What will Heaven be like?
The question of what will heaven be like is probably best answered by asking, what are you like? For Heaven is a place that will be created for YOU!
God is self-existent (meaning he always existed and wasn’t created), so he existed before Heaven was created. Therefore Heaven wasn’t created for God – he didn’t need it. Since Angels are spirits, it’s possible that they didn’t even need heaven; or at the very least they don’t need the same things in heaven that you and I need in Heaven.
So Heaven is created for us.
Think about the splendor of Heaven. Heaven will not have any sin, evil, or decay, so all of the things that are ugly and lack beauty here on earth will not exist in Heaven. When you walk around Heaven you will be aware of the beautiful Holiness and Purity of the place. Heaven will be clean and pure in a way that you cannot imagine right now. There will be no sickness or disease. There will be no poverty. Heaven will be perfect because God made it that way and there will be nothing to change that.
Heaven will be a place of peace and love. When the Beatles sang about peace and love in the 60’s they were longing for Heaven. Heaven, and the fact that it exists has been birthed in your heart. It will be like your most fantastic dream come true. You will see the lion lay down with the lamb. You will bask in the love, mercy and presence of the Almighty God. God will walk with you face to face. People will love each other in a way that you cannot even imagine in this life.
Heaven will be more beautiful than you can even imagine. Heaven will be the most beautiful place that The Almighty can imagine. You’ll be awed by just how wonderful his imagination is. If you’ve ever been to the Grand Canyon and stood on the rim and marveled at the size, scope, beauty and grandeur of this amazing place, then you’ve had a teeny tiny sample of what heaven will be like.
Every place in Heaven will be incredibly more beautiful than anything you’ve ever seen or dreamed of on earth. You will see mountains that will absolutely awe you with their beauty and grandeur. There will be waterfalls that will floor you with how beautiful they are. There are going to be islands that will make the Caribbean or Hawaii look like garbage dumps, because they are more beautiful than anything you’ve ever thought of.
And one of the most interesting things about Heaven will be it’s size. We read in Revelation about the New Jerusalem and think that Heaven will be limited. NO WAY!
Heaven will be made for people that are going to live forever; a people that like to explore; a people that must learn new things to be challenged; a people that are filled with insatiable curiosity; a people that could easily become board in eternity if Heaven weren’t designed to meet their needs. So heaven will go on forever and ever. You will never explore it all. Nobody will. You will go to a waterfall one day (there won’t be days in Heaven, but bear with me. It’ll be easier for both of us to understand if we talk in terms of this age that we understand.) The next day you will go to another beautiful waterfall and you will marvel at its beauty, and so it will continue. Each place and each experience will be rewarding, mentally challenging, and invigorating. Heaven is made to keep you interested and fulfilled forever.
So like Jesus says, “Lay up your treasure in Heaven.” Keep your mind fixed upon Heaven and your eternal home. The 80 years of hardship that you endure here on earth will be immediately forgotten as soon as you get to Heaven.
John Wheeler
Friday, September 7, 2007
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
My Struggle for the Truth
My Personal Struggle for Truth (Part 1)
At about the age of 18 I started a long and arduous spiritual journey to find the truth about God. I grew up in church, but a lot of what I had been told didn’t make sense. The gospel that I was taught didn’t intuit well – it made no sense. I saw people come to church on Sunday and live like the Devil the rest of the week, and we were supposed to believe that they were children of God and even elders in the church. It makes no sense that you can live anyway you like and not offend a holy God.
I was taught that salvation required no works. In fact to think that you had to do anything to procure salvation was evil. All one had to do to be saved was to sincerely pray the sinner’s prayer.
I heard and saw people pray the sinners prayer and they didn’t make any changes their lives. Obviously they didn’t have any faith in God or Jesus other than that he possibly existed; but because they prayed the sinner’s prayer the pastor or other religious leader would pronounce them miraculously “saved.” Sometimes this rite of the church was such a farce that the saved person himself didn’t even believe that he was saved and didn’t understand what he had just said. Not to worry, we were taught that salvation was so wonderful the carnal mind could not fathom it, and these were new citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Like so many other Christians, I believed what I was taught about salvation until one night I saw a great travesty. A woman had come to the church. She was the mother of a young lady that attended the church. The woman, who’s name escapes me, was from a Pacific Island, barely spoke any English, and if she wasn’t a little mentally ill at the very least she was simple minded.
Her Daughter had a great desire to see her mother saved, so when the Pastor made an alter call that evening, the daughter helped her mother to the front of the church. After a few moments at the front of the church, the mother, the daughter, myself and possibly some others were directed into a room off the main sanctuary where we could spend some time with the woman.
I’m not really sure what the woman understood about God, about Jesus, or about religion in general. To my mind, it seemed like she understood nothing about God (although because of the language barrier, I may have gotten the wrong impression). Our time with the woman centered on getting her to recite the Sinner’s Prayer and have faith. She belligerently resisted for at least 20 minutes, but the crowd’s desire to see her “saved,” and the fact that her daughter was in anguish for her mother’s unrepentant soul caused people to persist. The poor woman was encouraged and badgered with words such as, “Don’t you want to go to heaven?” “All you have to do is say this prayer with us, and you will go to heaven,” or, “just have faith in Jesus, that’s all you need.”
Finally, I think they told her just to say, “Jesus,” and she would be saved. As I remember it, the woman finally repeated whatever the group wanted her to repeat, and there was exuberant praise because another soul had been added to the Kingdom.
I was less than convinced by the conversion. I don’t think she had saving faith at all. I doubt that a soul was added to the Kingdom that night, and I don’t see that God was glorified by our actions.
In fact this night has haunted me like Poe’s Raven, constantly causing me to question the instructions that we give sinners.
John Wheeler
PS, I will post Part II soon
At about the age of 18 I started a long and arduous spiritual journey to find the truth about God. I grew up in church, but a lot of what I had been told didn’t make sense. The gospel that I was taught didn’t intuit well – it made no sense. I saw people come to church on Sunday and live like the Devil the rest of the week, and we were supposed to believe that they were children of God and even elders in the church. It makes no sense that you can live anyway you like and not offend a holy God.
I was taught that salvation required no works. In fact to think that you had to do anything to procure salvation was evil. All one had to do to be saved was to sincerely pray the sinner’s prayer.
I heard and saw people pray the sinners prayer and they didn’t make any changes their lives. Obviously they didn’t have any faith in God or Jesus other than that he possibly existed; but because they prayed the sinner’s prayer the pastor or other religious leader would pronounce them miraculously “saved.” Sometimes this rite of the church was such a farce that the saved person himself didn’t even believe that he was saved and didn’t understand what he had just said. Not to worry, we were taught that salvation was so wonderful the carnal mind could not fathom it, and these were new citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Like so many other Christians, I believed what I was taught about salvation until one night I saw a great travesty. A woman had come to the church. She was the mother of a young lady that attended the church. The woman, who’s name escapes me, was from a Pacific Island, barely spoke any English, and if she wasn’t a little mentally ill at the very least she was simple minded.
Her Daughter had a great desire to see her mother saved, so when the Pastor made an alter call that evening, the daughter helped her mother to the front of the church. After a few moments at the front of the church, the mother, the daughter, myself and possibly some others were directed into a room off the main sanctuary where we could spend some time with the woman.
I’m not really sure what the woman understood about God, about Jesus, or about religion in general. To my mind, it seemed like she understood nothing about God (although because of the language barrier, I may have gotten the wrong impression). Our time with the woman centered on getting her to recite the Sinner’s Prayer and have faith. She belligerently resisted for at least 20 minutes, but the crowd’s desire to see her “saved,” and the fact that her daughter was in anguish for her mother’s unrepentant soul caused people to persist. The poor woman was encouraged and badgered with words such as, “Don’t you want to go to heaven?” “All you have to do is say this prayer with us, and you will go to heaven,” or, “just have faith in Jesus, that’s all you need.”
Finally, I think they told her just to say, “Jesus,” and she would be saved. As I remember it, the woman finally repeated whatever the group wanted her to repeat, and there was exuberant praise because another soul had been added to the Kingdom.
I was less than convinced by the conversion. I don’t think she had saving faith at all. I doubt that a soul was added to the Kingdom that night, and I don’t see that God was glorified by our actions.
In fact this night has haunted me like Poe’s Raven, constantly causing me to question the instructions that we give sinners.
John Wheeler
PS, I will post Part II soon
Monday, July 30, 2007
SO GREAT SALVATION
There is nothing, either real or imagined, that even comes close to the greatness of salvation. Even in our fictional stories like Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, or Harry Potter, nobody has ever dreamed of anything as wonderful as the salvation that is offered us by our God.
Sometimes, in our carnal state, we think of salvation as just forgiveness of sins, but salvation is much more than just forgiveness of sins. Even human governments can and often do pardon crimes (forgive sins) and offer clemency. Certainly, included in the offer of salvation from God the forgiveness of sins, but salvation is so much more.
Salvation takes you from a position as an enemy of the government of God, pardons you for all your past crimes, and then raises you to a position of high honor in the Kingdom of God and the universe. Never once in all of our dreams, our fantasy, and our fiction has anything so great, so wonderful, so magnificent, so undeserved as the salvation of sinners ever been conceived of by any human mind. Only the Divine Mind could possibly concoct a plan that would take willfully unlawful criminals, reprobates, and God-haters, and change them into holy members of the Royal Family of the infinite, holy, and sovereign Lord God All Mighty
Through salvation, you have gained all of the rights given to the children of God, and you are given a position of honor in the Kingdom of Heaven with all the privileges and powers that come along with being a representative of the King of Kings. You are an Ambassador of Heaven, sent to further the Kingdom of Heaven and make disciples and converts. You have been given the ministry of reconciliation. You are told to further the Kingdom and allowed to use the name of Jesus to transact Kingdom business. You are given the power over demons, sickness and disease, and all enemies of the Kingdom. You are made a Holy Priest of the Most High. The Holy Spirit of God lives within you and leads you. As a member of Kingdom of Heaven, you are supported and backed by all the power of God and great hordes of Angels. You are given eternal life, and will spend eternity in a place created just for you called heaven. And for the rest of eternity you will live in amazement at the grace, goodness and mercy of God because of the salvation that he has freely given you.
Salvation is infinitely more than just forgiveness of sins. You have been adopted into the family of God, made a member of the Kingdom of Heaven, and given a duty and a great purpose for your life.
John Wheeler
Thursday, July 19, 2007
The Rich Man and Lazarus
The Rich Man and Lazarus
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.
At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side.
The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
Luke 16:19-31
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM:
In response to my concern that people are going to be fooled by the enticements offered by Carlton Pearson’s Universalism, I was going to go into a long proof that Hell actually exists. But I figured it would be a waste of my time; other than to say, as horrible as it is here for some people; Hell will be worse than you can even imagine.
So let me share what’s on my heart now. When I was a child, I used to wonder how I would feel at the judgment when I saw my ungodly friends sentenced to eternal suffering in Hell. Would I run in front of God and beg for mercy and compassion for them? How would I deal with it?
Recently, I realized that I have an example of how the Righteous feel about the inhabitants of Hell, and its right here in The Rich Man and Lazarus.
When the Rich Man shrieks in agony for the smallest drop of water, because he dare not even ask for a glass of water, how do Abraham and Lazarus reply?
Abraham says, “you had your good things in life.”
Now most people will glance over that part and miss what he’s truly implying, so stay awake here.
What Abraham is saying is, “God is just by sending you to Hell.”
Ouch!
Abraham didn’t say, “Oh you poor man, I ache for you. Lazarus will be right over and he’ll bring you lots of refreshing water.”
Abraham didn’t say, “Hey dude, it hurts me to see you suffer like that, but I can’t help you because of the chasm between us.”
Abraham didn’t say anything that even implied that he had even the slightest sympathy and compassion for the Rich Man in Hell. Now why not?
It’s easy. Abraham is a servant of God. He loves God with all his heart, soul, and being. Abraham’s Number one desire is bring glory to God and further the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Rich Man is a rebel. All his life he refused to listen to the message of the prophets and turn to God. The Rich Man sneered in the face of a just, and holy, and sovereign God.
There is no way that Abraham can approve of such behavior in another being – not when his own heart is completely set on glorifying God. If Abraham had sympathy for the Rich Man and sided in with him, it would put Abraham in direct opposition to the Justice of God. In essence he would be calling God unjust for punishing this criminal.
And so it should be with us also. Our first goal must be to bring glory and honor to God. We can never side with sinners. We can never oppose God, and think him unjust for punishing sinners. To do so would be grand blasphemy, and prove that we know little of the goodness and mercy of God.
John
The lies of Carlton Pearson continued
My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I’m going to continue to write things about the dangerous doctrines of Carlton Pearson, not because I have anything against him – I don’t. In fact the Bible tells me to love him.
OK, NOW FOR SOME TRUTH
I’ve showed you the complete verse the Carlton quotes within it’s context. Carlton is absolutely correct in saying that Christ died for the sins of the entire world. The people that John was addressing had gotten off track and were thinking that maybe Christ only died for believers. John says Christ died for the sins of the world, but just cause he died for your sins doesn’t mean you’re going to Heaven. John goes on to say, ”We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.” So what John is saying is that you cannot be a Christian without keeping his commands.
I’m going to continue to write things about the dangerous doctrines of Carlton Pearson, not because I have anything against him – I don’t. In fact the Bible tells me to love him.
If you look at the last post, I’m required to love him with selfless benevolence and do the best for him that I can. In other words, love him as I love myself. I am not required to love him with the love of approval, because frankly what he’s doing to potentially thousands and maybe millions of souls is teaching them the doctrines of demons. As a result of Carlton’s doctrines, millions of souls may suffer eternal agony as enemies of God. How can any righteous being be pleased with that?
But I don’t want you to be fooled. I want you to know the truth and the truth will set you free. So here’s what Carlton is saying, and what God is says.
Here’s what Carlton Pearson says:
As stated in I John 2:2, "He, (Jesus) is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only our sins [inclusion], but the sins of the whole world.” The atonement of Christ for the sin of the world, was and is inclusive and is not limited to a few fortunate believers.
Here’s what the Sovereign Lord God Almighty actually says in that passage:
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
1John 2:2
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM
Also, the Lord says the following:
You have wearied the LORD with your words. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them” or “Where is the God of justice?”
Malachi 2:17
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD- ROM
Hmmm, just a little bit of difference between what Carlton says and what the Lord God almighty says, huh?
The problem with a lot of philosophies is that they don’t take into account the entire Bible as being the complete revelation of to mankind, and then they pick and choose which verses they want to use to prove their point.
This sort of thinking is very prevalent in current churches. For instance, a lot of Christians will completely ignore the Old Testament as being irrelevant to them. They won’t even bother to read the Old Testament cause they say, “we’re not under law but grace.” And I’ve even seen people eliminate the sayings of Christ by saying, “well that’s irrelevant because it’s before the cross, and what happened before the cross doesn’t matter now.” And then they pick out a favorite verse that fits their selfish philosophy and then build their entire philosophy and doctrine around that. For instance they’ll say something ludicrous like, “the Bible teaches, eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.”
Well, no the Bible doesn’t teach, “eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die,” but the Bible does says, “If the dead are not raised, then let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die,” (1 Corinthians 15:32). When you read the verse in context you can understand that the quote is part of an argument about the resurrection of the dead. It is not an instance of the Bible teaching hedonism, amoralism, or anarchy.
So this is what Carlton has done with his idea of inclusion (the idea that everybody is going to heaven); he has pulled a few verses out of context and then tried to build an entire theology around them. I don’t want to see you get fooled or sucked into the tragic lie that he is teaching.
But I don’t want you to be fooled. I want you to know the truth and the truth will set you free. So here’s what Carlton is saying, and what God is says.
Here’s what Carlton Pearson says:
As stated in I John 2:2, "He, (Jesus) is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only our sins [inclusion], but the sins of the whole world.” The atonement of Christ for the sin of the world, was and is inclusive and is not limited to a few fortunate believers.
Here’s what the Sovereign Lord God Almighty actually says in that passage:
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
1John 2:2
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM
Also, the Lord says the following:
You have wearied the LORD with your words. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them” or “Where is the God of justice?”
Malachi 2:17
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD- ROM
Hmmm, just a little bit of difference between what Carlton says and what the Lord God almighty says, huh?
The problem with a lot of philosophies is that they don’t take into account the entire Bible as being the complete revelation of to mankind, and then they pick and choose which verses they want to use to prove their point.
This sort of thinking is very prevalent in current churches. For instance, a lot of Christians will completely ignore the Old Testament as being irrelevant to them. They won’t even bother to read the Old Testament cause they say, “we’re not under law but grace.” And I’ve even seen people eliminate the sayings of Christ by saying, “well that’s irrelevant because it’s before the cross, and what happened before the cross doesn’t matter now.” And then they pick out a favorite verse that fits their selfish philosophy and then build their entire philosophy and doctrine around that. For instance they’ll say something ludicrous like, “the Bible teaches, eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.”
Well, no the Bible doesn’t teach, “eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die,” but the Bible does says, “If the dead are not raised, then let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die,” (1 Corinthians 15:32). When you read the verse in context you can understand that the quote is part of an argument about the resurrection of the dead. It is not an instance of the Bible teaching hedonism, amoralism, or anarchy.
So this is what Carlton has done with his idea of inclusion (the idea that everybody is going to heaven); he has pulled a few verses out of context and then tried to build an entire theology around them. I don’t want to see you get fooled or sucked into the tragic lie that he is teaching.
OK, NOW FOR SOME TRUTH
I’ve showed you the complete verse the Carlton quotes within it’s context. Carlton is absolutely correct in saying that Christ died for the sins of the entire world. The people that John was addressing had gotten off track and were thinking that maybe Christ only died for believers. John says Christ died for the sins of the world, but just cause he died for your sins doesn’t mean you’re going to Heaven. John goes on to say, ”We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.” So what John is saying is that you cannot be a Christian without keeping his commands.
You can come up with whatever rules for salvation that you want, but the truth is just what John says it is; if you don’t keep his commands, you don’t love God and therefore you have NO hope for salvation and NO POSSIBILITY of eternal life in heaven.
Furthermore, look what the prophet Malachi says. He says that we weary God when we say that people who do evil are pleasing to God. It’s just not so brothers. How could it be?
The truth is simple, all the law is summed up in 2 commands: Love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. The Wicked don’t love God with all their heart. Their supreme desire is not the greatest possible good of God and his Kingdom. In fact they are diametrically opposed to God and all things good.
Irregardless of what Carlton says, sinners are diabolically evil, rebellious, and dead set against God. God sent his son to reconcile the entire world to him, and they reject that sacrifice and spit in the face of God. Sinners do everything they can to resist the grace and goodness of God and they ignore his attempts to reconcile them to himself. The worst sin you can commit is refusing to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind. I don’t care what code of morality you dream up, if it doesn’t begin with 100% consecration to God then it’s blatantly wrong, evil and immoral.
Please don’t think that you can reject the goodness, mercy, and patience of The King of Kings without eternally offending him, his government, and his justice. The writer of the Hebrews says, "those who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10: 28 & 29)
Furthermore, look what the prophet Malachi says. He says that we weary God when we say that people who do evil are pleasing to God. It’s just not so brothers. How could it be?
The truth is simple, all the law is summed up in 2 commands: Love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. The Wicked don’t love God with all their heart. Their supreme desire is not the greatest possible good of God and his Kingdom. In fact they are diametrically opposed to God and all things good.
Irregardless of what Carlton says, sinners are diabolically evil, rebellious, and dead set against God. God sent his son to reconcile the entire world to him, and they reject that sacrifice and spit in the face of God. Sinners do everything they can to resist the grace and goodness of God and they ignore his attempts to reconcile them to himself. The worst sin you can commit is refusing to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind. I don’t care what code of morality you dream up, if it doesn’t begin with 100% consecration to God then it’s blatantly wrong, evil and immoral.
Please don’t think that you can reject the goodness, mercy, and patience of The King of Kings without eternally offending him, his government, and his justice. The writer of the Hebrews says, "those who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10: 28 & 29)
The only reasonable place for those who refuse to repent and turn to God is somewhere far away from the Holy God, in a place of punishment. That place is called hell.
May God be exalted,
John Wheeler
May God be exalted,
John Wheeler
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Carlton Pearson is Wrong About God's Love
Categories: CarltonPearson, Universalism
Here is a quote from Carlton Pearson's Website:
"There are fewer matters more urgent in today’s pluralistic culture than the issue of the centrality of the cross and the accurate articulation and expression of the Universal love of God toward all of humankind."
Used without permission from: http://www.newdimensions.us/content.cfm?id=2009
My Dear Friends,
The Church is being exposed to a dangerous heresy in the form of the Universalism of Carlton Pearson. Briefly stated, Universalism is the belief that all persons will be saved from Hell and eternal damnation through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ." This fallacy is a dangerous doctrine of demons that has been around from about the 2nd century AD when Tertulian refuted it.
First of all, you need to know that Carlton Pearson is teaching the following:
1.) The whole world is saved
2.) There is no eternal hell
3.) Hell is here
4.) After death, everybody is redeemed
So let's talk about his first paragraph that is included up above and I'll show you what is wrong with Carlton's idea of Universal Love.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotton son, that whosoever believeth on him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
Sorry about the King James version of that scripture, but that's how I memorized it when I was a kid, and I'll die quoting that version.
Absolutely, the scripture says that God loved the world. I heartedly agree with that point. However we've got to talk about what that means.
What John 3:16 says is that God has an unselfish benevolence for the world, meaning that when possible he does the best he can for every person. It's the type of love that is talked about when it says, "God causes the sun to rise on the just and the unjust."
God's benevolence and good will causes him to seek the greatest good of himself, the universe and the beings under his sovergnty. God seeks to bring the greatest joy to as many beings as possible including man and animal.
We call this unselfish (or disinterested) benevolence, because God does the best he can possbily do for you without thinking of the consequences to himself. That's what it means when it says, "God is love." His entire being is love and all of his actions are from love. So he created you, not because he needed you - God is self-existant and didn't need you. But the greatest joy in the universe could be brought about by creating mankind.
So it's true to say that God loves the entire world, every man, woman, and child in this world with a unselfish benevolence that causes him to do the best possible thing for as many beings as possible. This does NOT mean that all humans will be saved.
God does NOT love the entire world with the love of approbation. Approbation is a fancy word that means approval. So to repeat, God does not love everybody with the Love of Approval. God does NOT approve of the wicked. Don't ever believe that. Don't think that God has prepared a special place for child molestors! Don't think that there's anything but a fearful judgment waiting for those that murder kill and destroy. God cannot love those people with the love of Approbation.
How could he? God is infinately Holy. More holy than you could possibly imagine. When the Holy Prophet Isaiah stood before God he said, "Wow is me, I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips." Throughout eternity, you will continue to grow in degree of holiness, but you will never match the holiness of the Lord. You will always fall prostrate before God, and proclaim, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty." We will worship him, "in the splendor of his holiness."
God cannot stand sin and he demands holiness and moral perfection from every one of his subjects. Hebrews 12:14 says, "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."
Make no mistake, God does not approve of sinners. In the Bible there are only 2 classes of people, The Wicked and The Righteous. God approves of the righteous person that has repented of his sin and cleansed himself. The Holy, the Righteous, and the Just, God can approve of.
So although God loves sinners with unselfish benevolence, it is only the Godly that he loves with the love of approbation (or approval).
So Carlton fails to make a distinction between the Wicked and the Righteous, which the Bible does from Adam through Revelations. The worst thing is that this is a dangerous doctrine that will give many a false hope and potentially lead millions to eternal destruction.
I will leave you with a final thought from Jesus, who in the end will be the one who decides who goes to heaven and who goes to hell:
“And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.”
Mark 9:42
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM:Mk 9:42
Here is a quote from Carlton Pearson's Website:
"There are fewer matters more urgent in today’s pluralistic culture than the issue of the centrality of the cross and the accurate articulation and expression of the Universal love of God toward all of humankind."
Used without permission from: http://www.newdimensions.us/content.cfm?id=2009
My Dear Friends,
The Church is being exposed to a dangerous heresy in the form of the Universalism of Carlton Pearson. Briefly stated, Universalism is the belief that all persons will be saved from Hell and eternal damnation through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ." This fallacy is a dangerous doctrine of demons that has been around from about the 2nd century AD when Tertulian refuted it.
First of all, you need to know that Carlton Pearson is teaching the following:
1.) The whole world is saved
2.) There is no eternal hell
3.) Hell is here
4.) After death, everybody is redeemed
So let's talk about his first paragraph that is included up above and I'll show you what is wrong with Carlton's idea of Universal Love.
WHAT IS IMPLIED BY THE UNIVERSAL LOVE OF GOD?
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotton son, that whosoever believeth on him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
Sorry about the King James version of that scripture, but that's how I memorized it when I was a kid, and I'll die quoting that version.
Absolutely, the scripture says that God loved the world. I heartedly agree with that point. However we've got to talk about what that means.
What John 3:16 says is that God has an unselfish benevolence for the world, meaning that when possible he does the best he can for every person. It's the type of love that is talked about when it says, "God causes the sun to rise on the just and the unjust."
God's benevolence and good will causes him to seek the greatest good of himself, the universe and the beings under his sovergnty. God seeks to bring the greatest joy to as many beings as possible including man and animal.
We call this unselfish (or disinterested) benevolence, because God does the best he can possbily do for you without thinking of the consequences to himself. That's what it means when it says, "God is love." His entire being is love and all of his actions are from love. So he created you, not because he needed you - God is self-existant and didn't need you. But the greatest joy in the universe could be brought about by creating mankind.
So it's true to say that God loves the entire world, every man, woman, and child in this world with a unselfish benevolence that causes him to do the best possible thing for as many beings as possible. This does NOT mean that all humans will be saved.
WHAT IS NOT IMPLIED BY GOD'S UNIVERSAL LOVE
God does NOT love the entire world with the love of approbation. Approbation is a fancy word that means approval. So to repeat, God does not love everybody with the Love of Approval. God does NOT approve of the wicked. Don't ever believe that. Don't think that God has prepared a special place for child molestors! Don't think that there's anything but a fearful judgment waiting for those that murder kill and destroy. God cannot love those people with the love of Approbation.
How could he? God is infinately Holy. More holy than you could possibly imagine. When the Holy Prophet Isaiah stood before God he said, "Wow is me, I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips." Throughout eternity, you will continue to grow in degree of holiness, but you will never match the holiness of the Lord. You will always fall prostrate before God, and proclaim, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty." We will worship him, "in the splendor of his holiness."
God cannot stand sin and he demands holiness and moral perfection from every one of his subjects. Hebrews 12:14 says, "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."
Make no mistake, God does not approve of sinners. In the Bible there are only 2 classes of people, The Wicked and The Righteous. God approves of the righteous person that has repented of his sin and cleansed himself. The Holy, the Righteous, and the Just, God can approve of.
So although God loves sinners with unselfish benevolence, it is only the Godly that he loves with the love of approbation (or approval).
So Carlton fails to make a distinction between the Wicked and the Righteous, which the Bible does from Adam through Revelations. The worst thing is that this is a dangerous doctrine that will give many a false hope and potentially lead millions to eternal destruction.
I will leave you with a final thought from Jesus, who in the end will be the one who decides who goes to heaven and who goes to hell:
“And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.”
Mark 9:42
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM:Mk 9:42
Carlton Pearson's Universalism
Categories: CarltonPearson
The following is copied from the Carlton Pearson website without permission.
Brothers and Sisters,
Since I don't want you to be ignorant of God, his holy law, and his commands, I'm going to spend some time showing you the falicy behind his arguments.
John
About God's Inclusive LoveYou Are Here
There are fewer matters more urgent in today’s pluralistic culture than the issue of the centrality of the cross and the accurate articulation and expression of the Universal love of God toward all of humankind.
As stated in I John 2:2, "He, (Jesus) is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only our sins [inclusion], but the sins of the whole world.” The atonement of Christ for the sin of the world, was and is inclusive and is not limited to a few fortunate believers.
Does being “born-again” save us or does it simply bring to light a condition that already exists—wrought and bought by the blood of Jesus at Calvary? Does believing make you born-again or does being born-again make me a believer?
I think we in evangelical Christianity have ignored the Sovereignty of God and limited the scope and sweep of His great Love toward all. Scripture says, "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" ( Romans 5:20)— He died once for all. (Romans 6:10 and 1 Pet. 3:18) And contrary to popular opinion, our belief systems and religious presuppositions do not invalidate or reverse the effectiveness or efficiency of the finished work of Calvary. (Rom. 3:3).
If death is automatic because of Adam, life is automatic because of Christ, without our vote or prior approval. As the disobedience of one man made us all sinners, by the obedience of one man we were all made righteous. (Romans 5:12-14 and 1 Cor. 15:22).
The whole world is saved (redeemed), but all are not aware. Jesus is the Savior of, not just for, all men, but has a special relationship with those who believe. Those who recognize and Acknowledge this truth have been given the message and ministry of reconciliation—the very Words and logic of God, to share with the unknowing an unbelieving world. (Romans 3:1-2 and 2Cor. 5:18-19).
I close with this quote sent to me by the VP of a major Christian publishing company; "...the Law of God condemns us all until, while we are still sinners, grace comes and liberates us from it's curse without a single condition attached; no improvements demanded, no promises extorted-just the extravagant, outrageous, hilarious absurdity of free grace and undying love.”
Because all men were included in the finished work of Calvary, when all is said and done, “. . . every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is LORD—the Savior of the world!” (Phil. 2:9-11)
Peace,
Bishop Carlton D. Pearson
The following is copied from the Carlton Pearson website without permission.
Brothers and Sisters,
Since I don't want you to be ignorant of God, his holy law, and his commands, I'm going to spend some time showing you the falicy behind his arguments.
John
About God's Inclusive LoveYou Are Here
There are fewer matters more urgent in today’s pluralistic culture than the issue of the centrality of the cross and the accurate articulation and expression of the Universal love of God toward all of humankind.
As stated in I John 2:2, "He, (Jesus) is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only our sins [inclusion], but the sins of the whole world.” The atonement of Christ for the sin of the world, was and is inclusive and is not limited to a few fortunate believers.
Does being “born-again” save us or does it simply bring to light a condition that already exists—wrought and bought by the blood of Jesus at Calvary? Does believing make you born-again or does being born-again make me a believer?
I think we in evangelical Christianity have ignored the Sovereignty of God and limited the scope and sweep of His great Love toward all. Scripture says, "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" ( Romans 5:20)— He died once for all. (Romans 6:10 and 1 Pet. 3:18) And contrary to popular opinion, our belief systems and religious presuppositions do not invalidate or reverse the effectiveness or efficiency of the finished work of Calvary. (Rom. 3:3).
If death is automatic because of Adam, life is automatic because of Christ, without our vote or prior approval. As the disobedience of one man made us all sinners, by the obedience of one man we were all made righteous. (Romans 5:12-14 and 1 Cor. 15:22).
The whole world is saved (redeemed), but all are not aware. Jesus is the Savior of, not just for, all men, but has a special relationship with those who believe. Those who recognize and Acknowledge this truth have been given the message and ministry of reconciliation—the very Words and logic of God, to share with the unknowing an unbelieving world. (Romans 3:1-2 and 2Cor. 5:18-19).
I close with this quote sent to me by the VP of a major Christian publishing company; "...the Law of God condemns us all until, while we are still sinners, grace comes and liberates us from it's curse without a single condition attached; no improvements demanded, no promises extorted-just the extravagant, outrageous, hilarious absurdity of free grace and undying love.”
Because all men were included in the finished work of Calvary, when all is said and done, “. . . every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is LORD—the Savior of the world!” (Phil. 2:9-11)
Peace,
Bishop Carlton D. Pearson
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
