Jeffrey Dahmer

One of the most fascinating things about Christianity is its doctrine of grace; a terribly misunderstood doctrine in this day.  While perhaps the majority of those who call themselves Christian in this age see grace as liberty to sin without eternal consequence, real grace bears no resemblance to that mindset.

Every time I have the opportunity to teach the children of parents who attend our church, I will always ask an all important question, how does a person get to Heaven?  With very little exception, the answer involves the flesh or works.  In other words, being good is seen as a requirement. It looks inwardly at what man brings before God.  Now granted these are children, but we must also realize that this is a spiritual deception, a deception that most likely pervades the home where these children reside.  Such is man's natural inclination, I am good, so I deserve good things.

The problem is that scripture contradicts this.  Man is not good.  All men's righteousness is as filthy rags.  But the vast majority of people I encounter see themselves as basically good people who deserve a wonderful afterlife.  But Christianity makes no promise that this is going to happen, and in fact warns that, unless men repent of their sins, it absolutely will not happen.  The Bible is clear, very few in existence are headed to eternal bliss.

Perhaps one of the most shocking and perplexing realities of this truth can be found by contrasting people who see themselves as good with a serial killer of the worst sort, Jeffrey Dahmer.  Dahmer visited gay clubs and bathhouses and put sleeping pills in the drinks of his victims.  He brought them home, chopped them up, had sex with them after they were dead, ate parts of them and kept other parts for souvenirs.  He was a walking nightmare.

One of the most fascinating aspects of grace is that Jeffrey Dahmer, by all indications, will be spending an eternity in Heaven while other, otherwise good people, will not.  For the average man this seems beyond the pale.  There is one man. who doesn't cheat on his wife, who provides for his household, who pays his taxes, and is a pillar in the community, yet he is Hell bound. Then there is  another, who is the worst sort of human being that can be imagined, who is headed for heaven.  To say that this appears to be unfair is an understatement. But it does give us insight into man's condition before a holy and righteous God,

The Christian, on the other hand, understands a key point.  It is not how well we live, but rather does Jesus Christ live in us, and us in Him?  Are we depending on Jesus' righteousness before God, or our own righteousness?  This does not sit well with the man who does not understand the Gospel, as might well be imagined.




Dahmer was asked by his father "when did you first feel that everyone is accountable for their actions?"  Dahmer's answer is priceless, and it involves God's law.

Well thanks to you for sending ah, that ah, creation science ah material.  Because I always, I always believed the lie that ah, evolution is truth, the theory of evolution is truth, that we we all just came from ah, the slime and ah, when we, when we died, you know, that was it, there was nothing.  So, the whole theory cheapens life and ah, started reading books about how--that show how evolution is just a complete lie. There's no, there's no basis in science to it, to uphold it, and have since come to believe that  the lord Jesus Christ is the true creator of ah, the heavens and the earth, and this didn't just happen,    And I have accepted him as my lord and savior, and I believe that I will--as well as everyone else--will be accountable to Him.