How many of us would like to be indestructible? To know that no matter what happens, no matter what comes against us, we cannot be destroyed or killed? It would be pretty cool, right?
Well, here’s a newsflash, given to me courtesy of Pastor Greg Laurie on the radio yesterday on my way to Charlotte, NC for a meeting: for Christian believers, we are indestructible.
That’s right, we’re indestructible. To paraphrase what Pastor Greg had to say: Until God is ready for us to come home to Heaven, we are indestructible. No plots schemed against us, no attacks targeted at us, no lies told about us—nothing—can destroy us. Why? Because it’s not God’s will! When God is ready for us to leave here and go to Heaven (i.e., when our time is up), we’ll go. Until that time, we won’t. It’s as simple as that. Until God is ready for us to be with Him in Heaven, we are indestructible.
Of course, that doesn’t mean we should test God, and Pastor Greg pointed that out. But what it does mean is that we don’t have to live in constant fear. Should we take reasonable steps to protect ourselves, our families, and our friends? Of course. God gave us a brain so that we would use it. But after taking reasonable steps, we don’t have to live in fear. Why? You’ve got it—because we’re indestructible!
So, if you’re facing a challenge, facing a mountain ahead of you, if your opponents are lining up against you (and believe me, I’ve been there before), take heart and be encouraged. You, my Christian friend and believer, are indestructible.
Tags: Christianity, Personal
7 comments
Sunday, July 29, 2007 at 3:38 pm
William Bishop
:Shakes head sadly:
Nothing personal against the religious, I respect most everyones right to hold a particular belief, no matter how unreasonable it is…..so long as it doesn’t interfere with my life.
But, and that’s a big BUT, my mind is trapped by the sorrow of the family that just had the wife strangled, and two young daughters raped and burned alive. Was god calling them home? If so, couldn’t he have used a little nicer ringtone? They don’t seem indestructible, they seem quite the opposite in fact. I am an atheist(that means “without” a religion…I know there is a tendency to believe the old “it means devil worshipper” and all that crap), and I have avoided death, and come back from what can only be described as “one toe over the line” so many times that I have been called immortal. That doesn’t make it so, it means that I have willpower, and more than my fair share of common sense and the ability to keep a cool head in bad circumstances.
Now, I have been told by the religious, that I have some future part to play with their particular religion(oddly enough, two separate religions) or that god(seriously, which of the 10,000 extant gods would that be?) has a plan for me….But it seems unreasonable since I am so very devoid of self delusion and well versed in many religions, enough to know that they all lay claim to the Truth(TM).
My question is, what’s the reasoning? People die, often horribly…whether religious or not, no matter which religion in fact. If you strip out the religion in fact, you will find statistics bear out that 100% of humans die. Wrong place at the wrong time seems to bring it about quicker in some cases, but we all die. Why the need to feel special?
While I’m at it, this perfect happiness thing….How? Say there was a heaven(I could grant you that and still find fatal flaw with your deity of choice–bronze aged goat herders weren’t exactly genius) and your wife or child is in hell….How can you still be happy?
I don’t mean to be aggressive, it’s just that it seems that people are drifting into some kind of stuporous delusional state this decade, it seems religion is corrupting the world of late. So much violence is inherent in the abrahamic traditions(islam, judaism, or christanity), I wonder that it still seems to be so popular. Maybe it’s just the fact that I can’t pretend, never could…I don’t know what key ingredient has always been missing in me that has prevented me falling for some irrational belief system or other. My real question, I guess, is WHY?
Sunday, July 29, 2007 at 11:31 pm
slowe
William,
Thank you for your honest and thoughtful comment. First of all, the very fact that you are an atheist (which I don’t take to mean “devil worshipper” but do take to mean “don’t believe in the existence of God’) means that we are approaching this equation from opposite directions. With that in mind…
I can’t explain why this woman and her daughters were horribly, brutally, unfairly tortured and murdered. Was God calling them home? I don’t know. I believe that God has a perfect will for each and every one of us, but He also gives us free choice, and leaves it to us whether we will follow His will or choose our own path. It certainly was not God’s will for these people to be murdered, if that’s what you’re thinking. The Bible clearly stands in opposition of murder.
As for why these people were murdered, I can’t answer that. In the Bible, Job lost his wives, his children, his belongings, even his health…and yet he remained steadfast in his belief in God, and as a result Job’s story has been an inspiration to millions throughout the ages. Were these lives lost so that others might be saved? Perhaps. Or perhaps these lives were lost because someone (the murderer) exercised free will and decided to violate the law of God and the law of the land. God won’t force himself upon mankind; He wants mankind to choose to serve Him.
You said yourself that 100% of humans die. Therefore, it is a guarantee that one day, each and every one of us will end this life. Let’s just say that you are right, there is no God, and that the life that Christians lead is a farce, a facade. In this scenario, when we die that’s the end of it and that’s that. What have we gained? Peace during times of struggle, hope for tomorrow, among other things. What have we lost? Nothing, really. What about the non-believers? Nothing gained, nothing lost–this life is all there is, right?
Now, let’s flip it around and say that I’m right, and that there is a righteous, holy God to which every one of us must answer. When we die, we face God in judgment, and if we’ve accepted the free gift of salvation then we escape the second death and eternal separation from God. If not, we face an eternity in Hell. What has being a Christian gained you then? Everything I mentioned earlier, plus eternity with God. What about the non-believers? Well, now you’ve just sentenced yourself to eternity in Hell.
So if being a Christian if there really was no God doesn’t lose you anything, and being a Christian if there is a God (which I believe there is) gains you the avoidance of Hell, why not be a Christian? It seems the safest bet to me. Why even take the chance? Why play Russian Roulette with eternity? God doesn’t want us to go to Hell; that’s why He sent His son to die for us (see also John 3:16 and numerous other scriptures).
I don’t know that I’ve answered your question, but I do appreciate taking the time to talk with you about this. I hope that we can continue this dialog, and I will do my best to explain my faith and my beliefs in a way that I hope you can understand.
Monday, July 30, 2007 at 6:36 pm
Stephen B.
Ah, the return of Pascal’s Gambit. Now, what if instead of the God of Christianity, it’s Allah that’s waiting for you in the afterlife (there are at least some evangelical Christians who would argue vehemently that Allah - despite the etymology of the name - is a moon god distinct from Yahweh)? or one (or several) of the Hindu pantheon? or Osiris? or Baal? Pascal’s Gambit is tenable only when there are two options; when multiple options are possible, many of which would threaten the person who doesn’t believe in that particular option with everlasting torment, the choice is a much thornier one that can’t be solved merely by casting the die for belief.
As for the non-believer not having gained anything, I’d argue that s/he has gained the freedom from the logical fallacy of the appeal to authority, with all the attendant blessings of critical thought such freedom bestows. In contrast, the believer has constricted his or her reality to the dictates of scripture and/or sacred tradition and missed out on the ability to understand the world as it is, rather than as a self-contradictory set of scriptures posits it to be. Furthermore, the believer has also shackled his or her cognitive structures to an edifice that is responsible for much of the strife in the world (religious wars have been perpetrated for millennia and continue to the present day) as well as some of the world’s good.
Monday, July 30, 2007 at 8:43 pm
William Bishop
But that’s just it. The bible does not stand against murder. A short walk through the old testament exhibits this beyond all doubt(ISA13:18 “Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eyes shall not spare children”). There is no free will(pharoahs hardened heart), and the love is conditional upon a slave mentality.
A lot of people tell me that “what have you got to lose”, but to me that seems a rather foolish reason to follow a particular belief system. It’s generallly referred to as pascal’s wager in theological circles. The main problem with it? What happens if you throw in your lot with the WRONG deity? What happens when you kneel down and find that your god is rather unhappy that you should have been listening all along to the wrong god? Historically(greek, roman, middle eastern) you’ll find that gods are a bit jealous and vengeful.
Back to Job…Most people like the story, and look at it from only one angle. My angle? What about all the family who died to prove said point? What about when god was angered at a sinner, and opened up the ground and swallowed the entire family, plus slaves? Should everyone have died for some idiots poor choices? Does it seem fair? I know it does to christians, because I have literally been told “we’re his to do with as he wishes”. That is a slaves mentality, and call me proud, but I am not a slave.
Anyway, I didn’t mean to split you from your thread, it was rude of me, as it is your thoughts and beliefs, and I tread too heavily most times. I’ve been a reader of yours for a while, and I should have kept my arguments to myself. Now I’m going back to your cisco news.
Monday, July 30, 2007 at 10:55 pm
slowe
Ah, I have really stirred up a hornet’s nest now!
To Stephen,
Point well taken–I’m not a theologian and I’d not heard of Pascal’s Gambit, thank you for sharing it with me. I’ll take that under consideration and think and ponder on how to respond. I will respond to one thought, and that is the statement that those who choose to believe in God are somehow not capable of “critical thought.” I think the numerous scientists and researchers who have chosen to believe God and the story of Creation based on their own scientific research and findings would take offense at being told that they are not able to “understand the world as it is.” I personally consider myself a rather smart person (some people read this site for its detailed technical information rather than my own personal ranting), and would say that my choice to follow God does not restrict my ability to think critically. Thinking differently does not mean thinking less critically.
To William,
Don’t apologize for responding. Just because you don’t believe the same way I do doesn’t mean we can’t discuss our beliefs. I suspect that I won’t be able to convince you to change your beliefs, and I know that I won’t change mine, but we can agree to disagree and be friendly about it, right? Keep the comments coming!
As for the Scripture in Isaiah, that particular passage of Scripture is a prophecy–a warning of what could happen to Babylon. It’s not an approval of murder. In my mind, that’s more like a statement of what the punishment could be for violating the Law, just as our country has punishments for breaking earthly law.
To both William and Stephen (and all the lurkers),
I appreciate your comments. I don’t agree with your viewpoints, but variety is what makes the world go around. I can accept your beliefs, you can accept mine, and we can leave it at that. I believe that God is a God of love, that He sent His son to die for us, and that failing to accept that free gift will condemn us to eternal punishment. It’s my goal to show the love of God to others in my words and in my actions. Part of showing that love is openly and freely accepting that others won’t believe like I do, and that doesn’t make them inferior, or evil, or anything of that sort. We’re all just people.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007 at 4:52 pm
PK.
William - As a general comment - People suck and we continue to suck with or without a relationship with Jesus.
I’ve found I kinda suck less with a relationship with him because I’m not completely reliant upon my own jackass logic when a “big” issue comes up. Further, I tend to make better decisions now that I follow Christ on the “little” issues of which there isn’t a lot stated in the Bible. I think it’s because I’m involved in a gathering of likeminded folks who (typically) are older than I am and don’t necessarily see things the same way as I do. That’s why churches add a unique flavor to your life - you typically don’t see 25 year olds hanging out with a bunch of 50 and 70 year olds in the common course of life. Similarly aged people tend to seek out similarly aged people.
Also - To add to Scott’s reply about the Isaiah, the verses ahead of 13:18 state in the prophecy that God was going to stir up the hearts of the Medes (The Medo-Persian Empire, nowaday’s Iran if I remember correctly) - who’s bows will dash and yada yada yada. I personally avoid taking any religions holy text and slicing and dicing a verse out of it’s context. For the specific reason that in MOST ancient languages punctuation didn’t exist, I know this is the case with the language in which the Old Testament / Torah is written.
William - God also says the wages of sin is death. It’s not written in there “Well, OK, sometimes it’s death, sometimes it’s a gaping flesh wound, and sometimes it’s papercut”. I don’t think God ever says he’s fair, he says he’s just. Fairness is completely human and thusly isn’t fair at all. For instance, if I made an awesome sculpture, and I put it in my front lawn and it becomes a monument for everyone in my neighborhood. I could still cut it down, blow it up, whatever, because it’s mine. It might not be fair, but it’s just, because I own it.
Technically, if you proscribe to a Judeo-Christian belief - In a sense, God owns you since he created you. It freaks some people out, but it doesn’t freak me out that much because ultimately I believe the next life is much better than this one, so while I don’t long to die, I’m not afraid of it.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007 at 9:21 pm
slowe
I’m going to go ahead and close comments on this article because I don’t want things to get out of hand. I appreciate everyone who has responded so far. Thanks for everyone’s comments!