The working assumption of many seems to be that once we sinful humans die we are automatically done sinning simply by virtue of the fact that we have died. We assume that those who are sent to hell suddenly have a change of heart and recognize the folly of their ways.
If grace isn’t buyable or earnable, if it’s not merely God’s response to our decision, and if it’s not God simply changing where we spend eternity, what is it?
The riches of God’s gifts flow from His character of love and mercy. We could never earn or deserve all that God gives us. He just gives them to us because He loves us.
God knew the sins you would commit before you became a believer, and He knew the ones you would commit after you became a believer. He knew all the sin we would ever commit and He still chose you.
As I talk to regular pastors, I think some have overly optimistic expectations and some have overly pessimistic expectations.
Human beings instinctively long for justice. Our definitions of justice may be rooted in different value systems, but we all long for justice. We want things to be set right.
Surprised by Joy is the story of CS Lewis’ life, particularly the story of how he became a follower of Jesus. Towards the end of the book Lewis describes the moment he moved from atheism to theism.
Regular Pastor 