Incomprehensible

Someone asked me this question recently: 
Somewhere you alert your readers to the crucial difference between ‘rejecting and receiving or accepting’ the gospel. Of course, that’s very true. Yet, it made me wonder if we end up in heaven, whether we perhaps deserve a pat on the shoulder? After all, we didn’t reject but accept the gospel. 

This was my response: The terms receiving the gospel or rejecting the gospel are very biblical and found throughout the Bible. However there is nothing good or special or praiseworthy about me for receiving a free gift. If someone came to me and offered me a million dollars would I brag about how I was so great for accepting it? No, instead I would be extremely humbled that I had done nothing to deserve the gift. And even that is a poor example in comparison to the great gift God gives us by giving us Jesus. 

After finishing the email and sending it, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Going back to my example, what if I had been personally responsible for the torture and death of this man’s only son? What then? Would I still feel like there was something praiseworthy about me for receiving his gift of a million dollars? 

And even that is a poor example because what God did was so much greater! 

He made us. Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; Psalm 100:3a 

We were perfect, sinless people, created in His image. We had a perfect relationship with Him and He provided everything for us. But what did we do? We rebelled against Him. We purposefully disobeyed Him. We were more interested in wanting to be like Him then loving and obeying Him. 

From then on the whole human race was tainted with sin. From the moment we were born, we cared not for God or for others, but only for ourselves. Although everything we needed to live came from Him, we refused to thank Him or even acknowledge Him. 

And then, when He sent His only Son to pay the price for our sins we despised His Son, rejected Him and tortured Him and ultimately murdered Him; the only Son of God. 

God used even the death of His only Son to our advantage so that by His death we could be healed, our relationship with Him could be restored, and we could have eternal life with Him. 

 And so He gave the command to spread the good news of the gospel throughout the whole world. And He said unto them, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Mark 16:15-16 

Not only were we who believed saved from the eternal damnation we justly deserved through the amazing sacrifice of His only Son, God adopted us and loved us and treasured us and inscribed us into the palms of His hands! With His Son, He freely gives us all things, including His Holy Spirit to teach and comfort us. (Romans 8:32, John 14:26)

It is so incredibly amazing that the angels themselves long to look into these things. (1 Peter 1:12) 

I think part of being in hell is coming to the realization of how you spent your whole life rebelling against the One who created you and on top of that how you neglected and rejected the amazing gift of His Son that He had provided to rescue you through His incomprehensible mercy and grace. 

O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Romans 7:24  

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57 

And I know for one, that I definitely won’t be standing in heaven one day, patting myself on the shoulder for believing and receiving Jesus. How could I? I don’t think there are any words in the human language that can fully express the amazement and gratitude to God for what He has done for us. 

Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable Gift. 2 Corinthians 9:15