That is the dreaded question we all face from time to time.How do we respond to it?Greg Koukl has offered some helpful insights.
First, we should point out that Christianity does not teach that people go to hell because they don’t believe in Jesus.The reason people go to hell is because they are guilty of wrong behavior, not wrong belief.They are condemned already.Belief is the only thing that will prevent them from experiencing the natural consequences of their behavior.Sin is like a terminal disease: if it is not treated it will eventually kill you.Those who die of an untreated disease do not die because they haven’t visited the doctor, but because they have a disease.Likewise, people do not die of sin because they have not visited Dr. Jesus, but because they have a spiritual disease.Jesus is the one who holds the cure for their disease.By not accepting the cure, they choose to die in their sinful disease.
How can we communicate this to unbelievers?First, we should be sure to avoid giving a simple “yes” or “no” answer to this question.The reason for this is tactical, not rhetorical.A simple “yes” answer makes the Christian look like a judgmental bigot, and all too often the non-Christian will immediately pounce on you for your response, allowing you little chance to explain your answer.So it’s best to give an explanation as your answer.Here’s how this approach might look in action:
Non-believer: “So do you believe I’m going to hell?”
Believer: “Do you think people who commit moral crimes ought to be punished?Justice demands that people who are guilty of wrongdoing be punished for their crimes.The message of Christianity is that those guilty of moral crimes ought to be punished for those crimes unless they have been pardoned.God has provided such a pardon in Jesus Christ.He is the only answer to our sin problem because He—and only He—paid the penalty for our crimes.We can either take that pardon and go free, or refuse it and stand alone before God to pay for our own crimes such as they are.We will be judged fairly, but justice will prevail.
“The pertinent question, then, is whether or not you have committed any moral crimes.All of us have.That’s the bad news.The good news is that we can be pardoned for those crimes by putting our trust in Jesus, and accepting what He did on our behalf.Are you willing to accept His pardon?”
I hope this tactical approach proves helpful in your own evangelistic efforts.Not only will it take the edge off of an uncomfortable question, but it will also explain the essence of the Gospel in the process.
April 13, 2006 at 10:44 am
I think that is awesome!
The only caveat I see is this… I think a lot of people don’t believe they have committed “moral” crimes worthy of a “death” sentence. So fairness would come into play. In my case, I was a pretty good teenager – I didn’t drink or smoke – I wasn’t promiscuous – I pretty much obeyed my parents – I was a good student – I was a Boy Scout – I had good friends – Except for my sometimes “foul” mouth, I didn’t consider myself a “bad” person worthy of Hell. But I did believe in God, and His sovereignty. My hunger for God, and my desire to know Him, forced me to accept my guilt as a sinner. In my heart I knew that I did not meet God’s standards.
I guess what I’m saying is that unless the person is “open” to God being the one who sets up the rules of “goodness” and “badness” – you probably would have a difficult time convincing them they are bound for “hell”.
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April 13, 2006 at 12:14 pm
I’m sure you are aware that the tactic did not mention the punishment being “death,” but rather hell. The Bible describes this as the second death, but that is internal lingo.
What I think you may be getting at is one aspect of the problem of hell: whether the severity (including length) of the punishment is just. Does the punishment fit the crime. That is a genuine objection, and deserving of a well-thought out response. I simply did not deal with that in this post.
What we need to get the person to see first is that breaking God’s moral law warrants moral correction in the form of punishment. Once they recognize that they are deserving of at least some punishment, they will see there is a problem that needs to be corrected.
One of the ways to show someone just how much of a problem they have (showing them that there is no such thing as a “little sinner”) is to do some math. If we sinned only one time per day (an EXTREMELY conservative estimate if the person has any concept at all about what sin means) between ages 10 and 60, they will have broken God’s law 18,250 times. What judge would tell a citizen they are basically good because they only broke the law 18,250 times, and let them go without punishing them for their crimes? None. Neither will God. Luckily, He has provided a pardon in Jesus Christ.
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April 18, 2006 at 4:50 pm
I think Aoki was “almost” born (flesh birth) a Christian. I just wonder if he had not been a Christian….
In his case, between ages 10 and 60
he would have broken God’s law
4,562.50 times (25% liberal estimate).
In my case, I was an average teenager – I drank and smoked – I wasn’t promiscuous (not by choice)- I disobeyed my parents
a few times – I almost never did my homework – I was a boy scout (Ha !!) – I had marginal friends (we drank beer)- Definitely had a foul mouth.
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