Using humor Trump relays a very serious message in a way that will cause people to listen to him. Other wise they will just shut their minds because it is too painful to hear.
He is not a preacher but he does know the Lord.
Steve Lyon
Amen, Denny. Like you, am grateful for his openness and in prayer he'll experience the truth you so clearly shared. Thanks for doing so.
Big Jim
Trump's view on getting into heaven is wrong but very common. It makes sense from a human standpoint: if our good deeds outweigh our bad deeds, we get to go to heaven. In fact, even in this WORLD forum, where most of us are presumably Christians, there are people who have espoused this dangerous and incorrect doctrine. For example, in one online discussion with another commenter (the one and only "DAL"), he tried to convince me that my sister, an avowed atheist, was going to heaven because I had told him that she was a likable person who did nice things for other people.
I hope for Trump's sake that he figures it out before it's too late. The man is 79 after all.
Hey, I remember DAL! He always made some interesting comments. You are correct, Big Jim. My mother in law always believed she'd go to heaven because her good points outweighed her bad points. HER mother also believed she'd never done anything wrong. My husband drew the bridge illustration for his grandmother once. She stared at it and said, "That cannot be right!" We do not know if we will see any of his relatives in heaven. That was what caused the most grief when they died.
Yes, that's what troubles me the most in this life, I suppose, wondering about the eternal destination of my family members (including children, who are all still living). I'm not sure exactly how God works that out (Grandpa's here but where's Grandma?!), but maybe He somehow clears our minds of particular past relationships. Rev 21:4 does promise no more death, sorrow, crying or pain in the afterlife so I think that would preclude mourning over relatives that "didn't make it."
not silent
Thanks to the writer of the article and to commenters below for expressing and affirming the gospel. Believers always need reminding, and you never know who else might read an article.
I can’t say what Pres Trump or his advisers are thinking (and I’m certainly not party to what they discuss), but I do know that all humans need repentance and salvation…and that God does not desire that any should perish. So I will pray accordingly.
pjp
Unfortunately, Trump reflects a lot of people’s views of getting to heaven. We can’t earn it. Any good deeds we do were prepared beforehand so we would walk in them. They are done in gratitude for what He did to us on the cross.
Sondance
It might help the sincerity factor if he took down the website selling his authorized Bibles. etc. Not that sincerity saves, but "a little clean up as a possible sign of repentance can't hurt", to paraphrase John the Baptist. Just one more suggestion for his spiritual advisors to consider... and this is not sarcasm.
Laura Fredrickson
Hopefully someone will summarize this letter into a few simple sentences using one-syllable words and print them out so the President will be able to read and understand it.
Does the thought of Trump spending eternity with you make you happy or sad? Why or why not?
ROND9149
As a Christian I also am praying to our loving God; that He will bless your work to broker a peace between Russia & Ukraine. However, even if it doesn't work out like we want, I think Jesus will be smiling at your efforts to do that which He would do.
Smiling? The Bible speaks of our righteousness as “filthy rags” apart from Christ.
My Two Cents
I pray for the president's salvation, and I wonder about his spiritual advisors he has surrounded himself with (looking at you, Franklin Graham!) Have none of them explained the plan of salvation? Does he really think his impressive resume including the Nobel Peace Prize, his immense wealth, the achievements he claims are going to impress God the Father? I've met people who joke about going to heaven or not, such as they want to go to hell because that's where their friends are, they'll have a big beer party, etc. Although Mr. Burk has written a compelling response, I don't think Mr. Trump is at all concerned with his own mortality. He is today's replica of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus and asked with flattery, "Good Sir, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" He walked away sad, for he had great wealth. I pray Trump is willing to "sell all that he has," give the money to the poor, and (the hardest) come follow Jesus. We don't know if the rich young ruler did what Jesus told him he must do (because of course, eternal life is not left behind in a will to be inherited) but I do hope we can see our president come to repentance.
Allen Johnson
Repentance seems to be a precondition for eternal life in heaven. Repentance in the sense of turning around, a new attitude and approach to life (metanoia), along with a sorrow for sin. I sense a hint of repentance in Donald Trump's statement, even as he touts his achievements. Let's pray that Donald Trump fully repents of his sins (and likewise, each of us repents).
DBAR1646
Thanks, Denny, for publicly ministering to our President with the biblical truth. The mainline, Catholic, and prosperity gospel churches are riddled with the works righteousness mentality that Trump expressed. Some of his supposed "disciplers" are adherents of such man-centered notions. I pray that Trump will deeply ponder your comments, turn to God's Word for himself, and choose to simply lean on Christ and His completed work by faith for his salvation and eternal life!
AL020724
"The Son of man will separate the sheep from the goats... To those at his right hand...Come, inherit the kingdom...As you did it to one of the least of them you did it to me... And to those at his left hand... as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me. And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Matthew 25
God will render to every man according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life...
Romans 2:6
Faith without works is dead.
James 2:26
WALTER
"You can’t earn the salvation that Jesus provides. You can’t earn heaven. So you can rest from any such effort. All you need to do is turn away from your sin and trust in Christ. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9-10). He’s done all the work, you just need to trust in the One who did all the work for you."
Amen, Amen, Amem. Thank you for this article. I hope these words reach the President's ears. I just hope he has the ears to hear.
bk1bennett
So well said, sir. I hope and pray the president reads it and responds.
nludecke
When I heard those remarks, it made me want to write a letter to the President expressing exactly what you have in this article. I am incredibly encouraged by his path towards faith and all of the remarks he has made on the world stage pointing to God, Jesus, and the afterlife. I'm amazed none of his Christian faith advisors have made the path to salvation crystal clear for him, but I see God working in his life and believe and continue to pray he will come fully to Christ.
I don't think it would be wise to assume that nobody has made the path of salvation clear. It's possible that despite their clear message, he wants to continue to believe that his works can save him because the truth--that the cost of salvation is his repentance and faith in Christ's finished work-- is a price he's unwilling to pay.
Using humor Trump relays a very serious message in a way that will cause people to listen to him. Other wise they will just shut their minds because it is too painful to hear.
He is not a preacher but he does know the Lord.
Amen, Denny. Like you, am grateful for his openness and in prayer he'll experience the truth you so clearly shared. Thanks for doing so.
Trump's view on getting into heaven is wrong but very common. It makes sense from a human standpoint: if our good deeds outweigh our bad deeds, we get to go to heaven. In fact, even in this WORLD forum, where most of us are presumably Christians, there are people who have espoused this dangerous and incorrect doctrine. For example, in one online discussion with another commenter (the one and only "DAL"), he tried to convince me that my sister, an avowed atheist, was going to heaven because I had told him that she was a likable person who did nice things for other people.
I hope for Trump's sake that he figures it out before it's too late. The man is 79 after all.
Hey, I remember DAL! He always made some interesting comments. You are correct, Big Jim. My mother in law always believed she'd go to heaven because her good points outweighed her bad points. HER mother also believed she'd never done anything wrong. My husband drew the bridge illustration for his grandmother once. She stared at it and said, "That cannot be right!" We do not know if we will see any of his relatives in heaven. That was what caused the most grief when they died.
Yes, that's what troubles me the most in this life, I suppose, wondering about the eternal destination of my family members (including children, who are all still living). I'm not sure exactly how God works that out (Grandpa's here but where's Grandma?!), but maybe He somehow clears our minds of particular past relationships. Rev 21:4 does promise no more death, sorrow, crying or pain in the afterlife so I think that would preclude mourning over relatives that "didn't make it."
Thanks to the writer of the article and to commenters below for expressing and affirming the gospel. Believers always need reminding, and you never know who else might read an article.
I can’t say what Pres Trump or his advisers are thinking (and I’m certainly not party to what they discuss), but I do know that all humans need repentance and salvation…and that God does not desire that any should perish. So I will pray accordingly.
Unfortunately, Trump reflects a lot of people’s views of getting to heaven. We can’t earn it. Any good deeds we do were prepared beforehand so we would walk in them. They are done in gratitude for what He did to us on the cross.
It might help the sincerity factor if he took down the website selling his authorized Bibles. etc. Not that sincerity saves, but "a little clean up as a possible sign of repentance can't hurt", to paraphrase John the Baptist. Just one more suggestion for his spiritual advisors to consider... and this is not sarcasm.
Hopefully someone will summarize this letter into a few simple sentences using one-syllable words and print them out so the President will be able to read and understand it.
Does the thought of Trump spending eternity with you make you happy or sad? Why or why not?
As a Christian I also am praying to our loving God; that He will bless your work to broker a peace between Russia & Ukraine. However, even if it doesn't work out like we want, I think Jesus will be smiling at your efforts to do that which He would do.
Smiling? The Bible speaks of our righteousness as “filthy rags” apart from Christ.
I pray for the president's salvation, and I wonder about his spiritual advisors he has surrounded himself with (looking at you, Franklin Graham!) Have none of them explained the plan of salvation? Does he really think his impressive resume including the Nobel Peace Prize, his immense wealth, the achievements he claims are going to impress God the Father? I've met people who joke about going to heaven or not, such as they want to go to hell because that's where their friends are, they'll have a big beer party, etc. Although Mr. Burk has written a compelling response, I don't think Mr. Trump is at all concerned with his own mortality. He is today's replica of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus and asked with flattery, "Good Sir, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" He walked away sad, for he had great wealth. I pray Trump is willing to "sell all that he has," give the money to the poor, and (the hardest) come follow Jesus. We don't know if the rich young ruler did what Jesus told him he must do (because of course, eternal life is not left behind in a will to be inherited) but I do hope we can see our president come to repentance.
Repentance seems to be a precondition for eternal life in heaven. Repentance in the sense of turning around, a new attitude and approach to life (metanoia), along with a sorrow for sin. I sense a hint of repentance in Donald Trump's statement, even as he touts his achievements. Let's pray that Donald Trump fully repents of his sins (and likewise, each of us repents).
Thanks, Denny, for publicly ministering to our President with the biblical truth. The mainline, Catholic, and prosperity gospel churches are riddled with the works righteousness mentality that Trump expressed. Some of his supposed "disciplers" are adherents of such man-centered notions. I pray that Trump will deeply ponder your comments, turn to God's Word for himself, and choose to simply lean on Christ and His completed work by faith for his salvation and eternal life!
"The Son of man will separate the sheep from the goats... To those at his right hand...Come, inherit the kingdom...As you did it to one of the least of them you did it to me... And to those at his left hand... as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me. And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Matthew 25
God will render to every man according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life...
Romans 2:6
Faith without works is dead.
James 2:26
"You can’t earn the salvation that Jesus provides. You can’t earn heaven. So you can rest from any such effort. All you need to do is turn away from your sin and trust in Christ. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9-10). He’s done all the work, you just need to trust in the One who did all the work for you."
Amen, Amen, Amem. Thank you for this article. I hope these words reach the President's ears. I just hope he has the ears to hear.
So well said, sir. I hope and pray the president reads it and responds.
When I heard those remarks, it made me want to write a letter to the President expressing exactly what you have in this article. I am incredibly encouraged by his path towards faith and all of the remarks he has made on the world stage pointing to God, Jesus, and the afterlife. I'm amazed none of his Christian faith advisors have made the path to salvation crystal clear for him, but I see God working in his life and believe and continue to pray he will come fully to Christ.
I don't think it would be wise to assume that nobody has made the path of salvation clear. It's possible that despite their clear message, he wants to continue to believe that his works can save him because the truth--that the cost of salvation is his repentance and faith in Christ's finished work-- is a price he's unwilling to pay.
Amen.