Answers for Atheists! Part 2

Recently I received a number of questions from an Atheist. His first question I answered last month--this month I answered his other two questions (which are in RED).

#1. Name 1 of your Favorite Passages?

This one is easy.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Not some or most but ALL. I would not second guess God, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

#2. What do you think of homosexuals?

Let me start with Matthew 7:21-23, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!'”

Who are those that think they will enter heaven but will not? They obviously are deceived either by someone else or they are self-deceived.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

It is plain from 1 Corinthians that homosexuals are among those who are deceived into thinking they will inherit heaven but will not. What you also need to notice is that homosexuals are not the only ones who are deceived. This list includes the sexually immoral. Remember the commandment—thou shalt not commit adultery and Christ in Matthew 5 (The Sermon on the Mount) said to look upon a women is to commit adultery in your heart. Other lists include liars (another commandment) and blasphemers (another commandment where one uses God’s name as a cuss word). In fact every person ever born can find themselves in one list or another. “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23 and “As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one;” Romans 3:10.

My point is that not only will homosexuals miss heaven but so will everyone who does not see themselves as a sinner in need of a savior. Jesus’ first words in his Sermon on the Mount were, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Since these are Jesus’ first words they must be important. Why are they important? Everything (as a Christian) begins with the realization that we are outside the kingdom of heaven and cannot get into it on our own. Religion is man’s attempt to earn his way to heaven by doing good works. However, our own good works are “filthy rags” to God (Isaiah 64:6).

“Poor” in ‘poor in spirit’ means that you have no resources (talents, skills, etc.)—you are entirely dependent on gifts of others. So to enter God’s kingdom you are dependent on God’s provision.

Jesus is saying, happy are the destitute (those who spiritually have nothing), the hopeless, those who have nothing and can earn nothing. The Jews of Jesus day thought that their many good works earned them heaven. But Jesus taught it was the heart condition, in addition to the outward action that God wants. Psalms 34:18, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

But there is good news for all. I quoted 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (the list of sinners who are deceived) but verse 11 says, “And such some of you were [once]. But you were washed clean (purified by a complete atonement for sin and made free from the guilt of sin), and you were consecrated (set apart, hallowed), and you were justified [pronounced righteous, by trusting] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the [Holy] Spirit of our God." (Amplified Bible).

God set the standard (referred to as the Law in the Bible), He set the punishment (the wages of sin is death, Romans 6:23) but God also provided the sacrifice for the death we deserve (Jesus dying on the cross.) Our penalty is paid when we turn from our sin and accept God’s free gift.

Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Repent means to feel sorry for or self-reproachful for what one has done or failed to do and to change one’s ways.)

Answers for Atheists! Part 1 is here.