The Absolute Necessity of the Atonement: Cur Deus Homo? A Plea to Come to Jesus

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

Now we consider the work of Christ, and His atonement—the cross of Christ. The universal symbol of our faith from the first century onwards has been a symbol of execution-the cross. It is in the cross that all of our hopes and comfort, in life and death, are to be found.

As Paul said 1 And I, when I came to you, brothers,a did not come proclaiming to you the testimonyb of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1 Cor. 2:2)

We have looked at who Jesus is, and now it is time to look at what He did; the person and work of Christ can be distinguished, but not separated.

Definition—"the atonement is the work that Christ did in His life and death to earn our salvation.” (Wayne Grudem) Usually we think only of the cross but I will explain later why the entire 33 years or so of Christ’s life should be considered as part of this event known as the atonement.

 For first 1,000 years of Church, there was no clear explanation of the atonement. Many saw it primarily as a ransom paid to the Satan…and to make matters worse, it was thought of as being done via trickery…like a mouse-trap! I was taught this in grade school. Anselm the archbishop of Canterbury (c 1,000-1,100 AD), wrote a short book entitled: Cur Deus Homo? Why the God man? Monumental work which I recently re-read. Why did God take on human nature, why become incarnate, why the cross and atonement? To satisfy the demands of Gods justice. He does this in the form of a dialogue with Boso. Seeing the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice to satisfy the demands of God’s justice and his holy wrath by means of substitution; from then on that became dominant view of atonement.

Why didn’t God just forgive us and get it done with? As He told us to forgive others, why didn’t God just do what He told us to do, and just forgive us? As it has been said: “It is the purpose of divinity to forgive—that’s His job.” Really?

Frist, we are supplied with the answer of Anslem. He wrote: if anyone imagines that God simply forgives us as we forgive others, that person has ‘not yet considered the seriousness of sin—heavy a weight sin is.’ And he supplied the second answer as well: you have not yet considered the majesty/justice of God. When we have deficient views of God’s holiness and our sinfulness, then we will have deficient views of the atonement and its necessity. We are not God, and so, as we shall see, when we sin we sin against Him and the His laws. Therefore to expect the Creator to act like a creature we are doing violence to this vital distinction…as well as His righteous nature. He always does what is right and fair—always.

The crucial question is not just why God finds it difficult to forgive, but how He finds it possible to do so at all. As one man put it: “forgiveness is to man the plainest of duties; to God is the profoundest of problems.” There is a collision between divine perfection and human rebellion; between God as He is and us as we are. The real problem is this: God is holy and we are not. Something radical had to happen, IF He was to forgive us.

Deficient views of the cross, which abound today amongst theologians and laity alike, stem from either a shallow view of God’s holiness and/or shallow views of the gravity of sin…sinfulness of sin.

Cause of atonement—usually we think of the mercy, grace and love of God. John 3:16 true. But as Anselm reminds us, the primary cause of the cross is God’s justice. His righteousness. We must not be selfish and think first of us—God is concerned for the His own glory above all else. His love is holy love. How can God save us in a manner consistent with and true to His internal character which cannot bear to even look upon sin? Yes God is love but it is a holy love. But before we move on we must ask the painful question: would God have been unfair, unjust in damning all sinners to eternity in hell? The only acceptable answer is: no, God would have been just in damning all of us. That is what we deserve. He did not save lost angels, who are rational beings as we are. After years of knowing the Lord, I think it is good to remind ourselves of this very basic fact, lest we unconsciously drift into entitlement mode of thinking.

In this regard, there are three views of atonement: it was not necessary, it was hypothetically necessary, it was absolutely necessary. The first is the view of liberals and other unbelievers. Others say that once Christ freely and graciously decided to save us, He could have chosen other means, but once He chose this route He was bound to it. Lastly, and what I am convinced the bible teaches, is the absolute necessity of the cross. Once God did freely and graciously decide to save us, there was no other way. The Gethsemane prayer-Matt. 26:30, the words of Christ about the necessity of the Christ to suffer—Lk 24, Romans 3:26, need to become man—Heb. 2:17; and the Temple patterned after heavenly sanctuary-Heb. 9:23—all point to absolute necessity of atonement.

To bring home nature of this problem more clearly, I want us to see sin from three perspectives, but before we do that, notice how often righteousness of God is mentioned. God ALWAYS does what is right and just. On the cross, God’s infinite justice and righteousness was satisfied. On the cross He bore the judgement we deserve in order to bring us the forgiveness we do not deserve. On the cross justice and mercy kiss.

16For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith,e as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
(thematic statement of Romans—v. 17)

God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth…..on and on for 3 chapters!

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:21-26, emphasis added)

Paul had spent 3 chapters relentlessly driving home the wrath of God against God hating sinners, and now He is anxious to show how He has gloriously forgiven us in way consistent with His holy wrath. If modern man, including theologians detest anything, it is the need to assuage God’s wrath. They are blind and lost in arrogance, for this is clear on every page of scripture. Penal substitution challenges any/all human pride, which is why it is detested so fiercely.

Now, to express this need for an atonement more clearly let me take just three of the many images of sin in scripture. Sin as: a crime…a crime of cosmic treason; sin considered as an unpayable debt; sin as enmity requiring reconciliation.

To the extent that we understand the gravity, seriousness of sin-sin’s sinfulness, to that extent we will understand, appreciate, and stand in awe of God’s tender love, mercy, and grace to hell-deserving sinners.

Here is a fuller list we shall address as we move along: we are alienated from God/reconciled; under God’s holy wrath/through propitiation God’s wrath is satisfied/quenched; we are enslaved/we are set free through redemption; we are guilty and condemned/pardoned and counted as righteous through justification; we are under control of dreadful enemies/God delivers and rescues us so that we are triumphant in Christ.

First, let us see that sin is a crime. As our Creator, God has the absolute right to impose obligations upon us. Most companies will not employ someone who has been convicted of a felony. Yet, we are all guilty of a felonious assault on the Holy One—cosmic treason. Treason on human level is considered a capital crime, but we have committed treason on a cosmic scale. One sin is enough to send us to hell for eternity because of the infinite dignity of the Person whom we have offended. Treason against one’s country is bad enough, but we have committed treason against the King and Lawgiver of the cosmos.We are criminals in God’s sight in desperate need of being declared not guilty/justified.

We live in a culture in which folks say: everyone deserves a second chance. That is fine on horizontal level, even if we grant that for arguments sake before God, how long ago did you use up your second chance?! All spiritual Benedict Arnolds—treason. God almighty sees our sin as cosmic treason because we have conspired and rebelled against His Lawful authority over us, and sought autonomy—seeking to throw off His control, we’ve broken His holy law—which is a mortal sin in His eyes. In a sense, all sin is mortal sin. None of this ‘boys will be boys’ attitude. What we may consider peccadillos (little sins) are crimes against the Holy God of law and the holy law of God. Lawbreaking is a crime. We are to love God with all of our being, and nobody has done that for five seconds. So unclean has this crime made us that the OT says it vomits people out of the land—it gags on our depravity.

Regarding our status as guilty criminals before God, He justifies us in Christ—declaring us not guilty and forgiving our crimes and counting us as righteous in God’s eyes. Our most urgent need is to be justified because our most fundamental problem is objective guilt before God’s law.

2. Sin as enmity. Eph, 2—by nature children of wrath, and Romans 5 sees us as at enmity with God--enemies, and that goes both ways. We are not just indifferent to God, but unbelievers hate God. And God is infinitely angry with sinners. The notion of reconciliation assumes what? That there is estrangement. If husband and wife seek counseling and mediation for reconciliation, that assumes hostility. I’m sure you have heard of Jonathan Edward’s sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” That is true…most certainly so. But I also know that it is also true that when Jesus came to His own, it was “God in the Hands of Angry Sinners.” Such is the intensity of our hostility to God that a sinless God/man was murdered because we were traumatized by His holiness.

Folks say that essence of hell is the absence of God—they wish. The essence of hell will be the stern presence of God as judge. The wrath of the Lamb. I cannot bear to think of this. Have you ever been bopping along and suddenly an awful possibility popped into your mind? Perhaps you are driving down the road to work and cannot remember if you turned the stove off? In a flash, your peace goes to utter panic in a second, and actually feel the horror in your stomach. I sometimes think of unbelievers standing before the throne of God, loved ones, and the sinking, nauseating feeling that they will certainly feel as they face a horror of unspeakable magnitude for eternity. I have almost vomited myself thinking of this and how it grips my heart with anguish, as when Paul spoke in Romans 9…wishing to be damned himself if it would save his beloved countrymen.

Yes God is loving but He also is holy and wrathful. The first fruit of justification is peace with God-Rom. 5:1. The atonement brings reconciliation.

3. Sin as a debt. There is a difference between a monetary debt and a moral debt. If I owe you 10,000 dollars, then I may get a loan and pay bank back through a loan program. Speaking of debt, on human level many people live under crushing weight of monetary weight indebtedness due to various reasons.

However, if I owe you 10 million dollars tomorrow, there is no way I can pay you back—crushing weight. I don’t know the President or Bill Gates. I suppose it is hypothetically possible, but not probable. With God how much is our indebtedness? Infinite. That is purpose of the parables Jesus taught regarding repaying debt. It is infinite debt. After all that God has done for us. And the bible speaks of this as wracking up an unpayable moral indebtedness.

What can you or I do to repay this debt? What moral merit can you claim for yourself? If you have sinned but once, you have wracked up an infinite debt before your infinitely holy God. He does not grade on a curve. Unlike Islam which says that we shall go to heaven if the scales of justice, indicates that our good deeds outweigh our bad. If that is so, then why did Jesus die the horrific death He did? But the most common notion of salvation or justification is justification by death. All we have to do is die and the loving arms of God will bring us home. This is terrible demonic lie.

God is called our surety and we are redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb (1 Peter 1:18-19).  18knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. Freed from all moral/spiritual debt. Biblically, this is called redemption/ransom.

The cross answers the need for God to satisfy His justice.

1. Do you see your sins as a crime—as an act of cosmic treason? Which the cross satisfied…

2. Do you see your sins as a debt…a debt which you absolutely owe but absolutely cannot pay? That the cross satisfied.

3. Do you see you your sins as enmity, which required reconciliation, which only the cross could satisfy?

I beg of you to examine your heart to make sure you are truly ‘in the faith…in Jesus.’

If folks en masse saw God’s burning holiness and their sinfulness, they would be kicking down the doors to the churches and crying out in anguish: what must I do to be saved!

What agonizes my heart are the vast number of people who say that they do not need a savior—no need of the cross. Indifferent. Dear friends, since God is utterly holy and we are unholy, then our most profound need is for a savior—the cross. Amen.

Rom. 3:23—admit you are sinner   “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Rom. 6:23—admit that you deserve eternal death, but God has provided forgiveness based on finished work of Christ on the Cross. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Rom. 5:8) 8but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Rom. 10:9-10 9because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved

Repent of your sin and believe in Jesus as your savior and Lord…and you will be saved and have eternal life.

Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.

10 Reasons Why Infinite Alternative Realities Are Not Possible

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

Recently I was communicating with Laura Maxwell regarding a discussion she had with a man who stated that he was ex-New Ager, but he believed in alternate realities or universes. Numerous insights shared here came from Laura, The idea is that there are allegedly infinite incarnations of each of us in every conceivable situation, in infinite universes. Infinite means infinite, not just a whole lot. What are the ramifications of this belief, and are they compatible with Christianity? Does the bible have any insights on cosmology, and how many universes there are?

First, let’s lay the foundation. The bible/Proverbs says that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of both wisdom and knowledge. Though these two are closely tied together in Proverbs, “knowledge” tends to focus on correct understanding of the world and our place as creatures, while “wisdom” is the acquired skill of applying that knowledge in a way that pleases God. May God enable us to please Him in our pursuit of accurate understanding of the totality of His creation and our place in it.
Again, the idea is that there are infinite realities and some see these universes as bubbles, and each one may have different scientific rules and moral codes.

This notion is common in occult/New Age circles, and is used to express New Age concepts, such as quantum jumping. However, mainstream theoretical physicists and cosmologists are championing this idea on print and on TV frequently. Our concern is that this notion is becoming quite common amongst professing Christians as well. Just as some drugs may act as gate-ways to more serious drugs, so some beliefs are gate-way beliefs which often to lead to a slippery slope down into the darkness of occultic beliefs and practices. And that is my concern about Christians embracing this concept of multiverse.

I need to affirm that of all people, Christians should let their imaginations soar to the stars because we have a solid foundation to distinguish between reality and fantasy. So, anything I say here should not be construed as a squashing of a PROPER use of our imaginations. Positing infinite universes as fact (and not in fiction) is not a proper use of reason, the Word, or imagination.

A new word appeared in cosmology literature—multiverse…instead of universe. Here are my reasons for challenging it:

1. Multivese or infinite universes is a contradiction in terms because the universe is supposed to include everything.

Definition of ‘universe’—all existing matter and space considered as a whole; the cosmos. By definition, the universe contains everything there is. Hence, the notion of infinite universes is infinitely absurd and internally self-contradictory.

You cannot have multiple/infinite everythings. Most physicists and cosmologist are not Christians and have non-biblical presuppositions which guide how they interpret the data/phenomena—and it’s NOT the fear of God. You can look at the same evidence and different presuppositions will lead to radically different conclusions (e.g. cosmic background radiation). Arguments for infinite realities/universes are often circular in nature…assuming the very thing to be proved.

Some scientists appeal to the Anthropic principle, and state that we ‘create’ universes by existing to observe it. However, creating reality through our minds is classic occult belief. We cannot create anything from nothing, much less a universe, which is something only God can do.

We believe in the basic reliability of the sense perceptions because, the same God who made the external world also made our 5 senses to accurately perceive God’s world. There is a correspondence between what we see, hear, taste, touch, and smell and the external world, because God created both. Immanuel Kant dropped a bombshell on modern man with his distinction between noumena (thing in itself) and the phenomena (what we observe), and never the twain shall meet. But the Christian has no such problem!

2. Occam's razor (principle of preferring simpler explanation)would clearly prefer the simplicity of a single universe, which easily and comprehensively explains the phenomena. The notion of infinite universes raises more questions than it answers, and unbelief was the assumption that gave rise to it. It adds infinite complexity and confusion, which is contra Occam’s razor principle.

3. The teaching is that there are infinite variations of all of us. If there are infinite Mark’s, then which one will be judged?  The absurdity of it would be humorous if it weren’t so tragic. Hebrews 9:27 states that each person will die once (not infinite times), and will immediately face judgment. Infinite variations of me/you is inconsistent with personal judgment. I have to keep my points brief. J
If everyone has infinite identities, then so should Jesus and Hitler. That is blasphemous and utterly heretical. And there would be universes in which He didn’t die for our sins…again, unthinkable. In fact, there should be a universe in which you/me were Jesus. Or Lucifer is good. It is utterly arbitrary to affirm infinite identities, except balk when it comes to being God’s Messiah. That is special pleading, an informal  logical fallacy. That just shows that folks can’t live with the logical extension of this absurd notion.

4. The word ‘universe’ is a combination of two Latin words-uni  (one), versus (turned)…or combined into one, whole. The idea is that of unity amidst vast diversity of the cosmos. This is a faint but lovely picture of the unity amidst the diversity of the Trinity. For millennia, philosophers dealt with the ‘one and many’ problem in an attempt to explain reality. (Unfortunately, modern philosophy, for the most part, has given up on such discussions) How can we explain how the unity and diversity that we observe on the macro and micro levels, or the one and many, came to be? Look around and see/feel the unity amidst the diversity in nature! Whether you are looking through a microscope at the complexity of a cell, or a picture from the Hubble Telescope, this phenomenon is staggering! A recent trip to the NC Zoo accented the diversity of animals, and yet they are all animals.Which is more ultimate: unity or diversity?

The pre-Socratic  philosophers were consumed with trying to explain the nature of reality, and especially how there can be such unity in nature with all its mind-boggling diversity? Ancient philosophers like Heraclitus and Parmenides  came to opposite conclusions. One stated that unity was ultimate and the other that diversity/change was ultimate. There were even the ‘atomists’ who posited atom like particles that explained the unity and diversity! So, which is ultimate?
The biblical answer is that both are equally ultimate, as reflected in the oneness of God, but existing in three Persons. What a fantastic answer we have for modern man who is lost in the darkness of their autonomous reason…and has no basis for true and accurate knowledge of God’s world. “He who trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.” (Proverbs 28:26)
My point is that the notion of a uni-verse was born out of a Christian worldview in which scientists understood that Jesus is the Logos that coheres all reality together (Colossians 1:16-17; John 1:1-3)), and that the vast diversity of the cosmos reflects the unity amidst the diversity in the Trinity. In other words, the universe was seen as a thing of wonder and mystery which reflected the very character of God Himself. (Romans 1:18ff)

ALL that God created is contained in this one universe in which there is a mind-boggling unity amidst the staggering diversity of God’s universe. The scientific laws we have discovered are really God’s laws which He implanted into the very fabric of reality or the universe. They display the unity and diversity principle as well, whether it is astronomy to zoology. When I walked outside today, taking in the loveliness around me, I saw a jet 30,000 feet up. How wonderful it is that God has created a world in which, through the cultural mandate in Genesis, we can discover His laws in the warp and woof of the universe, and make such fantastic inventions!

However, the notion of a multiverse brings in its wake chaos-which is demonic. The unity/diversity model is lost and chaos reigns, with infinite bubble universes bumping into each other, and there is no cohering principle. The multiverse model is a sign of how far how our culture has drifted from the Triune God into foolish flights of cosmological fancy, which leads to a horror of great darkness because there is no meaning  or coherence in this model of infinite universes.

5. Which leads me to my next point. Those who espouse the notion of multiverse have to assert, if they are consistent, that each alleged universe (here the inner self-destructive nature of its language appears)has its own scientific rules and moral codes. Each universe has its own understanding of truth regarding all aspects of life. Focusing on the latter, we see that this notion is at odds with the biblical insistence that Truth is objective and absolute because God’s law is based on His unchanging character. As Laura pointed out, the notion of multiple truths is absurd and is contrary to God’s Word regarding truth being unchanged and unchanging. Infinite truths leads to a horror of great darkness, in which wrong is right, and vice versa.John 17:17 says that God’s Word is not only True, but it is Truth itself (Greek, alathea, noun),and is thus the standard of truth against which everything else must be tested or compared)So, the notion of multiverse has serious problems from which there is no escape.

6. The notion of infinite universes is impossible because only God is infinite—even the universe, though enormous, is not infinite. If there were infinite universes then they would be God because they are infinite, which is an aspect of divinity. Infinite is not a whole lot—not 10 to billionth power comes even close to a speck compared to infinity. Infinity means there is no end….endless numbers of universes. If this does not concern you, then it should because it is an attempt to become like God, through the guise of science. The infinity of God is what theologians refer to as an imcommunicable (non-transferable) attribute of God. Just as God’s omnipotence and omniscience are divine attributes, so is infinity.Our God is too small!!

7. Are we to believe that Satan is a good being, possibly the Messiah, in one of these other infinite universes? God forbid! But it shows the ugliness and absurdity of this view.

8. Anyone familiar with the Judeo-Christian worldview, will instantly realize that the notion of infinite universes is hostile or contrary to their/our worldview. This is especially true when it comes to the biblical teaching regarding the nature of reality. The growth of the occult worldview has opened the door to this heretofore unthinkable model of reality.

9. Let us now look at the biblical data:

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) Bereshith bara Elohim shamayim we ha eres (Hebrew)
3  By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.(Hebrews 11:3)
1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2. He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things (panta, Greek) were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. (John 1:1-3)
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things, (ektisas ta panta, Greek)
and by your will they existed and were created. (Revelation 4:11)
16 For by him all things were created (ekthisthe ta panta, Greek), in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together…. 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.(Colossians 1:16-20)

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.(Romans 8:18-23….bolds added to several texts)

I quoted these texts because they answer most the questions pertinent to this discussion.

Notice that in most texts it is explicitly stated that ALL THINGS (not just one of infinite others) that were created through Jesus, and it’s a clear reference to the universe created in Genesis 1:1.All things means all things-what we call the universe.

Genesis 1:1.is a fundamental presupposition that runs through the entire bible. In this verse we see the creation of matter, and the space-time continuum. This is not a summary verse; it is God’s first act in which the one universe was spoken into existence—the very fabric of space and time. Heaven and earth is an expression meaning ‘everything’ ;seen or unseen. This interpretation is supported by the New Testament (see Hebrews 11:3 and Revelation 4:11) It is the biblical teaching of God creating the entire created world/universe ex nihilo (out of nothing). Contrary to other pagan beliefs, Moses and NT authors tell us that God did not create from pre-existing matter. By His sovereign, all mighty power, God spoke the entire creation into existence. Hebrews 11:3 emphasizes the ‘out of nothing’ aspect of creation.

Genesis 1:1 tells us from the outset that God created the heavens and the earth, which means EVERYTHING. It is an amazing comment about God creating everything he created, and there is no mention of alternate universes. The same is true of the other verses. Note especially John 1:3 where it says that ALL things were created through Him, And to make sure we heard him correctly John adds, that nothing was created that Jesus did not create…NOTHING. John could not have been clearer. It is as if He said—“there is nothing that exists anywhere that I did not create. My creation of the universe includes all that I created.” Does that not exclude alternate universes?  Everything that was created, was created by Jesus, and is identical with our universe, both visible and invisible. Only by eisogesis (reading into text ones views) can one extract the notion of multiverse from these anti-multiverse verses.

In Colossians, Jesus not only created everything but He sustains it as well. In John 1:1-3, the Logos/Logic (Jesus, and Greek word can be translated either Word or Logic) created and holds the fabric of creation together. Jesus is the Logic of the universe.

The New heavens and earth in Revelation in 21 and 22 indicate that the space time continuum will be sustained through eternity because heaven will be here on earth and we will have glorified but material bodies, which occupy space and live in time. (2 Corinthians 5; 1 Cor. 15) Eternal life in heaven does not necessarily entail the end of space and time. Why should it? You don’t have to worry about CERN or anyone else changing the basic fabric of God’s creation which He upholds with His omnipotent right arm, and will extend through eternity. Whatever Cern is doing, they can’t mess with God’s basic creational pattern which is eternal in nature. I was going to mention the Mandela Effect but think that is an issue for another day. The alleged bending of time/space is a distinct issue from alternate realties.

In Genesis 3 and Romans 8 (see above) the Fall of Adam effected the entire creation—ALL that God had created. In Romans 8 it states that the universe/all creation ‘groans’ due to the Fall, and longs for Jesus’ return so that it, too, will be liberated from the consequences of Adam’s sin. In v.22 it states explicitly that ‘all creation groans’ due to Adam’s sin. How can this jive with infinite universes because that would mean that ALL CREATION does not mean what it says. In fact, it would seem to mean the opposite, since infinite other universes were allegedly not touched by Adam’s Fall. But the Word of God is explicit that all creation was touched by both the Fall, as well as the cosmic ramifications of the blessed Atonement.

The Fall caused:
1. Man separated from God;
2. Man separated from other men (beginning of violence between humans);
3. Man’s separation from himself (origin of psychological problems);
4. Man's separation from nature (hostility and fear between man and animals),
5. Separation of nature from nature (nature became ‘red in tooth and claw’)

Jesus’ death had cosmic ramifications for the entire creation. (see Col. and Romans) Ephesians 1:14 says, “..A plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and on earth.” Nowhere do we see alternate realities that were not affected by the historical Fall, nor by the scope of Christ’s atonement. The central theme of the drama of redemption is that the work of Christ on the cross is the central axis for the history of God’s entire creation, whether in heaven or on Earth…and He silenced all demonic powers. All of human and comic history revolves around the cross. That is, ALL of God’s creation was affected by the Fall, and has now been (or will be at Christ’s return) experience full liberation. The cosmic nature of Christ’s death is often overlooked. He not only defeated sin, Satan/demons, death, but He secured the redemption of the entire universe.

Instead, this is powerful refutation of infinite universes because we see that Adams Fall affected everything—except heaven. The universe, as we know it, was affected to its outer reaches. You cannot fit infinite universes into this drama of Fall and redemption.

So serious was this sin problem that God gave His all—He couldn’t have given more—and are we to believe that there are infinite me/you that do NOT need salvation? That is both repugnant to the Word and reason. The bible says that Jesus died ONCE for ALL. Any view that diminishes the perfection of the Person and Work of Christ, is a HUGE red flag, and is The Litmus Test for whether a belief is biblical or not.

As Laura reminded me, Hebrews states that Jesus died “once for ALL.” If the other alleged infinite universes are inhabited by intelligent beings, as is stated to be the case, then they either didn’t fall, or if they did, then Jesus would have had to have taken on infinite incarnations (each to be appropriate for the fallen inhabitants…Hebrews 2) and die infinitely. This is monstrous and contrary to Jesus dying “once for all.” Surely the folly of man’s autonomous knowledge of the world is nowhere more evident than here. If God The Father ever has to choose between the singular honor and dignity of His only Son, and our unrestrained imagination, then He will always choose His Son.

10. Contrary to many people’s opinions, the earth IS the center of the universe—not spatially, but in terms of it being the singular focus of God’s affection and love, from all eternity; past present and future (See Ephesians 1). All the mysteries and beauty of the entire cosmos were created for God’s glory and for our pleasure. From Genesis 1 to Revelation 22,, the earth was to be the temple of God, as well as His footstool.

 In Genesis 2, after finishing creating of ALL things, God rested and saw the earth as His temple, which is where it will be for all eternity after Second Coming (Revelation 21-22) Again, how can one fit this in with the concept of infinite universes? God will reign here….Immanuel—God with us!

When Satan fell, where was he sent? Earth, and not one of infinite possible dimensions. We see in Job and elsewhere, that Earth is the locus of God’s enemy, and not some alternate universe. This is implicit evidence of this being the only reality or universe. The location of the battle royale of the ages is our planet—not some far off galaxy or alternate universe.

So, unless we want to think that, when God said that He created ALL things, that God meant only our “little bubble” but not the infinite other bubbles, then we need to take God’s Word at face value.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Bereshith bara Elohim shamayim we ha eres. God said it. That settles it. I believe it. Thus, I will not preface my comments with: “In my opinion…”

It is this existing universe, mentioned in Genesis 1 and Revelation 21-22 in which the Triune God will reign on THIS Earth for all eternity, with all of His adopted sons and daughters, through Jesus Christ.  How can there be infinite other universes if God has said that the planet we live on will be His dwelling place forever and ever? Can’t we see that this notion could only have arisen in a culture riddled with an occult/Gnostic worldview?

Let us rejoice that, as Isaiah says: “…God created the Earth so that it might be inhabited…”, and that for all eternity we shall reign with God over His redeemed creation.

Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.

Alleged Reasons Why Some Are Likely to Become Ghosts: Fear of Hell.

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

I recently read an article in which eight reasons were given as to why some are likely to become ghosts upon death: violent death, dying with addictions, money owed to them, died suddenly, have young children, unresolved emotions, betrayal, and seeking revenge. However, even the author stated that most of these fell under the general principle of unfinished business.

While the paranormal community has no consensus as to who or what makes the final decision as to who stays behind, there is a somewhat of a consensus as to WHY people stay behind. There are four criteria: traumatic death, emotional death, untimely death, and unfinished business.

I shall look at those next time, but there is another reason stated as to why some folks refuse to move on: the fear of hell.

Before we examine this notion, we have to deal with first things first. That is, from where do we derive our ideas about the fate of the dead? There are ultimately only two alternatives, though they may be semantically streamed in different ways. We either lean on revelation or speculation. Those are the only two possible alternatives.That is, we either look to what God has revealed to us in His Word, or we autonomously seek to use our God-given faculties to determine this issue by reason, feelings, observation, etc…placing them above God’s Word.

Since the soul, the after-life (including hell) are manifestly theological issues, then whether people can refuse to pass on due to a fear of hell is clearly a theological issue as well. Hence, we NEED God’s Word to answer this question.  Natural reason cannot answer that question.

Some assert that the bible is not clear regarding the Intermediate State (when we die, and before Jesus’ Second Coming). Hence, this is the time when folks may avoid going to the Light. First, there are only a very few theologians who think the bible is unclear about the Intermediate State. I have shown elsewhere that the bible is exceedingly clear as to what befalls all people immediately after death…our judgment. Second, the “Light” is not a celestial bright spot. Rather, the Light before whom we all must come for judgment (either to be pronounced “not guilty’ or condemned) is the High King of Heaven, the Lord Jesus…the refulgence of His awesome holiness is the Light we see. The Light is a Person, and not a destination or a thing, which can be avoided or resisted.
Again, it is stated that some spirits/souls stay behind out of fear of what awaits them IF they walk into the Light. Either because of fear of what they believed, or how they lived their lives, the possibility of going to Hell dissuades them from crossing over.

According to this theory, humans retain free will after they die, which includes the free will to (at least temporarily…some say eternally) to insist on staying on earth, in order to avoid hell.

This belief places man in the position of final determiner of his eternal fate (at least temporarily). This casts a long shadow over both God’s holiness and His absolute sovereignty. It is a denial of the reigning Kingship of God as Judge of all the earth (Genesis 18:25)If a person can run away from God’s judgment as long as he wishes (eternally according to many), then man is placed in the seat of ultimate authority. God could only judge us IF we let Him! The most cruel and wicked men who ever lived could laugh at the King of Glory and tell Him to basically “get lost.” The very thought should be odious to all God’s saints.

As many have pointed out, Jesus spoke much more about hell—its reality and horror—than He spoke of the glories of heaven. He did this because He loves us, and wants us to think long and hard about something we would rather ignore, or explain away.

Jesus warned many people to flee from the wrath to come…He warned them of the eternal consequences upon death if they put anything before Him. Nowhere do we get a hint of possible snubbing of the Holy One of Israel. To state that man may choose to flee from hell is to strip the gospel of its utter urgency. Why? Because we can just say to ourselves: “I’ll just resist going into the Light.”When you read the gospels and epistles, the gospel is a message of fleeing from a clear and present danger…a message which is of eternally urgent importance.The gospel is good news, but it is urgently good news…for sinners who are hell-bound.

Jesus pled with people to not waste their lives on trivialities, only to be thrown into the pit where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The parable of Lazarus and the rich man is clear in its implications regarding the inalterability of God’s Judicial summons and holy decree after death. It cannot be averted.

28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,
33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Please read v. 28 carefully. Is there any hint of human free will to avoid hell? If you look closely, in the succeeding verses, Jesus is asserting His utter control over seemingly insignificant events. How much more the lives and deaths of His image bearers—whether to heaven or hell. Again, there is no hint of avoiding God’s judgment in v. 28, 32-33.

If a person misses an important court date, then a summons is given for their arrest. Do we really think that the Holy Lawgiver and Judge will let us avoid being prosecuted for cosmic treason?

What disturbs me about the notion of ghosts avoiding hell is the trivializing effect it has on the holiness and utter sovereignty of God, as well as the reality of Hell. The bible is clear that our free will ceases upon our deaths. Upon death, it is too late to believe in Christ, and we cannot flee from the personal judgment.  This is an appointment that no man can cancel or flee from. Death ushers us into God’s holy throne-room, and we are either sent to heaven or hell, depending on whether we have clung to finished work of Christ on the Cross.

We need to remember, that by virtue of creation, God owns us—body and soul. He determines when we shall die (Psalm 139: 16 ) Hence, there is no such thing  as a untimely death. (more of that next time)

Hebrews 9:27 states it very clearly. In a context of the once-for-all nature of the atonement…it says: “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment…” Notice, that our deaths are appointed by God. He is utterly in control, and any human effort or free will, melts away. What does it say comes after (meta, Greek) our appointed deaths—which implies there are no untimely deaths? Our appointed judgment comes immediately after our appointed deaths.The notion of a person choosing to avoid their appointment with the Ancient of Days is repugnant to both reason and Scripture. God’s sovereignty, and the beauty of the atonement is everywhere in this context, and resisting the Irresistible summons is impossible.

To state that we can avoid facing God’s judgment also minimizes the beauty and efficacy of Christ’s atonement, in which He became a curse for us….so that we would be blessed and not eternally cursed. Jesus shed His infinitely precious blood to ransom us…to pay the price to release us from sin, Satan and death. To assert that we can avoid hell is to deny the urgency and centrality of the atonement.

If our deaths are appointed by God, then how much more so are our judgments appointed by God.  And after we die, we face judgment. The notion of retaining a free will which averts this judgment flies in the face of this clear text, and countless others.

There are two judgments: our personal judgment the moment we die, and then the general/universal judgment (or Great White Throne…Revelation 20:11-15) The two are often conflated, because the general judgment is simply the public announcement of God’s holy judicial decree at the moment of our deaths.

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.
13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.
14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Upon reading this text, does the notion of avoiding God’s judgment seem possible to you? The same God who will stand as Judge at the end times, is the Judge whom we all face immediately upon death. Again, I ask: does this God/Judge seem like One whom we can avoid simply because we fear hell?

Stephen saw the Lord Jesus stand up in anticipation of his arrival, but unbelievers have nothing but the fearful prospect/certainty of the Lord Jesus pronouncing an eternal guilty verdict upon them and sentencing them to an eternity in Hell. In Hell, Satan won’t rule, but God Almighty will be present, and causing the excruciating eternal agony of all those there. This is where we must bow our heads and weep for those who are lost. It is ugly, very ugly, for a person to speak glibly of hell. On the other hand, it is monstrous to think that we can cancel/postpone our judgment before our Holy Creator. To think that a reason for some people remaining as ghosts due to fear of hell, is to deny every attribute revealed about God in the Bible.

When we die, we are drawn by an omnipotent, irresistible summons before the holy Judge of heaven and earth. Let us expunge any notion that minimizes the incomparable glory of the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. Let the Word of God control all of our thoughts and beliefs.

Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.

Sympathy for the Devil?

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

"The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy..." 

(John 10:10)

Recently, a friend asked,  "If enough people prayed for Satan, would he be transformed/saved?" The question was buttressed with this comment--"If God is loving and desires all to be saved, then why not Satan?" There seemed to be a tacit sympathy for the devil, and any demons who might be repentant.

My short response to my friend was, "No chance..none."

Before I elaborate, it might surprise some to know how common this sentiment/question is. A Christian author friend, well versed in the bible,  who writes on demonology issues, asked essentially the same question a while back.And others have wondered out loud..... My hunch is that many of us have pondered the same issue.....And no sincere question should be met with calloused dismissiveness.

Let me elaborate on my short negation.Even when you listen to the Rolling Stones song "Sympathy...", they hint at the answer..."I will lay waste to your soul...."

1. From Genesis to Revelation, there is prophesied and sovereignly decreed, the eternal punishment of Satan for rebelling against God and leading His original image bearers (Adam and Eve...Genesis 3) into sin.I don't want to pile up verses, but the bible is replete with references to the triumph of God over the Evil One. The God of Truth predicted and decreed  Satan's certain eternal damnation. For Him to now have sympathy for the devil would make God out to be the consummate liar.

2. One of the primary accomplishments of the atonement was securing the defeat and eternal punishment of Satan.The integrity and perfection of the cross of Christ would be abolished/negated if Satan/demons were "transformed". The NT is filled with references to how Jesus came to destroy the work of Satan (e.g. Colossians 2:15)The cross did not just secure our salvation, but it secured the devils damnation. Hence, any notion of Satanic transformation is an attack on the perfection of the design and accomplishment of the atonement.

3. In Hebrews 2:14-18 are some singularly humbling verses re grace. Grace is God giving us what we don't deserve, and mercy is God NOT giving us what we do deserve.Paraphrasing these verses, Once the Lord freely decided to save humans, God HAD to take on human flesh in order to be a proper substitute for us humans...the God/Man on the cross. However, nowhere are we told that God decided to save the lost angels, taking on their nature, and dying a substitutionary death on a cross for them.They received justice....we received grace and mercy. Please let this sink in. GOD DID NOT HAVE TO SAVE US...AND IF HE DIDN'T, HE STILL WOULD HAVE BEEN JUST. Our misunderstanding of God's love seems to force Him to give us (Satan) a second chance. But that is not grace...it is not mercy. It is a deficient understanding of both, as well as God's burning holiness.God freely decided to give His image bearers a second chance....He freely decided to not give Satan/demons a second chance. Justice.

4. We should rejoice in the eternal destruction of Satan..not have sympathy for him. The devil, if he could, would entice you to hell, after he murdered you and your loved ones. (John 10:10) Satan wants to steal what he can from you...he wants to kill you...and to destroy you. Satan has no remorse for his original sin, nor for the countless and unspeakable horrors since then.  He is irredeemable because the notion is noxious to him. It is psychologically impossible for a sentient being to choose to do something they hate.We always do want we want to do (everything considered).

If every person on the planet prayed everyday for Satan's transformation, it would not change a thing. Prayer does change things, but no amount of prayer can change the eternal decree of God Almighty toward His hated enemy, and the enemy of our souls. God hates Satan--hence, he is doomed for eternal torture. No sympathy for the devil. None. We should rejoice in his eternal punishment. The friend I referred to at the outset, agreed after we discussed these and other issues.

Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.

The Ransom Was Paid

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son,that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Mark 19:45)

"...you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." (1 Peter 1:18-19)

Only God knows exactly the full price of the ransom that was paid....

On the one hand, Christ paying the ransom price to liberate us from enslavement to sin, Satan, and death (which is the heart of the gospel) is the ugliest, most obscene act ever committed. The infinitely pure, precious, and morally beautiful Lord of glory was brutally beaten and shamefully murdered--and that is just the tip if the iceberg, as we shall see.On the other hand, the self-humiliation involved in this Ransom was the most beautiful act of love ever committed.

Some folks have this notion that Jesus was the one who persuaded the reluctant Father to "let" Him come and  save us.You know, the "mean/vengeful" God the Father of the Old Testament..... No! Who sent the Son? According to John 3:16 the Father did! "God (the Father) so loved the world  that He SENT..."

In John 17,  from eternity past, God the Father and God the Son joyfully agreed between them that the Father would give the Son a gift......a gift the Lord Jesus eagerly anticipated--A Bride!

But "curious" gift....His Son would have to pay for it...and what a price indeed.( Please see vvs 2,6,9,12 for wonderful truth of the Father giving the Son a gift!)

They agreed that Jesus would pay the ransom for those who hated them. This is holy ground upon which we now stand, and I pray for the words to express such indescribability.

Ransom, as defined in my dictionary, "something paid or demanded for the freedom of a captured person...to free from captivity or punishment by paying a price." The Exodus from enslavement in Egypt is a picture of the Greater Exodus--where the ransom is paid to liberate us from bondage to sin, Satan, and death.

Scripture repeatedly speaks of us being sold into slavery to sin, Satan, and death. Starting in Genesis 3 (where all 3 are introduced) to Revelation, we see God dealing with that triad of captors, and overcoming all three.

Before we talk about WHAT was paid, let us look for a moment to WHOM the ransom was paid. A number of early church fathers, and up through the medieval times, many thought that the ransom was paid by God to Satan.  The so-called "Ransom to Satan theory of the atonement", was based on the notion that the death of Christ constituted a ransom paid to Satan, in order to cancel the just claims Satan had on man.

How awful!! Thankfully, Anselm and others saw how incongruous this notion was with the bible and the nature of God. The clarity of thinking and teaching of Luther and Calvin rediscovered the pure gospel after the gospel itself was in chains for 1,000 years. Satan was to be pummeled, not paid, in this grandest of ransoms.God is the Creator of the entire cosmos and its owner and sustainer. God, not the Evil One, is the aggrieved party, who owns all...and God is the One that we have committed cosmic treason against.

That God did not provide a ransom for fallen angels, as He has for fallen humans, surely indicates that His redemption of us was/is entirely of grace and mercy (grace--receiving what we do not deserve,  mercy--NOT receiving what we do deserve, eternal damnation) Both God's love and justice are at the heart of His ransom of us. In .Deuteronomy 9 Yahweh reminds us that His choosing of Israel was entirely gracious. And He loves us, not because of any good He saw in us (we were  His enemies Rom. 5:8)) but because He chose to love us. Why? Because He loves us. Why? Because He freely chose to love us....we cannot go back any further! We can only bow before the Lord in worship.

However, once the Holy Lord freely chose to redeem and save us,He faced a divine dilemma  His nature NECESSITATED the shedding of His infinitely precious blood. That is, I say with respect, God was faced with a dilemma--He is all-powerful but that does not mean He can do everything. He cannot just wink at sin. His perfectly holy nature  made the atonement absolutely necessary...there was no other way. Don't you think He would have done so if it were possible, given the horror and dread Jesus felt in the garden, in anticipation of the unspeakable horror of the cross?.

Perhaps you have heard the phrase, "a kings ransom."  Simply a colorful way of referring to a whole lot of money! But suppose a king had been taken hostage. The more power, authority, and dignity the person has, then the higher will be the ransom price for his release. Thus, a kings ransom is required to pay the ransom of a king. Jesus is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords...the God/man.We sinned against the King of Kings, and the blood of goats and bulls would not suffice.

THE RANSOM WAS PAID FOR US, and it WAS PAID BY GOD, AND IT WAS PAID TO GOD.  He wrote the check to Himself, as it were. What does that mean? In order to free us from bondage, He had to pay the penalty FOR US....TO GOD.  .Jesus' life, death, resurrection and ascension paid the ransom, which He did not owe, and which we could not pay.

What kind of "currency" did God use to ransom us?

1. Jesus lived a perfect life FOR US...He paid the ransom by earning heaven for us.
2. He paid the ransom by taking our sins upon Himself
3. The most costly aspect of the cross/ransom is what is often misunderstood the most....the primary ransom that had to be paid was the punishment for all the sins committed by all of God's people. While on the cross bearing our sin, the unmitigated wrath of the Father was poured out upon His dearly beloved Son. Human language is inadequate to adequately covey the cursed, hellish misery Jesus experienced FOR US, as our substitute. He paid in currency we shall never fully understand.

The Father punishing the Son to satisfy the demands of His holy character and holy law, is known as "propitiation"...a word every Christian should know. hilasterion--in the Greek, conveys this pacifying of God's wrath by pouring it out upon His Son. Remember it is TO GOD that our ransom must be paid--He was the party offended against, and we became slaves. We could put the propitiation, and how it relates to our ransom, this way...

God Himself, punishing Himself, in order to save us from Himself. (That is the heart of the ransom paid for us)

The cross saved us from many things--GOD'S WRATH BEING THE WORSE.

God Almighty could not have given anything more precious or costly to Himself, than what He did give, in the propitiatory death of the Lord of Glory. He gave His Son to be a "burnt offering"..He gave EVERYTHING....paid the ultimate king's ransom.

The ransom was exceedingly high...infinitely higher than any ransom ever paid by man. Captivity to sin, Satan, and death was paid for by the infinitely precious blood of the Lamb of God. The true price that was paid is known only to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

That is crux of why we must confront and oppose this notion of ghosts.The captors were specifically targeted.(sin, Satan, and death)...then the full ransom price was paid.--FOR EACH OF GOD'S CHILDREN. Is it not unthinkable that after the Lord paid such a high ransom to defeat death, we turn around and act as if nothing had happened? Death is supposed to usher us into the  immediate presence of God--that was the intention in  paying the ransom...that we would be reconciled with God.
"...through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver those who fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery." (Heb. 2:14-15)

"Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire." (Rev. 20:14)
"The last enemy to be destroyed is death." (1 Cor. 15:26)

Physical death is the common lot for believers too, but it is transformed from being the "king of terrors" into being the gateway into the presence and rest of God. Physical death is abnormal, as it is the result of the fall. Like sin and Satan, believers still have to struggle with it, but as we breathe our last breath, we are done with the presence of sin, Satan and death. What God intended to be anticipated as the hope of certain reunion with Him, has been corrupted into an ongoing monster...as if the ransom had never been paid. What a wretched idea this notion of ghosts is. It belittles and denies the blood soaked Ransomer and His infinitely precious Ransom.

You've heard the truism, "You get what you pay for." The blood of Jesus is infinitely precious. Thus, we have throughout the bible, the centrality and certainty of hope.However, the notion of ghosts is a hope-killer.It belittles the heart of the gospel itself. It is a negation of the perfection of the Atoner and the atonement.

What will it take for us to take notice and make a stand? It was the realization of how "trapped spirits" threw into doubt the perfection of the atonement (the ransom did not accomplish our liberation from death) that, more than anything else, opened my eyes to how seriously dangerous this notion is...and how grievous it must be to the Holy Spirit--and why we must confront it. Thank you Lord for paying the ransom to free us from bondage to sin, Satan, and the grave.