How Can a Loving God Condemn so Many to Hell?

Question:

I'm writing because I have a friend who is troubled with the idea that so many people are going to hell according to Christian doctrine. She is uncomfortable with the idea that so many good people, like Gandhi for example, can go to hell just for not accepting Christ, and she is uncomfortable with the notion that entire nations of non-Christian people are condemned to hell.

I regrettably wasn't able to help her much with her doubts because I share many of the same questions as her.

Answer:

I completely understand why you would have these kinds of doubts. There are no easy answers for that one. 

In order to understand my answer, we need to do a quick review on what sin is. The Greek word for sin does not mean "evil," or "bad," or "wicked." Believe it or not, it actually means, "to miss the mark, to be less than perfect, to be imperfect, to fail." This word that simply means "you missed, you weren't perfect" can, in theory, be applied to anything. In fact, it was often applied to archery contests in Greek culture, but in the Bible, it is applied to morality. Thus, our sins are about moral failures, and everything evil that we do or think is, therefore, a moral failure, or "a sin." 

But morally imperfect is NOT the same as hideously evil.

So the whole point of the Bible's position on sin is NOT that we are all in danger of becoming mass murderers, but that we are all, every one of us, morally imperfect. Further, it is not Jesus' fault that we are sinful. We did that to ourselves, and God is not obligated to clean up our mess. So the real and serious problem facing our world is SIN. Sin is real, and no one, not even Gandhi or Mother Theresa is without sin. Every single one of us is morally imperfect.

So why doesn't God just grant everyone salvation? 

Because that is not JUST. There are a lot of truly evil people in the world. Everyone is sinful, but not everyone is as thoroughly evil as a serial killer, or as our culture's favorite bad guy, Hitler. But we can't really grant salvation to all, not if we claim to have some tiny thread of justice in our dealings, when some people really are that evil.

The real problem, though, isn't the truly evil, but those in between the saints and the monsters (which is most of us). How about the majority of us who are somewhere in between? How do we judge the majority of humanity who do some good and some bad?

When you are dealing from a position of perfection, any standard you set is utterly and completely arbitrary. Exactly what percentage of the person's thoughts, words and actions need to be good? 25% 51%? 75%? 99%? And what about omissions? If we fail to do good when we can, how does that figure in? We can’t know what a person really thinks deep down in their heart, but God does. We can't know how many times someone had a chance to do good, and simply walked away, but God does. 

Does a person who is not seriously bad, but also doesn't go out of their way to do anything particularly good, qualify? And how do we weigh thoughts and attitudes against actions? Is a basically good person who makes an foolish choice and kills another person by driving intoxicated better or worse than a person who never really does anything wrong, but is filled with hate, greed, bitterness, covetousness, anger, lust, or envy? What about those socially acceptable sins, like abortion? There are more than 40 million abortions world-wide every year. According to the Guttmacher Institute, which is NOT a pro-life organization, close to 1 out of every 3 women in America will have an abortion by the age of 45 (Go here to see some very startling abortion statistics). How does a God who claims to know us in the womb (Psalm 139:13; Isaiah 44:24; 49:5; Jeremiah 1:5) balance killing our own unborn child against the rest of our life?

And do my good actions account for my evil thoughts? If I do many, many good things, but am filled with lust, how does that balance out?

And once some arbitrary standard is set, is our standard fair to the person who is 1/10 of 1% below that standard?

For a perfect God, anything short of 100% is completely unfair to the person who is the tiniest fraction below whatever arbitrary standard God sets. The only truly just and fair standard is to demand perfection. 100%. That standard is not arbitrary, because it is based on the standard of God Himself, which is the only truly absolute standard. 

And that is the standard God has adopted:

"Therefore be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)

The only problem is that even the best of us cannot meet that standard. Which is where Jesus comes in. He washes away our sin, so that we can be made perfect by his payment. And what does God ask for in return? 

Just trust Me. Really, truly trust me with all your heart. 

And why does He ask for trust? Because the failure in the beginning that created this problem of sin was really about refusing to trust God. The core of our problem, whether we can or cannot see God, is in trusting Him. So why didn't He just reveal Himself to the whole world and say, "trust me, and you get salvation?"

Because if God steps in to offer salvation to the world, then how many of us will be satisfied just with salvation. Won’t we also want Him to solve all of humanity’s problems? We will want Him to heal the sick, feed the poor, and solve our many human ills.

First, that all sounds great, until you remember that His standard is perfection.

It sounds great to have God step in and physically prevent a rape, but not so great to step in and physically prevent me from cheating on my taxes, or on my spouse, or living with my girlfriend, or choosing to have an abortion, or lying, or cussing, or lusting, or coveting, or being greedy, or hating or any of the other myriad things that I might do or think or say that violate God's standards. We humans have a word for that kind of ruler, the kind who literally controls our every word, thought and action: tyrant. 

Remember, real holiness is not just about what we do, it is about our heart. All the evil that men do starts in their hearts. Every less than perfect moral decision, thought, word or deed we have ever done all started in our heart. What we do simply reflects our heart. To be truly holy, our heart has to be completely clean, it has to be perfect. Nothing less than perfect can be allowed.  The thing about perfection is that it is the ultimate zero tolerance standard. 

Second, that takes all the responsibility off of us. When God is solving the world's problems, we don't have to do anything. We don't have to sacrifice to meet other people's needs. We don't have to love those who annoy us. We don't have to grow in character or in spirit. We don't have to become more like Him, because we can just let Him do it all for us.

Make no mistake, some day He is going to show up and do all of this, but when He does, it will be too late. Once we stand before the judge, nothing we do from that point forward effects our case. No one ever sways a court case by telling the judge, "but ever since I got arrested, I've been a completely law abiding citizen."

None of this seems really convincing when faced with the deaths of loved ones who don't believe, or when faced with countries that are more than 99% unbelievers. But the thing we need to keep in mind is that this should motivate us to REACH them, not blame God because He doesn't do the work for us. Remember, God is not obligated in any way to get us out of the mess we put ourselves in. Anything He does, such as sending His Son to stand in our place and take our punishment, is purely a function of grace. God is not obligated nor required to help us.

However, God loves us, so He wants to help us, and He did.

But He did it in a way that reflects His character as well as His standards. Jesus pays for our sins with His death. But we still have that frighteningly mind bending thing God gave humanity at the beginning: free will. God's grace empowers us to accept His gift, but it does not force us to accept it. We can choose to reject this free gift.

Even more frightening is that we can refuse to tell others about this free gift. We can be almost immeasurably selfish by choosing to do the ultimate evil act of omission and disobey the last command from Jesus:

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority is given to Me in Heaven and in earth. Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And, behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)

If someone truly desires God with all their heart, and seeks Him with all their might, He will reveal Himself to them and answer their prayers no matter where they live.

And you shall seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)

The problem is that very, very few people realize they need God, nor do they seek Him with all their heart. Those who do this on their own are extremely rare. The vast majority of humanity are spiritually asleep, and it is OUR JOB to wake them up to their need, introduce them to their God, and offer them His gift of salvation.

Is Christianity Deceptively Selective About the Commands in the Bible?

Question:

The Bible lists things like eating shellfish right along side homosexuality as equally bad, because both are abominations, yet they [Christians] keep eating shrimp while saying homosexuality is wrong. Isn't this kind of selective obedience to the Bible hypocritical?

Answer:

There are three questions here.

1) Why do Christians seem to selectively pick and choose what parts of the Old Testament they obey?
2) What is an abomination?
3) Are "eating shrimp" and "homosexuality" really classified together in the Old Testament?

And maybe even a fourth question:

4) Are Christians hypocrites?

The simple answer to the first question is that we are told over and over again in the New Testament that the law, and the commands found in the law, no longer apply to those who believe in Jesus, as His death and resurrection have set us free from the law. This is a central issue for Paul, one that he addresses repeatedly in several letters.

For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man. So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. (Romans 7:2-6)

Paul insists that this is a central tenet of Christianity. The law could make us aware that we are not righteous, but it could not make us righteous. It could make us aware of our sin, but it could not cleanse us of our sin. That is why Jesus' death and resurrection were so important.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! (Galatians 2:20-21)

However, something that becomes clear in Paul's writings on the law is that the moral commandments in the law are simply an expression of God's character, and as such, are eternal. Both Paul and Jesus constantly insist that the moral part of the law is still binding on believers, because the moral commands embody the heart of God that we be holy and loving. Further, just for clarity, virtually every moral law from the Old Testament is repeated in the New Testament.

The part of the law that was ceremonial, such as the cleanliness laws, dietary laws, festivals, sacrifices and so on were intended to point us to Christ, and those were never really intended to be eternal. You can still do them if you really, really want to, but there is not really a point to it any more. They are just a shadow; Jesus has come, and He is the reality that they were pointing to all along. So live the reality, not the shadow.

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. (Colossians 2:16-17)

Thus, none of the dietary commands are binding on believers, but the commands to be truthful, to refrain from adultery, theft, murder, coveting and so on are all still in effect. This means that Christians are not really "picking and choosing" which parts of the Old Testament they want to keep, and throwing out the stuff they don't want to keep. The quick and dirty guideline is this: if it is a moral command, it is still binding (and has been repeated in the New Testament), if it is a ceremonial law (sacrifices, dietary, cleanliness, festivals, etc.), it is no longer required for followers of Jesus Christ.

Second, is an abomination a especially horrible sin?

The Hebrew word usually translated "abomination," תּועבה, means "disgusting, loathsome, nasty, horrible," but here is the really important part: this word appears 117 times in the Old Testament, and is attached to virtually every moral or idolatrous sin in the Bible. Among the sins listed as abominations are (in alphabetical order), adultery, atheism, bestiality, breaking a vow, cheating, creating discord, demon worship, evil schemes, hardening the heart, homosexuality, incest, justifying wickedness, lying, magic, murder, oppressing the poor, pride, shedding innocent blood, theft, and violence. And this is not an exhaustive list.

The point is simply that God finds all sin disgusting. Sin is an abomination to God.

Ironically, despite this common connection in our culture, one of the things not on this list is eating shrimp.

There is a second Hebrew word, שׁקץ, that is used almost exclusively of foods that are ceremonially unclean. It only appears 11 times in the Old Testament, and means, "filthy, dirty, polluted, very unclean." In some translations, such as the KJV, this word is also translated "abomination." This is the word used in the passages where Israel is forbidden from eating shellfish (which would include shrimp).

So are homosexuality and eating shrimp really equated in the Bible? No. Homosexuality is treated as a moral issue while eating shrimp is an issue of ceremonial cleanliness (meaning the ban on eating shrimp has been lifted in the New Testament).

On the other hand, contrary to what some seem to imply, homosexuality is not treated as some especially horrible sin that is set apart in God's mind from all other sins. Sin is sin, and God finds all sin disgusting (an abomination), including that lie you told last week, the time you gossiped back in middle school, and the pencil you stole from work. However, while God clearly finds all sin disgusting, He really does know the difference between something that is truly evil, such as plotting and carrying out a murder, and a victimless sin, such as stealing a paper clip. All are equally sin, but they are not all equally evil. See my post, "Do All Roads Lead to God?" for a more in depth discussion of the difference between "sin" and "evil," and the real meaning of "sin."

So the bottom line is that the Old Testament law has moral commands that are eternally binding on all believers, while it also has ceremonial laws which were always intended to be temporary, point to something greater, and now that the greater, Jesus, has arrived, they are no longer binding on believers. In other words, God Himself has given us permission to be selective in what we obey concerning ceremonial laws.

Theologically speaking, there is  much more to this, but there is no where near enough room in this forum for what God was really doing with those ceremonial laws, and why it is that Jesus said, "I did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it," as well as why Paul calls the "fulfilled" law, "the Law of the Spirit of Life."

As for the last question, "Are Christians hypocrites?"

Frankly, in the strictest sense, yes we are. We constantly preach holiness and love, yet are often sinful and selfish. We talk about being set free from sin, yet all too often there is no discernible difference in our behavior from that of any self proclaimed modern pagan. The difference, however, is that most of us are aware that we are imperfect, that we are constantly failing, and that we are unlikely to attain a true moral perfection in this life. We don't claim to be perfectly sinless, we claim to be forgiven, to be washed, and to have access to a God who is, little by little, helping us correct the flaws in our character so that we can sin less and less. And because we are so keenly aware of our own failings, we have no desire to beat you up about yours. We once were where you are now, we have not forgotten it, and we are deeply aware that our current state is due to Jesus, not to anything we did.

A real hypocrite is not the person that Christ is gradually healing who is trying to help you find that same healing for your wounds; a real hypocrite is the person who stands above you bruised and bleeding, claiming to have no injuries of any kind, while castigating you for your cuts and lacerations. The real hypocrite tries to make you feel like you are less so they can be more. The real believer treats you like you are priceless, worth every minute and effort, and that you can become more like Jesus, not more like them.

In other words, the essence of the hypocrite is pride, arrogance and selfishness, while the essence of the believer is humility, humbleness, and selflessness. And we freely admit we are not there yet. 

We who believe in Jesus and have the eternal life He promised are on a journey, and much to our delight, there is room on this bus, right here next to us, for you to join in the journey.

Can I be Gay and still be a Christian?

Question:

Hi. I'm 16 years old, I believe in Jesus, but I am gay. I was sexually abused by my uncle as a child, and the thought of sex with a man is completely revolting to me. Can I be gay and a Christian at the same time?

Answer:

A resounding, but qualified, "yes."

Now, if you stop reading right there, you will miss most of this answer, since "yes" is not the whole answer. As with most things in life, there is more to this answer than just "yes" or "no."

At its core, being gay is about having a sexual attraction to a member of the same sex. This attraction is a temptation to engage in sex with a member of the same sex. The temptation is not a sin, but if you give in to that temptation and actually engage in sex, it is a sin. Temptation is temptation, but temptation is not sin. Jesus was tempted to sin, but resisted the temptation, and did not sin.

Let me state a few things up front.

First, it is possible that your attraction to women is more a result of your sexual abuse than a natural born inclination, however, I am not even remotely qualified to make that diagnosis, so it is also possible I am wrong about that. I hope you are getting counseling about the violence that you suffered as a child so that those scars may begin to heal.

Either way, even if it is a natural born inclination, being "born" that way does not justify the behavior. We are all "born" sinful (meaning that we are all born with lusts and desires to commit sinful acts), and it doesn't make our sin OK in God's eyes. So it is possible that you really were born with that particular temptation. That does NOT mean that "God made me this way," nor does it mean that following that inclination is OK.

Second, it is entirely possible that you will remain tempted by other women for the rest of your life. In other words, I find it highly unlikely that God will "deliver" you from this temptation by removing it. God never promises to eliminate temptation, only to give us the power to overcome temptation. For example, I, myself, am attracted to women, and I will never be "delivered" from that temptation. But I take careful steps to avoid that temptation, in fact, I am careful to keep myself from being in a situation where I might even have to "resist" the temptation. I guard my heart constantly.

So here is the bottom line: Christians are tempted to sin. Every single one of us. And every single one of us give in to some of those temptations, and actually commit sin. And we are also forgiven for the sins we commit, because we deeply and sincerely repent of them (meaning we are sorry, and we commit ourselves to surrendering to God's grace so we can overcome that temptation and not commit that sin again). Jesus death on the cross covers our sins; those we committed in the past, as well as any we may commit tomorrow.

So, yes, you can be tempted with homosexual desires and still be a Christian.

Now here comes the hard part.

If you genuinely love Jesus, then you will need to be serious about avoiding and overcoming sin, and that includes homosexuality. While it is true that all believers sin, sexual sins are not the same as many other kinds of sins. By that I do NOT mean they are more evil, or worse, or anything like that.

What I mean is that sexual sins have a tendency to result in much more immediate, visible and devastating ramifications (diseases, relationship damage, unwanted pregnancies, emotional scars, etc.) than many other sins, and like drugs, they produce physical pleasure, an actual chemical reaction in the brain. Further, if engaged with another person (as opposed to pornography, for example), they spiritually bind us to that person. All of these mean that it is easy for sexual sins to lead us into emotional, physical and/or spiritual bondage. Being in bondage to something means that we literally do not have the ability on our own to overcome it. We cannot resist the temptation. We are a slave to that desire. We are emotionally, spiritually or physically addicted to that behavior or person. Drugs and sexual sins quickly produce this kind of emotional, spiritual and/or physical bondage, so I strongly recommend you do NOT play around with sexual sins or drug abuse (and I am certainly NOT saying that homosexuality has anything to do with drugs, any more than heterosexuality has something to do with drugs . . . just saying both kinds of sins produce physical and emotional bondage).

So in all likelihood, you will probably need to commit yourself to leading a celibate life as a believer. This may sound unfair at first, but it depends on how serious you are about your relationship with Christ. Many hundreds of thousands of people down through the centuries have committed themselves to celibate lives for no other reason than a deep and sincere devotion to God and God alone, and they did not want ANYTHING, not even a relationship with another person, to come between them and God.

So can I be gay and be a Christian?

Absolutely, in exactly the same way that any person tempted by any other sins can be a Christian. But no person can claim to follow Christ and at the same time knowingly and intentionally commit sins with no repentance, and no intention of ending those sins. This is the same for every believer: I cannot claim to follow Christ and unabashedly live with my girlfriend, or cheat others without remorse in my business, or lie constantly to my constituents, or continuously cheat on my wife, or get drunk every chance I get. As a believer, Jesus does not want me to live in any kind of continuous, intentional, unrepentant sin. Jesus absolutely will, and does, forgive us of our sin, and wash it away. Not so that we can keep doing it, but so that we can be set free from sin, and not do it any more.

All believers get the same message from Jesus:

Then Jesus stood up and asked her, "Dear lady, where are your accusers? Hasn't anyone condemned you?" "No one, sir," she replied. Then Jesus said, "I don't condemn you, either. Go home, and from now on do not sin any more." (John 8:10-11)

So may I live a "normal, homosexual lifestyle" and be a Christian?

No, not really.

The point of our faith in Jesus is NOT so that we may continue in sin, but so that we may overcome our sins, and "not sin any more."

The grace of Jesus covers all sin, and there is no sin so great that God's grace cannot cover it. Your failings, my failings, everyone's failings. The bigger the sin, the bigger grace is to wash it away.

I'll let Paul finish this thought:

What should we say, then? Should we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 

Of course not! 

How can we who died as far as sin is concerned go on living in it? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into union with the Messiah Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore, through baptism we were buried with him into his death so that, just as the Messiah was raised from the dead by the Father's glory, we too may live an entirely new life. 

For if we have become united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old natures were crucified with him so that our sin-laden bodies might be rendered powerless and we might no longer be slaves to sin. For the person who has died has been freed from sin. 

Now if we have died with the Messiah, we believe that we will also live with him, for we know that the Messiah, who was raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has mastery over him. For when he died, he died once and for all as far as sin is concerned. But now that he is alive, he lives for God. 

In the same way, you too must continually consider yourselves dead as far as sin is concerned, but living for God through the Messiah Jesus. (Romans 6:1-11)

Is Hell Real?

Question:

I have a hard time believing that a loving God would condemn people to hell forever. I recently read, "Love Wins" by Rob Bell, and I like what he says a lot more. Isn't it true that it is much more loving and likely that everyone will end up getting saved in the end?

Answer:

Let me start by saying, unequivocally, that I do not like the doctrine of hell. There is nothing about it that I like, and if it were just up to me, I'd ditch that doctrine in a heart beat. But that is not the purpose of this blog. I'm not doing this to tell you what I like, or what I want to be true, but to explain to the best of my ability what the Bible actually teaches. As such, I will always endeavor, given the medium of a blog and the expectations of length within this medium, to cover the entire issue.

Rob Bell is an exceptional communicator who often takes the position that the historical scope of acceptable Christian doctrine is much wider than that which we in the twentieth century call "orthodox" Christianity." The problem with his approach is that he rarely places these "alternative views" in their proper historical context, and tends to leave the impression that many of these fringe doctrines were widely accepted, and rather common place. His unspoken, but clear inference is that these "alternative views," by virtue of having popped up periodically throughout the history of Christianity, are therefore equally valid as any orthodox view held today.

The truth is that throughout the history of Christianity, one can find examples of almost every imaginable variation of virtually every Christian doctrine, but very few of these fringe ideas were ever accepted or believed by more than a hand full of people, and almost without exception, they were immediately refuted by men very well versed in the Word. Some of them, such as Arianism (the idea that Jesus is not eternal, is a created being, and is not equal to the Father), were given the opportunity to present their case before the entire church. Most of them, however, were either refuted so quickly by learned scholars of the Word that there was no need to bring them before the church, or they stood on so little to begin with that they simply died from sheer neglect.

One of these fringe views is the Christian Universalist position. There are a couple variants on this, but all of them tend to share in one idea: that after death, everyone will get a second chance at salvation, so no one will end up in hell forever. The first recorded proponent of this idea was Origen, who lived from 185 - 254 AD. His views tended to change over time, but he did indicate at one point that he believed everyone would eventually be saved. This idea disappeared within a hundred years of his death, and didn't really appear again until the nineteenth century.

This is the view that Rob Bell is proposing in his book, "Love Wins."

On the surface, there appears to be some Biblical support for the idea that every single person on the planet will be saved. For example:

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:6-11 NIV)

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. (1 Corinthians 15:20-23 NIV)

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19 NIV)

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1:19-20)

This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1Timothy 2:3-4)

Rob Bell's reasoning on this last verse is simply, "If God wants something, does He get it?" His answer is, of course, that God always gets what God wants, therefore all men will be saved. The truth is that there are lots of things that God wants that scripture clearly indicates He does not get. Not because He cannot get it, but because He is serious about free will. The biggest and most obvious is that God never wanted man to sin in the first place, but Adam and Eve did anyway.

On the surface, these passages seem to present a compelling case that through Jesus, every single man, woman and child on the planet will be saved.

The problem is that scripture is filled with passages, even within these same letters, that place them in a completely different light. For example, the first passage from Philippians is actually a quotation from Isaiah, which reads:

I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, that before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, 'In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.' All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. (Isaiah 45:23-24)

Not only that, but earlier in Philippians, Paul said:

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. (Philippians 1:27-28)

And later in the same letter, he says:

For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. (Philippians 3:18-19)

There is a lot more, but I don't really have the space to cover all of it here. The point is that when read in context, it becomes clear that Paul is NOT using these terms universally, the assumption at every point is that not everyone will be saved, and whenever he says "all men," the context makes it clear he means, "all who believe."

OK, but Rob Bell kind of indicated that after death, everyone would get a second chance to repent and believe, and at this time, love would win, and everyone would become believers.

Yes, Rob Bell does imply that this will happen. The following are all the passages in scripture upon which this doctrine is based:

None.

Unfortunately, there are zero passages in the Bible that indicate people will get a second chance after death to believe. Rob Bell, and anyone else who wants to believe it, has made it up out of wishful thinking and thin air.

So what does the Bible actually say about hell? Ironically, Jesus talks about hell far more than almost anyone else in the Bible. Here is a quick sampling:

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Matthew 25:41-46)

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. (Matthew 5:22)

"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' "'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'" (Luke 16:19-31)

But the most frightening passages of all are from Revelation (the full name of this book, given in the very first line, is actually, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ").

A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." (Revelation 14:9-11)

And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:10-15)

Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." (Revelation 21:6-8)

So that's it. Everyone who doesn't believe goes to hell? Hitler gets the same punishment as Gandi (who did not believe in Jesus)?

Well, actually, that is not as clear cut as it might seem. While it is in no way certain, there are passages in scripture that seem to imply that while all unbelievers are punished forever, and all of that punishment is very, very bad, it is not all exactly the same. Let me stress here that this is at most just an implied doctrine, it is never explicitly stated outright, and is in no way certain. Plus, even if it is true, even the lightest of punishments will be very, very bad. 

In this passage Jesus seems to indicate that the punishment of some will be greater than that of others (some are beaten heavily, some are beaten lightly, while some are killed and cut up):

The Lord answered, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! (Luke 12:42-49)

Again, this next passage Jesus seems to imply that the punishment for some will be "more bearable" than for others.

"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you." (Matthew 11:21-24)

In this passage, Paul indicates that some will face "more wrath" than others on the day of judgment, and applies the principle of a person receiving rewards beyond salvation or punishment beyond condemnation in accordance with what he has done.

But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God "will give to each person according to what he has done." To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism. All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) (Romans 2:5-15 NIV)

The bottom line is that there is no getting around the teaching of hell in the Bible. And taking the position that we reject God because many will be condemned to hell is the worst kind of stupid. There are no protest marches in hell, and no way to mount political pressure on God to get Him to change His decisions. If hell is real, it doesn't matter if you like the doctrine or not, if you reject God for any reason, hell will become your reality. The determination should not be, "do I like this," but simply, "is it true"?

Personally, I tend to go with the guy who said He would raise Himself from the dead, then did it. I'm going to believe him. So yes, it is true.

Now what are you going to do about that?

Do all roads lead to God?

Question:

With all the billions of people of other faiths in the world, it just seems to me that claiming Christianity is the only way is intolerant in the extreme. It seems to me a more enlightened view is that all faiths lead to the same God. Given all the different beliefs in the world, isn't it arrogant to claim that you guys have the only way to heaven?

Answer:

That depends on whether or not we are correct. Just because someone claims there is only one path to a certain destination or one answer to a specific question does not automatically mean they are narrow minded, arrogant, or intolerant. Because . . . what if they are right?

Oh, and by the way, we don't actually claim that "Christianity" is the only way to salvation, we claim that the Bible says that Jesus is the only way to salvation. The two are not the same. In other words, it is not the commands, traditions, trappings, doctrines, teachings or good works of Christianity that bring salvation: it is faith in the God of Christianity that brings salvation. This is the ultimate example of, "it's not WHAT you know, it's WHO you know."

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Joh 14:6 NIV)

To know if we are correct, we need to explore three questions:

1) What does it take to be saved (or qualify for heaven)?
2) What is the problem facing mankind that might keep them from salvation?
3) What is the solution to that problem?

Almost every faith on the planet has the same basic answer to the question of what does it take to be saved (or make it to paradise, or reach nirvana, or escape the cycle of reincarnation): your good must outweigh your bad. And the vast majority of all their various teachings center on telling us what we have to do, or how we have to live, in order for that to be true in our life.

Christianity, however, has a completely different answer. The Bible teaches us that being more good than bad is simply not good enough. God's standard is much, much higher than that.

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Mat 5:48 NIV)

So in Christianity, the only way to be saved is to be perfect.

You see, where most other religions view the requirements for salvation as a kind of test where you need to get a certain score to pass, Christianity views it as a judgement in a criminal trial. Each person will be on trial for crimes committed against God, and the "good things" we have done will have no bearing on determining our guilt.

For example, if I am on trial for murder, no amount of good deeds that I have done will have any bearing on whether or not I am found guilty. They might effect my sentence, but they will have no effect on my guilt. Being nice to my wife, and giving money to charity has nothing to do with the question, "Did I commit murder?" Likewise, the Bible teaches that our guilt or innocence is based on one question: have I sinned? No amount of "good deeds" have any impact on this question.

Further, sin is not defined as "evil." Sin produces evil, leads to evil, can make us evil, but strictly speaking, sin is not "evil." The Geek word for sin is ἁμαρτία, and this word does not mean, "bad" or "evil," it means, "to miss the mark, to fail, to be less than morally perfect." Because "sin" is a failure to be morally perfect, it is completely legitimate to refer to an evil act as a "sin."

So the question we will all face at our trial is this: Have you been less than morally perfect? If we have committed any sins (moral failures), we will be found guilty.

In line with this, the Bible clearly teaches that the problem facing mankind is sin, and each and every one of us is afflicted by this disease.

There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Rom 3:22b-23 NIV)

Does this mean each of us are inherently evil, and if given half a chance, we will all become little Hitlers? Being thoroughly sinful does not automatically mean we are thoroughly evil, it means we are thoroughly imperfect. Thoroughly imperfect people can do good things, and can even resist doing evil things. So the problem of sin is not that it will inevitably turn us all into serial killers, the problem is that it keeps us from being perfect. And because of this inborn imperfection, we ALL will eventually do something that is a moral failure, we will do something wrong, and at that moment, we are condemned. We now fail to qualify for heaven.

No heaping of good deeds on top of our sins can make up for that crime. Thus, we all, each and every one of us, are doomed to be found guilty, and forbidden to enter heaven.

This is where Jesus comes in. The REASON He is the only way to salvation is that His death and resurrection are the only means to wash us clean of our imperfect behavior, and make us morally perfect in the eyes of God. Paul explains how it works this way:

But here is how God has shown his love for us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The blood of Christ has made us right with God. So we are even more sure that Jesus will save us from God's anger. Once we were God's enemies. But we have been brought back to him because his Son has died for us. Now that God has brought us back, we are even more secure. We know that we will be saved because Christ lives. (Rom 5:8-10)

Because Jesus died for us, we are forgiven and made clean, and because He rose from the grave, and now lives, we are given new life and saved.

And what does it take to get in on this awesome deal?

If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, "Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame." (Rom 10:9-11)

Just a quick note: biblical faith is not only something we say, most importantly, it is something we do. In the same way that real love is demonstrated by what we do, real faith in Jesus is demonstrated by our actions, by how we live from this day forward, NOT by simply saying a prayer. In other words, if our faith is real, salvation is instantaneous, and the proof of that is that our lives are forever changed.

So here is the bottom line. If the Bible is right about how to get to heaven (be perfect), about what our problem is (we cannot be perfect) and about how that problem is solved (faith in Jesus makes us perfect), then all faiths do NOT lead to God. Only one road leads to God, and that road is called Jesus. Furthermore, if the Bible is right, there is nothing intolerant or arrogant about this claim at all.

On the contrary, we have an obligation to get this message out to as many people as we possibly can.

How Do I Choose a Church?

Question:

They [denominations] all believe something different. Baptists, Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists . . . How do I know which one is right?

Answer:

Well, for one thing, I think you might be asking the wrong question. You seem to be focusing exclusively on "Truth," which is very important, but it is not even remotely the only issue, nor is it one that you and I can most effectively employ (at least not with completely certainty) when evaluating various churches. In fact, once we get past a few central doctrines, it is not even the best means of evaluating a church.

Within Christianity, as you have noted, there are quite a few "doctrinal" divisions. Most notable is the Catholic/Protestant split. Then there is the Calvinist/Arminian split. The orthodox/liberal split. The traditional/contemporary split. The immersion/sprinkling split. And on and on and on.

And when it comes to the question of who has "The Truth," the answer is . . . all of them. And none of them.

Let me explain.

Not all doctrine is of equal importance. Paul was by far the most theologically complex writer in the New Testament, yet even he broke it all down to one central, critical Truth:

This is what I mean: Each of you is saying, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Cephas," or "I belong to Christ." Is Christ divided? Paul wasn't crucified for you, was he? You weren't baptized in Paul's name, were you? . . . For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, not with eloquent wisdom, so the cross of Christ won't be emptied of its power. For the message about the cross is nonsense to those who are being destroyed, but it is God's power to us who are being saved. . . . Jews ask for signs, and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified. He is a stumbling block to Jews and nonsense to gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God's power and God's wisdom. . . . For while I was with you I resolved to know nothing except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. (1Corinthians 1:12-13; 17-18; 22-24; 2:2)

You see, despite all those splits, there is one set of central doctrines, in fact, THE central doctrines, upon which all of Christianity agrees: Jesus' identity as the Son of God, His death on the cross, and His resurrection. If we confess openly that He is our Lord, and believe with all our heart that He died on the cross to pay for our sins, and rose from the grave to secure our salvation, we will be saved.

Upon these core doctrines of the faith virtually all of Christianity is in agreement. As for the rest, I have very strong views on what is or is not correct. On baptism, I hold to believer baptism and immersion. On worship, I am very contemporary. On basic theology, I am very orthodox. On soteriology, I am very Arminian. On the church and the Bible, I am very Protestant.

But these positions are mitigated by three critical observations.

First, I have a strong and abiding confidence in man's inability to be perfect, either spiritually, physically, morally, doctrinally, or any other way. And that includes myself. I simply do not believe that ANY of us can claim perfection in our doctrine or theology. What this means is that once we get past the core doctrinal issues of Jesus, His death and resurrection that are critical to even BEING a Christian, I will not say that other believers are "wrong," but rather, that I DISAGREE with them. And this is NOT a semantics issue for me.

Second, it is absolutely undeniable that God uses believers who have strong disagreements with me on doctrinal and theologcial issues to further the kingdom of God and bring people to salvation. I am a staunch Arminian, yet some of the teachers and pastors I admire most, whose ministries are undeniably producing massive fruit for God, are Calvinist. I strongly disagree with many Catholic doctrines, yet I am deeply moved and inspired by Pope Francis, and will freely admit that I have much to learn from him about showing God's grace on a day to day basis. God does not require that our theology be perfect in order to use us in His kingdom. All He really requires is that we know His Son, and follow Him with all our heart.

Because of these first two observations, I harbor very little hostility toward most denominations, even those with whom I have my strongest theological disagreements. For example, I am thoroughly Protestant, but I also understand the foundational disagreement between the Protestants and Catholics (is the Church equal to or subordinate to the Bible?). This central difference means that the Catholic Church only requires that a particular doctrine not be contrary to scripture, where most protestants, particularly those of a more fundamentalist persuation, require that each doctrine be explicitly supported in scripture. While I simply cannot bring myself to embrace a doctrine that is not supported in scripture, because I understand why the Catholics can and do, it allows me to treat them with much more grace, and much less judgment. Even more than that, it allows me to embrace them without reservation as my brothers and sisters.

The third observation is that, while Jesus was the complete embodiment of Truth, beyond the central doctrines relating to salvation (mentioned above), He did not present Truth as the ultimate arbitrator of who was or was not a true believer.

Even the most cursory reading of the gospels will reveal that Jesus was highly critical of the Pharisees, and as clash after clash reveals, they might have been His stuanches opponents, if not out right enemies. Yet, did you know that Jesus had almost zero doctrinal disagreements with the Pharisees? In fact, not only is He never recorded explicitly refuting a Pharisitical doctrine, on several occasions He thoroughly confirmed first century Pharisee doctrine. For example, Jesus parable of Lazarus and the rich man confirms the Pharisee doctrine that (at that time) both the righteous and the wicked descended into the earth at death, where the righteous were comforted, the wicked punished, and the two could see each other across an impassable gulf.

So what was the basis for the hostility between Jesus and the Pharisees? Not what they believed, but how they lived. Despite their doctrinal accuracy, they were corrupt, hypocritical, judgmental, harsh, power hungry, impure, intollerant, self-righteous phoneys. They elevated their traditions for the express purpose of avoiding the command of God, specifically, "love your neighbor as yourself." They did not actually CARE about their fellow men. They had no qualms whatsoever about destroying lives to elevate their social, political or religious standing. Jesus had MUCH stronger condemnations for them than He ever did for those with whom He had clear doctrinal differences (such as the Samaritans) . . . and let's be clear here; if you have a doctrinal disagreement with Jesus, YOU'RE WRONG!

So how do you choose the best church?

First, make sure they really do hold to the central tenets of Christianity (Jesus is God, died on a cross, rose from the grave, is the sole source of salvation). Beyond this, make sure that you will feel doctrinally comfortable there (which probably will NOT mean you agree with 100% of what they teach). I am a pastor in the Free Methodist Church, and while I am very comfortable here theologically, I do have a few very minor doctrinal disagreements with official Free Methodist theology. Find a church where you have no major disagreements, but do NOT use doctrinal perfection as your ultimate measuring rod.

Second, make sure they are unwavering in their belief that the Bible is the Word of God. Undermining this critical foundation will open the flood gates to any and all ideas that happen to float by, and will give you no measuring stick against which to judge anything anyone ever teaches, preaches or endorses. It has been my experience that undermining this foundation almost always eventually leads to watering down the central, critical doctrines of Christianity, that being Jesus and salvation.

Third, make sure they LIVE what they believe! Specifically, that they are motivated to get out of their pews (or chairs, or homes) and go LOVE people. Despite what some seem to preach, we believers are not supposed to be known by what we are against, nor even really by how accurate our doctrine may be, but by how effectively we LOVE OTHERS!

Our command is to go tell people about Jesus, and love them.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  (Matthew 28:19-20)

I am giving you a new commandment to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35)

And this is his commandment: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus the Messiah, and to love one another as he commanded us. (1John 3:23)

Do not owe anyone anything—except to love one another. For the one who loves another has fulfilled the Law. For the commandments, "You must not commit adultery; you must not murder; you must not steal; you must not covet," and every other commandment are summed up in this statement: "You must love your neighbor as yourself." Love never does anything that is harmful to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the Law. (Romans 13:8-10)

Did Jesus Claim to be God?

Question:

I know that Christians believe Jesus is God, but I can't find any place where Jesus claims to be God. Isn't that a problem for Christians?

Answer:

Well, if Jesus never did claim to be God, it might be a problem. However, the Truth is He did claim to be God on several occasions. The most blatant, and most enlightening, is found in the eighth chapter of the Gospel According to John. In this chapter, starting in verse 12, Jesus is involved in a prolonged confrontation with some of the Jewish leaders. In verses 21-24 we see this exchange:

Later on he told them again, "I am going away, and you will look for me, but you will die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going." So the Jews were asking, "He isn't going to kill himself, is he? Is that why he said, 'You cannot come where I am going'?" He told them, "You are from below, I am from above. You are of this world, but I am not of this world. That is why I told you that you will die in your sins, for unless you believe that I AM, you will die in your sins." (Joh 8:21-24 ISV)

The words translated "I AM" in verse 24 are εγω ειμι (ego eimi), which literally means "I am." Jesus is using this as a direct reference to Exodus 3:14, where Moses had asked God how he should answer the question when the Israelites asked him for God's name, and God responded with:

God replied to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM," and then said, "Tell the Israelis: 'I AM sent me to you.'" (Exo 3:14 ISV)

The problem is that in Greek, the phrase εγω ειμι was a really common phrase that was normally understood to mean "I am the one," or "I am he," or even "that is me." So all those listening understood Jesus to be saying something like "I am who I say I am," which is why they immediately responded with:

Then they asked him, "Who are you?" (Joh 8:25a ISV)

So how do we know that Jesus really meant this as a claim to divinity? Because He makes it crystal clear at the end of the chapter when the confrontation finally comes to a head.

Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day, and he saw it and was glad." Then the Jews asked him, "You are not even 50 years old, yet you have seen Abraham?" Jesus told them, "Truly, I tell all of you with certainty, before there was an Abraham, I AM!" (Joh 8:56-58 ISV) 

The phrase "Before there was an Abraham, I AM" actually makes no sense in Greek. It is grammatic nonsense akin to someone telling me, "I made this for you tomorrow. Yesterday I'm going to make you another one." The only possible way to read this statement is that Jesus is claiming to be the I AM of the Old Testament, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the one who gave the law to Moses, rescued Israel from Egypt, and established the nation of Israel.

And because this statement could not be interpreted any other way, the Jews immediately responded to what they saw as blasphemy:

At this, they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the Temple. (Joh 8:59 ISV)

This also means earlier, in verse 24, Jesus made His identity central to our faith. By stating "unless you believe that I AM, you will die in your sins." Jesus made it crystal clear that faith in His deity was not optional, but was, in fact, absolutely necessary for salvation. Jesus is the Lord of creation, the God of the universe, and making this the center of the Christian faith was not something the Church did hundreds of years later, but rather, something Jesus did before the Church even existed. It is because of this clear claim by Jesus that Paul later explains that salvation involves two parts:

If you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Rom 10:9 ISV)