God is a

Gentleman

 

 

Somewhere in time, this last week – I was in the lunch room at work and they play a popular news channel on the television.  I was not watching it, but one commercial caught my ear so I looked up.  It was a man telling me that America’s founding fathers wanted to restrict religion and we should join his cause.  He ended it by saying, “I’m not afraid to burn in hell.”

I felt bad for the man.  First of all he doesn’t know enough about the history of the country he lives in or he couldn’t make a statement like he did.  The men that founded America didn’t want the government telling people what to believe – but they did want people to be free to worship God as they please.  What this man was proposing would limit when and where I can show my love for God. 

This is the first Amendment of the American Constitution:

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

 

Many times what we hear now is more along the lines of “prohibiting the free exercise” – which is not what they had in mind.

But on to his next statement that he was not afraid to burn in hell.

I have also heard other people say since God is love  - we don’t have to worry, he won’t send us to hell.

Here is my problem with that.  God is a gentleman.  He will not force people that want nothing to do with Him to spend eternity with Him.  Only those who choose to follow Christ have to worry about an eternity in his presence. 

Romans 10:9New King James Version (NKJV)

⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

For me, I confess the Lord Jesus and I believe – no I know that Jesus was raised from the dead.  I’m personally looking forward to spending eternity in the presence of God.  I pray for those who want to choose otherwise.