Scott Adams passed away recently. He, to some degree, “live streamed” his last days via Twitter. That is, he posted regularly through his final moments. Besides writing a delightful, enduring comic strip in Dilbert, he was unashamedly conservative, and so had many fans among Christians. Thus many of us held out hope when he noted a few days ago that he was considering Christianity.
His first such announcement, however, carried with it strong echoes of the deeply flawed “Pascal’s Wager.” Pascal, who has much to his credit, posited this notion, a kind of cost-benefit analysis of embracing Christianity. He said that if Christianity is false, and one embraces it, nothing eternally terrible will happen. You will die and return to the dust, the same thing that would happen if it is false and you don’t embrace it. If, on the other hand, Christianity is true, and one doesn’t embrace it, something eternally terrible will happen, your damnation.
Trouble is, of course, that resting in the work of Christ for you, repenting and believing, isn’t the same thing as pushing button A rather than button B. It requires, you know, actually repenting and believing. Still, many hoped that given Mr. Adam’s admittedly weak biblical training, that maybe there was reason to hope. When a dog can play checkers, it is silly to criticize his strategy.
This is what he wrote:
I’m not a believer, but I have to admit the risk-reward calculation for doing so looks attractive. So, here I go: I accept Jesus Christ as my lord and savior, and I look forward to spending an eternity with him. The part about me not being a believer should be quickly resolved if I wake up in heaven. I won’t need any more convincing than that. And I hope I am still qualified for entry.
Scott Adams tried to win Pascal’s Wager. It is certainly possible that some time after he wrote these words that he did in fact believe. I hope he did. If not, however, clearly he lost both the plot and the pot. He, like the rest of us, doesn’t get to draw more cards after death. We die, then comes the judgment (Heb. 9:27). I’m not at all surprised at Adam’s “plan.” It is widely followed around the globe.
I am, however, disappointed in those who are so eager to see Scott in heaven that they poo-poo the biblical reality that the work of Christ is applied only to those who have genuine faith. Not perfectly informed, perfectly performed, faith, but genuine faith. Everyone “believes” at death. No one becomes a believer after death. When we negotiate away the necessity of saving faith we are helping others try to write checks that cannot be cashed. When we allow our “broadness” or “compassion” to sweep away repentance and resting in Him alone we have killed the gospel with a thousand “kindness” cuts.
We are not called to negotiate the gospel. Rather we rest in and proclaim it. Today is the day of salvation.