From: davem@bnr.ca (Dave Mielke)
Subject: Does God love you?
Organization: Bell Northern Research, Ottawa, Canada
Lines: 416

I have come across what I consider to be an excellent tract. It is a
bit lengthy for a posting, but I thought I'd share it with all of you
anyway. Feel free to pass it along to anyone whom you feel might
benefit from what it says. May God richly bless those who read it.
 
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                   D O E S  G O D  L O V E  Y O U ?
 
 
Q. What  kind  of  question  is that?   Anyone who can read sees signs,
   tracts, books, and bumper stickers that say, "God Loves You."  Isn't
   that true?
 
A. It  is  true that God offers His love to the whole world, as we read
   in one of the most quoted verses in the Bible:
 
      For  God  so  loved  the world, that he gave his only begotten
      Son, that whosoever believeth in him should  not  perish,  but
      have everlasting life.                               John 3:16
 
   However, God's love is qualified.  The Bible says:
 
      The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD:  but he
      loveth him that followeth after righteousness.   Proverbs 15:9
 
      For  the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of
      the ungodly shall perish.                            Psalm 1:6
 
 
Q. But  I am not wicked.  I am a decent, moral person.  Surely the good
   I have done in my life far outweighs whatever bad I have done.   How
   can these verses apply to me?
 
A. By  God's  standard  of  righteousness even the most moral person is
   looked upon by God as a desperate sinner on his way to  Hell.    The
   Bible teaches that no one is good enough in himself to go to Heaven.
   On  the  contrary,  we  are all sinners and we are all guilty before
   God.
 
      As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:  There
      is  none  that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after
      God.                                            Romans 3:10-11
 
      The  heart  is  deceitful  above  all  things, and desperately
      wicked: who can know it?                         Jeremiah 17:9
 
 
Q. If I am such a wicked person in God's sight, what will God do to me?
 
A. The  Bible  teaches that at the end of the world all the wicked will
   come under eternal punishment in a place called Hell.
 
      For  a  fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the
      lowest hell, and shall consume the earth  with  her  increase,
      and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.  I will heap
      mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them.  They
      shall  be  burnt  with hunger, and devoured with burning heat,
      and  with  bitter  destruction:  I will also send the teeth of
      beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust.
                                                Deuteronomy 32:22-24
 
 
Q. Oh,  come  on now!   Hell is not real, is it?  Surely things are not
   that bad.
 
A. Indeed,  Hell is very real, and things are that bad for the individ-
   ual who does not know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.    The  Bible
   makes  many  references  to Hell, indicating that it is both eternal
   and consists of perpetual suffering.
 
      And  whosoever  was  not found written in the book of life was
      cast into the lake of fire.                   Revelation 20:15
 
      So  shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come
      forth, and sever the wicked from among  the  just,  And  shall
      cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and
      gnashing of teeth.                            Matthew 13:49-50
 
      ...    when  the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with
      his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking  vengeance  on  them
      that  know  not  God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord
      Jesus   Christ:    Who  shall  be  punished  with  everlasting
      destruction  from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory
      of his power;                            2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
 
 
Q. That is terrible!  Why would God create a Hell?
 
A. Hell  is  terrible,  and  it  exists  because  God created man to be
   accountable to God for his actions.  God's perfect  justice  demands
   payment for sin.
 
      For the wages of sin is death;                     Romans 6:23
 
      For  we  must  all  appear before the judgment seat of Christ;
      that every one may  receive  the  things  done  in  his  body,
      according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
                                                  2 Corinthians 5:10
 
      But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak,
      they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
                                                       Matthew 12:36
 
 
Q. Does that mean that at the end of the world everyone will be brought
   to life again to be judged and then to be sent to Hell?
 
A. Indeed  it  does;  that  is,  unless  we  can find someone to be our
   substitute in bearing the punishment of eternal  damnation  for  our
   sins.    That  someone  is  God  Himself, who came to earth as Jesus
   Christ to bear the wrath of God for all who believe in Him.
 
      All  we  like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one
      to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity  of
      us all.                                            Isaiah 53:6
 
      But  he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for
      our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace  was  upon  him;
      and with his stripes we are healed.                Isaiah 53:5
 
      For  I  delivered  unto  you  first  of  all that which I also
      received, how that Christ died for our sins according  to  the
      scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the
      third day according to the scriptures:    1 Corinthians 15:3-4
 
      For  he  hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that
      we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
                                                  2 Corinthians 5:21
 
 
Q. Are  you  saying that if I trust in Christ as my substitute, Who was
   already punished for my sins, then I will not have  to  worry  about
   Hell anymore?
 
A. Yes, this is so!  If I have believed in Christ as my Savior, then it
   is  as  if  I  have already stood before the Judgment Throne of God.
   Christ as my substitute has already paid for my sins.
 
      He  that  believeth  on  the Son hath everlasting life: and he
      that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but  the  wrath
      of God abideth on him.                               John 3:36
 
 
Q. But  what  does it mean to believe on Him?  If I agree with all that
   the Bible says about Christ as Savior, then am I saved from going to
   Hell?
 
A. Believing  on  Christ  means  a  whole lot more than agreeing in our
   minds with the truths of the Bible.  It means that we hang our whole
   lives  on Him.   It means that we entrust every part of our lives to
   the  truths  of the Bible.  It means that we turn away from our sins
   and serve Christ as our Lord.
 
      No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one,
      and  love  the  other;  or  else  he will hold to the one, and
      despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
                                                        Matthew 6:24
 
      Repent  ye  therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be
      blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from  the
      presence of the Lord;                                Acts 3:19
 
 
Q. Are  you  saying  that  there  is no other way to escape Hell except
   through Jesus?   What about all the other  religions?    Will  their
   followers also go to Hell?
 
A. Yes, indeed.  They cannot escape the fact that God holds us account-
   able  for  our  sins.   God demands that we pay for our sins.  Other
   religions  cannot  provide  a  substitute  to bear the sins of their
   followers.  Christ is the only one who is able to bear our guilt and
   save us.
 
      Neither  is  there  salvation  in any other: for there is none
      other name under heaven given among men, whereby  we  must  be
      saved.                                               Acts 4:12
 
   Jesus said:
 
      I  am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the
      Father, but by me.                                   John 14:6
 
      If  we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us
      our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
                                                          1 John 1:9
 
 
Q. Now I am desperate.  I do not want to go to Hell.  What can I do?
 
A. You  must  remember  that God is the only one who can help you.  You
   must throw yourself altogether on the mercies of God.   As  you  see
   your hopeless condition as a sinner, cry out to God to save you.
 
      And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much
      as  his  eyes  unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying,
      God be merciful to me a sinner.                     Luke 18:13
 
      ...  Sirs, what must I do to be saved?  And they said, Believe
      on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, ...
                                                       Acts 16:30-31
 
 
Q. But how can I believe on Christ if I know so little about Him?
 
A. Wonderfully,  God  not  only saves us through the Lord Jesus, but He
   also gives us the faith to believe on Him.  You can pray to God that
   He will give you faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior.
 
      For  by  grace  are  ye  saved  through faith; and that not of
      yourselves: it is the gift of God:               Ephesians 2:8
 
   God works particularly through the Bible to give us that faith.  So,
   if  you  really  mean  business  with  God about your salvation, you
   should  use  every opportunity to hear and study the Bible, which is
   the only Word of God.
   In  this  brochure,  all  verses  from the Bible are within indented
   paragraphs.  Give heed to them with all your heart.
 
      So  then  faith  cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of
      God.                                              Romans 10:17
 
 
Q. But does this mean that I have to surrender everything to God?
 
A. Yes.    God wants us to come to Him in total humility, acknowledging
   our sinfulness and our helplessness, trusting totally in Him.
 
      The  sacrifices  of  God  are  a broken spirit: a broken and a
      contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.      Psalm 51:17
 
   Because  we  are sinners we love our sins.  Therefore, we must begin
   to pray to God for an intense  hatred  of  our  sins.    And  if  we
   sincerely desire salvation, we will also begin to turn from our sins
   as  God  strengthens  us.    We know that our sins are sending us to
   Hell.
 
      Unto  you  first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him
      to bless you, in turning  away  every  one  of  you  from  his
      iniquities.                                          Acts 3:26
 
 
Q. Doesn't  the  Bible teach that I must attend church regularly and be
   baptized?  Will these save me?
 
A. If  possible,  we should do these things, but they will not save us.
   No work of any kind can secure our salvation.   Salvation  is  God's
   sovereign gift of grace given according to His mercy and good pleas-
   ure.  Salvation is
 
      Not of works, lest any man should boast.         Ephesians 2:9
 
 
Q. What else will happen at the end of the world?
 
A. Those  who have trusted in Jesus as their Savior will be transformed
   into their glorious eternal bodies and will be with Christ  forever-
   more.
 
      For  the  Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
      with the voice of the archangel, and with the  trump  of  God:
      and  the  dead  in Christ shall rise first:  Then we which are
      alive  and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
      clouds,  to meet the Lord in the air:  and so shall we ever be
      with the Lord.                         1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
 
 
Q. What will happen to the earth at that time?
 
A. God  will destroy the entire universe by fire and create new heavens
   and a new earth where Christ will reign with His believers  forever-
   more.
 
      But  the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in
      the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise,  and
      the  elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and
      the   works  that  are  therein  shall  be  burned  up.    ...
      Nevertheless  we,  according  to  his  promise,  look  for new
      heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
                                                     2 Peter 3:10,13
 
 
Q. Does  the  Bible  give us any idea of when the end of the earth will
   come?
 
A. Yes!    The end will come when Christ has saved all whom He plans to
   save.
 
      And  this  gospel  of the kingdom shall be preached in all the
      world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall  the  end
      come.                                            Matthew 24:14
 
 
Q. Can we know how close to the end of the world we might be?
 
A. Yes!   God gives much information in the Bible concerning the timing
   of the history of the world and tells us that while the Day  of  the
   Lord  will come as a thief in the night for the unsaved, it will not
   come  as  a  thief for the believers.  There is much evidence in the
   Bible  that  the  end  of  the world and the return of Christ may be
   very, very close.* All the time clues in the Bible point to this.
 
      For  when  they  shall  say,  Peace  and  safety;  then sudden
      destruction cometh upon them, as travail  upon  a  woman  with
      child; and they shall not escape.          1 Thessalonians 5:3
 
      Surely  the  Lord  GOD  will  do nothing, but he revealeth his
      secret unto his servants the prophets.                Amos 3:7
 
 
Q. But that means Judgment Day is almost here.
 
A. Yes,  it  does.    God  warned  ancient Nineveh that He was going to
   destroy that great city and He gave them forty days warning.
 
      And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he
      cried,  and  said,  Yet  forty  days,  and  Nineveh  shall  be
      overthrown.                                          Jonah 3:4
 
 
Q. What did the people of Nineveh do?
 
A. From  the  king on down they humbled themselves before God, repented
   of their sins, and cried to God for mercy.
 
      But  let  man  and  beast  be  covered with sackcloth, and cry
      mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his  evil
      way,  and  from  the violence that is in their hands.  Who can
      tell  if  God  will  turn  and  repent, and turn away from his
      fierce anger, that we perish not?                  Jonah 3:8-9
 
 
Q. Did God hear their prayers?
 
A. Yes.  God saved a great many people of Nineveh.
 
 
Q. Can  I still cry to God for mercy so that I will not come into judg-
   ment?
 
A. Yes.   There is still time to become saved even though that time has
   become very short.
 
      How  shall  we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which
      at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed
      unto us by them that heard him;                    Hebrews 2:3
 
      In  God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength,
      and my refuge, is in God.   Trust in  him  at  all  times;  ye
      people,  pour  out  your heart before him: God is a refuge for
      us.                                               Psalm 62:7-8
 
 
 
 
            A R E  Y O U  R E A D Y  T O  M E E T  G O D ?
 
 
 
A  book  entitled  1994?,  written by Harold Camping, presents Biblical
information that we may be very near the end of time.  For  information
on  how to obtain a copy or to receive a free program guide and list of
radio  stations on which you can hear our Gospel programs, please write
to Family Radio, Oakland, California, 94621 (The United States of Amer-
ica), or call 1-800-543-1495.
 
               ----------------------------------------
 
 
The  foregoing  is a copy of the "Does God Love You?" tract printed by,
and available free of charge from, Family Radio.   A  number  of  minor
changes  have  been  made to its layout to facilitate computer printing
and  distribution.  The only change to the text itself is the paragraph
which  describes  the  way in which Biblical passages appear within the
text.    In  the  original  tract they appear in italic lettering; they
appear here as indented paragraphs.
 
 
I have read Mr. Camping's book, compared it with what the Bible actual-
ly  says, find it to be the most credible research with respect to what
the  future holds that I have ever come across, and agree with him that
there  is just too much data to ignore.  While none of us is guaranteed
one  more  second  of  life, and while we, therefore, should take these
matters  very seriously regardless of when Christ will actually return,
it  would appear that our natural tendency to postpone caring about our
eternal  destiny  until we feel that our death is imminent is even more
senseless  now  because,  in  all  likelihood, the law of averages with
respect  to life expectancy no longer applies.  If you wish to obtain a
copy  of  this book so that you can check out these facts for yourself,
you may find the following information helpful:
 
      title:       1994?
      author:      Harold Camping
      publisher:   Vantage Press
      distributor: Baker and Taylor
      ISBN:        0-533-10368-1
 
 
I  have  chosen  to share this tract with you because I whole-heartedly
agree with everything it declares and feel that now, perhaps more  than
ever  before,  this information must be made known.  To paraphrase Acts
20:27,  it  does not shun to declare unto us all the counsel of God.  I
am  always  willing  to  discuss  the  eternal truths of the Bible with
anyone who is interested as I believe them to be the only issues of any
real  importance since we will spend, comparatively speaking, so little
time  on this side of the grave and so much on the other.  Feel free to
get in touch with me at any time:
 
      e-mail: davem@bnr.ca
      office: 1-613-765-4671
      home:   1-613-726-0014
 
      Dave Mielke
      856 Grenon Avenue
      Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
      K2B 6G3
