God so Loved the World that He Gave His Son: The greatest Spiritual battle ever fought – part fifty-four
With the Lord’s leading, I’m going to focus this week’s blog on answering two questions that I have heard asked several times recently. Here are the two questions:
- If God is so powerful why doesn’t He just put an end to all the evil and injustice that is happening all around us?
- Why is Jesus the only way to get to Heaven?
First – If God is so powerful why doesn’t He just put an end to all the evil and injustice that is happening all around us?
When God created human beings, He designed us with the ability to make choices. Adam and Eve made the wrong choice way back in the Garden of Eden!
Genesis 3:1-6 (NLT2)
1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” 2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” 4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” 6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.
People are still making bad choices today. If God intervened every time someone made a decision, and He caused us to choose the way He preferred, we would be no more than robots. God wants us to choose to love Him from our own free will! By giving us the freedom to make that choice, He opens up the possibility for people to make bad choices just as Adam and Eve did! Consequently, we live in a world where corrupt choices are made and evil and injustice abound!
Second – Why is Jesus the only way to get to heaven?
Romans 5:12 (NLT2)
12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
Isaiah 59:2 (NLT2)
2 It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.
Romans 3:23 (NLT2)
23For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
John 14:6 (NLT2)
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
By reading the preceding Scripture passages it’s obvious that we have sinned, and receiving Jesus as our Savior is the only way to enter Heaven! However… how about the people who have not even heard of Jesus? It’s not fair for God to send them to eternal punishment for their sins! I will share two thoughts on that question from the Bible:
Psalm 19:1-3 (NLT2)
1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. 2 Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. 3 They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.
Perhaps God draws them to Himself through observing God’s creation. We are not the judge; God is the judge!
Mark 16:15-16 (NLT2)
15 And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.”
If anyone misses Heaven because they didn’t hear the Gospel message, it’s not God’s fault, it’s the fault of Christians! It’s because the message of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ was not spread throughout history!