and they shall not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:3
Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his
secret unto his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7
Q. But that means Judgment Day is almost here.
A. Yes, it does. God warned ancient Nineveh that He was going to
destroy that great city and He gave them forty days warning.
And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he
cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be
overthrown. Jonah 3:4
Q. What did the people of Nineveh do?
A. From the king on down they humbled themselves before God, repented
of their sins, and cried to God for mercy.
But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry
mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil
way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can
tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his
fierce anger, that we perish not? Jonah 3:8-9
Q. Did God hear their prayers?
A. Yes. God saved a great many people of Nineveh.
Q. Can I still cry to God for mercy so that I will not come into judg-
ment?
A. Yes. There is still time to become saved even though that time has
become very short.
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which
at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed
unto us by them that heard him; Hebrews 2:3
In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength,
and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye
people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for
us. Psalm 62:7-8
A R E Y O U R E A D Y T O M E E T G O D ?
A book entitled 1994?, written by Harold Camping, presents Biblical
information that we may be very near the end of time. For information
on how to obtain a copy or to receive a free program guide and list of
radio stations on which you can hear our Gospel programs, please write
to Family Radio, Oakland, California, 94621 (The United States of Amer-
ica), or call 1-800-543-1495.
----------------------------------------
The foregoing is a copy of the "Does God Love You?" tract printed by,
and available free of charge from, Family Radio. A number of minor
changes have been made to its layout to facilitate computer printing
and distribution. The only change to the text itself is the paragraph
which describes the way in which Biblical passages appear within the
text. In the original tract they appear in italic lettering; they
appear here as indented paragraphs.
I have read Mr. Camping's book, compared it with what the Bible actual-
ly says, find it to be the most credible research with respect to what
the future holds that I have ever come across, and agree with him that
there is just too much data to ignore. While none of us is guaranteed
one more second of life, and while we, therefore, should take these
matters very seriously regardless of when Christ will actually return,
it would appear that our natural tendency to postpone caring about our
eternal destiny until we feel that our death is imminent is even more
senseless now because, in all likelihood, the law of averages with
respect to life expectancy no longer applies. If you wish to obtain a
copy of this book so that you can check out these facts for yourself,
you may find the following information helpful:
title: 1994?
author: Harold Camping
publisher: Vantage Press
distributor: Baker and Taylor
ISBN: 0-533-10368-1
I have chosen to share this tract with you because I whole-heartedly
agree with everything it declares and feel that now, perhaps more than
ever before, this information must be made known. To paraphrase Acts
20:27, it does not shun to declare unto us all the counsel of God. I
am always willing to discuss the eternal truths of the Bible with
anyone who is interested as I believe them to be the only issues of any
real importance since we will spend, comparatively speaking, so little
time on this side of the grave and so much on the other. Feel free to
get in touch with me at any time:
e-mail: davem@bnr.ca
office: 1-613-765-4671
home: 1-613-726-0014
Dave Mielke
856 Grenon Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K2B 6G3
dift1010@iro.umontreal.ca