An Almighty Predicament: A Discourse on the Arguments For and Against Christianity by Steven Colborne

Author:Steven Colborne [Colborne, Steven]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781999369361
Publisher: Tealight Books

13

A PURPOSE AND A HOPE

People like myself who are spiritually minded see the apparent chaos and abundant suffering in the world and we look for answers. We simply won't settle for anything other than what is ultimately true. Jesus said "...seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7) I believe He was referring to this quest for spiritual understanding. Part of the reason why I was depressed for so many years was that I had no real sense of purpose or hope.

In John 3:16 we read possibly the most famous scripture in the Bible, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." What a wonderfully hope-giving passage this is! When I first read the New Testament, the depth and wonder of this promise eluded me. It was only in later years, during a time of crisis, when I read the Bible afresh, that these words really spoke to me.

Christianity is a religion that looks beyond the confines of our earthly existence. The truth is that this lifetime is as a mere moment in eternity. As Solomon says in the book of Ecclesiastes in beautiful poetic style, “Life is fleeting, like a passing mist. It is like trying to catch hold of a breath; All vanishes like a vapour; everything is a great vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2).

Eschatology, which is the word that theologians use to refer to the study of the 'end times', is a subject that is important in the Bible. When we read the book of Revelation, for instance, with all its strange and grandiose imagery, we feel a sense of just how much greater and more wonderful the afterlife will be. I wouldn't want to suggest that we will all get there; a place in heaven is not something I take for granted by any means. There are many warnings in the Bible that people who are not obedient to Jesus will be thrown into "the furnace of fire" where there will be "wailing and gnashing of teeth" (e.g. Matthew 13:42).

Alongside the hope that Christianity gives to believers is also a great fear of eternal punishment. Some Christians argue that all we have to do to secure a place in heaven is believe in Jesus, for “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13) Other believers argue that salvation is not that simple, and that we must persevere in our faith, to the point of death, if we are to inherit eternal life. Advocates of this understanding often quote passages like James 1:12, which says, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” This scripture implies salvation is a process, rather than a mere decision to follow Christ, and there are many other scriptures that speak of salvation in these terms.

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