“But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust from your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.” (Luke 10:10-12)
In the movie, Clancy, Nick had shot a mother dressed as a soldier. The baby she carried on her back was also fatally wounded. Nick couldn’t forgive himself and became homeless. Clancy, an abused girl, learned about Jesus from her grandmother. She ran away from home and met Nick. Living out her faith in front of Nick, she thanked God for what little she had and forgave a mother who burned her with cigarettes. She showed Nick God’s plan of forgiveness by making him a picture book showing that Jesus takes our blame so we can go to heaven and be with God. Nick accepted God’s forgiveness and love, the best gifts Clancy could have given him.
Jesus’ followers offered these same gifts, but not all accepted them. When people turn down God’s love it’s sad, but there’s nothing we can do except wash our hands and wipe our feet. It’s not our fault because God gave people the freedom to choose. People will have to accept the consequences of their decision to abandon Jesus. Yes, they may be able to believe at a later time, but their lives are wasted when they won’t accept God’s blessings.
Dearest Father, encourage me to show your love and forgiveness to others every time I leave my house. These are the finest gifts I have to offer. Please help soften the hearts of those I speak to so they can love you as I do. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
There are so many people that do not believe and so many who believe very differently than we do. I believe in the gifts of forgiveness and love, but what if someone doesn’t? Is their life really doomed or wasted because of non-belief or different belief? I know people that do not believe and who believe differently than I do. They are good people and appear to have good lives. God allows us to choose. But Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” How do we reconcile this? We have said before, that we will most likely be surprised when we see who is in Heaven. Maybe this is a question that cannot be answered until we are in Heaven.
For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16. Belief in Jesus, that he died on the cross and took our sins with him, and his ascension into heaven is all we need to believe to get into heaven. Other than that Christians believe differently. You and I believe that unbelievers who die will have another chance to believe and want Jesus when they meet him at their Judgment. That is why some Christians will be surprised who is and isn’t in heaven. I may have wasted my life when I was a physical therapist if God wanted me to write all those years. I was doing good but not the good that God wanted me to do. If that is so my life was wasted. Many good people who don’t believe lead good lives, but their lives are wasted if they are not doing the good God wants them to do. Jesus is the only way we can get into heaven, and there is no way to reconcile that. That’s why Jesus went to hades when he died before he went to heaven. When he went to heaven He took a lot of people with him. I don’t have all the answers, so I hope I was able to answer your questions. You will undoubtedly have more questions when you read my latest post.