Op-Ed: God’s mercy endures forever, but He cannot compromise
LIVING ON PURPOSE
By Dr. Billy Holland
For the last two weeks, we have been discussing the afterlife and who will receive it. Most religions are dogmatic about their salvation ideas, and Christianity may be the most narrow theological view of them all. The exclusive view that following Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven has always been under scrutiny, and I’m facing this hostility today more than ever. I hear arguments such as: how could a loving and merciful God send anyone to an eternal hell just because they chose the wrong religion? Consider the billions of individuals who have embraced the religious path of their families simply because they trust what they have been taught. We read stories of God’s strictness and how His truth cannot compromise, but human nature still hopes He is lenient and forgiving.
This subject has been on my heart lately, and I even had a dream the other night where I saw an endless multitude crying and agonizing, which was disturbing. I woke up, and my first thought was that I was seeing what it would be like at the judgment – they knew it was too late. This brings me to some important questions of my own: Since most Christians accept there is only one Savior who declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” why aren’t we more broken-hearted about those who do not know Him? If we really believed the majority of the world would suffer eternal punishment because they are not born again, then why do we ignore it? Why aren’t we praying, and witnessing more, or standing on the street corner preaching the gospel? Or are we just happy for ourselves and not concerned about others? Grieving for the lost is not the same as having pity for those who are not blessed like us. We are called to demonstrate our faith by our works, or our love is nothing more than an emotional whim.
A popular idea about salvation is that everyone has the free will to choose whatever they want to believe. This, in turn, makes each individual responsible for where they will spend eternity. The call of Christians to evangelize the world is more focused on those who have never heard about Christ, rather than trying to convince someone to abandon their religion and become a Christian. However, we are reminded of the analogy of having a cure for a deadly plague and hiding it. Is the gospel the power unto salvation or is it not? Maybe this is a subconscious excuse to not meddle in other people’s business and just be glad you have the antidote. There is also a view that is opposite to the free-will philosophy, called predestination. Some Christians believe that before the world was created, God selected certain ones to be saved, which causes a lot of hostility from those who argue this is not fair. The response is that God has sovereign authority and can do whatever He wants.
If the doctrine of election is true, this would explain the lack of missionary support, personal evangelism, and weeping over the lost, since eternal salvation has already been decided. I personally have a hard time with this view, as the Bible discusses the importance of faith and personal choice. This brings up another simple question, which is whether a person believes what the Bible says. Some believe that when God leaves the ninety-nine and rescues the one, it means reconciling all humans to spend eternity with Him, but others say this is not the correct context. Between the tsunami of religious interpretations and the critics that declare the Bible is not divinely inspired and does not really mean what it says, it’s easy to see how religious pluralism, universalism, and even annihilationism is growing.
If all the passages about spiritual discipline and sacrifice, along with the small gate and a narrow road that leads to life, and only a few will find it, are discarded as an exaggeration, then it’s easy to see how the rebellious human nature has created its own non-threatening version of salvation. It’s true, everyone wants to go to heaven, but just how strict is God when it comes to sending invitations? Do you see Him as lenient, sneaking a few favorites through the back door? His truth cannot bend or make deals. According to the Bible, the overwhelming majority of every person who has ever lived will suffer forever. Not only all unbelievers, but every person of every other religion that has ever existed.
Dr. Holland is an ordained minister, chaplain, and author. To read more about the Christian life, visit our website at billyhollandministries.com