Does GOD Love You?
Yes you atheists should read this...
DOES GOD LOVE YOU?
Q: I sometimes wonder if God loves me. If He is a loving God, why is there so much suffering and sorrow in the world?
A: In His book called the Bible, God explains that our sins are the cause for all the suffering and sorrow. It is true that God reveals His love to the whole world, as we read in one of the most quoted verses in the Bible:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
However, God has more to say:
The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness. Proverbs 15:9
For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Psalms 1:6
Q: But I am not wicked. I am a decent, moral person. Surely the good I have done in my life far outweighs whatever bad I have done. How can these verses apply to me?
A: By God's standard of righteousness even the most moral person is looked upon by God as a desperate sinner on his way to Hell. The Bible teaches that no one is good enough in himself to go to Heaven. On the contrary, we are all sinners, and we are all guilty before God.
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. Romans 3:10-11
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9
Q: If I am such a wicked person in God's sight, what will God do to me?
A: The Bible teaches that at the end of the world all the wicked will come under eternal punishment in a place called Hell.
For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them. They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust. Deuteronomy 32:22-24
Q: Oh, come on now! Hell is not real, is it? Surely things are not that bad!
A: Indeed, Hell is very real, and things are that bad for the individual who does not know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. The Bible makes many references to Hell, indicating it is both eternal and consists of perpetual suffering.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15
So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 13:49-50
. . . the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
Q: That is terrible! Why would God create Hell?
A: Hell is terrible, and it exists because God created man to be accountable to God for his actions. God's perfect justice demands payment for sin.
For the wages of sin is death . . . Romans 6:23
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. Matthew 12:36
Q: Does that mean that at the end of the world everyone will be brought to life again to be judged and sent to Hell?
A: Indeed it does; that is, unless there exists someone who could be our substitute in bearing the punishment of eternal damnation for our sins. That someone is God Himself, who came to earth as Jesus Christ to bear the wrath of God for all who believe in Him.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Corinthians 5:21
Q: Are you saying that if I trust in Christ as my substitute, as the One punished for my sins, then I will not have to worry about Hell anymore?
A: Yes, this is so! If I have believed in Christ as my Savior, then it is as if I have already stood before the Judgment Throne of God. Christ as my substitute has paid for my sins.
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. John 3:36
Q: But what does it mean to believe on Him? If I agree with all that the Bible says about Christ as Savior, then am I saved from going to Hell?
A: Believing on Christ means a whole lot more than agreeing in my mind with the truths of the Bible. It means that I have come to trust the whole Bible, God's law book to me. It also means that I have an on-going earnest desire to be obedient to the commands of the Bible. Thus I find I am truly happy when I am living like God instructs me in the Bible.
And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 1 John 2:3
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:24
Q: Are you saying that there is no way to escape Hell except through Jesus? What about other religions, including many that profess faith in Christ? Will their followers also go to Hell?
A: Yes, indeed. They cannot escape the fact that God holds us accountable for our sins. God demands that we pay for our sins. Other religions cannot provide a substitute to bear the sins of their followers. Christ is the only one who is able to bear our guilt and save us. Therefore one must leave his religion and come to trust only the Bible.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:12
Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me. John 14:6
Q: Now I am desperate. I do not want to go to Hell. What can I do to become saved?
A: There is nothing you can do to get yourself saved. The Bible tells us that only God can save you. God performs the mighty miracle of salvation by applying the Word of God (the Bible) to the hearts and lives of those He plans to save. The effect of this miracle of salvation on the saved persons life is that now he has a love for God and the Bible. He now is happiest when he is obeying God's Law book, the Bible. Thus if a person truly desires to become saved he should spend much time carefully reading or listening to the Bible.
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Ephesians 2:8
And a certain woman named Lydia... heard us (Paul who brought the Gospel to her) whose heart the Lord opened Acts 16:14
Q: You keep referring to the Bible. How important is the Bible?
A: The Bible is the most important book in the world because it is God's Law book to the human race. By reading or listening to the Bible a person is in a place where God can save him if that is God's will for that person. Additionally he will also learn many wonderful and awesome truths about God and His salvation plan. Effectively he is hearing the voice of God because God is the author of the Bible and therefore is speaking to him by His Words (The Bible).
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. Psalm 19:7
Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. Psalm 119:1
Q: Can I pray that God might be merciful and save me?
A: Absolutely YES! God is very merciful. Therefore, the Bible tells us that we can and should pray to Him, begging and pleading for mercy, for salvation, admitting that we are sinners who deserve the wrath of God. This will not get us saved, but we will have the assurance that God knows of our intense desire to become saved.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. Luke 18:13
Q: Should I attend a church?
A: Definitely NOT! The Bible tells us that for almost 2000 years after Jesus died on the cross those who believe in Jesus, if possible, were to be members of a church. But now we learn from the Bible that God is no longer saving people through the ministry of the churches. The Church Age has come to an end. Fact is God commands in His Lawbook, the Bible, that the true believers are to leave their church. This is because God's righteous Judgment is upon all local congregations as God is preparing the world for Judgment Day which is almost here.
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet stand in the holy place, whoso readeth, let him understand, Then let them which be in Judaea (the local churches) flee into the mountains: (to Christ) Matthew 24:15,16
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God (the local churches) : and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4:17
We must remember we cannot be saved by a church or by a pastor or by a priest, or by water baptism or by the communion service. Only the Lord Jesus Christ who is God Himself can save us. The Bible teaches that at this present time that it is outside the churches that God is saving a great multitude of people.
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds , and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; Revelation 7:9
You can obtain from Family Radio without any cost or obligation the free book "The End of the Church Age and After". It offers a great amount of Biblical information that shows us that we have come to the end of the church age. Please write to:
Family Radio, 290 Hegenberger Rd., Oakland, CA 94621
Q: Please tell me more how God saves people.
A: The Bible in John 11 gives an outstanding example showing that God alone does all the work of saving us. Christ brought to life a man named Lazarus who had been dead for four days. Jesus stood outside of the tomb of Lazarus and commanded "Lazarus come forth". Obviously, the stinking corpse within the tomb could not hear Him or obey Him. The Bible tells us that before we are saved we are spiritually dead. Yet God commands us to seek God, to believe, to repent. However, just as it was impossible for the dead Lazarus to obey Jesus' command to come out of the tomb, it is impossible for a spiritually dead person to obey God's command to believe on Jesus for salvation.
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:44
Yet Lazarus did hear Jesus' command and did come out of the tomb, a live person.
Q: How did that happen?
A: It meant that when Jesus commanded the dead Lazarus to come forth, Jesus, in His Spirit, had to enter that tomb and give that stinking corpse physical life, ears to hear, and a will and strength to obey the command of Christ. Likewise for those whom God plans to save as He commands us to believe, to repent, to become saved, He is speaking to spiritual corpses who of themselves could never become saved. Yet there are those who begin to believe on Jesus as Savior, who find that they are happiest when they do God's will. The evidence is in their life that somehow they had become saved. This can only happen because as God commanded them to believe, God also entered into their life and saved them. Because He saved them they found they had come to believe on Jesus. They found that sin had become very unpleasant to them. It was evident God had chosen them to become saved and as they heard the Gospel God did apply the Word of God to their lives and they did become saved. If you are not saved, listen diligently to the Bible. Carefully and prayerfully read and read the Bible. It may be that you, too, will receive salvation as God through His Lawbook, the Bible, calls you.
NO MATTER HOW AWFULLY YOU HAVE LIVED OR HOW TERRIBLY YOU HAVE SINNED, IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THAT BY GOD'S MERCY YOU, TOO, HAVE BEEN CHOSEN BY GOD TO BECOME SAVED.
Remember, however, that God does everything in His time. Therefore, you should patiently wait upon the Lord while you continue to learn from the Bible.
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. Lamentations 3:26
In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62:7,8
ARE YOU READY TO MEET GOD?
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Originally Posted by glockmail
