Public Harbor, Drøbak, Norway
April 29, 2019
Christianity is not meant for one country, one small group of people, or one church. That is why over the more than 2,000 years since it was founded by God through Jesus Christ, professing Christians have grown to a staggering 2.3 billion people today. It is by far the largest religion in the world, almost 1/3 of the entire population of 7.3 billion people. This is because it is not primarily a religion, but it is rather a relationship between God and true believers worldwide. Through the centuries, Christianity has had to face many battles against those who oppose it, as well as abuses and evil from its own leaders, but it always rights itself and goes on. Evil happens within the church, because the people who run the church are not perfect, nor are they shackled by God and made to do what is right. Instead, they must be inspired and continually led by God to remain obedient, just, and good. That goodness flows from a true presence of God that dwells within each believer. Believers are not slaves, but willing partners with God. This is the one thing that makes Christianity attractive to peoples of every land. All believers are free from moment to moment to either listen to and obey the voice of God within, or they can go their own way and follow their own desires. When leaders and believers go their own way, the Church suffers damage, but the God who lives within true believers will repeatedly purge the Church, and bring it back to the right direction and obedience to his perfect will.
In God’s eyes, all people count equally and all are loved by him, even if they reject him. God will give all human beings under heaven who have ever lived on earth, a chance to repent of their sins and accept salvation through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. God is not hindered from saving souls who may never have heard of him, or who were ignorant of a true understanding of Christ’s saving death on the cross, or who died before they could make such choices, or any of myriads of scenarios which look to men like they are unfair to specific individuals or groups. God is God, and because of that, in the end he will make all things fair and just that have ever happened on the earth. It will always be our choice to repent of our sins and accept salvation or not. Scripture attests to this:
“Prayer of this kind is good, and God our savior is pleased with it, for he wants all men to be saved and come to know the truth. And the truth is this: ‘God is one. One also is the mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all.’ ” –1 Timothy 2, 3-6
Since God wants all men to be saved, then neither time, nor religion, nor ethnicity, nor country of origin, nor the devil, nor any person, nor evil, nor sinfulness, nor enemies, nor random events, nor any other thing will be able to thwart his will. When the time comes for you to choose repentance for sin and obedience to God, how you choose and nothing else can stop God from saving you. Work diligently towards having this kind of humble and contrite heart, and if you do, you need not worry about missing out on heaven when you die. These next scripture verses show the lengths to which God will go to bring salvation to men:
“The reason why Christ died for sins once for all, the just man for the sake of the unjust, was that he might lead you to God. He was put to death insofar as fleshly existence goes, but was given life in the realm of the spirit. It was in the spirit also that he went to preach to the spirits in prison. They had disobeyed as long ago as Noah’s day, ….” –1 Peter 3, 18-20
“The reason the gospel was preached even to the dead was that, although condemned in the flesh in the eyes of men, they might live in the spirit in the eyes of God.” –1 Peter 4, 6
Here we see that Jesus Christ preached even to people who had died long ago, showing his heart for the Good News to be made available to all people. Since he did this, then you can just imagine what other things he might do to fulfill his desire that all men be saved.
But for you reading this, you are not yet dead, and many of you likely have heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. Your choice is now, and you need to be careful not to reject salvation for yourself when the choice is presented to you. If you haven’t already made the choice, when you feel the pull of God on your heart, open yourself to his presence and let him in. No one who meets the holy and true God with this attitude is ever disappointed. He only wants to bring you love, goodness, healing, mercy, forgiveness, and eternal life as you eventually become one with him. There is nothing to seek that is greater in life, but you have to try it to find out. Scripture speaks of the importance of this moment of decision that we will all face:
“Wherefore, as the Holy Spirit says; ‘Today if you should hear his voice, harden not your hearts as at the revolt in the day of testing in the desert, …’ ” –Hebrews 3, 7-8
“Therefore, while the promise of entrance into his rest still holds, we ought to be fearful of disobeying lest any one of you be judged to have lost his chance of entering. We have indeed heard the good news, as they did. But the word which they heard did not profit them, for they did not receive it in faith.” –Hebrews 4, 1-2
If you read this and are not sure if you will make it to heaven when you die, the Good News of salvation is for you. There is only one God who made you, who made the world and all in it, and who made the vast universe which has so many stars and galaxies, that no one can even count them. Pray to this God to save you. You don’t have to get rid of all your bad habits and sins to be acceptable to him. Your very praying to him and trusting him with your life and eternal salvation is all that you need, along with a humble and contrite heart:
“My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.” — Psalm 51, 19
“All that the Father gives me (Jesus) shall come to me; no one who comes will I ever reject, because it is not to do my own will that I have come down from heaven, but to do the will of him who sent me.” –John 6, 37-38
Once you come to him, he will begin to do the rest. He will forgive your sins, and he will purge you of all unholiness. He will lead you to the church that you should attend, and teach you wisdom and truth. The Bible will be your roadmap to heaven, as through it the Holy Spirit will lead you to all truth. Praise God, you are saved!
Journey to Truth 