Who will enter the kingdom of Heaven? This is perhaps the most important question that anyone could ever ask. What could be more important than that? Because if you miss out on the kingdom of Heaven you miss out on eternity and eternal life. And it’s very clear from the scripture that there’s only one alternative to eternal life and that is eternal death.
Image courtesy of Journeys with the Messiah Collection, https://journeyswiththemessiah.org.
I knew last month’s e-teaching would be controversial, because many good folks who love Jesus hold different views on the subject of nonresistance, war, and Christian participation in the military. Not everyone agreed with my teaching. (Surprise!) I received comments on both sides of the issue, and some that were in the middle. In light of those comments, I decided to write a follow-up, but first wanted to get some additional feedback. So I posed the following questions on my Facebook page, requesting response from pacifist friends:
Three questions for my pacifist friends: The original apostles are all at a church gathering along with their wives and children. A lone gunman enters and begins shooting everyone, starting with the children. What is (1) the application of Jesus’ commandment to “not resist an evil person,” (2) the application of His commandment to give the offender an opportunity to do twice the harm intended (as that IS what Jesus commanded….”turn the other cheek, go the second mile, give him your coat”), and (3) the application of His commandment to love one’s neighbor as oneself?
How do you spot a false teacher? What should you be on the lookout for?
What is the one thing we should remember if we want to be holy? Jesus answers this question towards the end of the Sermon on the Mount.
Is it possible that Matthew 7:7 is the most encouraging verse in the Bible?
How do you know if somebody is a spiritual pig before whom you should not cast any pearls?
Is your theology about forgiveness a little bit deficient? Find out in this episode of Little Lessons!
We ask for the second time, is it okay for Christians to take other people to court?
Jesus said, “do not judge,” so is it okay for Christians to take other people to court?
Jesus told us, “Do not judge,” but the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians to judge. So who was right? Stay tuned.
