The Real Jesus
Did Jesus Christ come to earth to warn people about a burning hell that awaits them unless they confess a particular religious creed? Did he preach that hell is eternal, a place of never-ending torture where the damned will writhe and scream in agony in the flames -- forever? Was the faith of Jesus a depressing and terrifying religion that teaches that billions of people will be condemned to everlasting torment? Hell, NO! Such ideas are unbiblical and wrong. The Jesus of "fundamentalist" Christianity is not the real Jesus, but a religious idol. "I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." ~ Jesus Christ, John 12:32
Do you know the real Jesus or a religious idol?
Does He know you as a true Christian or a follower of a false gospel?
How do you see Jesus Christ? As a stern judge who condemns people to suffer forever in hell for unrepented sins and incorrect religious beliefs, or a loving Savior who will do anything necessary to redeem all souls and reunite us with God? Who is the real Jesus Christ? The Bible tells us many things about Jesus and his teachings, but different Christians disagree about what is the overall message of the Gospel.
Jesus Christ said that some people who call themselves "Christian" have never seen him for who he really is -- never seen the real Jesus Christ, never known him in their heart. Surely Jesus meant people who are liberal in their beliefs and practices, right? Wrong! Jesus said, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" (Mat. 7:22-23). The people Jesus is talking about sound like fundamentalist preachers -- but for some reason Jesus says he never knew them.
What could possibly keep sincere Christians from knowing Jesus Christ, despite being so fervent in their Christianity that they are prophesying, performing exorcisms and miracles in Jesus' name? Could it be that they have created a false image of Jesus in their minds, and therefore they cannot see the real Jesus Christ in their hearts? Could it be that, blinded by fear and fierce religiosity, their vision of God is actually evil?
Jesus warned his followers about hard-hearted Christians who will preach false doctrines, and he said we can know them by the fruits of their teachings. "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit." (Mat. 7:15-17). Many Christians go around telling people they are going to burn in hell forever unless they convert to the Christian religion. Let us consider what has been the fruit of those who have preached a gospel of eternal damnation throughout history.
"Thousands of degrees hot! and
not a drop of water," declares a
popular fundamentalist Christian
tract about "tortured lost souls
burning forever" in the fires of hell.
Isn't the Gospel good news?
The traditional doctrine of hell is bitter and poisonous fruit, a rotten foulness that has left a dark stain on Christianity. Hell on people's lips has led to hell on earth in the form of insanity, hatred and intolerance, heresy trials, torture chambers, burnings at the stake, religious wars, brutal colonialism, fanatical sects, broken homes, and many people losing their faith. It is this cruel doctrine -- the belief that some souls will be tormented forever and ever by God with no hope of relief and redemption -- that has darkened the Christian spirit and turned the Gospel from Good News into bad. It is hell-fire that clouds our view of Jesus Christ and prevents us from seeing the Divine Light.
Paul the Apostle never taught the existence of an eternal hell in his letters that appear in the Bible -- not once! If eternal hell were real, surely he would have written of it repeatedly, making avoidance of the horrific fires of doom the centerpiece of his Gospel. Instead, he preached the Good News of universal reconciliation of all human beings to God through the all-embracing power of Jesus Christ. "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn..." (1 Cor. 15:22-23). Paul explained that there is special salvation for believers, but eventually "God may be all in all" (vs. 28). "This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things." (1 Tim. 4:9-11). The Gospel that Jesus commissioned Paul to share with the world did not include everlasting hell-fire, but was a message of infinite hope.
The truth is, Jesus Christ never taught eternal torment for anyone God has created, no matter how sinful or misguided they may be. On the contrary, he taught that he is the savior of all people; and although there is punishment for the wicked, it is God's way of saving them from themselves through tough love, not eternal wrath and vengeance for sins committed during one mortal life. An endless hell makes an omnipotent Creator into a failure. An endless hell makes the Divine author of love and justice into a beast worse than the most depraved criminals this world has ever known. An endless hell is a blasphemy against God's character, and blasphemies have no place being taught as part of the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ.
God wants us to be able to love Him as much as He loves us. That's why God sent Jesus into this world. The main purpose of Jesus's ministry was to teach us about forgiveness, mercy, and unconditional love; to proclaim the revolutionary idea that God is our Abba (Daddy), not some distant tyrant; to give us hope that the lost sheep will be found and the prodigal son will rejoin the Father's household. When Jesus saw an adulteress about to be stoned to death, he said the one without sin should cast the first stone -- and then, despite being sinless, he did not stone her but forgave her. What is the lesson here, if not that God is compassionate even to the guilty? If we are commanded to turn the other cheek and love our enemies, to forgive people seventy times seven, and Jesus himself asks God to forgive the very men who pounded nails into his hands, how could God possibly maintain a burning hell where people will never be forgiven and forever be punished as enemies of God, even as they scream for millions and billions of years in agony, begging for mercy?
The true Gospel of Jesus Christ does not proclaim God as a sadistic monster. So why does the Bible appear to teach eternal damnation in hell? Why have Christians believed this barbaric teaching for centuries? The reasons for these errors include mistranslation and misinterpretation of scripture, pagan influences on the historical church, and the desire of religious leaders to scare people into conversion and submission. There are also prophesies in the Bible that God's faith will be corrupted. In these last days, it is all the more important that we not be seduced into believing satanic slander about God and Christ. It's time to stop believing Satan's biggest lie, and open our eyes to a greater understanding of our Lord -- that we may be ready to join him when he comes again in glory.
Here's how traditional and fundamentalist Christianity views Jesus:
"Little child, praise God you are here with Me in heaven!
There are your mother and your brother burning in hell -- forever.
Your mother sinned too much, and your brother left the faith.
No, I can never forgive them and release them from their agony."
Do you find this view disturbing? Do you believe it but wish you didn't have to?
How can a loving Jesus cast people into the fires of hell for an endless, unredemptive punishment? Many Christians reluctantly accept this idea as the truth -- wishing God could be more merciful, but assuming they are supposed to believe in eternal hell for unbelievers, habitual sinners, Christians who aren't "really" saved, and perhaps even real Christians who fail to repent of a significant sin before death. According to this view, the wrong religion, the wrong denomination, or just one wrong action could be enough to mean a permanent state of terrible suffering.
If the God of Jesus Christ is really so merciless and cruel, then the only reason most Christian churches are filled on Sunday is because of fear of hell, not true love for God. It must be hard to go to church every week and praise God, singing about how He loves us so much that He sent His own Son to die for us, yet believing the same God will roast people we know and love in a fiery inferno where they will writhe and scream in uttermost pain -- not for a while, perhaps for reformative purposes before they can enter heaven, but for an infinite length of time to satisfy His unquenchable desire for vengeance. Sincerely believing this can lead to terror and hatred of God, which can drive a person mad! If you currently accept the doctrine of eternal torment, you need to reexamine your beliefs and meet the real Jesus Christ. When you open your heart and mind, the Lord will come in and save you from the doctrines of demons. True salvation may not be what you think!
Early in the course of Christian history, the emphasis of the faith changed from developing a personal relationship with God and modeling oneself after Jesus, to escaping an eternity of hell-fire by believing approved religious doctrines and worshipping with formal church rituals. Originally it was understood that the main point of Jesus's life, death on the cross and resurrection was to prove that God's love can never fail. But in later centuries Christianity has taught that eternal torment is the default setting in God's universe -- and that only if people are lucky enough to be born in the right time and place, learn about Christ in a way that convinces them to be baptized, adhere to "orthodox" interpretations and belong to the "true" church, can they have any hope of avoiding damnation. The Roman Catholic tradition has long been oriented toward avoidance of hell, especially in the days of the Inquisition when torture was used to persuade heretics to recant before death, supposedly as a blessing so they would not have to be tortured by God for all eternity. Today, the rise of evangelical, fundamentalist, and pentecostal forms of Christianity has only strengthened the focus on hell-fire and damnation.
Of course, there are some Christians who don't focus on hell. Instead of emphasizing this doctrine, they downplay it in their own mind and in their presentation of Christianity to others, because the thought of hell bothers them and hinders their faith. Yet on some level they still tend to see the Christian religion as a way to appease God's judgment for their sins and avoid punishment in the afterlife.
BURNING QUESTION
HOW MUCH DO YOU WORRY THAT YOU OR SOMEONE YOU LOVE MIGHT GO TO HELL?
Going crazy with terror!
Very afraid most of the time
Worried a lot
Somewhat concerned, but I try not to think about it
Not worried, God doesn't condemn people to hell
Not worried, if they go to hell they deserve it
Not worried, everyone I love is saved
Not worried, I don't believe in an afterlife
Real Christianity is not a formula for escaping hell. That's what many Christians think it is, but they've missed the point. The following formula is not the faith of Jesus Christ:
1. All human beings are automatically destined for eternal hell; (unless)
2a. A child dies before reaching the "age of accountability" -- various ages proposed, idea disputed; (or)
2b. You accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, the atoning blood sacrifice for your sins; (and)
3. If 2b, choose from the list below... (better not make the wrong choice!)
Catholic: Go through the proper church rituals such as baptism, receiving the eucharist regularly, confession of all mortal sins to a priest and doing the prescribed pennance, accept the authority of the pope, never get divorced and remarry, etc. (or)
Evangelical Protestant: Repent of all sins, and believe important doctrines such as Christ's divinity, virgin birth, miracles, crucifixion, bodily resurrection, and future return; (and possibly)
+ Accept the Protestant canon Bible as the 100% inerrant and complete Word of God (and/or)
+ Believe in literal six-day creationism (and/or)
+ Believe in a "pre-trib," "mid-trib" or "post-trib" rapture -- get it right or be left behind (and/or)
+ Adult baptism by full-body immersion (and/or)
+ Church membership and tithing (and/or)
+ "Spiritual warfare" to keep demons away (and/or)
+ Celibacy if you're unmarried or homosexual (and/or)
+ Pentecostal: Show evidence of being baptized in the Holy Spirit, such as being knocked down when a minister lays on hands, speaking in tongues, gifts of prophesy, etc. (and/or)
+ "Word of Faith": Show evidence that God is answering prayers and working in your life, by being miraculously cured of diseases and addictions, achieving marital and financial success, etc.
Sadly, huge numbers of Christians believe in this formulaic view of Christianity. To them, the "Christian hope" means the chance to escape being endlessly burned alive by God -- a fate they expect most or all non-Christians to endure. The most extreme believers spend much of their time and energy promoting their particular spin on the formula, having the audacity to call it the "Good News" and harassing people to convert to their religion or else face an eternity of unimaginable suffering in hell.
What would Jesus think? Jesus probably would tell us we can take this hellish religious formula and throw it into the burning pit of Gehenna where it belongs, like so much garbage that is worthless for our salvation. Jesus would test our beliefs, putting them through the cleansing fire until only the good parts remain and the trash is reduced to ashes. Many Christians have gone astray from the truth about God, teaching bogus creeds that keep people in bondage -- just like the Pharisees of ancient Judaism. Jesus must be angry about this. He scolded the Pharisees for their fanatical and misguided religiosity, saying, "You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as you are." (Mat. 23:15). Jesus also went into the temple and overturned the money-changers' tables in disgust, defending his Heavenly Father's honor. Imagine what Jesus might say and do if he appeared in some churches today where an endless hell is preached!
Nevertheless, the idea of eternal damnation is a major part of the Gospel as taught by most Christian churches and denominations. It merits a serious examination. We should not merely turn aside, preferring not to ask the tough questions, nor should we be content to feel secure in whatever our personal beliefs may be at this time. Let us seek to determine, through logic and evidence, whether non-Christians and sinners are damned to a hell of eternal torment. Is this view of the Gospel scriptural? Is it rational? Is it beneficial? Or is this idea blasphemous? -- a false gospel proclaiming a satanic god?
