@ LibertyGal
2025-03-05 16:52:58
Sometimes I wonder why I write posts like this. This is not the way to gain a big following, but then again, that is not my goal. My goal is to share Jesus with anyone who will listen, to faithfully speak whatever truth I feel God is leading me to share, and to teach the inerrant word of God in order to draw people, both believers and not yet believers, closer to Jesus. I trust God to use my words in whatever way He sees best. If it only reaches a few, that is OK by me. If somehow this substack starts reaching a vast audience, then praise God for that!
Today, I am writing about a hard truth. The Bible contains a number of hard truths that most people don’t want to believe, but which our Creator God has stated as truth. None of us likes being called a sinner, but the Bible says:
> as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one. (Romans 3:10)
As hard as the truth that we are all sinners is, a much harder truth is that not everyone gets to go to Heaven. Some people are destined for Hell. I am going to investigate some verses that illuminate this truth.
Ironically, most people have two contradictory thoughts. Most people wonder why God allows so much evil in the world. If He is truly sovereign, why doesn’t He stop evil? At the same time they wonder why a loving God would send anyone to Hell. We can’t expect God to stop and punish evil, but not send some people to Hell. We can’t have it both ways.
> The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
This verse explains the basic facts of how God’s holiness is reconciled with His love and mercy, but of course there is so much more. If God is truly sovereign over all, then why is there any evil? Why does anyone sin? Why is there pain and suffering?
> **The Lord has made everything for its own purpose,\
> Even the wicked for the day of evil**.\
> Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;\
> Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.\
> By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for,\
> And by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil. (Proverbs 16:4-6) {emphasis mine}
Everyone and everything was made for God’s own purpose. As our Creator, He has the right to make each of us for whatever purpose He desires. The creature has no right to question the Creator and His purpose.
> Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so **he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make**.
>
> Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, “**Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?**” declares the Lord. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it. (Jeremiah 18:3-10) {emphasis mine}
But the Bible says it even goes beyond God directly responding to our choices. The God of the Bible is creator and sovereign over all. Nothing happens contrary to His will.
> So then **He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires**.
>
> You **will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault?** For who resists His will?” On the contrary, **who are you, O man, who answers back to God?** **The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?** What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience **vessels of wrath prepared for destruction**? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon **vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory**, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. (Romans 9:18-24) {emphasis mine}
The above passage speaks a very uncomfortable truth. We don’t like thinking we don’t have full and complete free-will to do whatever we want and to determine our future, but it isn’t that simple. The Bible says specifically that some are “*prepared for destruction*” and others are “*prepared beforehand for glory*.”
> For by grace **you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast**. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10) {emphasis mine}
We aren’t saved because we are smarter than all of the people who didn’t choose Jesus. We aren’t wiser than those who chose their own path rather than the path designed by God. We are saved by God as a gift. He called those who were dead in their sins to life in him. The dead can’t choose anything. We all must be made spiritually alive so we can follow Him. Only Jesus does that. We can’t make ourselves alive in Him.
Every believer needs to thank Jesus daily for the miracle of spiritual life in Him that has been given to us despite us not deserving it or choosing it.
> In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10)
and
> We love, because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
Jesus acted first, choosing us, and we responded, not that we chose Him and He loved us because of our choice.
I’m sure many of my readers are cringing at this Biblical truth. We all try to make God’s word say something else because we don’t like feeling out of control. We don’t like to think that someone else is smarter, stronger, or more in control of our lives than ourselves. Still, being made to follow Jesus is the greatest blessing a person can receive.
> Trust in the Lord with all your heart\
> And do not lean on your own understanding.\
> In all your ways acknowledge Him,\
> And He will make your paths straight.\
> Do not be wise in your own eyes;\
> Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.\
> It will be healing to your body\
> And refreshment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5-8)
We don’t have to fully understand God’s truth, but we do need to accept it.
May God guide you in the truth through His God breathed word, so we may serve Him faithfully and submit fully to His authority and His will to the glory of His majesty.
Trust Jesus