What I Should Have Said

I recently had a conversation about the gospel with someone who was objecting to the idea that God would send someone to hell simply for being born into a Jewish family or a Hindu family where their religious views were inherited from their family.

I tried to explain that all people know about God and were without excuse. I tried to explain that no one is perfect like God and therefore all were worthy of judgment.

I should have said, “How do you know God would send someone to hell simply for being born into the wrong family?” Or “Why do you believe God would send someone to hell simply for being born into the wrong family?”

This would question the limits of his knowledge and what he was willing to accept as authority.

You see, he was appealing to God’s love as the basis for his rejection of God’s sending people to hell.

But perhaps I should have argued that since God is love, and since he does send Jews and Hindus (and anyone who does not accept Christ as Savior) to hell, there must be a reason other than simply being born into a certain family. And he simply doesn’t know enough to know what that reason is.

Of course, I know that. But he is not yet prepared to see past his current point of reference.

And I know you can’t argue people into salvation. But you never know what God might use to open their minds to truth.

Pray for him. He has his first child on the way and is concerned about raising it (he doesn’t know what it is yet).

Maybe next time …