a better place
May 7, 2009
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
READ: John 14:1-14
There is a myth that is common in Christian as well as non-Christian circles: People who die always go to a better place. I have been to funerals of individuals who were said to have gone to “that better place”—but I knew they were not in a better place. These are called funeral assurances, words of comfort that assure and reassure people that their loved ones—no matter how they lived or what they believed—have gone to heaven.
There are reasons that people tend to believe in a better place for all. First, they think God grades on a curve—that as long as they are sincere, any spiritual path will work. This idea is shattered by the reality that there is not one area in life where this is true (for example, think about surgery and car repair).
People also want to believe that a loving God would not send anyone to hell. They claim that only ignorant, religious bigots think that Jesus is the only way.
So, what does the Bible actually say? It might not be a popular teaching, but according to Matthew 10:28 and Mark 9:42-45, there is a real place called hell. We read in Matthew 25:41 that hell was made for Satan and his angels—not for believers in Jesus. However, those who refuse to receive God’s free and precious gift will go there too (Matthew 25:41-46). Sin separates us from a holy God. On our best days, we all fall short of God’s standards. Based on Romans 3:23, God does not
grade on a curve.
The Bible clearly states that Jesus is the only way to heaven (John 14:6). Trusting Him as our Lord and Savior is the only assurance we have that we will go to a better place when we die. Let’s remove every obstacle and tell people about Jesus! —Marvin Williams
In what way is faith in Jesus Christ exclusive and narrow? With whom will you share the Good News today?
Tweet This
Share on Facebook
Digg This
Save to delicious
Stumble it-
RSS Feed
Related
ODB: Learning to Trust
May 8, 2011 READ: Isaiah 66:7-13 Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. —Psalm 37:3 When I stuck my camera into the bush to take a picture of the baby robins, they opened their mouths without opening their eyes. They were so used to having mama [...]
ODB: Valid Entry
March 31, 2011 READ: John 14:1-10 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” —John 14:6 On a teaching trip outside the US, my wife and I were denied entry into our country of destination because of visa problems. Although we [...]
ODJ: Opportunity
April 11, 2012 Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe (vv.14-15). READ: John 11:1-44 A cave in left 33 men trapped deep underground in a copper and gold mine in northern Chile. The men battled despair during the initial hours, when dust [...]
for sale: one soul
May 31, 2009 READ: Matthew 16:24-28 What will a man give in exchange for his soul? —Matthew 16:26 One would think that selling one’s soul, as Faust offered his to the devil in Goethe’s Dr. Faustus, is only a figment of literary fiction. Medieval as it seems, however, several cases of soul-selling have occurred.Wired magazine [...]
Christian Courses
Day Of Discovery
Discover The Word
Discovery Series
Help For My Life
My Utmost For His Highest
Our Daily Bread
Our Daily Journey
RBC Ministries
WarungSateKaMu
Manasociety
雅米