by Dawn M. O'Neal

Created on: January 15, 2009

Christianity is likely the most debated and controversial topic there is in the world today. It has divided nations, brought people together in times of crisis, and offers hope to a hopeless world.

Any believer or Christian out there will argue that a non-Christian doesn't have a chance of getting into Heaven without first accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. To be a non-Christian suggests that one does not believe in Christ. And to believe in Christ is by far the first step towards seeing Heaven one day.

To be a non-Christian may have different definitions depending on one's belief system. What is a Christian exactly? Most will say it's a follower of Christ who believes in God and life after death. It's not enough to call oneself a Christian. It goes much deeper than that.

Can a person believe without being a Christian? In reality we are all non-Christians to a point. We may say we believe in Christ or label ourselves Christians so we look good in the eyes of others, but in truth, unless we are walking in the ways of Christ, we are non-Christians each and every time we sin against Christ. Who are we to judge those who does not believe or shuns the Christian faith when we, ourselves, can just as easily be judged for our own transgressions.

When we've walked our last day on this Earth, there will only be one Supreme Being that will have any say in whether or not non-Christians have a chance in Heaven. Since we are all sinners by nature, that pretty much leaves the field wide open as to who is allowed in and who is cast into the depths of Hell to live forevermore.

It's totally our choice as to whether or not we get that chance to find out what exists on the other side of life. And we are given numerous chances in our lives to reconcile ourselves to the One who created us before we ever enter Heaven. Our foremost goal should be to ensure that we get that chance and encourage those who don't believe to walk the path that leads to Heaven's door.

Being faithful and steadfast in everything we do is perhaps the most difficult thing we can do as human beings. It can be a daily struggle to follow the Christian path because of the many temptations and roadblocks that are constantly set before us to trip us up and lose our way.

Being a non-Christian is not so much about not believing in Christ but simply about not following the ways of Christ. When it comes down to it, there is no divination among those who profess to believe and those who do not. No single one of us is better than the other, regardless of what we think or believe. When it comes to getting into Heaven everyone is given the same opportunity to make it there. What we do with our time we're given is totally up to us. How we live our lives and what we believe is equally as important. Only at the end of our lives will it be determined if we how we believed and how we lived matches up with that of the beliefs of our Creator. Then and only then will we know if we've reached our final destination.

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