The Everyday Club

10/26/09 Jeff , 72

A lifetime of trying to figure out God without the authority and guidance of the Bible has left Jeff with many confusing and contradictory ideas about Him, and no idea of what will happen after he dies. I met him at a laundromat after work, and he described himself as a "Deist" - he believes in God but doesn't think we can have any more than general knowledge about Him, yet Jeff is adamant that God is "above" punishing sin, and that He is good and therefore we should not fear Him, even though the Bible says "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." After several near-death experiences, Jeff believes in "fate" which determines one's destiny ahead of time. I asked why God has kept him alive for so long. He had no idea so I told him about 2 Peter 3:9 - that "He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." I also told him that from what I can tell, he needs to repent of breaking the 2nd commandment - creating a false image of God - by picking and choosing those things he wants to believe rather than allowing God to reveal Himself through His Word. During most of our conversation, however, Jeff did far more talking than listening, so I can only pray that he heard these truths.