Everybody's Headed to Hell

 

Previously (as in last week) on Truth Is...

"It's kind of amazing that even though Jesus has every right to rule with an iron fist, he chooses to persuade and call; to open the door and invite."

I made that statement last week, and I repeat it today, fully confident that there are many who think I'm full of beans. They simply do not picture Jesus giving a gentle invitation. Instead, they characterize God as an egotistical despot who sends people to hell if they don't believe in him . . . while refusing to give any undeniable proof that he exists.

Well, let's just back up a second.

I would contend that God doesn't send ANYone to hell. Hell is the default destination of all those who sin. And the list of "all those who sin" includes the names of everyone who has ever lived except Jesus.

God doesn't have to take any action at all for a human soul to wind up completely separated from his perfection, which is the state of existence that we call hell.

That's pretty bad news.

The good news is that not only did God NOT do nothing, but he in fact went to great lengths to pave a path that leads directly to eternal bliss in his presence, which is the state of existence that we call heaven.

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Truth is...rather than sending people to hell, Yahweh sends people to heaven; a gracious gift made possible by the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. It's a gift we must choose to receive. It's an invitation we must RSVP to.