 | Pastor Dave grew up in northern New Jersey in a very diverse cultural area. He attended Central College in Pella, Iowa received a BA in sociology and psychology. He was an offensive guard for their NCAA Div III National Championship team in 1974. In speaking for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he sensed a call to full time ministry. Meeting is future wife Sandy at Central, went to Michigan to finish her college while Dave started Western Seminary in Holland, Michigan. Dave married Sandy in 77 and completed his Masters of Divinity degree in 78. Pastor Dave’s first church was in Fort Lee, New Jersey, home of the George Washington Bridge. Their three children were born there and he also served as a Police and Fire Chaplain for the city. In February 1991, they came to Wichita to start Harvest Community Church. In 2006, he received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Covenant Theological (Presbyterian) Seminary in St Louis. During that year he gained a daughter-in-law with now 2 grandsons of 3 years and 6 months old. Besides Pastoring at HCC for the past 20 years, he has been Director of the SCSD & WPD Police Chaplains for 11.
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Religion
2008-12-01 14:19:00
Jews who do not accept Jesus Christ
Question: Will Jews, who do not accept Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior, be condemned to Hell?
Answer: As I answer this honestly, I realize two negative reactions can come on me. First, by some in this generation, that I’m not tolerant. However, tolerance means I can disagree on our beliefs and be free to share, reason and expose to others my opposing view points and yet still like the other person. That is tolerance! The second negative view, one could be seen even by other Christians as anti-Semitic or prejudice toward Jews. However that is also wrong because if one hated the Jews, believing what I do, I would not share my views if I wanted them to go to hell. But I do care and love the Jews as God does because the good news of Jesus Christ is “first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” (Romans 1:16) That is why I share and believe what I do.
I do believe that Jews who do not accept Jesus Christ as the Lord and savior, along with gentiles, will be condemned to hell! There are several Biblical reasons I believe this truth. First, the words of Jesus as He spoke to His contemporaries and said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” {John 14:6} This is what was so cutting to the Jews when He told them that if they really “knew God, they would know and accept Him. {John 8:19}
Secondly, the preaching in the book of Acts by the apostles was to all peoples and especially to the Jews. The gospel was to go forth beginning with Jerusalem {Acts 1:8} and spread to the whole world. Peter’s Pentecost sermon (Acts 2) was a call to repent and come to Jesus the Messiah for salvation from sin (Acts 2:34-41). When Peter and John were before the Sanhedrin (which was the Jewish ruling party) they told them Jesus was the chief cornerstone of the faith and that in Acts 4:12 they say a very clear statement, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
Thirdly, Paul also deals with this in a major way in Romans with a consistency with the rest of scripture and helps lift the veil on the mysterious will of God in reference to the Jews. In chapters 9-11 he paints the picture of Israel’s script in God’s plan. The Jews for a period of time would reject His salvation through Christ for the benefit of the whole world {11:15}. That the natural branches (Jews) were broken off the vine so that the gentiles could be grafted to the vine (11:17-21). Then he goes on to say the Jews can be grafted in “if” they do not continue in unbelief (11:23). This “partial hardening” is so the full number of Gentiles receive Christ {11:25}, then “all Israel will be saved” {11:26}. “All Israel” could mean a believing remnant at that present time or of the entire company of Jews and Gentiles who make up the new Israel of the church or the total elect of the Jews from the beginning of time to the present. But the common thread in all of this is that salvation to the Jews and Gentiles comes through the “Deliverer…from Zion…taking away their sins” {11:26}, Jesus Christ the Messiah, Savior of the world. Then he speaks about the character and plan of God is full of God’s mercy and just bursts out into a praise chorus to God being so overwhelmed by God’s kindness and mercy (11:33-36). At the end of it He reminds us that all this mercy flows through Christ.
Now, knowing all of this and believing these words, do I hold back and not share salvation in Christ to the Jews? Do I say nothing and let them believe what they believe, die and go to hell? Would that be the kind and loving thing to do? Of course not! Listen to the rational common sense in the following sanerio.
If I came in contact with a friend who told me that he just found out he had a specific kind of terminal cancer, little did he know, I had just come from having lunch with my cousin who is a research scientist and just uncovered the cure for that specific form of cancer. He gave me a vile to keep in my possession and if I knew someone with the cancer, even though it was not completely approved by the world, give it to them so they could be cured. But instead I kept it in my pocket. Went and visited my friend with the cancer. Encouraged him, prayed with him, read him books, told jokes to cheer him up, helped him go to the bathroom and gave him baths as he got weaker but never once shared with him the contents of the vile, how good a friend would I be? Would I be a true loving friend or would I be a sadistically sick person never giving him the cure he needed so desperately as I made him feel comfortable and good watching him die? Is it not obvious how we as Christians need to love our Jewish friends? Shalom in Christ, Pastor Dave.
