It’s hard to believe God is a god of love, justice, wisdom, and power when most religions teach God is sending the vast majority of people to a place of torment for eternity! What kind of wise, loving, just plan would create human beings knowing that most would be tortured forever? Of course, any reasoning person would be challenged to believe in a god like that.

But God’s real plan as revealed in the Bible is very different. God knew Adam and Eve would sin even before He created them. And God had already asked Jesus to be man’s redeemer from the creation of the earth! “…the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.” Revelation 13:8 (NASB)

From Jesus’s first advent through the present, God is calling a special church class of believers. Those who accept Jesus and faithfully follow in His footsteps will receive a special reward: a divine resurrection and the privilege of ruling with Jesus in His kingdom. “…you may be partakers of the divine nature…” and “…they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years.” (2 Peter 1:4, Revelation 20:6)

However, Jesus’s sacrifice also redeemed all mankind (even unbelievers) from sin and death and ensured that all would be resurrected and taught righteousness! (See 1 Corinthians 15:22.) In the general resurrection of all people “…No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Jeremiah 31:33,34 (NKJV)

Finally at the end of the thousand years, each person will be tested as to his obedience. But since all will have experienced the horrors of sin, this time most people will choose to gladly obey God and live. (Those disobedient will cease to exist.) “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4 (NKJV)

When we know God’s true character and fantastic plan for every man, woman, and child, it is much easier to believe, worship and obey Him. Our belief in this wonderful God will certainly change our whole lives.