It really does seem to be a common misconception. Many think that they need to improve themselves before they can turn to God. That before they can become Christians, they need to overcome bad habits, addictions, emotional problems, etc.
It's actually the other way around. Of course God teaches us to repent from sins, but this isn't something you do to be saved. It's something you do after you are saved. Turn to God and receive forgiveness through Christ, just as you are. With all your drug addictions, with your porn habits, with your anger issues, with your mental conditions, with your slothful indifference, with regrets about the past, with any other burdens you bear... and then you can worry about repentance later on.
If you see a Christian who knows a lot about Scripture, who is at a high rank in their church, who overcame a burden that you are facing....... it's because they got there over a long period of time. They didn't clean themselves up, and then turn to God. It's because God helped them where they already were. You don't need to spend years studying theology to know God. You don't need to be a pastor/priest/reverend to belong to a church. You don't need to overcome obstacles before reaching out to God.
Reach out to God, as you are. Pray, with all the burdens you carry on your back. Seek forgiveness, in the midst of all the sins and regrets you carry. God has high expectations from us, but that doesn't mean he's a hoity-toity dictator perfectionist. He doesn't want to just sit back and watch as we try to reach those heights. He wants to help us get there. He wants to carry us when we can't climb anymore. He wants to give us rest when we're exhausted. He wants to take burdens off of our backs so the climb is easier to do.
So wherever you are right now. Whether you're a one-percenter living in the lap of luxury. Whether you're a corrupt lawmaker collecting paychecks at the expense of the general public. Whether you're living a fairly normal life, and just have no idea what to do when it comes to Christianity. Whether you're a drug addict. Whether you're planning a school shooting. Whether you just got home from burying your next victim. God obviously doesn't condone murder or greed, but that doesn't mean you're doomed because you're caught in this place in life. Turn to God where you are, right now, and He will be with you. He will not turn you away. He will help you out of this place.
May God bless you all and guide you according to His perfect will! In Jesus' name. Amen.
Friday, December 14, 2018
Friday, December 7, 2018
Will Animals Be in Heaven?
The Bible does not say either way. There is no verse that specifically says, "Animals will / will not go to Heaven."
HOWEVER, WE CAN DEDUCE AN ANSWER FROM SCRIPTURE.
In Genesis 2:7, it says:
then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
The expression used here is וַיִּפַּ֥ח בְּאַפָּ֖יו נִשְׁמַ֣ת חַיִּ֑ים -- and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.
The word נִשְׁמַ֣ת or nishmat, is used to mean "breath" or "spirit". So we know that mankind has life.
In Genesis 7:15, it says:
They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life.
The expression used here is שְׁנַ֤יִם שְׁנַ֙יִם֙ מִכָּל־הַבָּשָׂ֔ר אֲשֶׁר־בֹּ֖ו ר֥וּחַ חַיִּֽים -- two [by] two of all flesh in which [is] the breath of life.
The word ר֥וּחַ or ruach, is used to mean "spirit", "breath", "wind", and "... of mind", but most commonly "spirit" or "wind". Hence, animals are described as having the same life that mankind has been given.
If the redeemed souls of mankind can live in Heaven through God's spiritual means, the implication then is that animals, who did not fall from grace through sin, will receive the same thing. Hence, animals will be in Heaven.
Now like I said at the beginning, there is no verse that 100% clearly states animals go to Heaven. But if we take a serious Biblical approach to this topic, the only logical conclusion is that they do. There are some who teach that animals don't go to Heaven, and this is utter heresy. There is nothing in the Bible even IMPLYING that animals don't go to Heaven. On the contrary, the implication is that they do. Thus, according to scripture itself, is either animals do, or we are uncertain if they do. Either "yes", or "I don't know", leaning heavily toward "yes".
May God bless you all and guide you according to His perfect will! In Jesus' name. Amen.
By the way, I know there are many who doubt the account of Noah. While the infallibility of Scripture is important, it's irrelevant to this topic. What matters here isn't whether the flood happened. What matters is that the animals are described as having the breath of life. Even if we entertain the notion that the flood didn't happen, that doesn't negate the fact that those who wrote down the account did so under the teaching that animals had the "breath of life".
HOWEVER, WE CAN DEDUCE AN ANSWER FROM SCRIPTURE.
In Genesis 2:7, it says:
then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
The expression used here is וַיִּפַּ֥ח בְּאַפָּ֖יו נִשְׁמַ֣ת חַיִּ֑ים -- and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.
The word נִשְׁמַ֣ת or nishmat, is used to mean "breath" or "spirit". So we know that mankind has life.
In Genesis 7:15, it says:
They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life.
The expression used here is שְׁנַ֤יִם שְׁנַ֙יִם֙ מִכָּל־הַבָּשָׂ֔ר אֲשֶׁר־בֹּ֖ו ר֥וּחַ חַיִּֽים -- two [by] two of all flesh in which [is] the breath of life.
The word ר֥וּחַ or ruach, is used to mean "spirit", "breath", "wind", and "... of mind", but most commonly "spirit" or "wind". Hence, animals are described as having the same life that mankind has been given.
If the redeemed souls of mankind can live in Heaven through God's spiritual means, the implication then is that animals, who did not fall from grace through sin, will receive the same thing. Hence, animals will be in Heaven.
Now like I said at the beginning, there is no verse that 100% clearly states animals go to Heaven. But if we take a serious Biblical approach to this topic, the only logical conclusion is that they do. There are some who teach that animals don't go to Heaven, and this is utter heresy. There is nothing in the Bible even IMPLYING that animals don't go to Heaven. On the contrary, the implication is that they do. Thus, according to scripture itself, is either animals do, or we are uncertain if they do. Either "yes", or "I don't know", leaning heavily toward "yes".
May God bless you all and guide you according to His perfect will! In Jesus' name. Amen.
By the way, I know there are many who doubt the account of Noah. While the infallibility of Scripture is important, it's irrelevant to this topic. What matters here isn't whether the flood happened. What matters is that the animals are described as having the breath of life. Even if we entertain the notion that the flood didn't happen, that doesn't negate the fact that those who wrote down the account did so under the teaching that animals had the "breath of life".
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