Why do people need Jesus? What’s the ultimate purpose or reason for believing in God? If it’s to avoid going to Hell, then I have to ask, what is Hell? Is it just literal, physical pain and suffering? If that’s the case, is that really a good enough reason for me to ask people to believe in God? “Hey, you need to trust Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, so you don’t experience an eternity of physical suffering.” I’m sure the non-believers would appreciate my looking out for their physical well-being and comfort in the next life, but if that’s the real reason for believing in Christ, it seems a bit shallow.If Hell is complete and total separation from God for all of eternity, let me ask you this: Why would someone who is completely disinterested in having God be a part of his or her life on earth, be interested in having God be a part of his or her life after they die? They don’t want God now. What makes anyone think these people would want to spend eternity with God…even if it is in Heaven (which I hear is supposed to be a pretty cool place)?
So why do people need Jesus? I know they need forgiveness of their sins…but why?
I’ve got some more thoughts, but what do you think?
Without taking the time to be eloquent, I think people need Jesus because without Him they will never be satisfied. We were created to be in relationship with God, the only One who can ever love us the way we need to be loved 100% of the time. When we’re out of that relationship (either permanently because we don’t know Christ, or momentarily because unconfessed sin stands between us and God), we ache. We try to fill that void with anything and everything, but we never succeed and end up living unfulfilled, destructive lives.
I completely agree with you, Kelly. I guess my point is, if what you said is the real truth (and I think it is), why does it seem like we only talk about and preach about being saved in order to go to Heaven? I hear people start witnessing to people by asking, “If you were to die and stand before God right now, what would you say when he asked you why he should let you into Heaven?”
People aren’t as focused on that day as they are on their lives now. People are lonely and broken and hurting today; they need to know that having a relationship with Jesus affects them now and not just after they die. People need something to alleviate their pain and give them hope today, not just in the future.
(And no, I’m not saying that having a relationship with Jesus will make all your problems go away. But having hope in Jesus makes all of this life’s problems look a little different; it gives you a whole new perspective on life).
This whole thing may seem a little obvious, but it’s something I’ve had to wrestle with lately.