“Well that would be nice, if it were true,” Isaac blurted out without thinking.
“If it were true?” Adam exclaimed in astonishment. “Weren't you the one reading the proof verses out of the Bible? How can you say, if it were true?”
“Well I just meant that I couldn't believe it all without studying it diligently,” Isaac replied defensively. “It will take a lot of time to work through the twists and turns of your story.”
“And why do you think it would be nice? Is it because you think it’s unfair to confine people, that have no knowledge of Jesus, to the torments of Hell for all eternity. The belief that God punishes mankind without giving them a chance at repentance doesn’t portray him as very loving,” Adam says, continuing to push his point.
Isaac stammers back with a rehearsed response. “God is sovereign and his ways are a mystery to us. I’m sure he will treat everyone fairly and let them choose Jesus if they want to. Just after they die perhaps, before they go into Hell.”
“Perhaps! Perhaps! And you were just giving me the gears for not having any scriptural backing, where’s your proof for that thought? You seem to be short of contextual scriptural proof for a lot of your doctrines. Tell me, did you take a lot of time proving what you believe now? Did you search the scriptures before you accepted the belief that mankind has an immortal soul? I think it rests in whether you want to believe all of what the Bible teaches or not,” Adam contended heatedly.
“My parents taught me about those fundamentals when I was a child,” Isaac protested. “I could hardly be expected to do an in depth Bible study of them before I could read!”
“Well you’re not a child any more are you!” Adam retorts.
“Oh, so I should change my beliefs in one day because of what you have told me?” Isaac challenges.
“No. I'm not suggesting you do that, you should be sure and prove all things diligently. But you make it sound like it was some major, lifelong undertaking and that my points were in some way inaccurate to what the Bible teaches,” Adam was uncharacteristically sensitive to Isaac's opinions. “You haven't been taking notes and you’re not likely going to remember half of what we talked about by tomorrow.”
“Oh, I'm sure that I’ll be able to find the important scriptures,” Isaac said self-assuredly. “But tell me, why would have God devised such an elaborate scheme? Why doesn’t God just have everyone choose their fate now, in their first life?”
“Those who lived, before Jesus paid the penalty for sin, couldn't accept his sacrifice before it was made,” Adam pointed out. “It was not available to humanity until after the deed was done,” Adam prefaced what he was about to say.
“I don't have scripture to back up these ideas, but I think God wanted to let humanity try their own ideas first. That way there would be no doubt by anyone that we need Jesus to save us, as we are helpless on our own. There would be plenty of examples of people who had tried and failed at living a sin free life. Letting everyone try would undeniably prove that humanity is lost, utterly incapable of living without sin. They would have to admit that Jesus is their only hope for salvation.
I'm reminded of my daughter when she was little; she was determined to do things for herself no matter what. She would push my help aside and stubbornly say, 'me do'. I think humanity would have the same attitude that she did when it comes to living a sin free life. People would believe they could do it on their own. So God let them try, he knew they would fail, but until that belief was tested, it could not be proven wrong. Until we know we need saving, we don't need a saviour.”
“OK I can buy that. People can be hard headed,” Isaac says in a calmer tone. “But that doesn't explain about giving the Old Testament law to the Israelites. God told them to obey him and they would be saved. What was that for? The Bible tells us that the law can't save anyone; we must all go through Jesus to get to God. Having the law didn't get those Old Testament people any closer to salvation, they needed faith,” Isaac quickly looks up some scriptures to prove his point. “Here,” He said. “I'll read you some scriptures.
Romans 10:16-17
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Here’s another, found in.
Galatians 3:1-5
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
More still in.
Acts 13:38-39
38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
And Ephesians.
1:13-14
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Finally, we are carnal and completely incapable of keeping the law of God perfectly.
Romans 8:7
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
So why did God even bother with giving us his laws when he knew we couldn't keep them anyways?”
“Do you enjoy reading out loud?” Adam asks, but the question went unnoticed by Isaac, it was lost in the noise of the truck. Then with a cheeky tone and a smirk he looked Isaac in the eye and yelled earnestly. “I could keep the laws perfectly if given a chance. Why do I need Jesus?”
“What?” asked Isaac with surprise. “You know the nature of man. There is no way you could keep the law of God perfectly without ever making one single mistake at some time.”
“Oh yes I can, I just have to know what the rules are and be allowed to try!” Adam insisted noisily.
“What are you on? You’re not making any sense at all. It's not possible,” Isaac was shaking his head in bewilderment. “No one has ever lived a sin free life except Jesus, the history of mankind has taught us that.”
“Exactly, no one ever has, and with the exception of Jesus, no one ever will,” Agreed Adam. “But mankind didn't know they couldn't keep the laws of God, until they had time to try and fail at it. Without the chance to try some people would come back to life in a resurrection claiming, like I just did, that they would have been able to live sinlessly, if only God had allowed them to try by spelling out the rules they needed to keep. So he did.
God gave his rules to a chosen nation, a nation that he blessed when they obeyed him and let them fall when they didn't follow his rules and went their own way. We still have the laws of God with us today, if people want to try and keep them perfectly.
Humanity will never be able to accuse God of forcing them to follow him. God has always let mankind make their own decisions on how to live their lives. God lets us try our own ways so we will finally come to the realization that we are incapable of living without sin. Otherwise some would reject the salvation of Jesus. They would believe they could follow the laws of God perfectly, or that they could live a life of their own making that would be acceptable to God, without the help of Jesus. People would reject their saviour because they wouldn't recognize their need, for a saviour.
No, no. God won't allow that to happen. He gives mankind plenty of rope
to hang themselves with. On the day of reckoning, there will be no excuses or loopholes for people to say they never got a chance to try. Our failings will be clear for all to see. Every possibility for personal perfection will have been tried and tested at some point in mankind’s collective history.”
“Huh, I hadn't given that much thought. You make a good point,” Isaac said thoughtfully. “I suppose it's like that for everyone, you have to recognize your shortcomings, before you can fix them.
But you make it sound like God isn't concerned that people don't follow him or accept Jesus. So why should I follow Jesus now? Why don't I just wait till later for my salvation when it's easier? Why should I struggle against everything now?”
“I have never said that,” Adam states. “God calls whoever he wants to come to Jesus in this life. He gives those he calls the opportunity to become leaders in his coming Kingdom. We need to grow the fruit of his Spirit in our lives now, so we can be kings and priests with Jesus. Christians will be helping to harvest the future children of God during the resurrections.
Spreading the good news about Jesus now is important, that is how people can be called by God in this life. If they are called, now is their time to follow Jesus, there will be no later, or second chance. As far as why follow now, I don't know about you, but where else would I go? It's like what Peter said; Jesus has the words of life.”
“Oh let me look that up,” Isaac jumped in, fingers flying on the key board. “Here it is,
John 6:68
Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.”
“Exactly, I have no choice but to follow Jesus if I want eternal life,” said Adam. “I know too much to turn back now. Besides, what makes you think it will be easier for those in the second resurrection?
They will still have their own personalities and addictions to struggle with. They aren’t resurrected washed clean of their problems. They will have a lifetime of sin to overcome and forget. The personalities they developed during this life will still be who they are in the next.
Ask anyone overcoming an addiction how easy it is to do. Satan may not be there constantly tempting them, but it is overcoming Satan's temptations through the Holy Spirit working in us, that makes Christians spiritually strong today. Some of those resurrected, whose lives are mired in depraved sin, may never be able or want to escape their old habits once they are resurrected.
It's called neural plasticity. Our minds work through electronic connections in our brains. The more we reuse the same thought connections the more engrained the pathways get. Before long those paths becomes a paved highway, making it easier for the thoughts to flow through. Building new pathways and making our thoughts flow through new connections is a difficult process as the electrical connections want to take the quickest, easiest way. It takes a lot of effort to retrain our brains, but it can be done.
Besides, that resurrection isn't a way to escape the call of God. It is there to provide a chance for people who never received their call to finally come to Jesus. Chances are, if you are trying to avoid being a servant of Jesus in this life, then you probably are being called to Jesus. If you want life, then you better follow that calling. Otherwise you may be counting yourself unworthy of eternal life like some of the Pharisees did.”
“Ya, and some of those last verses we covered had a lot of people fighting against God in the final war at the end of the second resurrection. I get the impression that a lot of people don't use their opportunity to accept Jesus even in their second life,” Isaac says, thinking back on some of the verses he had read.
“That doesn't surprise me,” Adam was having to almost yell now, to be heard above the screaming Jake brake. Since they had left the brake check, the steep decline of the road forced Adam to alternate between using his brakes and engine brake to safely keep the speed of the truck in check.
He would use a light brake application, around fifteen psi to gradually slow the speed of the truck. Then he would release the brakes and let the engine brake keep the trucks speed from increasing too quickly. This pattern would alternate about every thirty seconds; brakes applied for ten seconds, then off for twenty, giving the foundation brakes time to cool. The whole time the Jacobs Engine brake barked out its song, from loud, to an intense roar that made the tin cab of the old truck echo angrily.
Adam was trying to make himself heard now at the loudest part of the pattern. “That doesn't surprise me,” He yelled again louder to make sure he had been heard. “One third of the angles rejected God when they rebelled. They knew God, they had lived with him in heaven, yet they still rejected him.”
Lowering his volume as he applied the rigs brakes, hushing the Jake’s bark, Adam continued. “Why should people be all that different than the Angles? I think the percentage of people who reject God's offer of eternal life will be just as large as that of the Angles. I wouldn't be surprised if at least one third of mankind rejects God.”
“Let me recap your thoughts to see if I got this right,” hollered Isaac, as the loud side of the braking cycle began. “God created people because he wanted a family. Humanity can eventually become his children if they choose to be. Why not just create us as spirit beings, like he did with the Angels?” Isaac asked.
“I believe God created us physical so we could die if we didn't accept Jesus and his ways of love,” Adam speculated. “The angels cannot die. The angels who rejected God are doomed to be tormented in the lake of fire for the rest of eternity. By making us mortal God has spared sinful humans an eternity of pain and sorrow. Those who reject Jesus will die, some in the lake of fire to be cremated, but all who don’t accept Jesus will never again see life of any kind.
God wants a family who will live in love and harmony. By withholding immortality from humanity, until after we decide to follow God's ways of love, keeps us from a potential eternity of suffering. God takes no pleasure in punishing; he is much more interested in loving others and showing that love extravagantly to them.”
“Let’s see. We were created mortal, so we could die and become completely nonexistent, if we fail to become children of God,” Isaac restates Adam's thoughts. “To aid people in their choosing process, God let everyone follow their own wicked ways, just so mankind would realize they need Jesus and the forgiveness he alone offers.
Then, to make sure people wouldn't think they could keep the laws of God by their own power, he gives his laws to a nation so they could try and keep them, proving through that nation, that humans are incapable of living without sin, even when they know what sin is. In the end, everyone will have to admit the only way to escape their sin is to let Jesus take them away through his atoning sacrifice.”
“That's good so far,” Adam agreed encouragingly, “then what?”
“Then,” Isaac continued. “After Jesus came, was crucified and resurrected, defeating sin for everyone, God now draws the people he chooses out of this world to Jesus, so they can become his followers. Those followers learn to put sin out of their lives by following the Holy Spirit and putting Jesus first in their lives.
Having the Holy Spirit doesn't give Christians eternal life right away though. Having the Holy Spirit now, is more like a down payment to the spirit-physical life we will be resurrected into, at the return of Jesus. We are only heirs now, having to wait for our inheritance of perfection, when we are resurrected as children of God. This physical life we live now, as Christians, could be likened to the gestation period of our new life to come as children of God. Our future potential is to be Kings and Priests, teaching the way of God first for the thousand years of rebuilding, as humanity decides if they will follow Jesus. We will be their leaders under Jesus.
The rest of humanity who haven't been called by God, have to wait in their graves for their resurrection that comes at a later time. Their second lifetime of a hundred years is when they will have their eyes opened to Jesus; they will need to decide for themselves if they accept Jesus or not, durin
g their newly resurrected physical lifetime.
All those who were called by God in this life, but reject Jesus, will also be eventually resurrected to a physical life, but they will be thrown into the lake of fire after their day of judgement. They had their opportunity to follow Jesus in this life, but rejected it. Being mortal they will die in the lake of fire, never to have life again. Even the memory of them will die and they will be forgotten for the rest of eternity. Their punishment will be eternal as they will never live again. They will not be in eternal punishing, as they won't have eternal life. Only the true followers of Jesus will gain eternal life, either at his return, or by following him in their resurrected life. Eventually everyone will have the opportunity to make their own decision to follow Jesus or not.”
“Wow. You paid better attention than I gave you credit for,” Adam admitted with embarrassment. “Your outline for humanity was pretty accurate to the way the Bible verses we read explained it.”
“Thanks. You see I was paying attention,” Isaac said, recognizing Adam's regret. “Your plan does give everyone a time to come to God. I can see how it would help those who had no knowledge about Jesus, or the forgiveness he brought.”
Chapter 18
Chance Meeting
The Eden Conspiracy Page 17
