Christine, a number of times you have brought up the topic of judgement. While I or any other person on earth cannot judge another person as regard to what will happen to their soul after death, we can judge a persons life here on earth to know if they are abiding in God's will.
"The people I think ACT most Godly in their lives would probably not pass muster in a conservative Christian church."
I could not agree with you more on this point. I to have known, and do know many people who are good, outstanding citizens who refuse to believe in Jesus as God's Son. As a believer, God has commanded me not to judge them, but to share with them the Gospel (Good News) of His plan to restore fellowship with them. If they believe and repent (repent just means to turn around, make a 180 degree turn from living for oneself, to living for God) then God will give them the gift of the indwelling of His Spirit to guide and comfort them in this life.
On the other hand, I can judge those who claim to be Christians, in fact Jesus taught that we can know them (weather they be true or false Christians) by their fruit (Jesus taught by using parables, and He often used the analogy of a good tree that produces good fruit, or a bad tree that does not produce any worthwhile fruit. The good tree abides in God, while the bad tree does not).
Christine, this is the essential Christian message. It doesn't matter how good you are, how many good works you do, God wants you to come to Him not with any self-righteousness, but with a heart as of a little child. God wants to give you a gift Christine, He wants to give you eternal life, but the only way to receive it is by faith. Faith in God that He sacrificed Himself to reestablish fellowship with you through His Son Jesus. Christine, Jesus was fully human, He felt pain, suffering, heartache, betrayal, and He was fully God. Remember when I wrote to you that to communicate with ants you would need to become one to really accomplish that task. Christine, God is spirit, but in Jesus He became flesh to communicate with His creation and reconcile them to Himself.
May God reveal Himself to you,
Tom |
