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INTRODUCTION
The world is a place of cemeteries. Sooner or later all must face the
terminator of death. What then? Is there a God? Does He care? Does it matter
how you get there if there is a there? Is there a plan for your life even now?
Is there a choice? In the following you
will be able to view several popular plans on how to live now and get ready
for that time after death - eternity. Each plan will list its pros and cons
with its philosophy of strategy. Also, for your comparison, will be a short
presentation of God’s plan of life as revealed in the Bible. This should enable
you to make an informed choice.
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5 CHOICES
CHOICE 1. THE MORAL PLAN
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This plan offers the incentive of reward for those who perform well.
It promises paradise or heaven if you have behaved morally. It can be termed
"scale theology." It views our life’s works as being on a scale. If
the good works out weigh the bad ones then one will make it. Most following
this plan feel rather hopeful that unless they have done something horrible
the scales will likely tip in their favour.
PROS
This thinking does
put a certain amount of meaning in life. It gives a reason for moral behaviour.
Otherwise a perverted murderer or child molester would have no different results
in eternity than the one who gives his or her life to good. It helps society
by giving incentives for love and respect to your fellow man.
A good percentage
are following this plan. There is a certain amount of safety in numbers and
majority thought. (Albeit history is full of majority error).
It seems to make
common sense.
CONS
This plan lacks
any Divine authority. While some great men and women advocate this plan, there
is nothing in God’s gospel that does. (See Romans 3: 20-24. Ephesians
2: 8-9).
It is built on an
assumption that God’s love is greater than His holiness and thus will tolerate
a certain amount of sin. It is the opposite of "chain theology"
where two people holding the ends of a 500 link chain see it break apart with
the breaking of just one link. (This is what the Bible teaches, Gal. 3: l0-12
&.James 2 : 10).
It leaves one with
the uncertainty of how much good is enough. Thus there is no way, or no need,
to seek to be fully prepared to meet God.
It defies the logic
of law which claims a person is judged for the wrong he or she has done and
that good deeds have no legal power to remove the guilt and punishment of
wrong. The fact that you baked a pie for your neighbour does not remove the
penalty for a speeding ticket.
CONCLUSION
This
plan’s salvation trusts the reasoning of human intellect for its hope and makes
the person his or her own saviour by virtue of his or her "good" performance.
It gives one a reason to be proud before God.
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CHOICE
2 - THE "NO PLAN"
PLAN
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This plan does not claim to know if a God does indeed exist. If He does,
He is certainly impersonal and must be some type of force who doesn’t know,
show himself or bother - so why care?
We are likely an evolutionary
product of a random accumulation of chemicals, much like a sand dune at the
end of a hurricane. Since there is no hereafter there is no need to have a plan
for one. Live and let live is the philosophy. Perhaps life will give me a lucky
roll as I take my chances. Consequences are only what befalls me in life, so
don’t bother me about eternity, I have living to do.
PROS
This allows for less
guilt and stress as there is no final accountability for sin to worry about.
It makes it easier
to get a good night’s sleep.
It allows one to enjoy the pleasures of life and go for them with gusto as much
as one is able.
It is a fast growing
plan. If popular acceptance makes something right then you’re all right.
CONS
This plan is utterly
void of any kind of Divine revelation. The only authority for such a conclusion
must lay in one’s gut instincts. It feels right. It is built on internal feelings,
not on outward evidence.
It
defies the logic of design. Every intelligent design must have an intelligent
designer. It looks at a room full of electronics and people and claims that
the simpler designs (electronics) have factories and designers while the complex
designs consisting of intricate molecular cells (the people) have no designer.
It allows one to
rationalize promiscuous behaviour, thus incurring all the diseases, broken
relationships, pain and emptiness that such sin brings.
By ignoring the
reality of accountable sin it encourages fulfilling one’s lusts, greed and
pride, not to mention the lack of honouring God. Therefore, when a person
faces God on judgment day, his or her judgment is grimmer because the amount
of sin is greater. (See Romans 2: 1-6 and Revelation 20: 12-15).
CONCLUSION
Heaven is having fun now. Assuming there is no future
judgment, the only thing seen needful to be saved from is the salvation message
itself.
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CHOICE 3 - THE PAGAN PLAN |
This plan works
on the principle of fear. If one does not perform to please the gods then
they will intervene with displeasure by zapping one with curses. One must
earn their favours with offerings that will appease them until the next
time.
The gods are an
ill-tempered, whimsical lot, subject to bad moods. Their subjects live in
superstition and fear. They are consumed with the continual offering of bribes
(rituals) and sacrifices to placate the anger of the gods and obtain a few
temporal blessings. Religious works are done to escape judgment and gain favour.
The gods are of
such character that even after a person dies, rituals must be performed by
the living to aid the departed spirits in soliciting further favour.
PROS
It makes for colourful
history.
It has survived
time. It’s one of the oldest plans in effect today. If age makes it right
then you’re all right.
It puts the word
"multi" in multiculturalism.
CONS
This plan not only lacks Divine
authority but is condemned as Satanic in the Bible.
(Rom 1: 17-32.
1Tim. 4 :1)
There is an historical precedent of utter
failure. Societies that have believed such have practiced all kinds of inhumane
behaviour and atrocities.
Since the gods can
be bought it encourages evil I with its ‘sin now-pay later plan’. One may
sin and then bring the prescribed rituals or offerings. Sin becomes cyclical,
since there is always an offering that will pay for the sin and withhold punishment.
It locks one into
spiritual and human bondage. One is now subject to whoever claims to interpret
what the gods want (since gods don’t communicate with words). Thus a system
of rules and rituals is presented with authority and people can be controlled
by them. There is no way to prove otherwise.
It perverts the logic
of true love and depicts God as a cruel monster with an insatiable appetite
of revenge.
CONCLUSION
This plan defines
its own style of behaviour and demands conformity from people by perpetuating
superstition and threats as well as promises of blessings.
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CHOICE
4 - THE RELIGIOUS PLAN
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While religions
(including some professing to be Christian) differ with their various names,
promises, sacraments and rituals, the formula of acceptance with God is the
same. God is seen as holding hell over our heads unless we constantly perform
by His standards. When we come short, various works and rituals are prescribed
to appease His anger - until the next time we fail.
PROS
For the most part
a creator-God is acknowledged.
Certain righteous
actions are required to earn God’s favour. This can improve community life.
These particular
beliefs are usually passed from generation to generation creating roots of
belonging and family heritage identity which is seen as helpful for "self
esteem."
The belief that
your religion is right can act as a placebo (psychological comfort) at the
time of death.
CONS
This plan does claim
some authority as it source. Some claim angelic inspiration or human authority
invested with God’s power or government sanction. Some even use parts of the
Bible to support the plan.
However, it lacks
the authority of the gospel of God as revealed through His only Son, Jesus
the Christ.
It is built on the
assumption that God will accept sincerity (no matter how different from God’s
way) as an atonement for sins. It ignores Proverbs wisdom that "There
is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways
of death." (Prov. 14:12).
By claiming absolute rightness, it claims
absolute power for God and has controlled societies of people to the extent
of justifying war and killing the opposition - all in God’s Name. It also
controls quite a few pocketbooks with its power and promises.
It defies the logic
of "the inner controls the outer." A plane cannot perform without
the inward power of an engine. Outer rules cannot create a new heart.
CONCLUSION
It makes man the offerer or saviour to appease God. It points man to a
system on earth where priests die rather than to the Mediator in heaven who
lives forever.
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The word "gospel"
means good news. Perhaps you will see why by way of comparison. God’s gospel
as revealed in Holy Scripture consists of four primary elements. They are as
follows.
1.
A PERSON
God's gospel
points the seeker, not to a philosophy or religion, but to a person: God‘s only
Son, Jesus Christ the Lord. Before God became human flesh as Jesus, His Name
was "Word." A word is simply a communication of a thought or
desire. Thus in the Person of Jesus ("the Word became flesh",
John 1: 14) we see the expression of God’s heart: His righteousness, purity,
compassion and love to fallen humanity.
Jesus the Messiah is exclusively the Son of God. He is the Only Saviour the
Father acknowledges! (See Acts 4:10-12. l John 5:12).
2. A PERFORMANCE
God is righteous
and also love. A coin has both heads and tails, so a right view of God includes
both virtues. Since God is righteous the sin of His creatures must be punished
for the sake of justice. "The wages of sin is death,"
says Rom. 6:23.
Since God is
love He wants His creatures, though fallen in sin, to live with Him forever.
How does He solve this holy dilemma since He can’t sacrifice His righteousness
for the sake of His love? By sacrificing Himself through His sinless Son as
a death substitute. This is love at its highest as it reaches the lowest.
God now claims
the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ the Lord on the cross as His propitiation.
Propitiation means to placate (appease) or satisfy one’s righteous anger. God’s
wrath on our sin was fully met in the historical sin offering of Christ dying
for our sins. He paid the exact penalty, death, in full. The death of Christ
is not just a martyr making a social statement of how much He cares and feels
for us, but is a redemptive payment of propitiation - a substitutionary sin
payment to God for sinners. (See Romans 3:22-28). Justice met! Sin’s
solution and required offering has been made once for all time by God Himself. What love!
God Himself
has shown His acceptance of His Son’s sacrifice by raising Him from the dead
and accepting Him at His own right hand of Majesty. The grave is empty! Jesus
sits as the Lord enthroned and the only Priest who forgives sin before God.
If Jesus is good enough for God, is He not trustworthy for you?
God points a
repentant sinner, not to his performance for salvation, but to the risen Lord’s
work on the cross.
3. A PROPHETIC
PROOF
God knew we would need evidence
to place our faith in an unseen God. Thus He presented His salvation through
the medium of prophetic Scriptures (the Bible): written predictions of the future
telling how one could identify the true Saviour. To foretell a distant future
event accurately requires not only supernatural foreknowledge but supernatural
power to make sure the events happen. The Bible takes this risk proving its
Divine origin. Only Jesus has passed the test of matching the prophecies. God
doesn’t give one feelings to guess by, but facts to stand on with confidence.
(2 Peter 1: 19)
4. A PROMISE
The
Lord Jesus Christ who performed the whole work for our salvation promises the
one who trusts Him alone as Saviour and Lord a gift by grace (unearned favour).
That gift is eternal life. Not riches on earth or a problem free life, but salvation.
A true believer believes He keeps His promises.
PROS
The promise of eternal
life for the believer includes complete forgiveness of all sins against God
- thus future salvation from the wrath of God and hell - the immediate gift
of the Holy Spirit which will comfort and give one power to live for God,
- a new glorified body at the coming of Christ for His own. (I Cor. I5).
A declaration from
God that one is now counted righteous (justified) and qualified for heaven.
All the aforementioned
benefits of grace are open to "whosoever believes". God’s gospel
is not discriminatory, racial, class prejudiced or gender biased.
CONS
You will be different.
Because of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit your life will be led
to follow the desires of the Lord. Sinful pleasures and selfish desires will
no longer be the plan.
This difference
can cause some friends or religions or even family members to resent you.
Perhaps you will be persecuted at times. (Matt. 10:34-36).
You might find that
even your "church" is not truly Christian, and that you will need
to assemble in a church with Christians who follow God’s Word. (Not to earn
heaven but to worship God and become strong).
The above cannot
be avoided by staying a secret believer, for the Lord asks those who are
saved to be baptised in water thus publicly signifying that they belong
to Him. (Matthew. 28: 18-20. See also Acts 8: 35-40).
THE
PROMISE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
"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."
(Original
by Randy Amos)
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