Let's Get Real - Scripture Day 355
March 19, 2016 (being sick has made it hard keeping up with this)
A young pre-teen recently asked me the difference between heaven and hell. Without getting too elaborate and without trying to scare him, I said heaven is where God is, and hell is where he is not. Let's look at one Biblical description...
"Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.
Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him."
Malachi 3:16-18 ESV
RANDY: It describes God recording things about the righteous in a book of remembrance, perhaps the "book of life" that Jesus later describes as containing the names of all who are righteous.
The names of those not righteous are not in the book.
This is not a particularly scary view of hell vs heaven. This rather presents heaven as being like a father rewarding a faithful son with inheritance and not rewarding an unfaithful son.
We don't have to scare people into believing. The Bible often focuses on the blessings of obedience rather than the punishment for failing to trust in God. We can do the same and it's ok.
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