But Christ does not want anyone to perish, but wants everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Because of sin, he is by nature degenerate and corrupt, destitute of God's love, undeserving of His forgiveness, and so destined to death - eternal separation from God. Man's self-will is characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference. "Death is the destiny of every man the living should take this to heart" (Ecclesiastes 7:2). In fact, the need for people to hear the Good News of God's love and forgiveness is a matter of life and death. Or even made them yourself before you became a believer.ĭuring approximately fifty years of sharing Christ and training others to do the same, I have found no biblical rationale to justify fearing those responses as a reason for not witnessing. Perhaps you have heard comments like these from someone you know. "Well, I have my own religion, and I'm happy with it." They try to force their views on everybody they meet." "I don't like people who are dogmatic and fanatical about religion. This wonderful future can be yours if you take to heart Jesus’ admonition: “Go in through the narrow gate, because broad is the gate and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are going in through it whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are finding it.” ( Matthew 7:13, 14) Yes, your future is in your own hands."I think a man's religion is so personal we shouldn't discuss it." Soon, God’s promise of an earthly paradise will become a reality. The apostle Paul explained: “The wages sin pays is death, but the gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord.” ( Romans 6:23) Lovingly, God “gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” ( John 3:16) By offering himself willingly as a ransom sacrifice, Jesus redeemed all that was lost through Adam. God’s perfect love and sense of justice moved him to provide a way to free us from the bondage of inherited sin and death. The rebellion in Eden did not thwart God’s original purpose for mankind and the earth. every living creature that is moving on the earth.” ( Genesis 1:28) What a privilege for them to care for and expand their Paradise home earth wide! Indeed, the prospect that awaited Adam and Eve and their eventual offspring was everlasting life on earth, not a reward in heaven. He commissioned the first human couple to “fill the earth and subdue it, and have in subjection. The Bible is also clear regarding God’s purpose for mankind. “As for the heavens, they belong to Jehovah, but the earth he has given to the sons of men.”- Psalm 115:16 The Bible clearly reveals God’s original purpose for the earth in these words: “As for the heavens, they belong to Jehovah, but the earth he has given to the sons of men.” ( Psalm 115:16) Yes, God created the earth to be a beautiful, permanent home for mankind, and he filled it with everything we need to enjoy meaningful, endless life.- Genesis 2:8, 9. A God of faithfulness who is never unjust righteous and upright is he.”- Deuteronomy 32:4. About him, the Bible says: “For all his ways are justice. But if that were true, would it not, in effect, make God responsible for all the evil and badness that fill the earth? That would be in direct contradiction to the very nature of God. They maintain that the earth was designed to be a temporary home, a testing ground to see which members of the human family deserve to go to heaven and live eternally with God. Some say, however, that God never meant for humans to live on earth forever. Thus, consider: Would God have given humans such remarkable qualities, along with a seemingly limitless potential to develop and enhance them, if he meant for us to live only a few short years? The truth is that God gave humans these unique qualities and abilities so that we could enjoy life right here on earth forever. Such attributes put an immeasurable gulf between humans and all other living creatures on earth. Above all, mankind has the unique capacity to worship the Creator. That is why we can appreciate the grandeur of the universe and the wonders of nature, as well as art, music, and poetry. In addition, humans were endowed with thinking and reasoning abilities, coupled with moral and spiritual capacities. How so? The Bible indicates that humans alone were created in God’s “image” and “likeness.” ( Genesis 1:26, 27) What does that mean? It means that humankind was given characteristics and qualities that mirrored God’s own, such as love and a sense of justice. Of all the forms of life that God has created on earth, humans are truly unique.
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