Non-Christian Family

For many Christians there is probably someone in your family or perhaps many, that has not been saved or choose not to follow God. It can be very hard to understand, and often very painful emotionally. You love your family and with a deep belief in God, it makes you have a sense of urgency for them. We know as Christians that if you do not receive Jesus as your savior and repent of your sins you will spend eternity separated from God. That is the most fundemental part that scripture tells us, you must except Jesus, because he is the only way. Christians believe this so strongly because scripture tells us that there is only one mediator between God and men, Jesus Christ. We know that tomorrow is not promised. You can have a car accident, illness, or anything that might end your life here on earth today. Who wouldn’t want to see their loved one again in heaven? I have family members I pray for every day myself. I have a few who passed away, and not real sure about what their belief was when they were here. I do know that from scriptures there is no sadness or tears in heaven, there is only love.

Sometimes, Christians get angry and judgmental towards those family members who choose not to come to God. God is our creator, our maker and we love Him, but to those not following God, it’s hard for them to understand that kind of love. The love for God is different than human love. Love so strong that we are willing to completely work on changing our lives to put him first in every aspect of each day as long as we live, till death. But Christians who tell those who are not saved, that hell awaits them if they don’t have Jesus when they die, means nothing to them. Telling them that Jesus is their savior and they need Him, doesn’t mean a thing. God is a spirit, and those who worship or pray must do so spiritually. If your family member is not spiritual, how can they understand the things of God? If they deny their own soul how could they possibly connect with God?

Christians can not control someone’s beliefs. You can’t make them love God, or even seek Him.

I remember a young man who worked at a shoe store, next to the salon I worked at in the mall. Every week, he would catch me going into work or leaving and he would stop to talk to me. He witnessed to me and told me about God, he tried so hard, bless his heart but it went in one ear and out the other. I wasn’t really listening, I would just stand and nod and smile to be polite but didn’t really care what he was telling me. I had no idea what in the world he was talking about anyway. It’s like a doctor explaining to someone how to perform a delicate detailed surgery in medical terms. Unless you have had some medical training, you will probably be completely and utterly clueless. I was clueless, rolling my eyes, looking around trying to find an opening to excuse myself and leave. At that time, I had heard of God, spent some time in church when I was young, but never really stopped to listen. Why didn’t I listen harder or ask questions to understand? Because I wanted to live for me no one else. I wanted to control my life and live however I wanted, it was all about self. I thought becoming a Christian was like becoming a little mousy goody-two-shoes, and well, I didn’t want any part of it. I enjoyed partying too much and hanging out with friends to stop and worry about what God thought. And at that time, wasn’t really worried about any consequences after I died, because I wasn’t convinced God was really there.

In the days that Jesus was living, his problem was convincing the people He is the Messiah. There was never an issue as to whether God really existed, the Jews already believed in God. Even foreigner’s had their own Gods, everyone in their own religion. The Jews had no doubt of God’s existence, their dispute was and still is, the Messiah. Not the Messiah as in his actual existence, but they already believe for a fact he would show up. But when he would show up, who he was, and what he would do for Israel and the Jewish people is the dispute. Today, many are still choosing their own religions, however you see more of a belief in a ‘non-belief’ nowadays. To some, Atheism is just simply another form of religion or shared belief system. By considering themselves Atheists, they find common ground with other atheists, therefore it then becomes a shared belief….to…well… ‘not believe.’

When you have a family member who is Atheist, they believe there is no God. The word “Atheism” actually comes from the Greek a- ‘without’ + theos ‘god’. Atheist = ‘without God’ which pretty much sums it up. When you have a family member who is Agnostic, the actual definition means ‘unknowable.’ The belief is that they don’t take a stand to believe in God or not, and if there is a God, we couldn’t possible know him the way the bible says. Not the God of the Jews, but maybe a more of a universal God or unknowable higher power could be possible according the agnostics. Many people from all walks of life can be nice people, and some suggest that as long as they treat each other well, then that’s all that matters. If treating other people good, or doing good deeds was all the mattered to God, then it would be called Works. To a Christian, we understand that it’s not the works that get you saved, otherwise Jesus would have died for nothing if we are saved by our own works.

When a family member tells you their different beliefs, or unbeliefs it is hard to take. To us it seems so simple, you wonder why they can’t see what we as Christians see. Often it causes emotional grief, you believe in your heart so strongly that God IS, that you want them to feel God the way we do. How can a person go through life and not know God? How can someone believe that when you die, this is all there is? Each one of us found God in our own time and own way. You need to reflect and remember when you came to Christ. What kinds of things were you doing that may have not been pleasing to God? Some of you may have known God since childhood while others found Him a little later in life. You never know when someone will come to God, and regardless if someone believes or not, it doesn’t matter. We each cross over into death by ourselves and will have to face God one on one in judgment. Each person will give an account good and bad of what we have done in this body, nothing will be hidden from him.

We are not in control of a loved one’s salvation or their personal choices in life. God is the only one who has the power over life or death, God already knows the path a person is choosing. That does not mean he has predestined anyone, he just knows us better than we know ourselves.

Sometimes when a tragedy happens in a person’s life it brings them closer to God, while others run away faster, blaming God. God allows us to have the freedom to choose, and we must respect others for their choices. We may not agree with it, we may shed tears over it, but ultimately God waits with love hoping to receive anyone who will come to him. My mother prayed for my father for about 45 years and he received Jesus as his savior two years before he went home to be with the Lord. She would have loved for my father to have found the Lord earlier, to live together in Christ and have a Christian home. It just doesn’t always work the way we hope, or when we want it to. No matter what or how or when she talked to him about God, it was all up to him. When he was ready to let God take the lead and give up his personal desires and self, then he found peace and love in God.

When you talk to a family member who is not a Christian, you should always speak from love, not judgment. Jesus did not come and judge, he simply stated the Truth and continued on. We should not judge those who are not Christians. It only makes people defensive, and remember that you cannot expect someone to live by the Word if they don’t hear or read the Word, or accept it. There may be family members who never find God, then they pass on. As sad as that may be, it’s true. If a person was meant to follow God they will find Him, sometimes in the strangest ways. Sometimes it’s through tragedy, loss, illness, or being close to death.

In scripture it tells us that it is Gods love for us that wishes none to perish, but all come to repentance. But God never ever forced anyone, that would not be true love. In order to find God, each person must first actively ‘choose to believe.’ That is the very first step you have to take. Faith in something you cannot physically see is so hard for so many, and those who seek a sign according to scripture, will never get one. Because if you must physically see Jesus to be convinced, then it’s no longer faith. Faith, in him in every aspect of our lives is what God expects from us.

No matter how painful it may be to sit back and watch a loved one so far from God, it must be according to that individual. As a parent with a baby props the baby up and holds out their arms hoping they will take their first step, it’s the same for God. It’s up to the toddler to decide when they are ready to take that step, it cannot be forced. And just like a parent, God our Father, is there with open arms ready to love us, if we will just come to him.

Further reading - ‘Married to a Non-Christian’

Married To A Non-Christian

If you are married to a non-Christian spouse, things can even get harder. When you are a Christian you want so badly to have a Christian home. Both parents and children going to church, praying together, and loving God together. Women are told to allow the man to be the head of the house, while their job is to take care of the home and children. If the husband is not a Christian, he is like a blind man leading the blind, you both fall into the ditch. How can he lead if he is living for himself and not God? How can he support the wife or children with questions about scripture if he doesn’t read the Bible? If he lives a life that is not pleasing to God, how can he be an example to his wife or children? The Scriptures tell us that as believers we should marry a believer. So many reasons why it’s best to not marry if you both are not grounded in God, I don’t care to write a book. But if you both are not Christians and one of you become a Christian later, then it can be a blessing, not a nightmare. Let’s take a look at a few problems first.

The Nightmare Part - Yes, it is hard to be in a marriage when you are both living different lives. This can cause all sorts of problems, because you are not connecting to you spouse. As a Christian your world revolves around God, which can often make the spouse resentful or jealous, because they are not first in line. Maybe you and your spouse no longer sit and watch the same television programs or like the same music. Maybe you choose not to go with your spouse to a nightclub or other activities that may be contrary to your beliefs. The non-believing spouse may seek companionship in someone that shares their interests which can lead to adultery. They may become argumentative or distant, they may try to spend the least amount of time possible with you. They may do things to try and get you to ‘lighten’ up, or persuade you to ‘have fun the way you use to.’ If you first shared the same interests which is what attracted you to each other, the spouse is still living how you both may have lived. They are probably looking at you like you are the problem not them and it’s all your fault.

First and foremost, don’t push them, sometimes that makes a person run faster. If you and your spouse can sit and communicate with each other then there can be a peaceful solution. Let your spouse know that you are not going to judge or push them. But just as you respect them and their feelings, they should respect yours. Find common interests of things you can do together that won’t conflict with serving God. Instead of the nightclub scene, go camping together, take a cooking class together, there are a numbers of things that won’t interfere with your faithfulness to God. Make time for each other and keep things on a positive note, laughter helps a lot. Show your spouse that Christians are allowed to still have fun, it just may be a different type of fun. Let your spouse know what you feel comfortable with and what you don’t. But also allow them to tell you the same. It’s a compromise, without compromising your faith.

In 1 Corinthians 7 - We are told that as long as the unbelieving spouse wishes to remain with the believing spouse (allowing the Christian spouse to follow God), then it’s fine to stay together, sometimes the actions or words of a believer can change the heart of the non-believing.

The Blessing - You have found God! You have chosen to live for Him and received Jesus Christ as your Savior. You were blind, and now you see. You have the Holy Spirit, your helper dwelling in you right now. You are no longer lost, searching to find that peaceful assurance that now we have in God. We always have God with us, loving us as a Father loves his child. You can lead by example all the good things of the spirit of Christ. Patience, meekness, forgiveness, compassion, and love. You can feel God’s presence and see the blessings in your life. You can tell others of all that you continually learn about God and through prayer lead others to Christ. With your love for God, the Holy Spirit is creating a new you, a better you. Less stress or worry, because we know that God is in charge. We feel more love towards others because we have more compassion. We awaken each day having confidence in our salvation and spending eternity with a loving God. If God dwells in you then you must continue to walk in faith and allow God to handle the things you pray for.

God does not guarantee that you will not have trials, but God is watching how you handle them.

When you ask God to give you patience, instead of Him giving you patience, perhaps he presents a situation where you need to be patient. Which in turn strengthens you to learn more patience. When you ask Him to help you with your anger, perhaps God presents an opportunity for you to curb your anger. Your actions must glorify God in everything you do or say. If you are a Christian you are representing Christ, or being Christ-like. Therefore, let your light shine. If your loved one doesn’t want to hear you talk to them about God, that’s alright. You must continue to walk in God, and don’t allow temptation to lead you astray. Study your Bible, go to church, have Christian friends. Seek to strengthen your relationship to God. Let God take the lead and let God be your focus, and God will work out the rest in due time.

God Bless

Salvation

Emmaus Mennonite Church

Often when I hear Christians talking with people they talk a lot about salvation but not explaining what it’s all about. “Ya’ll need Jesus, you need to be saved!” The person on the receiving end just has a look like ?Huh? Telling someone who is not a Christian, they need to be saved can be so confusing to people not familiar with scripture. Even some Christians don’t understand why Jesus died other than for our sins.

To best describe salvation to someone not familiar with some scriptures the easiest way is in your best layman’s terms.

God created Adam and Eve and placed them in this beautiful garden, Eden. Also in the Garden were two trees. One tree was the tree of life, and the other the tree of good and evil. God said they were not allowed to eat from the tree of good and evil. Now at this point, the question would be, “Why would God put it in the garden in the first place, he could have left the tree out.” As we know they were running around the garden, naked, and pretty much enjoying life…. until… Eve had to test the fruit from the tree they were not suppose to and gave some to Adam. God gave a command, or first law, and allowed man to make a choice when he said to not eat from that tree. It was basically a test to see if they would listen to him or not. After eating it, they saw they were naked and tried to cover their bodies, which symbolically would be taken as they were trying to hide their sin/shame.

Genesis 3:21-22 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. (22) And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:……..

So, now at this point the first covering for sin was the sacrifice of animals and shedding of blood, in order to make the skins/clothing for themselves. God banished them from the garden and throughout the Old Testament God’s people would then be required to sacrifice animals as a means of covering for a sin they may have committed. They would also sacrifice their first born animals, or their best stock in order to say thank you to God. Throughout the Old Testament there were so many laws in place and different sacrificing procedures around 615 I believe, then comes Jesus in the New Testament is when things started to change.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Jesus was with God from the beginning of creation. God sent his son to become like man in the physical sense, but even in the body Jesus remained perfect, never sinning unlike mankind.

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

In the Old Testament, people would take an animal to sacrifice, their own animal, accepting that it belongs to them not from somebody else’s livestock, and shed the blood to please God to cover their sins. People use to, through their own hard work (Works) gather all the things needed and perform the sacrifice. But, now through the shedding of Jesus’ blood and our full acceptance of him, our sins are covered. When we receive salvation, we are accepting and receiving Christ as a part of us. We no longer have to sacrifice animals, we can now rest in Jesus, because he did the work for us.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Nothing we do, (works) can make a difference to God to cover our sins anymore. God loved us so much, he sent his only son Jesus to be the last and final sacrificial lamb, we can only be covered by Jesus.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

For those who choose to oppose God, or disobey God, without receiving salvation, there is no covering for their sins. There is no repentance from the heart, and in order for God to forgive our sins, we must repent of them. Be sorrowful for our transgressions against God. No sinful thing can enter heaven where God is. God has no sin, so if our sins are not covered before we die (receive salvation), we would not be able to dwell in Gods kingdom. If you reject getting saved, you reject Christ, you reject God.

Revelation 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Some believe that they are a good person and even though they choose not to follow God or receive salvation, God will allow them into his kingdom because he is merciful. If that’s the case, then Jesus would have died in vain. There would have been no need for his sacrifice. God judges us by his own standards, not ours. Written in the Lambs Book are those who have received Christ and are his children.

1 Peter 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

Matthew 10:32-33 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. (33) But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

If you are not saved and have been thinking about receiving Christ as your savior, I invite you to a small prayer…… “A Salvation Prayer”

Christians vs. Non-Christians

My blog “The Christian Bible”, was never meant to be used as a way to have open debates on God’s existence or scriptures. I write from a perspective that God does in fact exist, real in every way.

Since I seem to be getting a few who feel the need to let me know God does not exist and Christians are following a myth, I thought it might be a good time to write this article on some of the issues we as Christians may face. The never ending debate of Christians versus Non-Christians. This article may bring some heated discussions, but it just makes life more interesting doesn’t it.

I know from a Non-Christian viewpoint, Christians often appear closed-minded, perhaps homophobic, hypocritical, and not politically or scientifically correct. Some would like to see it disappear altogether. When I say Non-Christian, I use that term in the sense of someone who is not a follower of Christ, regardless of their religion or lack of.

So a few clarifications about Christians I would like to address from my understanding. Some Christians may or may not agree, and some Non-Christians may or may not agree, there is so much to both sides of the debate, there is no way to possibly discuss them all on a blog.

NC #1 - “All Christians believe their religion is the only correct religion and think anyone with a different religion or non-religion are lost”

Just as there are many different religions, in Christianity so are each individuals personal beliefs. If a person strives to follow God and his Word, then from some outside view it may appear as being close-minded, since God demands certain things from us.

From scripture Christians are told they are to believe there is only one way to God, through Jesus.

( 1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus) There is no other way, or other Gods. (Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.)

You only have two choices, you are either for God, or you are against him. (Matthew 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.)

If you are against him, then you are lost to die in your sins according to scripture. (John 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.)

The Bible teaches Christians you must not except any other Gospel. (Galatians 1:9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.)

If we are to be Christians, or followers of Christ than we have to believe that He is truth. If we go against that, then we go against God. So in that sense we have to be closed minded and focus only on God and what he asks of us.

NC #2 - “Christians believe that the Bible was written by God who is supposed to be perfect, even though it contridicts itself on many verses”

Reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation like a book is not really the best way to approach it. There were many authors in the Bible. Some scribes, assistants to Disciples, etc.. and many with their own writing styles. What each author heard or witnessed to be true at that time is what they wrote. These were Holy men of God he commanded to write something down, or Holy men dictated for assistants to write what they witnessed or heard to be fact. Jesus himself quoted scriptures, reading them in the temples and believed it to be truth. During the early churches Disciples chosen by Jesus wrote letters for instructions on how churches were to conduct themselves as Christians, and passed these letters around to the many different churches.

Say you have a group of 5 guys going to a gathering, listening to a speaker and hearing peoples conversations. Now, ask them to write down what they remember as accurately as possible from the gathering. You will get some things in common and some things one or two of them might have heard, that the other 3 or four didn’t. Does it mean they never went to the gathering or heard the speaker or what he says is false, just because these 5 guys wrote what they believed to be true?

The Old Testament originally written in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek, some words have various meanings depending on how they were used in verses. If someone disputes the accuracy, going back to these other languages can help the researcher better conclude the meanings.

(2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:)

Some have chosen to add other books, some take parts away. Some believe the whole Bible is to be taken literally from start to finish. The Bible is full of parables and stories, poetry, wise sayings, instructions, letters, prophecies, etc… but the moral of the whole as a Bible is Gods relationship to mankind. There are often disputes over certain verses because many denominations define their church beliefs by them.

NC #3 - “Christians hate homosexuality”

Very hot topic and forever debatable, but each Christian varies in their beliefs on this issue. For some the debate comes as to if a person is born that way or not. For some they perceive it as a conscience choice where the individual can stop practicing homosexuality anytime. And others who look to see what scriptures say. Yes, there are some who are radical or fanatical about this issue, bashing and hurting anyone opposed to their views and claiming God backs their actions. And some of those radicals must remember that sin is sin.

The majority of Christians don’t hate anyone, they are simply trying to understand what God says about it in scripture and try to follow that. In scripture there is little talk about it, but it is usually spoken of lumped together with pagan practices.

Scriptures speak of anything pagan as opposed to God and his desire for the way he wishes his children to live. It is often referred to as an abomination. In the Hebrew language, ‘abomination’ means great disgust. Leviticus 18:22 “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”

Paul speaks in Romans;

Romans 1:26-27 “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: (27) And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.”

Paul describes the ‘natural’ ways in which Gods intended purpose was between a man and a woman. There is not one verse throughout scriptures that describes marriage between the same sexes, it’s just not there. Calling these acts unseemly, vile, abomination, an unnatural, we can pretty much distinguish that this is something that God did not intend or approve of for his children.
Many may disagree, but there is no way according to what is written in scripture to justify any sin if God deems it sinful, no matter if it’s paganism, adultery, drunkenness, etc… Christians learn what is and is not acceptable to him through his Word, and to follow him we must be in agreement with him.

That does not mean then that Christians should be mean or judgmental towards anyone. Every person should have a right to be who or how they wish to be, we each have our own personal choices to make in this life. We will all be judged according to Gods standards.

Some may not agree with God, but as a Christian if we disagree, then we are the ones who are wrong, not God. Non-Christians must understand, Christians are not gay bashing just because they don’t agree with the lifestyle. But as a follower and a believer in God and scripture Christians must believe what they understand God to say to be the truth and his judgment is fair regardless as to if it is considered politically correct or not in our society.

NC #4 - “Christians are just a bunch of hypocrites and condemn others yet sin just the same”

Very true. There are many who profess to follow Christ and his teachings and judge others for their sins, even though they are committing the same sins. Christians are not perfect and struggle everyday with the same desires and wants like everyone else. But not all Christians are the same in their walk with God, or their beliefs, so putting all Christians into the same lump doesn’t help.

James 1:13-15 “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: (14) But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. (15) Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

With the many different denominations come the varied beliefs in scripture. Some pick and choose to what suits them in their life. Many Christians believe they should judge others but they also will be judged by the same standards. (Matthew 7:2 For with whatever judgment you judge, you shall be judged; and with whatever measure you measure out, it shall be measured to you again.)

To God a sin is a sin. In our society we look at committing adultery worse than say lying. But to God, it’s all just sin. Jesus is perfect and we as people can never achieve his greatness of that perfection while we are here on earth. We are to strive for that perfection daily, but some people cannot get past their personal desires. Some are content with the level of commitment they give to God and choose not to grow in the fullness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive the things done through the body, according to that which he has done, whether good or bad.”
It can be dependent on that individual character of that person. Fears, desires, upbringing, or how they view the modern world in general. For those who strive to please God daily, they know that through Jesus we can be reconciled to God and forgiven for our sins. God has no sin, so the more we sin on purpose, the more we separate ourselves from God and keep ourselves from growing spiritually closer to him.

NC #5 - Free will- “Freedom to choose is given to man by God. Man has two main choices: 1) accept the Love of God and, upon death, go to paradise for eternity, 2) Refuse God and, upon death, just die, be utterly damned. How is that freedom of choice when it is the same thing as a gun to your head?”

God’s original plan when he created man was to have this great relationship. God allowed man to have the choice to love him, because forcing someone to love you is not true love. In scriptures it paints us a picture that there are only two options that exist. Not that God is condemning if you don’t love him, but more like this is all there is, there is no third option out there. There are only two doorways in existence after death. If you walk through one doorway it’s paradise, the other doorway leads to darkness. Our life here on earth is the middle ground for us to make our decision which door we wish to enter. Who wouldn’t choose the door to paradise? Some would rather choose darkness than to spend eternity worshiping God. That’s each individuals personal choice. God is sinless and nothing sinful can enter heaven where he is. Because of the choice that Adam and Eve made, they became carnal, and sinful, which is the opposite of God. God sent his son Jesus to be the last sacrifice for the cleansing of our sins in order for us to enter heaven. Some people wonder where the third doorway is… according to God there is none. So, as Jesus stated, you are either for God, or you are against him. God knows what’s on the other side of this life, we don’t. Jesus also knows, and thinks the doorway leading to darkness is so bad, he warns people over and over.

Matthew 5:30 “And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.” Jesus may have sounded extreme here with telling someone to cut off their limb, but Jesus wasn’t joking in the sense of seriousness. If your right hand keeps causing you to sin and oppose God, “Cut It Off”. Better than being sent to hell. Jesus describes hell as that bad, you do not want to go there.

Scriptures warn Christians that hell is what it is; darkness, torment and eternal separation from God. Once your there, you are there for eternity.

Matthew 18:14 “Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.”

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.