Empire-Advance

 I believe it was back a few years ago, possibly at our 50th wedding anniversary that I greeted the family and guests with the words of Fanny Crosby’s great hymn.

    “To God be the glory, great things He hath done, so loved He the world that He gave us His Son, who yielded His life an atonement for sin, and opened the life-gate that all may go in.”

    I truly believe the title of this column and I truly believe the words of the hymn quoted above. To me those words are the bedrock of the Christian faith along with John 3:16 which says

    “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

    Many years ago, a man was working for me, who at an earlier job site had a near-death experience. The particular equipment he used in his work was needing an overhaul of the same type as when he had his brush with death. Naturally, he was very afraid to tackle that task again so he started drinking. After a period of drinking, he looked at me and said, “I died in that accident and I went to the Heaven’s Gates and by Jesus, they were closed.” While he did recover and regained nearly full health again, he was convinced that Heaven’s Gates were closed to him. I could understand and appreciate his fear but I said something that I hope encouraged him. I said, “I think you are wrong because it is by Jesus that those gates are opened”

    Over the years, I think a lot of time and energy has been expended by Christian churches and members trying to determine who goes to Heaven and who doesn’t. I have been involved in the Christian church in one context or another for all my life and that is over 75 years. I have concluded that while I may have spent some time on the question of who goes and who doesn’t go to Heaven, that’s up to God and the individual.

    I posed a question to a person recently by saying, “If Jesus died to save people, all people, then it is possible that Hitler is in Heaven.” Now that concept may not sit well with some folks and I will admit it makes me ponder for a bit. However, if God’s grace is complete and His blessing is for everyone and anyone, then Hitler may be in Heaven.

    And then there’s another concept that I have pondered and that is when someone does something wrong, are we prepared to forgive. The Lord’s prayer says “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” See, there’s a catch. If we don’t forgive, does that mean we are limiting God’s forgiveness to us. I believe that if people believe in Jesus (as in John 3:16) then they will have everlasting life. But I also believe that, aside from going to heaven, we hamper ourselves and others by not forgiving one another. Unforgiving won’t keep you out of heaven but it can certainly hamper your life on earth.

    Happy Easter to each and everyone and if you want to offer an opinion on what I have written, please do so.

    Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are the writer’s personal views and are not to be taken as being the view of the Banner & Press staff.