Whenever arguing with non-believers about the existence of God or whether the Bible is true, invariably the following argument will come up:
“A true God of love wouldn’t condemn someone to a miserable life simply because that person doesn’t want to be in a relationship with Him”.
And you know what?
That’s absolutely correct.
And not only is it correct.
It’s actually Scriptural.
Listen homies, the Lord will allow you to have as great a life as you want minus Him this side of heaven.
The only exception is if you turn into a Nazi and decide to go ballistic against His Chosen people (Israel and the Jews), then you’re screwed.
But outside of that man, yeah, go ahead and live this life apart from the blessing and shalom of God if you want.
Heck, many famous people have made exactly that choice including many Jews.
For instance, as far as I know, Steve Jobs wasn’t a believer and he had a pretty good life before passing away due to pancreatic cancer.
Or heck, I’m living in Japan right now, and I can tell you the Japanese live a pretty high quality life.
For the most part, your average Japanese person is smart, well educated, makes a great income and has access to the best technology, food and entertainment the world has to offer.
They’re also allied with the US which is the most powerful nation in the world right now.
And this country is clean, safe and the people are polite and carry a sense of poised grace and peace about them.
Far superior to the racial belligerence and tension that exists in other countries.
But do the Japanese know the God of Israel beyond a basic or superficial understanding?
The answer is a resounding NO.
They do NOT know know Him nor are they familiar with the Word of God.
Their knowledge of the Bible is a joke and a half.
Even folks here who do have an above average understanding (for a Japanese person) of the Scriptures, their knowledge is limited to all of the doctrinal mistakes the Christian missionaries or theologians from the West have taught them.
I’m talking about ideas like the Trinity and teaching that “Jesus did away with the Law”.
Heck, I believe if there’s any group of people on the planet who have mastered the art of un-kosher cuisine, it’s gotta be the Japanese.
But here’s the thing.
As far as God is concerned, He’s cool with the Japanese not knowing Him.
He hasn’t chosen them and despite the efforts of many a Christian missionary, they haven’t chosen Him.
The so-called Christian population here is like less than 1%.
And in spite of all their modernism, the Japanese are steeped in idolatry.
Their belief system is basically a combination of pantheism (believing that God and the universe are one and the same) and polytheism (belief in many gods).
During World War II, they considered their emperor to be a deity in human flesh (not uncommon for the non-Jewish world).
But to be more accurate, today I would say your average Japanese is more of an atheist or a materialist (worshipping money) than anything.
But again, the Lord doesn’t expect the Japanese to know Him or His commands or laws.
Deuteronomy 4:19 says “And when you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the forces of heaven—don’t be seduced into worshiping them. The LORD your God gave them to all the peoples of the earth.”
Well, there you have it.
God is telling us that it’s perfectly natural for the non-Jew to be pagan and worship the sun and the moon and the stars as their gods.
In fact, the very reason God put those objects there in the first place is so the heathen would worship them.
For the non-Jew, nothing could be more natural.
I can hear the voices of objection rising up saying…
“But didn’t Jesus come to save the whole world?!”
Well, outside of John’s prologue, not really.
Again, recall the words of Messiah.
“I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
-Matthew 15:24
I think a lot of folks forget what it means to be a so-called “believer in Jesus”.
It means to be grafted into the covenants that God ONLY made with Israel.
Let me say that again for the stubborn and thick-headed.
Your faith in the Jewish Messiah grafts you into the covenants God ONLY MADE WITH ISRAEL and no other nation on the planet.
Got it homies?
And if you decide to reject this invitation from God to join the spiritual commonwealth of Israel because you wanna do your own thang, that’s cool homie.
Have a good life.
I’m not being sarcastic or condescending.
It’s totally possible to have a good life, a great life even, minus a personal relationship with God.
Personally, I think living a life of faith in partnership with the Creator is much more exciting.
And the eternal blessings are out of this world…literally.
But to each his or her own.
Having said that, on this side of heaven, if of your own freewill choice, you decide to enter into a covenant relationship with God, the rules of the game will be different for you.
You will enter into God’s love and grace.
And if you’re diligent in studying His Word, you will become familiar with His laws and commands.
You will also have aligned yourself with the ancient Israelites who witnessed with their own eyes God parting the Red Sea, raining bread down from heaven and bringing forth water from boulders to keep His people alive in the desert.
And here’s something else you shouldn’t forget.
Your salvation comes with a set of obligations.
And those obligations center around serving God.
Because if you’re a believer in Messiah, that’s what you were called to do.
You have been called out to serve the Lord with 100% commitment and perfection.
Hi,
I understand the scripture of Jesus coming to only the lost sheep of Israel, but what about the scripture in John that says He died for the sins of the world? Are you saying He did not die for the sins of mankind? Trying to clarify here.
Hi Felicia, you have to take those verses contextually. Obviously those verses are directed to the gentile and are speaking to the gentile perspective. Yeshua did die for the sins of the world but the only way a non-Jew gets saved is by being grafted into the covenants God only made with Israel. That is the gospel. Shalom.
Hello,
Yes, I understand that. I guess I am looking at it in a broader context that throughout scripture, God included gentiles in His overall plan in regards to redemption. Jesus brought a new covenant after His death and resurrection
True. But consider what the new covenant is? The prophet Jeremiah says ““The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.” Notice that the “new” covenant will only be made with the Hebrews. And that the New Covenant is really just the renewing of the Old Covenant. Again, if a gentile wants to be saved. He or she has no choice but to be grafted into the Covenants that God ONLY MADE WITH ISRAEL. Shalom.
Amen, I agree