Salvation

I'm reading a book right now called "lies we believe about GOD" by Wm. Paul Young. There are many good things in this book, but one thing that I found troubling was the notion that everyone is "saved." I must expound on this.

It is the current dogma of much of Christendom that "only belief in Jesus Christ leads to salvation." Now I agree with Paul Young that this belief has a profound effect on the Christian populace. It turns every person into a salesman for hellfire insurance. Is that what God wanted? Did God want his people to become "salesmen for Jesus?" See, I'm troubled by this. If the subject arises, sure- I'll talk about my faith without hesitancy. And if I do someone a solid by helping them out (giving a hitchhiker a ride, buying a meal for a stranger, et cetera) I may offer to pray with the person in question, hoping to minister the love of God that way. However, the idea that we are condemning people to hell because we don't talk about our faith all the time, which makes a person someone who isn't of faith might want to avoid- that's depressing and sad. We are called to be "the light of the world," but that doesn't mean we intentionally shine said light directly into peoples' eyes. No one likes that or wants that. It turns people we love into projects, and no one- I repeat, NO ONE wants to be another person's project. However, I don't believe the solution is salvation for everyone, as you will soon see.

Jesus talked openly and often about hell. One particularly pointed conversation about hell came in Matthew 25:31-46 seen here. This passage is a warning that every person should take to heart, for it's not about faith in Jesus or everyone going to heaven. In this passage, it's a person's own actions that save or condemn them. I want to say this. I believe God is going to evaluate everyone's life by their heart. God knows a good heart and a bad heart when he sees one. I also think that people with an intimate relationship with God are going to be in heaven. Beyond that, it's up to the mercies and kindnesses of our God, who judges hearts on a case by case basis. So then you ask me, what does that mean for the unbeliever? What does this mean for the atheist, the agnostic? See, we want to categorize everyone, as if that helped. Each person's heart will be evaluated based on their own merits. I believe God sends people to other people as an exam. How one responds to this exam will be used as evidence, either for or against a person, on the day of judgment. These "exams" are the place where God is checking our hearts out to see what we are made of, and whether we are fit for eternal life. No one can pass your exams for you. The greatest tests will come from the people closest to us- if you cannot treat your spouse, your kids, your parents and siblings well, what point is there in examining how you treat the man you come across on the street? Each man will be tried by the life they lived, whether the love they idolized actually existed in their day-to-day life. That's the point- to be more loving than you started out as.

What does this all mean? Some people ARE going to hell. However, stopping someone from going to hell is more about loving a person and showing God's goodness than it is about witnessing to someone. Love is what matters. Quit seeing people as projects in need of saving, and start looking at relationships as a meaningful opportunity to serve your fellow man. We're all called to serve, and everyone can do it. We're all called to live intimate, deep relationships with God and with some of the people around us. We're called to be light bringers. Be that city on a hill that can't be hidden! People are bound to notice, even if you don't shine the light directly in their eyes...