People like to criticise Christianity of being unfair. How is it fair that only those who know and believe in Christ can be saved? Isn't it rather narrow-minded a view? As Christians we must be able to answer this very common question.
No, it is not narrow-minded because Man was never created segregated into different religions. All Man was created by the same one God. We cannot consider other views because there can only be one truth, the truth that comes from God the Creator. If truth were relative and every religion could contain truth, even though they blatantly contradict each other, then it wouldn't be truth at all.
So is God fair? In asking this we are talking as if God owes the human race something. But that is not the truth at all. What we believe, what the Bible tells us, is this- it was Man who first rebelled against God. God created Man in a perfect environment, the Garden of Eden, and provided Him with everything that He would ever need. I urge you to read the entire account in Genesis. But it was Man, under the temptation of the devil, who first rebelled against God. God made it clear to them- "But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." Genesis 3:3. Man himself chose death.
And so the entire race of Men was from then cursed, under the power of sin. Read on in Genesis and you will see the first murder, and how Man grew so wicked that God was deeply grieved. "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." Genesis 6: 5-6. Man is innately wicked. Some people may ask, is it fair that I should be condemned because of the sin of one man? But it is not just the fault of one man alone, it is the fault of human nature. Human nature is grossly imperfect; a good look at the world around us today would make it quite clear. Again some people say, but how about those who live good, even close-to-perfect lives? But that's the point, that no one, no matter how good, is perfect. Every man has sinned, and has in himself the sinful nature.
That is one thing that we must make clear to people. That we can never never earn our salvation . God is perfect and holy, we are not. We have sinned, and are thus alienated from Him. "For the wages of sin is death" Romans 6:23. We will all be judged and found wanting, even the most near-perfect of us.
So then, how is God fair? This is the crucial part that people must understand. If God was fair, we would all be languishing in eternal death, a just punishment for our disobedience. And God is fair; He knows that if we were ever to come back to Him, someone must take the punishment. But God is not just fair, He is much, much more. He is graceful, because He loves us. He loves us despite our sinfulness. He loved us enough to send His only Son, Jesus, to take the punishment for our sins. That is the message of Christianity. That God loved us so much, that He provided the way back to Him by sacrificing His Son for us.
So then, the question of whether God is fair becomes quite irrelevant, even ridiculous. Despite our sinfulness, He gave us what we did not deserve. He gave all Man the way back to Him, free, so to speak. God is fair in this aspect, that He died not just for some, but all people. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. So the question is really not whether God is fair, but this- why is the Gospel not being spread to all people? Why is God's message of reconciliation, meant for all people, not being made known to all people?
And that is where we as Christians come in. That is why witnessing is so important. That is why Jesus' last command was for us to "go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15. We have been given the task of reconciliation; every soul which enters the kingdom is another soul that can go out and win more souls for Christ. Yes, it is not easy, and the hearts of men are hard and deceived by the devil. But we must at least give them the truth and nothing but the truth, to give them the hope of entering the kingdom.
Just this night I was talking to a very senior grassroots leader, and he was sharing his anti-Christian sentiments. "If a son is drowning and he calls out to the father for help, will the father deny his son help just because the son does not acknowledge him as father? You'd be a fool to think so!" The truth is, God desperately wants us to be saved. "Who will have all men to be saved, and come unto the knowledge of the truth." 1 Tim. 2:4. And He has provided the way back. But the truth is, that we cannot be saved unless we acknowledge Him, because it is only through acknowledging Him that our sins are washed away. "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me." John 14:6.
I sometimes wonder why men's hearts are so hard. I believe part of it is due to the fact that there is a lot of misunderstanding and micsonceptions about the Christian faith, which is why we must be careful to preach the truth, as in the Word, and correct these misconceptions. Is it that difficult to accept that we are sinful, and to accept as Saviour a Lord who loves us so, so much? Is it really that difficult? This is the message that we must take every opportunity to spread, in all love.
No, it is not narrow-minded because Man was never created segregated into different religions. All Man was created by the same one God. We cannot consider other views because there can only be one truth, the truth that comes from God the Creator. If truth were relative and every religion could contain truth, even though they blatantly contradict each other, then it wouldn't be truth at all.
So is God fair? In asking this we are talking as if God owes the human race something. But that is not the truth at all. What we believe, what the Bible tells us, is this- it was Man who first rebelled against God. God created Man in a perfect environment, the Garden of Eden, and provided Him with everything that He would ever need. I urge you to read the entire account in Genesis. But it was Man, under the temptation of the devil, who first rebelled against God. God made it clear to them- "But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." Genesis 3:3. Man himself chose death.
And so the entire race of Men was from then cursed, under the power of sin. Read on in Genesis and you will see the first murder, and how Man grew so wicked that God was deeply grieved. "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." Genesis 6: 5-6. Man is innately wicked. Some people may ask, is it fair that I should be condemned because of the sin of one man? But it is not just the fault of one man alone, it is the fault of human nature. Human nature is grossly imperfect; a good look at the world around us today would make it quite clear. Again some people say, but how about those who live good, even close-to-perfect lives? But that's the point, that no one, no matter how good, is perfect. Every man has sinned, and has in himself the sinful nature.
That is one thing that we must make clear to people. That we can never never earn our salvation . God is perfect and holy, we are not. We have sinned, and are thus alienated from Him. "For the wages of sin is death" Romans 6:23. We will all be judged and found wanting, even the most near-perfect of us.
So then, how is God fair? This is the crucial part that people must understand. If God was fair, we would all be languishing in eternal death, a just punishment for our disobedience. And God is fair; He knows that if we were ever to come back to Him, someone must take the punishment. But God is not just fair, He is much, much more. He is graceful, because He loves us. He loves us despite our sinfulness. He loved us enough to send His only Son, Jesus, to take the punishment for our sins. That is the message of Christianity. That God loved us so much, that He provided the way back to Him by sacrificing His Son for us.
So then, the question of whether God is fair becomes quite irrelevant, even ridiculous. Despite our sinfulness, He gave us what we did not deserve. He gave all Man the way back to Him, free, so to speak. God is fair in this aspect, that He died not just for some, but all people. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. So the question is really not whether God is fair, but this- why is the Gospel not being spread to all people? Why is God's message of reconciliation, meant for all people, not being made known to all people?
And that is where we as Christians come in. That is why witnessing is so important. That is why Jesus' last command was for us to "go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15. We have been given the task of reconciliation; every soul which enters the kingdom is another soul that can go out and win more souls for Christ. Yes, it is not easy, and the hearts of men are hard and deceived by the devil. But we must at least give them the truth and nothing but the truth, to give them the hope of entering the kingdom.
Just this night I was talking to a very senior grassroots leader, and he was sharing his anti-Christian sentiments. "If a son is drowning and he calls out to the father for help, will the father deny his son help just because the son does not acknowledge him as father? You'd be a fool to think so!" The truth is, God desperately wants us to be saved. "Who will have all men to be saved, and come unto the knowledge of the truth." 1 Tim. 2:4. And He has provided the way back. But the truth is, that we cannot be saved unless we acknowledge Him, because it is only through acknowledging Him that our sins are washed away. "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me." John 14:6.
I sometimes wonder why men's hearts are so hard. I believe part of it is due to the fact that there is a lot of misunderstanding and micsonceptions about the Christian faith, which is why we must be careful to preach the truth, as in the Word, and correct these misconceptions. Is it that difficult to accept that we are sinful, and to accept as Saviour a Lord who loves us so, so much? Is it really that difficult? This is the message that we must take every opportunity to spread, in all love.
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