Those thoughts came to my mind when a blogger took me to task on another person's blog. I just went back there this evening and found that the entire blog...not just the thread where the comments had been posted...had been deleted!
Below is just a brief portion of what was said [Note: I have eliminated names because the link is no longer available.]
The discussion was on the topic of "hell." This is what the atheist blogger wrote:
I didn't really read much at your sites. I saw the catch phrases - sin, rebellion against God, culture war, etc. - and, as I said, I realized that we approach reality from such opposite ends of the spectrum that we may as well be speaking different languages.
And, no - my blood pressure didn't go up. And I'm not "skeptic proselytizing". If I were, I'd be hanging out at blogs like yours, spouting off - which I'm obviously not doing. I find your beliefs repugnant - but I'm not coming over to your place, uninvited, trying to get someone's goat.
You know, for someone who has spent so many years studying Christianity (I read your profile as well), you seem to take some pleasure in attempting to antagonize someone like myself. It seems to afford you some amusement. I think that a real Christian, reading my profile, would at best feel remorse for all of the pain your kind has caused me - or, at the very least, would maintain a respectful silence.
Now, what is a Christian supposed to do about this?
I cannot reply because the blog thread is gone.
What set this guy off against me? It was because of other Christians who he sees as hurting him badly.
He wouldn't come over to comment at my blog when I said this:
If xxxxxx would only look more closely at God's Word and do the investigating to find the answer for himself to Jesus' question, "Who do you say that I am?" - then he would have reason for hope; as well as the chance to realize the cure for his complaining, his sin problem, and thus change his eternal destination.
Jesus' destiny when he walked this earth over 2,000 years ago...was to change ours.
Each person must come to their own conclusion regarding Jesus' question, "Who do you say that I am?" The answer determines our final destination.
I understand that Christians can sometimes say and do the wrong things when witnessing. No one is perfect! However, to dismiss the love of God, His Word, and His Son, Jesus Christ, just because someone else once was mean doesn't make sense!
I feel bad that this individual was hurt in the past.
I am sorry if I had stated something that angered and/or hurt him further.
But when I read his profile, it didn't appear that he was in the least bit willing to discuss anything with me or any other Christian.
I run into this type of attitude with skeptics all the time. They may have different backgrounds, ages, problems, challenges, etc. etc. etc. But they always blame the messenger for sharing the need that each of us have...the need for repentance!
Without repentance, there is no salvation. The cross of Christ is not something that can just be dismissed. Jesus' sacrificial death on that cross was for an eternal reason! And, without the cross, there is no eternal life for anyone!
It is when a person confesses and repents of their sin that the forgiveness of God the Father is applied upon the believer; precisely because Jesus took the punishment for our sins in his body on that cross.
We can't even imagine the excruciating pain that He suffered! Not only the physical pain, but the emotional and spiritual pain suffered by our Lord as all of the angels in heaven; as well as God the Father Himself turned their backs away from all the ugly sins of the world that were placed upon Christ. Think about that the next time you catch yourself in sin.
But our Lord is faithful in His mercy and grace! As the Godtube music video in my previous post tells us, upon being born again in Christ, our sins are "as far as the east is from the west."
They are remembered...no more. That is an awesome, eternal act of love that could never be matched by anyone, or anything in this world!!
Any pain that we feel because of our previous sins, is because of left-over guilt.
Also, no one is ever going to share the gospel perfectly. If the truth be told, some are better at it than others. Some Christians make mistakes and those mistakes might inadvertently turn a person off. But if we are honest, who doesn't make mistakes? To reject the gospel of Jesus Christ because another person once hurt us is a far greater mistake (IMHO). Why? Because we then let that other person influence our eternal fate, instead of investigating further to find out the truth of the matter.
God the Father has provided the way of the cross of Christ for all to be forgiven of their sins! It requires repentance of our sins and faith in Jesus Christ. It is a gift of unimaginable magnitude, that I can't see why anyone would pass it up.
Since it is a gift...it must be accepted. Once accepted, no one can tear a person away from their salvation in Christ!!
God wants believers to live in the knowledge of Christ and that we are new creations. God wants us to realize that our sins are forgiven and now reside "as far as the east is from the west." Those sins have been thrown into the depths of the sea!
They're on the ocean floor!
Commenter Bncalled4Him:
I think of all the things that make me a sinner, then I think of a God so loving that he gave his Son that I might have a relationship with him. I'll never be perfect but because Jesus loves us so much he forgives each and every time. This song is an awesome depiction of how Christ treats our sins once we asked for forgiveness.
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