One of my favorite sayings is “there’s three sides to the truth, my version, the other person’s perspective, and that of God”. Especially when actively listening to two different people describing a problem (think marital discord) there’s “her side”, “his side” and then the absolute truth–”God’s side”. Because I believe that He is an all knowing God, sifting out truth in the course of resolving conflict can be tricky. Which leads me to my own slight disdain at popular phrases that have popped  up in our culture which steer people completely away from God’s truth.

Here’s a few examples of words that sound good, tickle ears and totally distort who God is and what He desires for us.

“God loves you and accepts you as you are”. While the basic truth IS that He DOES love and accept you, He also calls us out of sinful activities into pursuing a heart of repentance. The simple truth of the matter is that God loves us TOO much to allow us to live in ways that dishonor Him. In my reading this week, I found evidence of this desire in 1 Peter 4 where Peter’s words to early Christians he was writing to reminded them “you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose–living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. Remember, early Christians were living in Roman culture which embraced every activity listed above. Furthermore, Peter reminded his readers that although man would judge all behavior done in the body, it will be God who judges the soul.

“Follow your heart”. These three words are very dangerous. The prophet Jeremiah warned us with these powerful words “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”  We need look no further than King David who actually serves as a very good example of following his own heart. He lusted after another man’s wife, took her as a lover and later as wife, had her husband killed in battle to cover up a pregnancy. By human standards David should not have been elevated as King or described as “having a heart after God”. But–David came to a place of deep regret and repentance. Assuming humility did not save him from consequences–one of which was the death of a son–yet, God loved him enough to continue pouring into his life in order to be the leader over God’s people. Often–without sounding trite–God’s ways don’t match ours–but that’s why He’s the final authority and we in our selfish desires are not.

“Good people go to heaven”. By nature, we humans don’t like suffering. Pain and trials that crush hopes and dreams are too much to bear at times. We want comfortable lives and we’ll do anything sometimes to achieve harmony and success. Along the way of chasing “the good life” many through countless generations have pushed God aside, filling empty hearts and longing emotions with all the world offers–success, status, wealth, relationships that don’t last, drugs, alcohol, pornography, over spending, fighting to maintain position in a “dog eat dog culture” that doesn’t include God. Then, at the end of life, when last breaths are taken and loved ones surround a casket or urn, we hear “he’s in a better place….”

Paul, who wrote the book of Romans, is quite clear when he wrote that …”for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. Ruminate for a moment on that tiny word “all”. What does it mean? All means all. Not a few, not some, not those who are special or excused. All. 

So, quite honestly it all means your loving grandmother who never said a harsh word her entire life, but never spoke of God as having a relationship with Him. She didn’t need to attend church. She didn’t need God telling her how to live. Someone she believed that by being “good” she would go to heaven.

Compare her to the most evil person you can think of. Who came to mind? Hitler? Stalin? Ted Bundy? Jeffrey Dahmer? Those four men are included in our tiny word “all”. By human standards which measure their respective atrocities they should certainly be excluded from God’s mercy and gift of eternal life in heaven, right?

Here’s the complexity of those who go to heaven and those who don’t. Even though bible writings are pretty clear about this topic, it boils down to God’s judgement and a person’s actions  when taking final breaths. Personally, I don’t have any resources telling me what Hitler and Stalin decided on their death beds. However, I’m old enough to remember the horrific deeds done by Bundy and Dahmer and while inexcusable, both men chose to repent of their sins and came into relationship with Christ. In Dahmer’s case a man named Roy Ratcliff ministered to him while incarcerated. Ratcliff met with Dahmer, teaching him scripture, baptizing him while in prison. Dahmer was later murdered by another inmate which doesn’t justify any wrongs by any sense of the word. 

So, should we excuse people’s choices and behaviors simply because “that’s who they are?”

Should we risk following sinful hearts to satisfy sins of the mind and flesh because we don’t want to live surrendered to an almighty God?

Can we understand the complexity of life and death–knowing that none of us are “getting out of here alive” is reality, and that there are two places of eternal rest. One has been prepared for we who embrace Christ’s sufferings on the cross as payment for ALL sins. It’s called heaven. The other–a place of total separation from God–commonly called hell is a second reality. The latter is not a place I wish on anyone, no matter their level of depravity or outright rejection of all that is good…God’s deep abiding love for everyone to not perish.

I leave you with these beautiful words penned by Peter: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you…”

Be careful what you take as absolute truth. Be mindful of careless living. Be aware that God’s salvation is for everyone, but it’s not an automatic gift He gives. It’s a partnership He’s waiting to establish with you between Him and His Son, Jesus Christ. 

Maybe we all could learn something from Roy Ratcliff, too, be willing and available to minister God’s truth to those we often prefer to “judge” according to the sins of their bodies, forgetting that there’s a “soul” inside that will is bound for one of two resting places.