Apparently, Wesley Huff is currently all the rage among apologists today. I first heard of him today. He was being interviewed by a chap named “Bartlett.” Below you will see an exchanged between Bartlett and Huff. It is my opinion that Huff’s answer was inadequate to the question.
Huff is reportedly Reformed Baptist. However, I am inclined to think he is some form of evidentialist in his apologetics.
____
Bartlett to Huff: So if I don’t believe in Jesus, I don’t believe in the Bible, but I live a “good” life – I’m nice to people, I’m charitable, I’m trying to be kind wherever I can be – and I don’t believe in God am I going to hell or heaven as it relates to the scriptures?
Huff: Well, I don’t think if you’re living your life rejecting God, God is not going to force you into his presence.
—
Bret offers a better answer than Huff;
The problem here Mr. Bartlett is according to the Scripture “good” is defined as doing what we do for the glory of God. If you don’t believe in Jesus then while it may be the case that you do “comparative good,” you do not do “good” by God’s standard for “good.” The Bible teaches that “all our works are as filthy rags,” and this includes your being “nice,” “charitable,” and “kind.” God is not impressed with those behavioral traits because they fall short of the glory of God. To be honest, Mr. Bartlett, the behavior you describe as embraced by those who hate Christ are really just “splendid vices.”
Another problem here, Mr. Bartlett, is that you’re talking about being good, nice, charitable, and kind, but if you don’t believe in God how could you possibly be able to define what good, nice, charitable, and kind is? Without God, you’ve made yourself to be your own standard as to what constitutes virtuous behavior and that by itself will cast you into hell since making yourself your own standard is to make yourself out to be God. Now, why would God allow a false god into His heaven?
No, rebelling against God is rebelling against God and those who are comparatively virtuous as compared to others will be cast into hell along with those who were bad, mean, stingy, and hard-hearted.
The good news though Mr. Bartlett is that God will receive those who look to Jesus for forgiveness, repent of their attempt to be god and so their rebellion, and own God’s standard found in Scripture to be the norm that norms all norms.
Will you not trust Jesus Mr. Bartlett? That is His command to you.
