(This message series is inspired and excerpted from He Loves Me! by Wayne Jacobsen.)
The Relationship God Has Always Wanted with Me –
. . . Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. (John 14:19b-20 NLT)
“Do you know where you would end up if you died in a car accident tonight?” [Pause]
“The evangelist has already painted the pictures. You could find yourself in an eternal garden of exquisite beauty laced together with winding paths of gold— or writhing in agony amid the leaping sulfuric flames of hell. If there was ever a choice that defined “no-brainer,” this is it. Once you convince someone that hell and heaven exist, winning a convert is easy. After all, praying for forgiveness and “accepting Jesus” seem like a small price to pay for a get-out-of-hell-free card!
So effective is this appeal to people’s worst fears and insecurities that hell has become the most popular invitation into God’s kingdom. What we have not so critically examined is whether or not threatening people with hell engages them in the relationship God has always wanted with them. (pp. 17-18)
They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. (2 Thessalonians 1:9)
For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment. (2 Peter 2:4)
“Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand! (Matthew 13:40-43)
Comparing destruction, gloomy pits of darkness, fire, and gnashing teeth with the sun shine of God’s Kingdom appeals to a one time escape plan that creates a common misunderstanding of the Christian life.
Share your thoughts and experiences regarding “fire insurance” (Comment Section).
“We live in a day when millions of people have made a commitment to Christ and yet few lives are really transformed by his power. It has been said of this generation that our Christianity is a mile wide but only an inch deep. We see effects of it everywhere. People claim to know God but show no evidence of transformation in their daily lives. We challenge them as hypocrites and attempt to badger them into more-righteous lifestyles, but in the end most believers end up as much a part of the world’s ways as their non-believing neighbors.
While the threat of hell can stir instant commitments, it does not breed long-term disciples. If you are in this kingdom only because you fear the alternative, you’ve missed the greatest part of what it means to know God.” (p. 18)
“No one ever threatened to do something that was wonderful. My parents didn’t threaten me with punishment to get me to go to Disneyland. But to make me go to the dentist or work on the vineyard, that was another matter.
So if I am told that I must love God or he will throw me into hell, I might well consider loving him— or at least pretend I do. But if the only reason I’m even responding to him is to serve my own self-interest and escape a fiery eternity in hell, am I really loving him or myself? Can a true friendship blossom under so grave a threat?” (p. 18)
When you think of God appearing in your life, what do you see? How would he act, and what does he feel about you? Would you see Jesus treating you the same way if he showed up? How do we reconcile the two?
But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness. 14 And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.
15 And remember, the Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him- (2 Peter 3:13-15)
“Jesus compared this life to a treasure discovered in a field: something so valuable that you would give up anything to possess it. His life is not something you have to follow. He is worth knowing just because of how incredibly awesome he is. If you want his gifts without wanting him, you cheat yourself out of the best portion. Here the fear of hell is no use to us at all. The insecurity it breeds only takes us further from him and makes us uncertain about who he is. Jesus wanted us to be very clear about who his Father is because we grow in him only to the degree that we trust his love for us.
There is no one God does not love with all that he is. His love reaches beyond every sin and failure, hoping that at some moment every person will come to know just how loved he or she is.” (p. 23)
Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.
45” Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. 46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it! (Matthew 13:44-46)
Think about the relationship that Jesus has offered us with his Father. What might we say to communicate to people who don’t know him just what kind of God he is?
For Your Personal Journey
Did you come to God only because you were afraid of the alternative, or were you entreated by his love? Do you view him as a stern judge or a loving Father? If the former, ask God to reveal himself to you as he really is. Over the next few weeks, look for ways God will help you let go of your fears. Let his love capture your heart as your sole motivation for walking after him. (p. 24)
Next Week: A Father Like No Other
“If we take all the goodness, wisdom and compassion of the best mothers and fathers who have ever lived, they would only be a faint shadow of the love and mercy in the heart of the redeeming God.” – Brennan Manning
Leave a Reply