Crossroads Community Church

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Philippians 3:12 NIV

As my body is “maturing,” I find myself being a lot stiffer! Therefore, the remedy is to stretch or walk. Amazingly, I may be experiencing joint pain, but after a several-mile walk, the pain is gone. Those in the personal training world would tell us that stretching is one of the most rewarding for healthy joints and muscles. So simple, yet often easily neglected. At least for me.

The same applies to our spiritual growth. There are times when doctrine gets stale and we need to review and stretch into a new and fresh understanding of why we believe what we believe. It felt like last Sunday’s message was one of those “stretchers.” The subject matter of “hell” itself is a challenge, and then opening up the possibility of a new understanding regarding the length of time the wicked are punished is a bold move from our traditional point of view. I wasn’t expecting everyone to transition or endorse what I shared on Sunday. But I took the risk of presenting biblical evidence from my study for consideration.

However, it’s one of those beliefs that aren’t essential. Why would I say that? Because we have received Christ, and have placed our faith in Him, this doctrinal shift doesn’t affect us. Then why would I discuss it? Because it may matter to those deciding whether they can trust that God is loving. I read a testimony of a prominent theologian's father that refused to accept Christ because he could not believe a loving God would send people to hell forever. When he heard this doctrinal perspective of the unrighteous receive their punishment and then cease to exist, the father immediately said, “Now I can trust and follow a God like that!” The dad became a Christian. When I shared with a searching person about perhaps we are born mortal instead of born immortal, it radically switched his viewpoint to say, “That’s a game changer!”

Again, I will reiterate as believers that this shift in doctrine doesn’t affect us, but it does provide some answers in ways we may not have been able to reason out before. You have to decide if the stretch is worth it or not. As promised the link the I found helpful in sorting out this issue: https://www.thinkersbiblestudies.com/3-4-1-no-burn-in-hell-forever/god-character-justice

This Sunday, we were scheduled for a guest speaker, but they needed to postpone. Instead, I plan to bring the last message in our evangelism series called, “The Last Charge.” II Timothy is agreed by scholars as the last correspondence Paul wrote before he departed from this earth. Chapter 4 gives us some directives for our day, not only to stay true to Jesus but “do the work of an evangelist.” I look forward to unfolding this “last word,” with you on Sunday! God Bless!

August 24, 2022

Enjoy the Stretch

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