Nearly 8 billion human beings exist today, with each one possessing a powerful free will. Historically the total number of humans ever born on earth (according to the 2022 World Population Data Sheet) is just over 117 billion.

At any time these humans are completely free to exercise their free will to do anything ranging from extreme malevolence to extreme benevolence. In other words, humans may easily choose between evil or righteous behavior.

The universe either has a Designer, or it does not. The latter idea is pure madness. The Bible reveals that the Designer is the greatest conceivable being in all categories, which includes loving perfection, benevolence, omnipotence, omnipresence, and perfect justice — He personally serves to righteously and quickly punish evil, which He assures us never ultimately escapes justice.

The carrot and stick method is the only fair way to deal with free will beings! I.E. proven “good guys” are richly rewarded, while proven “bad guys” are ultimately punished. Note that free will is respected either way: an eternal joy to allies, and an eternal regret to others.

The Bible reveals that as the epitome of benevolence and mercy, the Maker has personally provided a pardon for malevolent exercise of free will, via the rescue mission of his son Jesus. To qualify for this pardon, the creature must officially and humbly abandon their obsession with all malevolence, subordinate and align their will to the creator, and begin the process of developing a personal relationship with Him.

At this point the creature ceases to be a threat to others. God then eternally supports, develops, and blesses them. Why would anyone choose to refuse all this? Unfortunately some do, so a dreadful permanent quarantine awaits.

Analysis

The English word “gospel” comes from the Greek word euangelion meaning “good news”

Many view the gospel as the four biographies of Jesus, when it actually spans the entire Bible as God’s overall revelation to mankind about the universe, His nature, our nature, and His divine loving plan for mankind, past, present, and future.

Here’s a review of some of the Bible’s core revelations to mankind:

• The physical universe and its millions of species of living inhabitants came about through willful design and effort by a supreme intellect — not by chance, the gravitational force, the multiverse, or any other speculation.
• There is one true Author of the universe and He is personal and very much alive and orchestrating a sublimely wonderful divine plan designed specifically to benefit mankind and all created life. We are indeed not alone.
• His attributes are clearly revealed in the physical universe, so that all men are without excuse to doubt His existence and character. He is the most powerful living being, and tenderly cares for you, willing that you should not perish, but have eternal life, knowing Him forever on a deeper and deeper tender personal level.
• He created mankind in his image as eternal spirits with free wills, capable of rejecting their Creator. As a good God, He then adopted them into his family as his children and heirs. He destines us to become righteous kings and queens, intimates of the Creator.
• He is all powerful and perfect, worthy of awe and worship, being the fountainhead of pure love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
• He likens Himself to a good father and mother who deeply cares for each child and wants to be intimately involved with their lives, desiring only the best for them.
• He gives us earthly lives that often include the role of loving parents who would gladly die for each child.
• He patiently waits on us, knocking on the door of our hearts, extending open arms to embrace us and richly bless us both in this life, and the next.
• True love requires true freedom, and true freedom permits the practice of evil, thus evil is the price for true love. He does not force His love on us, or force us to love Him — He is neither a rapist or a puppeteer.
• As the author of perfect justice, He is faithful to fiercely punish the perpetrator, and fully restore the victim, thus assuring that justice is served.
• As the author of perfect mercy, He lovingly provides a conditional full pardon. To qualify, we must abandon our evil natures, and obey His perfect will by honoring and serving the living Jesus.
• Grace is unmerited blessing.
• Mercy is unmerited pardon.
• Jesus is the exclusive bridge to God, available to all. Any other path is a spiritual fraud. For all those honestly searching for the one, true God, this will not be a problem in the least.
• All attempts at self-improvement or earning merit are futile, even evil, as they brazenly dismiss His precious work and great gift.
• All mankind is evil at heart, and will ultimately divide into two camps: the righteous and the wicked. The Revelation of John refers to these camps as the sheep, zealous for good works, and the goats, zealous for evil works.
• The road to Heaven is steep and narrow. The road to destruction is level and wide. God is not deceived and knows our heart, mind, and spirit. Apprehending the perfect exposes sin. The righteous abhor sin because their Creator is good, and they are His good children. All human opinions are irrelevant — His is the only opinion that matters. We may object and complain because we are fallen and love the darkness — our tendency is to “kick against the pricks.”
• One fine day the righteous will freely choose to be eternally joined with God and all good beings in His transcendent paradise, empowered anew in a beautiful immortal body, poised to do new and greater things.
• One sad day the wicked will freely choose to eternally reject God and His Kingdom, choosing a permanent quarantine in Hell — a spiritual “supermax” prison, powerless to do further damage. God honors any choice of true free will regardless of outcome — preserving His hateful children forever in a godless place for those who reject His love.
• In the distant future, as the righteous reflect back on their life on Earth, they will compare their fulfilled destiny of eternal intimacy with God in paradise with the totality of their earthly suffering, and deem it as trivial — a “momentary light affliction“!

On this fallen earth, the righteous eagerly obey His perfect will while waiting on the rescuers to arrive; urged to be “salt and light” to those around them — as an antiseptic to the infected, and as illuminating beacons of truth. Some view living this way as silly self-delusion, when indeed it is the fountainhead of joy, power, peace, and love.

In Heaven, note the righteous also eagerly obey His perfect will, but there’s no need for rescuers. Indeed our physical location is irrelevant – in either place all that matters is making Him happy by doing His perfect will, which is the only reliable source of good works!

Conclusion

If you are moved to stop resisting and reach out to Him, try honestly praying the following prayer by the brilliant Charles Spurgeon:

If you honestly and sincerely prayed this prayer, then welcome, friend, to the Kingdom of Heaven — each day will be a new adventure as you walk with Him — and one day closer to knowing Him as He knows you — and meeting Him face to face!

Your decision will enrage Satan and his allies, and they will redouble their efforts to attack you. Keep your eyes on the future prize, and remember always that God’s allies enjoy His potent protection — far superior to enemy forces. You now have full access to God’s inexhaustible arsenal, which we all, as soldiers, are commanded to continuously direct at the enemy, destroying their evil works. Not to mention the unimaginably-wonderful future life with God you will have!

As a Christian, new or seasoned, it is critical that you join a local church with sound Biblical teaching and missions, attend regularly, and get involved — lone wolves are easy prey. I pray the greatest blessings upon you!

One such church is Church of the Apostles in Atlanta Georgia.