What happens after death — comments III
In our last article we focused with two part’s of a readers comments which he submitted as his reply to this series. The reader commented that King David’s body is still in the grave and therefore believes that no one goes to heaven. But the reader completely ignores the many Scriptures that teach the opposite (get a Bible and read 2 Corinthians 5:1-9, Philippians 1:21-23).
The same reader also commented, “In addition, the ‘gospel’ you are teaching is a false gospel. For IF the ‘god’ you preach could have someone spend time in an eternal ‘hell’ then he is NOT the loving God of scripture and you would do well, to recognize that. If you had children, regardless of their errors in life, sins, or crimes, would you have them torture in such a way as you claim your ‘god’ does?”
I give this reader credit only because he is trying to make an effort to support his point of view and is dealing with the arguments that were presented forth throughout this series. Unfortunately though, regardless of how much credit I may give him for that the one that actually believes in a false gospel is him, and let me tell you why.
One of the basic teachings of Scripture is that not everyone is a child of God, only those that have received Jesus as Lord and Savior. We are all creations of God, but not children.
Any reader with some basic knowledge of the Bible knows that because that is what the Bible says. John 1:12-13 says, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (see Romans 8:14-16, Galatians 3:26).
On the contrast, those that do not believe in God are not the children of God. Paul wrote in Romans 9:8, “...they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God:...” Jesus told the religious Jews, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him...” (John 8:44, see Ephesians 2:2-3). 1 John 3:10 says, “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not
righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”
This no doubt sounds so hateful and politically incorrect, but unfortunately it is not what I invented, it is what the Bible says.
As previously mentioned, we all are creations of God but not children. It has been said that in order to go to heaven one must be born twice and die once. By that it is meant that by just being born into this world will not get us into heaven, one must be born again by the Spirit of the living God.
Jesus said in John 3:3-7, “...Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God...verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again.”
Rangel is Senior Pastor of Borderland Calvary Chapel. You may contact him at 956-399-3534 or through e-mail at: gregrangel@msn.com. His services are held at 11 a.m. on Sunday and 7 p.m. on Wednesdays at 299 E. Heywood St. in San Benito.
