The doctrines of falsehood

 

There seems to be a lot of new thinking amongst Christians about God and the modern world in the 21st Century. A lot of this thinking is muddled somehow and almost re-invents Christianity rather than adhering to what is Biblical and taught by Christ.

There is this belief that God is good, and kind, and loving and ever so merciful. That bit at least is true. Jesus taught this and His behaviour towards everyone He met seems to portray these qualities. 

However, this belief in God's loving nature seems to extend to the notion that such a God would not send anyone to hell for eternity. That bit is also, technically, true. 

God does not send anyone to hell. People decide to go there by their behaviour and the way they live. But this is not what is taught in modern thinking. The new version is that God loves us so much that He would not let anyone go to hell. He loves us so much that we would all be forgiven. His forgiving nature is such that He would even forgive the devil.

This type of teaching is nonsense and very dangerous. Whilst God is loving and forgiving He is no push-over. He is just and fair towards us and if some people stand against Him in defiance and enmity all their lives He would not invite them to Heaven. No one goes to Heaven against their will. 

If some souls are in hell it is because they chose to be there and continue their defiance. They are unable to seek forgiveness such is their belief and nature. 

I heard someone say that if God sends people to hell for eternity then this is not "my God" Whom I believe Him to be. What an arrogant thing to say. There is no such thing as "my God". There is only one God Who has always been and will always be. He is for everyone the same as He always was and will be. He is not a commodity to be chosen and moulded by us according to our wishes and what we would like Him to be. We either accept this or we don't. Sadly, many modern Christians are obfuscating the religion they profess by modernising it to their convenience.

When He gave us His Commandments He meant them to be taken literally. Not interpreted to suit our own selfish needs. What was wrong centuries ago is still wrong today and always will be.

Christianity seems to be in retreat. This not just because of the advance of secular thinking and the modern way of life; it is also because the very people who say they are Christians are diluting their very fundamental doctrines and leading themselves and their followers sleep-walking into the very hell which they deny exists.  

Christian Falsehood

 

Being in a secular world is sad enough where people seem to have ceased to believe in God, in His Son Jesus, or in anything at all. Without God as their guide people create their own god in the shape of riches, possessions, power, influence, celebrity and whatever else can provide them with temporary pleasure and entertainment. 

At the risk of being "preachy" I feel I should point out at another danger in our society - namely Christian Falsehood.

This is the trend or fashion to invent sayings and notions that sound Christian in basis but in reality are far from such. This way, they lull people into a false sense of Christianity leading them to believe that all is well in their lives when the direct opposite is true. For example:

"God helps those who help themselves" - this is not Biblical. I have not found anyone in the Bible who said this. Taken in its literal sense it would mean that if someone is dishonest and does something wrong for gain or to advance himself then God is smiling on him and approving of his behaviour. Total nonsense of course. But often used as a saying to condone or encourage such behaviour.

"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" - Let me first quote Leviticus in the Bible where this comes from: "If a man injures his neighbour, just as he has done, so it shall be done to him: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; just as he has injured a man, so it shall be inflicted on him. Thus the one who kills an animal shall make it good, but the one who kills a man shall be put to death. (Leviticus 24:19-21)

Let me explain that at the time this was meant to be a statute of limitation. It meant to say "don't go overboard and over react to what has been done to you". It was a set of rules to control what must have been an uncontrollable situation with people seeking revenge much more than what was done to them. It reminds me of a saying I heard once "retaliate first!" That is certainly not Christian teaching; and let me remind you that Leviticus was written many years before Jesus was born. But over the years, this saying seems to have been interpreted as a right to get your own back and to beat the other person as he has beaten you. No wonder the world is in the state it's in.

Here's what Jesus said about it, "You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’ But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

"You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.(Matthew 5:38-48)

"God answers all prayers" - Again, this is not Biblical and is not true. If God answered all prayers there would be no more funerals in the world and we would live for ever. God certainly listens to all prayers and He answers many in His own time and in His own way. It may not be what we expect but you will find it is always what is best for us. God's time is eternity and His ways are not our ways - so let us stop measuring Him by our standards.

"God is everywhere" - No ... He is not. God is where He is allowed to be. If a heart is closed and set against God, and the very existence of God, then God will not force Himself on that person. God will make Himself known to that person through various means but at the end of the day the choice remains with that person to decide for himself. No one goes to Heaven against their will.

"A loving God would not let us suffer for eternity in hell" - Another modern non-sense thinking. Hell exists all right; Jesus said so many times. But God does not send people to hell. They freely go there by their lifestyle choices.