What he knows now

Christopher Hitchens died yesterday. He was a vocal atheist, taking on icons like Mother Theresa, debating religious leaders, and unflinching in his denouncements of religious faith as toxic superstition. His 2007 book was simply titled, "God Is Not Great." Hitchens objected to belief in God as destructive to individual freedom. He was a brilliant man in many ways. Believing as I do in the eternal nature of life, I wonder what kind of essay he would write if he could send one last submission to Vanity Fair? He is wiser now realizing the truth that "Only fools say in their hearts, "There is no God." (Psalm 14:1, NLT)

I do not celebrate his death and hope that those who felt the lash of his words will not. There is nothing to like about contemplating a person entering a hopeless eternity, separated from God, light, and life forever by unbelief! It is a horror too terrible for me to contemplate for very long. Those who wish hell on any person obviously do not understand what it is! The caricatures that are created around the doctrine obscure the awesome realities. Jesus spoke of hell often. He told this story, one that I understand as illustrative of the suffering and alienation of those whose faithlessness leads them there.

"There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man's table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. "Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. "The rich man shouted, 'Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.'

"But Abraham said to him, 'Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.' "Then the rich man said, 'Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father's home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don't end up in this place of torment.'

"But Abraham said, 'Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.' "The rich man replied, 'No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.' "But Abraham said, 'If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even if someone rises from the dead.' " (Luke 16:19-31, NLT)

God takes no delight in 'sending people to Hell' a phrase often used and very wrong. God's desire is the restoration of His relationship to everyone. Christmas is the story of the extent to which He went to bring us back to Himself. But, what Hitchens and many others do not understand, He gives us the freedom to choose our own destruction. Far from taking our freedom, He gives us the power of life and death. Those who find themselves in Hell will have chosen to ignore His grace and goodness too long.

Here's the word from the Word that gives me hope. It is not my goodness that assures me of an eternal home, but His grace which I receive by faith.
"We were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved.
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:1-10, NIV)

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

I earnestly hope that somehow Hitchens chose to receive His grace before he entered into eternity.