Must I believe in Christ?

Robin’s post of early last week brought to my mind something I heard Mr Koukl say on his radio show a few months back. He said this: “People don’t go to hell for not believing in Jesus.” Think about that statement for a while. I must admit, when I first heard it I thought (as perhaps you are thinking now) “Whoa, Koukl, what are you saying?” But then he explained, using the following analogy:

A man stands convicted of crimes he has committed, and the governor steps in and offers him a pardon. He refuses the governor’s pardon and is sent to gaol (see where this is going?). Let me ask you this: why did he go to gaol? It wasn’t for refusing the governor’s pardon – it was for his crimes!

So it is with Christ. People don’t go to hell for refusing God’s Pardon, but for the crimes they have committed against Him! Like that man, we stand convicted of our crimes. And like that man, we are being offered a pardon. Its up to us if we take it. But be assured of this – without the Pardon, gaol awaits.