October 1, 2026
The beautiful hymn, "O Little Town of Bethlehem," asks the Lord, “O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Immanuel!” Abide means to stay in one place, our hearts. When anyone becomes a Christian, he is given the Holy Spirit immediately to live in his heart. This makes him the temple of the Holy Spirit, where God remains for the rest of his earthly life. Then his soul proceeds directly to heaven at the moment of his death.
Sadly, the soul of every unbeliever proceeds to hell the moment of his death. So we cannot always say at one’s funeral that he is in a better place, unless we are sure he was a Christian. It is so very tragic how Satan has deceived most people, even in our own society and in our own general vicinity. He has most convinced that heaven, hell, and even God are outmoded myths that only simple minds still believe in.
Fortunately, there are many exceptionally bright and intelligent people, both from the past as well as the present, who are true believers and staunch Christians. Examples include Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei, Copernicus, Mendel, Fleming, Heisenberg, and so many others. There are many brilliant and famous Christians today as well. So we believers are actually in very good company. The Bible defines “atheist” as the fool in Psalm 14:1. The problem with atheists is their pride in their own intellects.
They really think they can trust their own flawed judgment. And the older one gets, the more hardened his heart becomes, generally speaking.
The saddest thing, next to their destiny of hell, is what unbelievers miss in this life. We Christians have the joy of salvation all the time. And we feel the love of God in our hearts, because He is there all the time. He abides with us. Praise God! Unbelievers can never know the joy and thrill we experience as Christians, because they lack the Holy Spirit and have only material things with which they try to find happiness. But nothing, regardless of how fancy, nice, or expensive, can fill the void in their hearts. Only Christ can do that.
The happiness of unbelievers depends upon circumstances. When they are agreeable, unbelievers are happy. When things go against their wants and desires, they are miserable. They have no anchor for joy and happiness. They have only things, which rust, wear out, or often end up stolen. They have no solid rock to which they can attach their lives. They have nothing in the future to look forward to.
So, let us exult in God’s goodness. Let us celebrate His Christ. Let us always thank God for every blessing, but especially for His grace in sending Christ to save everyone who believes in Jesus Christ and is willing to repent and call on the name of the Lord. We really do have cause to celebrate, not only at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but every single day our Father in heaven provides us.
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Ralph Fudge is the pastor of Big Ochlocknee Baptist Church in Coolidge, Ga., and has a Master’s degree in theology from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
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