Expert: Carl Fuglein - 7/1/2009

Question
Hello,
I am 12 years old and a proud Christian, but I have concerns. I have best friends who aren't Christians. In the Bible, it says that if you believe in God, His son, Jesus, and repent, you will go to Heaven. But if you don't, you might go to hell. So what about my friends that aren't Christians, will they go to hell because the don't believe in Jesus? And in my friend's Koran, it says she will go to heaven if she does things (I don't know what things, though) and she doesn't believe in Jesus. Please help me, I'm very confused!
Thanks,
Addie

Answer
Addie-

This is a very difficult subject to understand, and it's taken me a lifetime to understand it (or THINK I understand it), so you're questioning at age 12 is a good indicator that you're wise beyond your years.  Many Christians just accept it as faith and move on, but I think people like you who question their faith and how it plays out on their friends are in a better position to evangelize and bring more people into the faith.

First of all, if you truly believe that Jesus died for everyone's sins, then you also believe there is hope for the rest of the world who does NOT believe.  This is what True Christianity is, in my opinion - spreading the faith that there is love and hope, while NOT spreading the Old Testament news that if you don't follow all the rules you're going to hell.

What you can do for your friends is to believe what you believe, and show it in your actions by trying to be just, friendly, and open to everyone.  The Koran, the book of Islam, actually preaches a lot about faith, peace, and love.  The face of Islam that you see in terrorists is a perversion of that faith - they merely look at the bad things and think that all life can be summed up as a set of rules.  But life is not like that - life is about loving one another.  Rules aren't going to get you into heaven.  Realizing that all are sinners and all NEED Jesus to get to heaven is the good news, and that's what you should talk about with your friend.  It's going to take a long time, and you may never convince your friend, but you will have planted a seed that the Holy Spirit will grow.  Just continue to love her.

Hope this helps,

carl