“Good People in Hell?” is a “Pastor’s Comments” newspaper column which may be read online.

June 18, 2010 - PRLog -- The “Good People in Hell?” column is one of the weekly “Pastor’s Comments” newspaper columns written by Pastor Daniel E. Lundmark of Northampton Assembly of God, Northampton, PA.  The newspaper column ministry started in 1975 in a Northampton newspaper and then moved on to other newspapers in or near the Lehigh Valley with circulations totaling over 150,000.  Recently, the church increased that circulation by placing a “Pastor’s Comments” ad on The Morning Call online site which presently has 40,000 unique users per day.  The weekly column is emailed free to all who request it using the pastor@naog.ws email address.  

While Pastor Lundmark writes on various topics, the basic purpose of the column is to reach souls for Jesus Christ.  The column is intentionally not on the religious page so that it might serve, in the pastor’s words, "As a fishing hook in the waters."

In this “Good People in Hell?” column, Pastor Lundmark first addresses the last part of the column’s introductory statement that, “Many good people will end up in hell while many bad people will end up in heaven!”  He says, “The only reason that many bad people will end up in heaven is because when a sinner repents of his sin and accepts Jesus Christ as his Savior, he becomes a child of God as the Bible explains in John 1:12, ‘As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God.’  Even to the worst sinners Jesus says, ‘Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out’ (John 6:37).  A great example of this is in Luke 23:42-43 when one of the thieves who was crucified with Christ said, ‘Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom’ and Jesus responded, ‘Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.’  1 Corinthians 6:9-11 lists sinners such as fornicators, sodomites, thieves, etc. whose destinations were changed from hell to heaven, ‘Such were some of you: but ye are washed…ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus.’  Yes, many formerly bad people are going to heaven!  

Pastor Lundmark then asks in the column, “How is it that many ‘good people will end up in hell?’”  He goes on to explain, “Many people live relatively good lives--they never cheat, steal, curse, etc., and consequently they feel no need to be ‘saved from sin.’  Yet the Bible states, ‘For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23), and Jesus said ‘ Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God’ (John 3:3).  This birth ‘of the spirit’ (v.5) is an absolute necessity—one ‘must be born again’ (v.7) to enter heaven; however, often a ‘good’ person’s prideful self-righteousness keeps him from acknowledging his need of this spiritual rebirth that only transpires through believing on Jesus Christ.  One’s acceptance or rejection of Christ will determine his eternal destiny as the Bible makes clear in John 3:36, ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.’”  The article concludes with the declaration, “Jesus is The Only Way to heaven! ” and then gives the link to a picture of one of the billboards that the church had up in the area and a detailed biblical explanation of the truth that Jesus is The Only Way to heaven at: http://www.naog.ws/theway.htm

In describing why he wrote this “Good People in Hell?” column, Pastor Lundmark said, “During the past 43 years that I have served as pastor at Northampton Assembly of God I have repeatedly had people tell me that they feel they qualify for getting into heaven because they are good people and have done good things for others, etc.  While one’s good works are certainly commendable, those good works cannot save them or qualify them for heaven as the Bible so clearly declares in Ephesians 2:8-9, ‘For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.’  This truth is stated in many other verses in the Bible such as, Galatians 2:16, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”  It is only through Jesus Christ that we are saved, Titus 3:5-6, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.”  

See http://www.naog.ws/gpih.htm to read or print the complete “Good People in Hell?” column.  At that site you can also read “Pastor’s Comments” newspaper columns from the past several years and peruse the Northampton Assembly of God website where you can hear some church worship services and preaching under “Sermons” or see, for instance, the billboards that the church has had in the area such as the one showing waterfalls and the one word question: “Thirsty?” followed by the words of Jesus “Come unto me and drink!” at: http://www.naog.ws/thirsty.htm