What happens to the people who crucified Jesus?

Question: What happens to the people who crucified Jesus?

Answer submitted by Pastor Justin Werber

Over the years, many people have questioned and debated as to whether or not those that crucified Jesus on the cross will be in heaven. I believe this question at its core has two meanings behind it. First, what actually happened to those that crucified Christ, and second what does this mean for me?

We all have tough questions, but who or what do we turn to for answers? I know as a pastor it is easy to say "God’s Word", but do we honestly go there first? Before we talk to our spouses, friends, family, or even Google Answers, maybe we should see what God says in His Word.

To answer the first question, I want to turn to Matthew 27. We see that after Jesus released His spirit and died some interesting things started to happen. The Temple curtain was torn in two, the earth shook, rocks were split apart, and tombs opened. But the part that stands out to me is the Roman officer’s (or Centurion’s) reaction as well as the other soldiers: they were terrified by all that had happened, and they said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”

Although these men were tough, mighty soldiers, they were also scared. Something changed their hearts. Before Christ died, they were ruthless and eager to kill Jesus, but after, it is almost as if their hearts were torn, they were cut to the heart. They were wrestling with the idea of Christ really being God. These men were mocking Jesus earlier, and then they were honoring Him by calling him the Son of God. But can we call these men Christians? Will we see them in Heaven one day?

I honestly cannot say either way as of now, because we don’t know the rest of the story. What we do know is that only a few books later in the book of Acts, we see Peter preaching to a crowd of people. In Acts 2 he calls people out saying “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” After hearing this, the crowd was pierced to the heart. They asked Peter what they could do. Peter simply says, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”

Based on that, I believe that if the Centurion, the soldiers, and those that wanted Christ to die on that cross believed that Jesus was Lord, and that He died for them, if they repented of their sins and were baptized that we will one day see them in heaven.

What does this mean for us though? If you are worrying that your sins are too great for Christ to forgive you, remember Christ asked for those crucifying Him to be forgiven. The questions you might want to ask yourself are, “Have I accepted Jesus as Lord, have I repented of my sins, have I been baptized to walk a new life, and am I following Christ today?”

Dressing Modestly

Question: ‘I've noticed a lot of Christian women are dressing what I would consider ‘immodest’. What does a Christian need to dress like to represent the Lord?

Answer submitted by Pastor Stacey Weeks

Clothing is an outward expression of ourselves, that much is true for both genders. Clothing sends messages to others about what we like, who we admire, what we affiliate ourselves with and even what we believe. Clothing is also used as an identifying measure. It identifies priests, those in mourning, or the wealth of the wearer throughout Scripture.

As we turn towards the Bible to guide us on this question (and the other tough questions in life), there are a few things to keep in mind:

First, taking verses out of context to further your position (also known as ‘proof texting’) is easy to do on this topic. Take the time to really read through the passage, the chapter/book of the Bible you are in and see what the Holy Spirit reveals to you about what the passage’s audience, intent and meaning is. Otherwise no women would wear gold or pearls and men would not wear utlil-kilts to the clan meetings. Following Scripture at face value could lead to no wedding rings and Scotsmen being shameful in God’s eyes!

Second, use the teachings of Jesus as your “lens” as well. What did Jesus say about or how did he treat those who were not dressed appropriately for their situation or station in life? Prostitutes, tax collectors, wedding guests and the like?

Third, remember that this is not a salvation issue! At Adventure, we agree to preserve the unity within our community and to focus on reaching more people for Jesus.

So what about our threads, our duds, our favorite designer clothes? In 1 Timothy, Paul writes about modesty, as well as gold and pearls.

And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. (1 Timothy 2:9)

So what was Paul really getting at in this verse? The letter is focusing on not distracting others from worship. Some clothing choices can be a distraction! For instance, a T-shirt with obscenities on it or a short skirt have equal power in the ability to distract a worshipper or someone serving within the church gathering.

This is where the discussion really begins. Scripture doesn’t directly spell out what modesty is. How short is too short for her skirt? How low can a man wear those pants? How much cleavage is vulgar? Should women wear long johns instead of nylons with dresses?

But the discussion is bigger than that. Will the outfit play well in New York CIty but not in the African countryside? What is appropriate in one region or community may not be appropriate in others. How can there be a single definition of what is modest?

Another factor is that people are refined in their faith over time and the intervention of the Holy Spirit. What an individual may choose to wear one day may not be what they would choose in 5 or 10 years. Kind of like watching a toddler choose it’s clothes, some outfits may not make it over time.

Your opinion may simply be your opinion. Scripture may not be able to back your view on clothing.

This is why I offer caution before offering comment on someone’s clothing. We are not called to be cruel or heavy handed in how we discuss this topic (or any other!) with each other. You may also want to ask yourself if you are right person in that individual’s life to speak about the clothing. Would that hurt your relationship with their parent, spouse, or another?

"Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God."  

(1 Peter 3:3-4)

Married to a unbelieving spouse.

Question: ‘How do you live day to day with an unbelieving spouse, not losing your spiritual connection and be a witness for Christ.”

Answer submitted by Pastor Stacey Weeks:
Tough question. Tough situation.

Christian marriage is a covenant before God between two baptized believers of Jesus Christ. If the marriage is between one believer and a nonbeliever, the playing field changes considerably.

Under a covenant marriage, there are many gifts a couple can share - the Holy Spirit, the power of prayer, the Bible, as well as the fellowship of believers. These are gifts that are only being used by one person in the marriage if you are married to a nonbeliever. Living day to day and using those spiritual gifts alone can be challenging.

I know this because when I married Kevin, he was not a believer and I was. I clearly remember the days when the hurt was almost physical because I knew what my best friend and husband was missing out on, the best news ever and the peace that can only come from Christ. (Kevin professed Jesus as his Lord and was baptized after 12 years of marriage).

From my experience, I can tell you this:
* God is with you and you are not alone on this path. God wishes for your spouse to be saved even more that you do!
* Keep doing what you are doing: reading Scripture, attending church, listening to Christian music, blessing meals, talking about your faith with your friends and family. Even though sometimes this may be awkward or even difficult, your spouse is watching what you are doing.
* Pray faithfully for your spouse’s salvation and have others praying with you as well. This will bolster you as you wait as well and give you other believers to walk this with you and encourage you.
* Don’t preach at your spouse. You cannot talk them into faith! There is their part, God’s part and your part in their salvation. Trust God’s timing and His plan for your spouse and you.
* Do discuss with their questions with them. Listen to their hurts or issues around faith. Some of these discussions may develop over years. If they ask questions you cannot answer, seek out a pastor or your faith coach.

Please know that I pray for you and all those married to non believers.

Predestination

Question: We received several questions that deal with the subject of predestination!

Answer submitted by Pastor Erik Neilson:

Predestination is a bit of a hot topic among scholars and those interested in debating theology. The most important thing I can say initially is that this topic deals with salvation but is not a salvation issue. In other words, we could be wrong in our understanding of this topic and still be saved! As always, Adventure Christian Church believes, "In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things love." We can be passionate about our views but we must be respectful when we disagree for the sake of Christian unity. Having said that, here are just a few thoughts on predestination:

1. Predestination is a biblical concept used throughout the New Testament. The word predestined (in Greek proorizo) appears in Acts 4:28; Rom 8:29-30; 1 Cor 2:7; Eph 1:5, and Eph 1:11. Please realize that your Bible translation may not use the exact word "predestined" but will sometimes use synonyms like "chosen" or "called" or "foreordained." All Christians should believe that the Bible teaches predestination, but not all Christians agree on what it means.

2. For some predestination means that God, in his absolute sovereignty, picked who would go to heaven and who would go to hell. People in this camp believe that saved people had absolutely nothing to do with their salvation; God selected them and they had no power to resist him. Similarly, this view teaches that the unsaved have been selected by God for destruction and they have no ability to change that. Hearing the gospel, believing the gospel is not an option for them because God will not allow them to be saved...they are "predestined" for destruction. How far people apply this can vary, but at it's core is a great emphasis on the fact that God is in control. Understandably people who are saved like the idea that they were specially "chosen" by God. Some have called this view the "Great Doctrine of Comfort." I suppose it should be comforting to believe that God has saved you while passing over others and nothing you can do will ever change that!

3. For others predestination is understood as God already knowing how things will turn out in the end. Romans 8:29-30 says, " For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." Some understand predestination as it pairs with the idea of foreknowledge. The thinking goes like this: God already knows will be saved (and who will not be saved) at the end. But his knowledge of the end did not determine the end. Those whose destinies were foreknown by God were the ones who are "predestined" to be like Jesus (vs 29).

4. So who is right? God is right. That may sound like a cop-out but it's the truth! We should never understand salvation apart from the work of God. There is no salvation apart from God (Ac 4:12). No one can come to Father without God drawing them to salvation (Jn 6:44). No one can even declare Christ as their Lord without some divine assistance from the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:3). I think we should always emphasize God's role in our salvation because his role is primary. What do we really contribute to our salvation?

5. For those who are adamant that God forces people to be saved and condemned I think we should think carefully about passages that deal discuss God's desire for people to believe, repent and be saved. (2 Peter 3:9, 1 Tim 2:4, John 3:16, etc) How can God want people to be saved while depriving them of the opportunity to be saved? That's a question that must be addressed in our thinking through this issue.

6. People who are passionate about this topic will present very strong arguments from Scripture on both sides. For some, this issue is so central, that they will not fellowship with people who disagree with them. I think it's ironic and a bit sad that saved people could divide on an issue dealing with salvation.

7. One of the tough questions I was asked dealt with a specific passage on this topic from Romans 9. I've included my response to that question since it deals with this same topic:

Dear ______________,

I'm wrapping up my tough questions series and didn't pull yours so I thought I'd respond via email. First of all...great question. Probably the most debated issue among Christian scholars concern the Sovereign will of God versus the free will of man. Let me break it down like this:

1. Some people believe that people have no free will whatsoever.
2. Other people believe that people have free will and do whatever we want to do.
3. Other people believe somewhere in the middle.

When we read passages like Romans 9 it's important to remember that the whole Scripture determines our theology. So we can't read one section apart from the others without skewing our understanding. If we read Romans 9 by itself, without considering other portions, it would seem that some people are just chosen for God to destroy. By whatever criteria, for whatever reason, they never had a chance. Many people believe that and I respect that view and even understand how they reach that conclusion. But how do we justify that with passages like 2 Peter 3:9, 1 Tim 2:4, and John 3:16.

When we read that God hardened people's hearts, I think that there is something implied in that. At face value that sounds like God played a mean trick on someone. But consider what what commentator said:

"We should not think that God persuaded an unwilling, kind-hearted Pharaoh to be hard towards God and His people. In hardening the heart of Pharaoh, God simply allowed his heart to pursue its natural inclination." (Guzik)

The hardening spoken about in Romans 1:24, 26, 28 makes it seems that God "abandoned" (NLT) or "gave them over" (NIV) to what they already were doing. In other words, he allowed them to go the direction they wanted unrestrained. And that's what we see with Pharaoh. Consider Exodus 7:13, 7:22, 8:15, 8:19, 8:32, 9:7, 9:34. All these passages tell us the attitude of Pharaoh towards God and his people.

I think the problem with passages like that this is that we theologians want to pin God down. In our supreme wisdom we get hung up on things like free will. Common sense says we all have a degree of free will. Scripture's teaching is that God has a will as well, and his ultimate will is always accomplished. The truth is that this is a mystery and I prefer to marvel at it and wonder rather than strip it down to it's frame and reassemble it in the way that makes most sense to me. I recently heard a very scholarly professor say, "god makes me do his will of my own free will." I agree with that!