Letter To My Friends

Dear Friends,

I am writing to invite you to engage in a conversation about our, and our children's, afterlife. I don't think I have to support my proposition that there is no more important topic. But I may have to justify why we should talk. I submit that none of us talk enough about this topic - and I'm probably the only one inviting you to. Also, I have been thinking a lot about this topic, and maybe you have as well. Maybe our studies are leading us in different directions, or maybe they are leading us to similar conclusions. In either case, it seems that at least one of us, and likely both of us, will benefit from talking - at least minimally.

It doesn't have to be awkward or challenging. We don't have to debate, argue, or take time to prepare. I just want to talk. Anyone who gets one of these letters is someone who's thoughts I covet, and whose opinions I value. To show how easy it is - here for your consideration is an idea of what I'm thinking:

I hope these thoughts are based on the Bible, and I will adjust them if I find that they aren't. I believe God created mankind (man) good (1), with the freedom to choose between good and evil (2). But when man chose evil (3), his "goodness" was lost (4). Since that time, his descendants, us, have been born with a vague awareness of our duty to love and obey God, but we fail to pursue and satisfy that duty (5). Because of our stubborn independence, we have been separated from God and are lost and without hope - outside of God doing something to rescue us (6). But God, out of His abundant mercy, acted for us by sending Jesus to make a way for us to be reconciled to Him through Jesus sacrifice of himself (7). So, our only hope is to recognize and accept our desperate condition and turn from our sin and place our complete trust and reliance in Jesus as our savior and lord (8). That's it - that's what I think about the afterlife! So, there's mine - what's yours?

You can text or email. We can meet for coffee, lunch, or just a visit. We can meet alone or in a group (invite whoever you want). Whatever - but let's talk. We are certainly on our way to the afterlife, and the ideas we have are not affecting us only, but the people we love most. Have we done our due diligence? Can we really afford to get this wrong? In the face of so many we believe are wrong - are we confident we have the truth? If so - is our confidence justified?

I covet your thoughts and would love to hear from you - even if your thinking is adverse to mine.

Please see the annotations and footnotes below. Italics added for empasis.

1. God created mankind (man) good.

(Genesis 1:31) And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.

2. With the freedom to choose between good and evil.

(Genesis 2:15 - 17) The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

3. But when man chose evil.

(Genesis 3:6) So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

4. His "goodness" was lost.

(Genesis 3:7 - 11)  Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

(Romans 5:17) For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man 

(Romans 5:18) Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

5. Since that time, his descendants, us, have been born with a vague awareness of our duty to love and obey God, but we fail to pursue and satisfy that duty. 

(Romans 1:19-21) For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

6. Because of our stubborn independence, we have been separated from God and are lost and without hope - outside of God doing something to rescue us.

(Ephesians 2:1 - 8) And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—  among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

7. But God, out of His abundant mercy, acted for us by sending Jesus to make a way for us to be reconciled to Him through Jesus sacrifice of himself. (Since both 7 and 8 rely on similar scriptures, see 8 below)

(Romans 5:17 - 19) For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

8. So, our only hope is to recognize and accept our desperate condition and turn from our sin and place our complete trust and reliance in Jesus as our savior and lord.

Paul, talking to the believers in Ephesus states (Ephesians 2:1 - 8) And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—  among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Also see Paul's words to the Corinthians in (2 Corinthians 5:17 - 21) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.