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Main PageWhen speaking with religious people about religious topics, it is often the case that once a point of disagreement arises, rather than sitting together and reasoning from the Scriptures, one might hear a statement such as, "...it doesn't matter what we believe. We're all headed for the same place anyway." The religious world we live in has become an "I'm okay, you're okay", pat everyone on the back, "...as long as you believe..." monstrosity.
As comforting as it may be to say and to hear all these cliche statements, taking into account the fact that there is an impending judgment at which we must all appear (2 Corinthians 5:10), it behooves us to consider the truthfulness of such statements. Is it indeed the cast that we're all "okay"? Does God only require that we believe? Are we all headed the same place? Let us focus our minds upon whether or not we are all headed for the same place.
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We Are All Headed For The Grave
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Certainly, we are all headed for the grave. The Scriptures tell us "...it is appointed for men to die once..." (Hebrews 9:27) The death of the body is universal. God spoke words of punishment upon Adam in the garden, the consequences of which have flowed throughout all of mankind. He declared, "...in the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return." (Genesis 3:19)
The Psalmist questioned, "What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?" (Psalm 89:48) Again, Solomon confirms, "All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust." (Ecclesiastes 3:20)
Indeed, we are all headed for the grave.
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We Are All Headed For The Resurrection
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The apostle Paul, standing before the governor Felix spoke of the hope which he has in God, "...that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust." (Acts 24:15) Often when we speak of the resurrection, we simply think in terms of the righteous, but Paul's hope was grounded upon the reality of "...a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust."
The apostle John, writing of things that had been revealed to him, spoke of this resurrection. He wrote, "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works." (Revelation 20:12-13)
Indeed, we are all headed for the resurrection.
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We Are All Headed For The Judgment
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Further to the fact that we shall all be resurrected, the purpose of that resurrection will be for judgment. The apostle Paul wrote, "....we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10) The same Paul instructed the Romans about "....the righteous judgment of God, who "will render to each one according to his deeds": eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness——indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Romans 2:5-10)
To the philosophers gathered at the Areopagus, Paul declared of God, that "...He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead." (Acts 17:31) Speaking of Jesus Christ, the apostle Peter said, "it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead." (Acts 10:42)
Indeed, we are all headed for the judgment.
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We Are All Headed For Eternity
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The Hebrew writer, encouraging his readers to progress in faith, admonishes that they leave "...the doctrine of the first principles of Christ..." and "...press on unto perfection..." (Hebrews 6:1, ASV) Listed among these first principles is the "...eternal judgment..." (Hebrews 6:2) The judgment which we have just spoken of is an "...eternal judgment..."
Again, while standing before Felix, Paul "...reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come..." Hearing such things, we are told that "...Felix was afraid..." (Acts 24:25)
Over and over, especially in the writings of the apostle John, we find references to "...eternal life..." However, there are also references in Scripture to "...eternal damnation..." (Mark 3:29), "...everlasting destruction..." (2 Thessalonians 1:9), and "...everlasting punishment..." (Matthew 25:46)
Indeed, we are all headed for eternity.
The real question is, "Are we all headed for heaven?" Jesus Himself addressed this question: "...Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it...Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’" (Matthew 7:13-14, 21-23)
We are all headed for the grave. We are all headed for the resurrection. We are all headed for the judgment. We are all headed for eternity. But, we are NOT all headed for heaven. Jesus says there are few who will enter heaven. Dear reader, will you be numbered among those who do "...the will of My Father in heaven...", or will you simply deceive yourself and others, falsely declaring "...it doesn't matter what we believe. We're all headed for the same place anyway."
In this week's Answering The Athiest: Does God's word contradict the hydrological cycle? Is Job 38:22-23 incorrect? Is there a contradiction? Visit http://AnsweringTheAtheist.faithweb.com/20010805.htm