A SECOND CHANCE (2)
(Message by Tanny Keng)
0. Introduction
a) Does God offer us a second chance to be saved and live forever? Or are the vast majority of humans going to Hell? Are there only two types of people as far as God is concerned - the SAVED and the LOST? What is the spiritual status of newborn babies?
b) If humans are, by default, considered totally LOST at birth, then if they die soon after being born does God consign them to the bowels of eternal torment - even though they never understood the Gospel? But what if he considers humans initially in a SAVED condition at birth. At what time would he hold the child accountable for his choices and consider what they could do as SIN? If the child takes something that is not his or hers at age three, do they then become 'lost' in the eyes of the Almighty? If they act rebelliously at age two do they get tossed into an ever-painful lake of fire upon death?
c) A well-known religious talk show personality summed up the issue by asking if God would throw into an eternal hell someone who NEVER understood, let alone heard, the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. He quoted another preacher who said the following (paraphrased).
i) "Does it make any sense that a sweet and innocent little boy or girl will be consigned by God to leap from flaming brick to flaming brick in Hell FOREVER simply because a missionary or minister could not get to them because of car problems?"
d) Skeptics of the concept that mankind is either saved or lost state that MANY people have not so much as heard the name of God, let alone understood his Word or even comprehended salvation. It would therefore be unjust for them to be totally responsible for their spiritual status and be cast away.
e) The moderator, however, stated that he believed God has revealed his saving truth to all mankind, in all times, no matter where they lived. His conclusion was that we receive our FIRST and ONLY chance at salvation the moment we are born into the world.
1. How does Jesus define LOST?
a) Jesus defines for us what it means to be LOST in his parable of the lost sheep found in Matthew 18.
i) 12. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and search for the one that went astray? 13. And if he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14. Likewise, it is not the will of your Father Who is in heaven that one of these little ones (His children) should perish. ' (Matthew 18)
b) Do sheep get themselves lost because they do something bad or sinful? Do they separate themselves because they are somehow vain and rebellious? No!! They were made to spend their lives eating grass all day with their heads bent down. It would therefore not be a strange thing if every so often, when they raised their heads, they found themselves alone! Are they separated because they sinned? No. Sheep get lost for the simple reason they are sheep! Being lost has absolutely nothing to do with who they are but where.
c) Jesus' teaching in this parable is rather simple and defines in what sense humans come into this world "lost." All humans have paid a toll for Adam's sins and for being cut off from God through no fault of our own. Being lost is not caused by sinning nor is it worthy of the fires of hell. It means nothing more than to be disoriented, unable to find where to go, confused, helpless and so on. Being lost, according to Jesus, is not a state of condemnation but a statement of reality.
The End ...
0. Introductiona) Does God offer us a second chance to be saved and live forever? Or are the vast majority of humans going to Hell? Are there only two types of people as far as God is concerned - the SAVED and the LOST? What is the spiritual status of newborn babies?
b) If humans are, by default, considered totally LOST at birth, then if they die soon after being born does God consign them to the bowels of eternal torment - even though they never understood the Gospel? But what if he considers humans initially in a SAVED condition at birth. At what time would he hold the child accountable for his choices and consider what they could do as SIN? If the child takes something that is not his or hers at age three, do they then become 'lost' in the eyes of the Almighty? If they act rebelliously at age two do they get tossed into an ever-painful lake of fire upon death?
c) A well-known religious talk show personality summed up the issue by asking if God would throw into an eternal hell someone who NEVER understood, let alone heard, the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. He quoted another preacher who said the following (paraphrased).
i) "Does it make any sense that a sweet and innocent little boy or girl will be consigned by God to leap from flaming brick to flaming brick in Hell FOREVER simply because a missionary or minister could not get to them because of car problems?"
d) Skeptics of the concept that mankind is either saved or lost state that MANY people have not so much as heard the name of God, let alone understood his Word or even comprehended salvation. It would therefore be unjust for them to be totally responsible for their spiritual status and be cast away.
e) The moderator, however, stated that he believed God has revealed his saving truth to all mankind, in all times, no matter where they lived. His conclusion was that we receive our FIRST and ONLY chance at salvation the moment we are born into the world.
1. How does Jesus define LOST?a) Jesus defines for us what it means to be LOST in his parable of the lost sheep found in Matthew 18.
i) 12. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and search for the one that went astray? 13. And if he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14. Likewise, it is not the will of your Father Who is in heaven that one of these little ones (His children) should perish. ' (Matthew 18)
b) Do sheep get themselves lost because they do something bad or sinful? Do they separate themselves because they are somehow vain and rebellious? No!! They were made to spend their lives eating grass all day with their heads bent down. It would therefore not be a strange thing if every so often, when they raised their heads, they found themselves alone! Are they separated because they sinned? No. Sheep get lost for the simple reason they are sheep! Being lost has absolutely nothing to do with who they are but where.
c) Jesus' teaching in this parable is rather simple and defines in what sense humans come into this world "lost." All humans have paid a toll for Adam's sins and for being cut off from God through no fault of our own. Being lost is not caused by sinning nor is it worthy of the fires of hell. It means nothing more than to be disoriented, unable to find where to go, confused, helpless and so on. Being lost, according to Jesus, is not a state of condemnation but a statement of reality.
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