Could Steve Irwin (the
Crocodile Hunter)
be in hell?
Consider the unthinkable. Could the Crocodile Hunter be in
hell? Even though only a few of the millions
who watched him actually knew him well, as a very public figure, we have some
knowledge of the man. Every ounce of my being wants him to be
saved from such an eternal destination. He seemed like such a great,
fun guy, also
considered this way by those who knew him best. Many assume he earned
his place in heaven. Yet, only God decides.
God decides. The same way only God decided that you would
be born. You had no say in the matter. Similarly, we will be placed
in eternity by Him somewhere. We cannot erase ourselves, even with
death we will still exist. The spirit lives forever. How will God make the decision?
First, sincere condolences to his family and those
closest to him. Clearly a sad tragedy. Each of us will die, either quite
suddenly like Steve’s or somewhat later. We cannot tell with certainty how our
death will come, as with Steve. We will all miss him but
especially those close to him will feel the unhappy vacuum.
By all accounts of those close to him, he was a most excellent guy. He lived life his own way with
energy and zest. He was loved by millions. We will miss
him. He was fantastic, a great family man who personified caring family
values that we should emulate. Does this qualify him for eternal
life? The human side of us wishes the answer was “yes”.
As Christians, do we have any objective evidence at all that
Steve was not delivered to hell? On what basis do people say that “he is in heaven
now”? Any at all? Unfortunately, no. Should we
look at this through the eyes of Biblical Christianity or some other
religion?
We who are left behind received another wake up
call. Another chance to evaluate our own destiny after death.
Now is the time to consider our eternal future. Soberly consider
this important matter.
Irwin’s passion was conservation of wildlife, a
noble task. In
life, he was quite zealously and energetically animated for what he considered second in importance
only to his family. His belief regarding life after death is
quite absent in the materials available to public review. He did
mention to Larry King (November 25, 2004):
…IRWIN: What happened? We organized a
beautiful ceremony. The Buddhist nuns came to bless little tiny Bob,
baby Bob I called him and all of my friends and family. We invited the
media, which was no less than four cameras and three of those news crews
and associated media and journalists. And some dignitaries, too,
Australian dignitaries. Now this is a time in my life where life was
good…
His funeral on September 11, 2006 was private.
We currently do not know the spiritual content of the event.
Reasonably judging
from the above, he was not Christian.
Perhaps the "god" Terri
spoke of in the interview with Barbara Walters, September 28, 2006, was
of Buddhism or maybe a generic "god", who in her mind, may have the
power to save. Perhaps it even was the true Hebrew-Christian "God". Perhaps her
"faith" in "god" is well founded but then again, if not Christianity, it
is false.
Make no mistake, the true God of Christianity judges
each of us from the absence or presence of our public acceptance of God.
During
the public tribute at the crocodile stadium, they chose to avoid a public
display of spiritual matters. This is
incongruent with Christianity yet is in line with the lack of
Christianity seen in Irwin's very public life.
Matthew
10: 32 "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge
him before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before
men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
Does it matter which god we choose? It
does. Where we spend eternity matters!
Matthew 7: 13
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is
the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and
only a few find it.
If Christianity is correct, there is no other way.
The scriptures leave no room for other faiths.
John 14: 6 Jesus
answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to
the Father except through me.
Why should we believe in Christianity? No other belief proves itself
correct through over a hundred of prophetic scriptures overwhelmingly and specifically
predicting future events, including Christ’s life, hundreds and thousands of
years later. (Such as
Isaiah 53,
written hundreds of years prior to Christ, see also the prophetic life
of
Joseph, etc., etc.) Many other reasons confirm the absolute truth
of Christianity, including God's love for us. (This web site
explores these, yet the best way is to read the scriptures for yourself.)
According to these Holy Bible scriptures, the
only way to salvation is through believing Christ is God who came
and died for our sins. Whether we like it or not, faith in Christ gives
God’s gracious gift of salvation only to believers in Christ. Let this
be perfectly clear: By default, therefore, all religions other than Christianity are
deceitful, of Satan, and are frankly, lies. Sadly, they are leading millions to
eternity in hell.
Acts 4:12
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under
heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
How should we respond? Steve Irwin had his chances
to choose Christ. Perhaps he did, if so, thank God! Most
disappointingly, he probably didn’t.
Isn’t it tragically ironic how Steve died? Steve’s life
was spent glorifying God’s creation, not God Himself. There are hours
upon hours of videos made by him mistakenly crediting purposeless
evolution for animals’ (and our) existence, although statistically impossible at
the very least. He admired the creation yet, like many, he didn't
point to the creator.
Genesis
1:25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the
livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move
along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was
good.
Romans 1:21 For although they knew God, they
neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking
became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they
claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of
the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and
animals and reptiles.
Confusion comes from a mistaken mindset of
evolution and man’s place. Steve’s perception of his role in the world
did play a role in his untimely death. We loved to see the Crocodile
Man pushing the envelope working with dangerous creatures. The stingray
that killed him had a brain the size of Steve’s thumb.
In an instant, Steve’s incredibly complex and capable mind was destroyed by a creature
incapable of significant thought. What a
shame.
Ephesians 4:17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that
you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their
thinking . 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated
from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the
hardening of their hearts.
Does this make sense? That a most insignificant
creature (although still a creation worth caring for) kills a fantastic
human being who was loved by millions worldwide and whose chosen purpose
was to conserve these same animals? No. We have failed to
understand our role.
In a similar sense, elsewhere in life we refuse to
reason with the correct mindset. We fail to carefully contemplate. To think analytically with logical
considerations and to communicate ideas in sensible discourse.
This is
seen with the Muslim’s vitriolic anger at the Pope when he simply quoted
a 15th century Catholic, not even ascribing to the message
that Islam is a violent religion. Many committed Muslims react violently. Didn’t
that just make the point? Those who react that way choose hatred
over reasoning, further leading to their own condemnation. Where is
reasoning?
Instead of claiming evidence for the hypothesis raised
in that ancient document, the Pope apologizes. Shouldn't he be
warning these individuals that they are choosing a route that condemns
them to hell? It
seems the West, as seen with the Pope, has committed politically
correct, analytical suicide while the most vocal,
deceived and dangerous Islamic individuals refuse to
reason. Their hatred has polluted their cognitive thinking
abilities. Suicide bombings? Foolish and evil, sending them
straight to hell, of course.
It is not an accident that the Pope and the Muslims
have made it to Steve Irwin’s page. All three have exhibited foolish thinking
in these difficult days. All fall victim to poor reasoning to
understand why we are here, to glorify the one true God and to reach out
to others to save some.
All fail to avoid the danger of the
threats, succumbing to the hazard’s lethal tendencies. By the Pope
refusing to stand on truth, he has failed to glorify God (who is Truth)
and has enabled the radicals to even grow bolder, a poor long term plan,
further condemning some to hell. Our wisdom has
become foolishness.
We should take care of animals. We should
also avoid unnecessarily harming them. Conservation is a very noble task.
Yet, we don’t have any business considering ourselves an equal to the
animals or elevating their position above God.
Refusing the imprinted, simple reasoning protecting a child, Steve
sought to somehow commune with these creatures causing him to pay the ultimate
price. Even though he knew they were not as intelligent as he, he
allowed himself to become dangerously close, partially trusting their
thinking. This mindset stems from the idea all creatures are equal
leading to such mistakes. A mistake that is tragic, sad and avoidable.
We all take risks. That is not the point. The
point is that when we go beyond reason in pursuit of an ideal that will
never occur in this world, we fall victim to the fantasy instead of the
truth as seen in the scriptures. It is a
fantasy rooted in superstition and mysticism that we can communicate
with animals as with another human. These same fish lack even
simple vestiges of reasoning, leading to Steve's untimely death.
Where is Steve now?
Hebrews 9: 27 Just as man is destined to die once,
and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to
take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time,
not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting
for him.
Luke 12:
5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the
killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell
you, fear him. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet
not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of
your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than
many sparrows. 8 "I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men,
the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God.
9 But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the
angels of God.
Who are we to assume Steve is in heaven? Have we
made the rules? No, we all will die. Yet, we cannot
construct the rules as we do not make life or
creation. We did not make ourselves, similarly we cannot dictate where
we go.
I did not give God permission to put me here, nor
can I go to heaven on my own. God destined us to be here and God
destines us to one of two places for eternity. His requirement is for
perfection for salvation but as we are imperfect, we can only be deemed perfect
through the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
The scriptures make it clear that Christ is the
only way to salvation. Any other religion, any other effort to merit
salvation falls short of God’s requirement and leads to eternal
condemnation to hell, yes, unfortunately it appears likely for Steve,
what an absolute shame.
John 3: 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and
only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal
life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the
world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him
is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already
because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved
darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
It would be wonderful to see Steve when I get to
heaven. Unfortunately it seems this is unlikely, as will be the
case for the majority of the dead. Salvation has nothing to do with
our
worthiness to be accepted on our works.
Steve may have been a more moral person. He
may be nicer. He may well have been a great family man. He sacrificed
for the animals. Each trait is of some value. Yet without
Christ, none of us meet God’s standard to avoid hell.
2 Corinthians
4:4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that
they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who
is the image of God.
Romans 1: 16
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for
the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the
Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is
revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as
it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
Now, if Steve failed to accept Christ
in his life, unfortunately leading to his condemnation, what would Steve’s
message for us be today?
|
Luke 16:19
"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen
and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a
beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores
21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even
the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried
him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried.
23 In hell , where he was in torment, he looked up and saw
Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to
him, `Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip
the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am
in agony in this fire.'
25 "But Abraham replied, `Son, remember that in your lifetime
you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad
things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.
26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has
been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you
cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'
27 "He answered, `Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my
father's house,
28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they
will not also come to this place of torment.' 29 "Abraham
replied, `They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to
them.'
30 "`No, father Abraham,' he said, `but if someone from the
dead goes to them, they will repent.'
31 "He said to him, `If they do not listen to Moses and the
Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from
the dead.'" |
Steve Irwin's untimely death is a wakeup call
for the rest of us. He now clearly
sees the importance of Christianity. If he could come back and
warn us, he would with great zeal, even more than his passion for
crocodiles.
Yet, we would not listen,
unless we listen to the Bible teaching. Our place in the afterlife
depends on our willingness to follow Christ. That is more
important than conservation. That is more important than family.
And no, 'love of country' falls further behind on that list.
Genesis 1:25 God
made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock
according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the
ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
Philippians 1: 21
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Do you know the scary part? You could be
next. Are you ready? Is Christ Lord of your life?
By all means, seek Him. The scriptures in the Holy Bible are
the source for truth. You can bank on that. Any
questions? Concerns? Email here.
Psalms 46:10 " Be
still , and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."
This is a most difficult and sobering page.
It is written in love for all. It may be salvation for those who are willing to listen
and at the same time, if one rejects Christ, it may be another piece
of evidence for condemnation. It is
not pleasant to discuss such things that may be considered hurtful.
Yet, we are to warn of the danger ahead, even if it is offensive.
Therefore, it is added to this site, not in
glee and certainly not in hate or to condemn but only to hopefully cause
individuals to
consider the most important decision in our lives so that some will
listen and be saved. At this point, Steve Irwin would
certainly agree as he sees what we all will see from one place or
the other when our time comes. And, it will.
Salvation is simple. Publicly acknowledge
Jesus Christ as God, our only means of salvation from hell.
Repent from your sins. Pray for forgiveness. Attempt to
follow scriptural direction from the Holy Bible in a trend toward
righteousness in your life. Trust in Christ, knowing that even
though our walk toward salvation will be imperfect, you will be
saved. Yet in love for His gift of salvation, we care to do
things found pleasing to Him found in the scriptures.
Otherwise, our faith is suspect. It is simple.
God
wants none to perish. Even the most hateful, radical Muslims can repent, turn to
Christ and be saved. May it be so. God is good,
deserving great glory.
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Dio, Inc.
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