the false choice....

Some time ago, there was a drama presentation circulating in evangelical churches which attempted to contrast the horrors of Hell, with the bliss and joys of Heaven, through a series of vignettes. At the end of the presentation, an altar call was given, people were called upon to make a clear choice, Do you want to go to Heaven or Hell? Eternal bliss or everlasting torment?

When put that way the choice seems obvious doesn’t it? Anyone in their right mind would definitely choose to go to heaven and shun hell with all that is within them. In most cases though, the issue is not that simple.

The real choice isn’t Heaven or Hell, rather it is a choice between Heaven and The World.

“Love not the world nor the things that are in the world,If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”(I John 2;15)

I know of many, many people, who do not under any circumstances want to go to Hell. But at the same time, they love this World too much to truly give their lives to Jesus Christ. They don’t want to be ‘too christian’; they don’t want to bear the reproach of Christ, or to identify with the children of God, or to renounce their sins, they Love the World.

The World, in this sense, refers not to the globe, nor to the human population, but rather to the values of society as it has organised itself independently of God and His kingdom. It is spiritual, unseen, but very real. It is this Age, and the Spirit of the Age we live in, whose values are hostile and even antithetical to the values of the Kingdom of God.

For all that is in the World, the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the World.(I John 2:16)

the Lusts of the flesh-the inordinate desire to experience things, but with no reference to God. It is to experience everything on your own terms.

The lust of the eyes-This is the inordinate desire to have things, once again, on your own terms, and with no reference or consideration of the will of God.

And the boastful pride of life-This is the inordinate desire to Be someone, to define your self, and once again, with no reference to God, and no sense of duty to or inquiry of Him. “You can be whoever you want to be!”. This is the world.

The World is ever hopeful for a better day, but not one brought about by the Lord and His Messiah…(see Psalm 2). The World ever imagines that Utopia is just around the corner, a bold new world brought about by technology and humanistic philosophy.The belief is that together”we can make the world a better place!”.

The world and its lusts shall pass away, but he that does the will of the Father, shall abide forever,(I John 2:17)

But the Holy God of the Bible will soon judge the world, not improve it. The call is “Come out of her my people”- the sentence has been passed, even as in the days of Noah, and Lot, this is a world under judgment, and there will be no compromise.

The World, is hostile to God and Christ, and in fact all of its institutions and facets are being revealed increasingly as AntiChrist. Coming to Christ is a matter of coming out of this world, in fact being saved out of this world. This is the meaning of the repeated motif, in scripture, of people fleeing from bondage, escaping the flood, making an Exodus out of Sodom, Egypt, Babylon, etc.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of God our father, to whom be glory forever and ever.(Galatians 1:2-4)

Everybody wants to go to heaven, but who wants to be saved out of this world? Who wants to make an Exodus? Who wants to repent of their fallen, self oriented values? Who is willing to renounce the World ?

Jesus came to save us out of this present evil age, He came to give us a new birth, a new worldview, a new set of values centered around the Love of God. Salvation isn’t mere fire insurance, it is about seeing the World, agreeing with its judgment, leaving it from the heart, and tering into the new Ark, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, to wash and make us fit for the new world to come, the Kingdom .

eternal torment- “everlasting destruction” in 2 Thess 1

>>eternal torment- “everlasting destruction” in 2 Thess 1<<

Read the article. It’s discussed there.

I think of it this way: If I say I am going to paint a fence blue for all eternity, do I mean I will be forever painting the fence, or do I mean it will stay blue for all eternity once I paint it?

“The World” is the temptations that lead us to choose Hell. The basic choice is still between Heaven and Hell, because it is the ultimate, final choicw.

5 posted on 07/07/2010 4:26:36 PM PDT by chesley (Lib arguments are neither factual, logical, rational, nor reasonable. They are, however, creative.)

The World is the option to the Kingdom of God- thus it is far more than a temptation, it is an alternative life and value system

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