Has science disproved free will? Here is their case: AI: “Neuroscientists like Robert Sapolsky and Sam Harris point to experiments showing that the brain commits to an action before the conscious mind makes a decision. The Readiness Potential: Classic experiments (famously by Benjamin Libet) showed a subconscious electrical buildup in the brain called the “readiness potential” occurring fractions of a second before a person consciously decides to move. Predictable Decisions: More modern neuroimaging studies have shown researchers can predict simple decisions people will make up to \(7\)-\(10\) seconds before the subjects are consciously aware of deciding.”

What might be the consequences if science could disprove free will? The first one usually mentioned i a change in our judicial system. AI: “End of Retributive Justice: If all actions are predetermined by past events or brain chemistry, the idea that a criminal “chose” to do evil vanishes. The moral justification for punishment as “just deserts” disappears. The legal system would shift entirely to a public health and utilitarian model. Prisons would transition from punitive facilities to places of incapacitation (to protect society) and rehabilitation (to alter future behavior).” Would that mean shorter sentences and punishment for sex offenders and murderers?

The more disturbing consequences might be this from AI. “Redefining “Good” and “Evil”: Without free will, morality ceases to be about personal virtue and instead becomes a measure of social utility. “Good” actions are simply those that promote societal flourishing, while “bad” actions are treated as symptoms of a malfunctioning brain or poor conditioning.
Shifting Blame: Moral outrage and indignation would lose their logical foundation. While society would still need to condemn harmful behaviors to discourage them, holding individuals personally and emotionally accountable for their flaws would become irrational.”

In other words, this would do away with the concept that sin is a free will choice that God will hold us accountable for. It’s funny how we always go back to the Garden for the fundamentals of created life as God made it. Heterosexual marriage between one man and one woman. The roles of the husband as the breadwinner and spiritual leader of the family, loving and caring for his wife. The role of the wife. in submission to her husband as his helper and the predominant raiser of their children. Free will. God could have made humans as robots who would never disobey him, but He chose to give them free will to choose whether to obey or disobey Him. God wanted humans who could freely choose to love him and not be programmed to love him even if that meant that He gave them the ability to not love and obey Him. Eat of the tree of life and live forever in the Garden. Eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and die both spiritually (immediately) and physically (eventually). Did Eve’s neurons fire in her brain that made her choose to disobey God? No. She saw the fruit, it looked good to her, she listened to the devil’s lie that God didn’t want her to eat of that bad tree b/c it would make her as knowledgable as God. She chose of her own free will to eat the fruit of the bad tree. God then held both Adam and Eve accountable for their free will choice. God didn’t say, “I guess your neurons made you choose to disobey so I won’t punish you.”

Free will has been a foundation teaching of the Bible, Judaism, and Christianity since the beginning. God has always held people responsible and aaccountable for their sinful choices. BTW that is one of the reasons Calvinism is such a dangerous doctrine. TULIP basically takes away from the ability of sinners to make free will choices. You are either in the arbitrarily selected group whom God has predestined to be saved or you are out of luck! Then there is the false idea that one’s genetics make you guy or an alcoholic, and therefore you are not really accountable. I mean, they say, “how could a loving God hold you accountable for being gay if you were “born that way”?” Even if someone was born genetically drawn to the same sex, which hasn’t been proven scientifically, he/she would still have the free will to choose not to practice same sex relations. If I am born genetically drawn to the opposite sex, I still have to choose to be faithful to my wife or not. Ultimately it’s not genetics but free will.

It seems that science’s attempt to disprove free will is just another atheistic attempt to keep us from believing in a God who created us, gave us free will, and who will hold us accountable for our sins. As Joshua told the Israelites, “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15). God said, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live.” — Deuteronomy 30:19 (ESV)

I have struggled with a serious question lately: “If Jesus was with us today, would He be turning some tables over as He visited our churches in the U.S?” The first century church met in houses, owned no property or buildings, had no building expenses, and was based on community life with many fellowship gatherings. When they took up a collection, the money was spent on helping the poor, the widows, the orphans, families whose breadwinners were in prison or in the mines for their faith, burying the dead, and helping with famines and plagues. They had no local paid preachers or staff. They would provide the evangelists who traveled to different churches with food and a place to stay, but only for short periods. The Didache (100 AD) said that if an evangelist stayed more than 3 days that they were preaching for money and to send them on their way. Modern churches hire preachers and staff for 3years or 30 years instead of 3 days. The early church was focused on spreading the gospel to the lost instead of their own selfish needs or wants. They were more focused on mutual edification than hiring people to do their work for them. They met as close knit loving communities and didn’t constantly hop and shop churches to find a preacher they liked to hear or a style of worship on Sunday morning that they like.

Today, the church in the U.S. spends on average 75-80 % of the money they collect on buildings and staff and another 10% on internal programs for themselves. U.S. churches collect an estimated $70 billion to $125 billion in member donations annually, so that’s about $80 billion dollars they spend on buildings and staff each year instead of the needs that God would want the money spent on. Today most churches are more focused on that once a week assembly rather than the 24/7 interaction of the members. The bigger churches break down into small groups, which is good, in order to accomplish what the house churches did in the first century, which makes you wonder why not just skip the millions of dollars spent on the big church system and just do the house churches instead for 0 dollars. What about churches being the “pillar and ground of the TRUTH” ( 1 Timothy 3:15). I am not talking about minor issues of truth that are not heaven/hell issues, like using instrumental music or how often you take the Lord’s Supper. I am talking about core truth, the biggest of which for us is the LGBTQ issue. That issue is the core of Basic Bible truth on gender and marriage, and central to all Biblical truth. So how is the U.S. church doing on that truth? Membership: About 54% of U.S. religious congregations allow an openly gay or lesbian couple to be full-fledged members. Leadership: 30% of churches permit openly gay or lesbian individuals to hold volunteer leadership roles. What about the truth that Jesus is the Son of God? National surveys (like Ligonier Ministries’ State of Theology) reveal that even among self-identified Evangelicals, nearly 30% agree that “Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God”.That’s your church attending evangelicals, not the atheists or agnostics who deny the deity of Jesus. What about the truth of the resurrection of Jesus, a doctrine that all Christianity stands or falls with? A study by Lifeway Research found that roughly 23% of professing Christians outright disagree or are unsure about the bodily resurrection. Another survey on professing Christians found that only 45% strongly believed Jesus physically rose from the dead. That’s professing Christians, not atheists and agnostics. Many liberal preacher training seminaries openly deny the miracles and resurrection of Jesus. AI: “At progressive or mainline institutions affiliated with denominations like the United Church of Christ, PCUSA, or the Episcopal Church, a significant portion of professors and students may interpret the resurrection and miracles theologically or symbolically, rather than as literal, physical events. For example, in a widely publicized interview, the president of Union Theological Seminary openly stated she does not believe in a literal, bodily resurrection.”

So, back to our original question. “If Jesus was with us today, would He be turning some tables over as He visited our churches in the U.S?” Why did He turn the tables over? AI: “Jesus turned over the tables in the Temple to protest the exploitation of the poor and the corruption of the sacred space. Merchants and money changers were taking advantage of worshippers by charging unfair exchange rates and exorbitant prices for sacrificial animals.” Are U.S. churches misusing the money they collect in the name of Jesus? Are they promoting a man made church business model that is not even in the Bible, one that is a terrible steward of God’s money that they collect? Are they teaching false doctrine that corrupts the purity of the bride of Christ? I ask this question specifically about churches in the U.S. b/c churches in many foreign, often persecuted, churches are practicing the first century church model a lot better than U.S. churches. AI: “In regions like the Middle East, North Africa, and China, underground churches deliberately eschew bank accounts and paid, full-time staff for operational security. Leadership falls to local believers acting as shepherds without a formal or public title. Demographers and missionologists estimate that the vast majority—frequently cited as 80% to 90%—of Chinese Christian house churches operate without officially paid, full-time preachers or pastors. Because these congregations exist outside the state-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) system, they rely heavily on bivocational (tentmaking) lay leaders who work regular secular jobs.”

Do I think that Jesus would be “inspecting” churches today to see if they are carrying out His desires for His church” Yes and I think Jesus would be turning a lot of church tables over if He were with us today. So what do I do with that thought? Do I have the authority that Jesus had to enable me to start turning tables over? No, but I do let my voice be heard by the leaders and the members of any church that I am associated with.

The apostle John inspected the 7 churches of Asia quite closely in Revelations chapters 2 and 3. He pointed out their strong and weak points, harshly criticizing some. I’m not an apostle with apostolic authority but I think we can use John ‘s example to examine our churches today. What do you think??????

John 5:² Now in Jerusalem, by the Sheep Gate, there is a pool which in Hebrew is called Bethesda, having five porticoes. ³ In these porticoes lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, limping, or paralyzed. ⁵ Now a man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. ⁶ Jesus, upon seeing this man lying there and knowing that he had already been in that condition for a long time, *said to him, “Do you want to get well?” 

BTW the present tense verb “there is” a pool, Bethesda, in Jerusalem shows that the gospel of John was written before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. After 70 AD, that pool would have been unrecognizable. AI: “The Pool of Bethesda, along with surrounding structures, was largely destroyed or heavily damaged during the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. While the stone cisterns remained, the porticoes (roofed colonnades) and adjacent buildings were likely destroyed, and the site was later replaced by a Roman healing sanctuary (Asklepieion) dedicated to Serapis around 135 AD.” But the date of the writing of the gospel of John is not the main topic of this blog article.

The main topic is “Why did Jesus ask the man ‘Do you want to get well’.” Why would Jesus ask him that? Surely, a man who had been crippled for 38 years would want to walk. I don’t know why Jesus asked him but there is a thought that we can get from speculating on this topic. AI: “Based on the biblical accounts, people Jesus healed almost always actively sought him out, expressed their need, or showed faith, indicating a desire for healing. While the Bible emphasizes that he healed everyone who came to him with faith, Jesus sometimes asked, “Do you want to be made well?” (John 5:6), suggesting a purposeful alignment of his power with their willingness. Most individuals or those bringing them (e.g., the paralytic, the blind men, the woman with the issue of blood) broke through barriers to reach Jesus, demonstrating a clear desire to be healed. When Jesus healed the man at the Pool of Bethesda, who had been sick for 38 years, he specifically asked if he wanted to be made well (John 5:6), highlighting that even in long-term illness, a conscious desire for change is relevant.” (a Lois Robinson blog article). The key phrase is “a desire for change”. The lame man had to have a desire to change his illness and condition or Jesus would not have healed him.

Jesus has the cure for all our spiritual needs but a sinner must want to change his sinful condition. I teach Bible to teens at a Christian school. I give them the evidences that prove that there is a God and that Jesus was raised from the dead. I give them the words of Jesus that can save them of their sins and give them the hope of eternal life But so often, I find out that they are out drinking, partying, some drugs, sex, and that my teaching is, at least for now, not accomplishing much. I am sowing the seed for future change, but it is discouraging that behind the scenes most don’t have “a desire for change” now. They are content with their sinful ways and don’t want to be healed.

Why would they not want to be healed now? Ephesians 2 sheds some light on this questions: 2:1 And you were dead in your offenses and sins, ² in which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. ³ Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest.” They are just “living in the lusts of their flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and mind”, and enjoying it. If they knew they were going to die soon, they might want to change and get ready to meet their Maker, but as for now, they don’t want to change. They are not just indulging in their lusts, they are enslaved to them. They have been indulging their lusts so long that they are addicted to them. Titus 3:³ For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.”

I have so many things that need to be changed in my life, but do I really have a desire to change? To be a better husband, to conquer worldly thoughts and lusts, to overcome some of my worldly addictions. Jesus has given the Spirit it help us change, to help us have “life and have it more abundantly”, to have peace of mind and eternal joy, to bear the fruit of the Spirit. But do I really want to go “all in” and abandon my lusts and worldly addictions and change to a Spirit filled life?

So, “do you want to get well”?  

This image was from soulselfliving.com and I try to look at this everyday.

One of my friends was trying to help her friend who is suffering with depression. Her friend doesn’t even want to get out of bed every day. I was trying to give advice but the only thing I could think of was this image: “Let go and let God”. I’m a “what if” and “worst case scenario” type worrier and pessimist. I wanted to tell this depressed person: “Look, your life and circumstances are depressing to you, but worst case scenario, you die. So accept that. What do you accomplish by being depressed and miserable until you die, whenever that will be. Why not just enjoy living until you die? Why not just turn it all over to God? He will either change your circumstances or help you find peace of mind and strength to handle your circumstances, to make something good from them. But in the meantime, you won’t be in bed depressed. What will that accomplish? As Jesus said, ‘Matthew 6:²⁷ And which of you by worrying can add a single day to his life’s span? ‘ This is not about being saved from your sins This is about trusting God to be with you every moment. Hebrews 6:5 for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you,” ⁶ so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. what will man do to me?” Worst case scenario again: All that can happen is that your circumstances might kill you or someone might kill you. If you believe in Jesus, you will live even if you die physically. John 11:²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies, ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.” Death is inevitable. So why not just turn things over to God, trust in Jesus as your friend and savior and just try to enjoy life every day until you do die? Get out of bed and find happy things to do. Go help people who are hurting or struggling in the name of Jesus.?

So there you go. BTW do I practice what I preach? Not as much as I should. That is why I look at this image above every day and try to turn things over to God. It seems that when I do, I an feel a sense of relief exhaling from my mouth and my whole body. I hope if you are struggling with depression or unhappiness that you will try this.

” Main views on the end times generally divide into four primary schools of interpretation regarding the timing of prophecy: Preterism, Futurism, Historicism, and Idealism. These views are often intersected with millennial viewpoints—Premillennialism, Postmillennialism, and Amillennialism—which determine the nature and timing of Christ’s return and reign.” AI

Preterism

• Definition: From the Latin preter (past), this view holds that most or all prophecy was fulfilled in the first century AD, particularly surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
• Full Preterism: Teaches that all prophecy, including the second coming (Parousia), the resurrection of the dead, and the final judgment, was completed in 70 AD.
• Partial Preterism: Believes most prophecies (e.g., the tribulation, the rise of the “Beast,” often identified as Nero) were fulfilled in 70 AD, but maintains that a future second coming, resurrection, and final judgment are still to occur.

Other Major Views

• Futurism: Interprets Revelation 4–22 as largely future events, including a literal seven-year tribulation and millennial kingdom, a dominant view in modern evangelicalism.
• Historicism: Views Revelation as a symbolic panoramic map of church history, from the first century through to the end of time.The Reformation leaders considered the sea beast in Revelation to be the Pope.
• Idealism (Symbolic): Interprets the imagery as symbolic of the ongoing, timeless battle between good and evil rather than specific historical or future events. 

Millennial Perspectives

• Premillennialism (Historic & Dispensational): Jesus returns before the millennium to rule on earth.
• Postmillennialism: The world is progressively christianized, bringing about the kingdom before Jesus returns.
• Amillennialism: The 1000-year reign is symbolic of Christ’s current reign in heaven and through the Church, with no future literal earthly kingdom. 

Here is a great chart on full preterism.’

Full preterism is based on Jesus’ 4 predictions that He would return within the lifetime of those he was speaking to: Matthew 10:4; 16:27-28 (where it even says that He is “about to come” (mello which always in the NT means “about to be” and it also says that some whom he was talking to would still be alive when he would come); 24:30-34 he would come before that generation he was talking to would pass away (generation: genea which in the NT always means a 40 year period or the people living in a 40 year period, just like we use the word for baby boomer generation, Gen Z, etc.); 26:64. There are no other predictions by Jesus of any other “coming” after that generation. The apostles and other NT writers also predicted an imminent 2nd coming: James 5:7 the coming of the Lord is near. Hebrews 10:37 He who is coming will come in a very little while and will not delay. Jesus did return in 70 AD using the Romans to judge the Jews and to destroy the temple and the city of Jerusalem. That was his “2nd coming”. There would also be a resurrection of the dead of the OT at the end of the Jewish age in 70 AD as predicted by Daniel 12:1-3. Paul even said that resurrection was “about to happen” (mello again) when he spoke. Peter said that the “end of all things was at hand” in 1 Peter 4:7. If he was predicting an imminent end of the world, then he was a false prophet since that did not happen. What he was predicting was the end of the Law of Moses and the end of the “old heavens and earth” (which is the Jewish system). Hebrews 8:13, written in 60 AD, said that the old covenant was “ready to disappear”, and it did disappear in 70 AD when the temple was destroyed. There has been no temple, animal sacrifices, or priesthood since 70 AD so the Law of Moses and the Jewish system ended in 70 AD. The new covenant of Jesus and the “new heavens and earth” would take the place of the old covenant after 70 AD (Hebrews 12:25-29; 2 Peter 3). The Jews were God’s holy nation and chosen people in the old covenant but that kingdom was taken from them and given to a new spiritual nation, the church (Matthew 21:43) which is made up of Jew and Gentile Christians. The old covenant priesthood was replaced by the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:6-9) who offer up spiritual sacrifices and not animals. Jesus predicted that the kingdom was at hand but he also said that kingdom would not be a physical kingdom like the kingdom of David (John 18:36). It would be a spiritual kingdom, the church, established in Acts 2 and full consummated in 70 AD. There was a transition period from 30-70 AD as the transition was made from the old to the new covenant, just like we have a transition period between the election of a president and the inauguration. The people living in that 40 year transition period already had spiritual blessings, but immortality would only be officially given in 70 AD when Jesus destroyed death (1 Corinthians 15). The book of Revelation was about things to happen “soon” after the time of writing (Rev 21:1-3; 22:5-10). It was written during the reign of the 6th emperor of Rome. Rev 17 says 5 emperors had fallen, i.e. died, and “one is” at the time of writing. That 6th emperor would be Nero who died in 68 AD so the book was written before 70 AD. The book is predicting the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The theme is God avenging the blood of the apostles, prophets, and saints that was shed by the ungodly, rebellious Jewish harlot nation all through their history (Rev 18). The famous “1000 year millennium” of Rev 20 was just figurative of the 40 year period from 30 AD to 70 AD that ended when the devil was released to get God and Magog (the Romans) to surround and destroy the holy city of Jerusalem (Rev 20).

Now go back and look at the details in the chart above. It should make more sense now. Why does it matter? It probably doesn’t for most sincere Christians. They love Jesus and live for him regardless of their views on eschatology. But understanding preterism helps confirm our faith in all the NT eschatological predictions. It helps us defend Jesus when Jews, Muslims, and atheists say that he is a false prophet b/c his predictions of an imminent 2nd coming did not come to pass. It keeps us from being mislead by false teachers saying that our current events are the fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus said in Luke 21:21-25 that “all things that are written (i.e. written in the OT) would be fulfilled within that generation (Luke 21:32) which would be at the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. Thee are no future predictions in the Bible of things to happen after 70 AD.

Whether. you believe full preterism is correct or not, at least I hope that you better understand what it is now and how logical it is.

2 Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: ² Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, ³ for His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. ⁴ Through these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world on account of lust.” Those saved in Christ have the precious and magnifient promise of eternal life, but it is conditonal. Hebrews 6:4-6 discusses the fate of those “who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, ⁶ and then have fallen away.” It says that it is impossible “to restore them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.” Sounds like you can fall from grace, doesn’t it? That refutes Calvinism’s “P” perserverance of the saints (i.e. it is impossible to fall from grace if you are the elect).

So how do we make sure that we receive those magnificent promises? Hebrews 6:¹¹ And we desire that each one of you demonstrate the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, ¹² so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and endurance inherit the promises.” The Greek word for “diligence” is spoudé: Diligence, earnestness, zeal, effort. It is the same word that Peter then introduces the need to zealously, earnestly, diligently, make every effort to attain the qualities in the growth “ladder” that will keep one from being “ineffective or unfruitful”. 2 Peter 1:⁵ Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence (spoudé), in your faith supply (epichorégeó: To supply, to provide, to furnish abundantly) …. (and then he gives the qualities). Here is a great image from plumblineministries.org

The progression of these qualities can be looked at in two ways. 1) The “progressively successive view”. You need to achieve success in each step, beginning with the first step, in order to proceed to the next step. You must learn to walk before you can run. You must pass Math 101 before you can take Math 102. In this view, the first thing you should make effort to add to your initial saving faith is moral excellence, (i.e. stopping your patterns of sinful behavior and doing virtuous things). Once you have success in moral excellence, you should add the next step which is knowledge of Christ and His will (i.e getting to know Christ in a more personal relationship than just initial knowledge of how to be saved). Once you have success in that step, add self-control (which can be difficult and takes great effort). Once you have success in that step, add perseverence (i.e. proving that your faith is real by being faithful under trials over a long period of time). Once you have success in that step, add godliness (i.e. becoming more Godlike in your devotion and reverence to God). Once you have success in that step, add brotherly love (philadelphia: Brotherly love, love of brothers, mutual affection between others in your new spiritual family). Once you have success in that step, add love (agapé: Love: affection that doesn’t depend on affection from the recipient, the kind that as a Christian you have for your enemies, the kind that Jesus had when he died for sinners). It is plausible that a Christian would first learn to have affection for fellow believers before he grows to be able to love his enemies which is much harder to do! So there is some merit to this first view. 2) The “soup view”. These qualities are just ingredients to put in a soup of virtues that will make you effective and fruitful and it doesn’t matter in what order you add them. A soup recipe might say, “add peas, corn, ground beef, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, broth; stir the ingredients and heat for one hour at 325 degrees”. It wouldn’t matter what order you put the ingredients in a bowl. So this 2nd view just lists the virtues but it doesn’t matter what order you attain them You might become very loving toward your spiritual family long before you learned to control your temper or lustful thoughts. This view has merit also!

It doesn’t matter which view is correct. What matters is that we zealously, sincerely make “every effort” to add these virtues to our initial saving faith so that we won’t be “ineffective or unfruitful” Christians. Jesus said that we, as branches on a fruit tree, must bear fruit or we will be cut off and burned (John 15). The parable of the soils had a 3rd soil where the seed was sown among the thorns. A plant grew but b/c of the weeds (worries, riches, and pleasures of this world) the plant was unfruitful. It was only the 4th good soil that produced fruit (some good soil plants produced more fruit than others). Colossians 1:10 mentions bearing fruit in every good work. Galatians 5:22-23 lists the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control).

Peter then adds, 2 Peter 2:⁹ For the one who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choice of you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; ¹¹ for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.” The Greek word for “short-sighted” is muópazó: To be short-sighted, to see dimly but it means “near-sighted” (can’t see far off). “By choosing this rare word (used only once in the NT), Peter invokes the plight of spiritual nearsightedness: a believer whose vision is restricted to present impulses and earthly concerns, forfeiting the larger horizon of salvation history and future glory.” (AI) The problem with his spiritual eyesight is that he has forgotten his former purification from sin and has lost the gratitude he should have for Jesus’ dying for him. All Christians are excited when they first got saved and want to show gratitude to Jesus by zealous Christian living. But often as time goes on we often are more focused on earthly things and lusts instead of eternal life. We lose our “diligence” and don’t give our best “effort” to grow spiritually. We become complacent spiritually. We “stumble’, maybe even fall from grace. BTW another refutation of Calvinism in these 3 verses. In Calvinism, “U” is “unconditional election”, i.e. a certain number, the elect, have been chosen, preordained, predestined, and called. There are no conditions to be met on their part. The Spirit will come upon them and enable them to believe and find out that they are the elect. They can’t fall from grace after that. If Calvinism were true, there would be no “be diligent to make certain about His calling and choice of you” and there would be no “practice these things so you will never stumble”. In Calvinism, His calling would be certain without any effort of our part. It doesn’t sound like Peter is preaching Calvinism, does it?

So as you finish reading this article, look at those virtues on that ladder. In the progressively successive view, are you stuck on the 3rd step and can’t go higher b/c you are not growing in the virtue on that 3rd step? In the soup view, which one(s) of the virtues are really weak in and need to make more effort to grow in that virtue? Make a more diligent effort. Ask the Spirit to help you.

After a recent donation I made for EEM (they print Bibles and Bible story books), the lady there said thanks and included this: “Praise the Lord for the Eternal Impact this will make for the KINGDOM.” I thought about the significance of that statement. The gift would hopefully put a children’s Bible story book in the hands of a child in the Ukraine or one of the other 30 countries that EEM works for. A child that has very little or nothing, and that child will read that book and learn Bible stories that might lead them to become Christians later. Or the gift might put a Bible (translated into his native language) in the hands of a person in an very poor ex-Communist country in Europe who has no Bible. One lady said that her family had no books whatsoever, and the Bible EEM gave her was the only book in her house. That might lead to that person becoming a Christian and sharing the word with others in his family or community.

All of that might lead to someone having eternal life through faith in Jesus who died for them. Printing and distributing those Bible story books and/or Bibles will make an “eternal impact” for the kingdom of Jesus, which is the church. It will lead to many being saved and added to the church of Jesus Christ. That made me ask myself, “Am I doing things that will make an eternal impact of the life of anyone?” I need to use my money to support my family, but am I generously using my money to store up treasure in heaven? Jesus said, Matthew 6:¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; ²¹ for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” You accomplish that by using your money, energy, and time to help others in need in the name of Jesus and to help spread the good news of salvation in Jesus here and abroad. A large % of the world’s population is still “unreached” with the gospel. When you help others you are storing up treasures “for yourself”, assuring yourself of a place with Jesus and his believers forever in heaven (wherever that is). You are not earning salvation by your good deeds, but you are showing that your faith in sincere and real. Faith that has no action is not sincere faith and will not be rewarded. We are saved by grace, not works, but we will be “rewarded”. Hebrews 11:⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him.” As believers we already have eternal life, but when we die we will get a special reward of eternity in heaven without all the stuff we have to live with in this life. No more tears, no more pain, no more sadness when our loved ones die, no more living in a world full of violence and hate, no more worry, no more fear, no more stress I don’t know what that will be like exactly. One person, said “I sure hope there will be chocolate in heaven: I can’t live without chocolate!” Maybe, who knows. It will be Disneyland times one million and more.

So, today, ask yourself: “Am I spending most of my time, energy, and money on things that have no eternal impact for me or for others or for the kingdom?” Most of your time is spent on your job and sleeping, but what do you do with the rest of your time? What are you pursuing: money and things that money can buy for yourself or for your hobby, or shopping for clothes that you don’t even really need?

Something to think about.

Key Bible Verses on the Hope of Eternal Life

• Titus 1:2 (ESV): “In hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began”.
• John 3:16 (ESV): “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”.
• Romans 6:23 (ESV): “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
• John 17:3 (ESV): “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent”.
• 1 John 5:11 (ESV): “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son”.
• Romans 8:24-25 (ESV): “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope… But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience”.
• 1 Peter 1:3 (NLT): “…Now we live with great expectation, and this is because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead”.
• John 10:28 (ESV): “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand”.
• 1 John 2:25 (ESV): “And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life”.
• Titus 3:7 (ESV): “…so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life

What will it be like if there is no life after death? I recently talked to a very nice man in his 30’s with a wife and 3 teenage children. He said that he was not into talking about life after death. I told him that I wanted to live eternally with my family and that was important to me. I told him that I did not want to simply die and cease to exist for eternity. He said, “we didn’t exist for millions of years so it’s no big deal if we cease to exist for eternity after we die.” The idea of ceasing to exist didn’t bother him. He had no hope of anything good after death. He added, “If there is life after death, I have been a pretty good person and that will be enough.”

I feel bad using that conversation b/c it might seem that I am trying to capitalize on it to do a blog article. But the conversation impacted me a lot. I gave a mini testimony to the man, which he said did not offend him, about the hope of eternal life for those who trust in Jesus’ death for our sins and belief that He was raised from the dead to give us eternal life. I pray that God will open the man’s heart so we can talk more.

The conversation got me thinking about my hope of eternal life. My children believe in Jesus and have the hope of eternal life. We all hope that one day we will all be together in heaven (wherever that is) enjoying eternal life with God, Jesus the Lamb, and other believers in Jesus. I look forward to seeing my mom and dad there, and my wife’s dad. Her mom is stil living at 96.

Read all those verses above. Add 1 John 5:¹³ These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” Those living before Jesus defeated spiritual death in 70 AD were still living for the “hope of eternal life” b/c the fulfillment of that hope was still in their future. After Jesus defeated spiritual death in 70 AD, believers after that have eternal life. Now look at John 8:²¹ Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother (Lazarus) would not have died. ²² Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” ²³ Jesus *said to her, “Your brother will rise from the dead.” ²⁴ Martha *said to Him, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.” ²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies, ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” ²⁷ She *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have come to believe that You are the ^[i]Christ, the Son of God, and He who comes into the world.” There was a resurrection in the future when Jesus said this, but notice closer what Jesus said. Jesus said that the resurrection and living eternally was not just about some judgment day and resurrection day. He himself is the resurrection. Believe in Him and you will live even if you die physically. You will never die again spiritually. Some part of you will receive an eternal spiritual body when you become a Christian and you will continue to live eternally with God and Jesus after you die.

1 Corinthians 15 tells us a lot about immortality and eternal life. First of all Paul tells us that our resurrected body will be spiritual not physical. I am amazed at all the Bible scholars who say that someday we will be raised with an eternal physical body. Paul taught just the opposite of that. Secondly Paul tells us that some of those that Paul was writing to would still be alive when the resurrection woud happen. Thirdly Paul tells us that whether dead or alive when that resurrection would happen that all believers would receive immortality, which is the same as eternal life. Paul said that Jesus would destroy spiritual death which would allow for believers to have immortality. Now I believe that resurrection happened in 70 AD just as Daniel predicted in Daniel 12:1-2. All the Old Testament dead, whether wicked or rightesous would be raised to receive their eternal fate of immortality or of destruction. Paul had said in Acts 24:15 that there was “about to be” a resurrection at the time he was speaking. But even if you think the resurrection is still in our future at some point, the lesson in 1 Corinthians 15 is still the same. Believers receive immortality today when they accept Jesus and become Christians. Ephesians 2:1-3 says that they are raised from the dead and made alive spiritually.

The thought of dying still scares me, I must admit, although it shouldn’t. When doubt arises, I try to think about Jesus’ resurrection. The same power of God that raised Jesus from the dead will give me an eternal, immortal part that will live on after death. I hope that those reading this article have that hope. The only way to get that hope is to believe in Jesus (John 3:16). He died to give you that hope. Don’t reject him.