An open letter to atheists, agnostics and followers of other religious systems:

I am an evangelical Christian and I do not hate you.

I feel compelled to write this because so much of what you read or hear would indicate that we do hate you. Sadly, much of what we Christians do and say would often lead you to the same conclusion.

As an evangelical Christian, I believe in a transcendent God who created and sustains the universe in which we live. I believe God has revealed Himself in His creation and I believe He has revealed His truth in the words of the Bible. As the Creator and Sustainer, He has every right to establish the standards by which His creatures are to live. Jesus perfectly summed up this ethic in what He calls the two greatest commandments: We are to love God with every fiber of our being and we are to love our neighbors as ourselves.

As an evangelical Christian, I am certainly no better than you. I have violated God’s ethic countless times and, it grieves me to say, I continue to do so. Because God is holy and perfectly just, He must punish every act of rebellion. That punishment is terrible: an eternity of agony in Hell.

Yet because God is gracious and loving, He offers an alternative to eternal suffering. Jesus suffered the agony of the cross as my substitute. He paid the penalty for every act of my rebellion. All I have to do to accept this cosmic plea agreement is plead guilty and believe in what He accomplished on my behalf. I have done that, and now I do my best to live a life of obedience to Him.

I am an evangelical Christian. I do not hate you, but I am afraid for you.

If I saw a toddler wandering out into a busy street, I would most certainly do whatever I could to intervene. At the very least I would shout a warning, but I’d also be running as fast as I could to prevent a terrible tragedy. I would not be able to live with myself if I failed to act.

I feel the same way about you.

Believing as I do, it would be absolutely hateful if I failed to warn you of the judgment to come. I believe the Bible when it says that we all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. I believe it when it tells me that every sin must be punished and that God’s just punishment is forever and horrible. I also believe the Bible when it quotes Jesus as saying "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  I absolutely believe that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, my Lord, which is apprehended by faith alone.

I apologize that my rhetoric sometimes sounds hateful to you. I admit that I might sometimes come across as judgmental and intolerant. I know that my proclamation of the Gospel might make you uncomfortable and I suspect you often wish I would just mind my own business.

But I cannot.

I cannot because I believe from the depth of my being that you are wandering into far more peril than the aforementioned toddler. Hell is forever.

Whether you agree with me or not, I wonder if you could find it in your heart to consider my perspective. I’m just a sinner saved by the grace of God. I desperately want you to find the same grace and peace I’ve found. I invite you to visit an evangelical church close to your home. Please come see what Jesus has for you and your family.

In Christ’s love.

Ken Ainsworth is pastor of the Canyon Community Church in Coram.