Dr. William Campbell destroyed by Dr. Zakir Naik on scientific errors in the Bible MUST WATCH!!
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Red Sky at Morning
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I would have to say a big "yes", out of His grace. So many people with doubts and questions have ended up asking God to reveal Himself to them and then recieving an answer that blows them away. Others, even recorded in the Bible are healed before they understood very much and before they decided to follow Jesus. My Uncle (as a personal example) had a badly torn shoulder, received prayer for it, and received healing before he came to faith.
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LostCoin
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Hi,
Sorry, but these ongoing topics can be overwhelming in their sheer volume, so sometimes I have to take a break for a day or two and walk around in the sunshine instead of sitting at my computer or on my phone typing away.
Anyway, to answer your questions above:
If a person TRULY accepts Christ as their Savior, understanding that their sin was the reason He had to die, then they should want to change their behavior and STOP engaging in sin. Of course, there are many who claim to know Christ, but live their lives as if He is nothing to them. Jesus said this about that:
Matthew 7:21-23
I Never Knew You
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
I Never Knew You
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
So, as you can see, we ARE held accountable for what we do here on Earth. There is salvation available, but what we do here on Earth matters deeply to God, so every person - including Christians - will have to give an account to God on judgement day. Yes, belief in Christ can save you from your sins, but if you keep on doing them with impunity then did you really ever believe??? Since God knows our hearts, he is more than able to identify those who have truly repented and have called on Christ for salvation. You don't get to use the name of Jesus as some magic buzzword unless you accept the changed life that goes with it.
The story of Jesus and the adulterous woman in John 8 illustrates it perfectly:
Jesus comes upon an angry mob about to stone a woman for adultery. Jesus challenges anyone in the crowd who is without sin to cast the first stone. One by one, they drop the stones and leave. Jesus turns to the woman after all her accusers are gone, and he tells her he forgives her, then gives the famous command:
"Go, and sin no more".
Note, he didn't say: you're forgiven, now go and do whatever you want, you're good from here on out!!
I don't know the friends you reference above. Perhaps they aren't really Christians; it's just a label that serves them in some way. Perhaps they have truly accepted Christ, yet are living their lives like their sins don't matter (they do, and very much). While we are saved by faith alone in Christ alone, we nonetheless earn rewards in Heaven based on our actions during our lives. We aren't saved by works, but we are indeed rewarded by them. Your friends will be in for an eternal rude awakening when they have to stand before a pure and holy God and give an account of what they did with their lives, especially if they did it while professing to be Christians(!!) Pornography is ESPECIALLY bad, since it produces a powerful and ongoing state of perversion that is very hard to repent from.
Look, I get it: as a Christian, I know God's word says that ANY sin can be forgiven, except the sin of rejecting Christ (which makes sense, since if you reject the only means of forgiveness, then obviously you won't be forgiven).....yet, knowing this, do I struggle with the idea that, say a p***phile or a brutal rapist can be forgiven? Yes, I do. Then I have to remind myself that each and every one of us are God's children, and He still loves us even when we do evil and vile things. Try personalizing it: think of someone YOU love deeply... perhaps a child...or a brother/sister.... or your parent(s)....or a spouse..... and that person did something horrible, but then confessed and was TRULY sorry, would you not be able to forgive them?? Your heart would certainly be broken, and you would grieve over their actions, but your love for them would not change. Hopefully, thinking of it that way makes it easier to understand how God can offer forgiveness to all. Forgiveness however, doesn't generally change consequences.
Hope that helps.
floss
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I used to pray "God, if you're real please show me in my dream" before I went to bed. I was losing faith because I always slept like a baby and God never show up. Nevertheless, that simple prayer does miracles and allowed Him to open a path for me. I had zero understanding about God and wasn't even seeking for salvation. Honestly, I just wanted a cool supernatural experiences with God. Boy little did I knew, He took me for THE ride of my life toward destination called SALVATION. This destination is the hardest to reach, yet easiest to obtain. I believe one of the main reason is due to pseudo-Christianity, ie RCC, JW, Mormon...etc I used to have this mentality of "I would be a Christian if it weren't for Catholics". Have many Catholics friend but always get a bad vibes and deep down knew it was a false religion. It took awhile but God did show me this truth: there are so many false Christianity, hence different denomination and Bible versions. In a sense, Christianity and the Bible are corrupted, however True Christianity has always been there hidden in the midst. If you can peel through all the fake Christianity, you'll leap for joy once you reach the TRUTH which is assurances SALVATION.
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floss
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Hey brother, would you consider ped0phile a reprobate?
Romans 1:28-32 King James Version (KJV)
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Haich
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You don't have to experience a vision or dream to believe in God.
Red Sky at Morning
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You don't, but sometimes when you want to know Him better, He will meet you where you are at (at least that's my experience).
Claire Rousseau
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You just nailed it, floss.
A lot of people straddle the fence because they don’t want to feel convicted of their sin, or they want to enjoy sin as long as possible & try to make a last minute prayer on their deathbed.
They don’t seem to realize that EVERY SINGLE TIME they hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ & reject it, they run the risk of being forever rejected by God as a reprobate.
They think “as long as you’re still breathing, you can still be saved”.....but that is simply NOT what the Bible teaches.
“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near...”....Isaiah 55:6
That verse tells us there comes a time when He may NOT be found, and when finally called upon, He may NOT be near.
No one knows when God will decide He doesn’t want a person anymore, or when He stops offering what they continually reject.
He gets more detailed about it:
Proverbs 1:
22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
Red Sky at Morning
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A great question @Serveto
I will answer properly later but for now, consider the difference between a torch and a mirror.
elsbet
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Noteworthy that you choose Paul-- you both stuff more into one sentence, than anyone I've seen, never losing an ounce of accuracy, or poetry, for that matter.
You've asked more than one question here-- though I dont believe that having 'the mind of Plato' makes one, for all intents and purposes, PLATO. It would put one in alignment with the will of Plato, I imagine, to act on his behalf.. maybe that is what you meant? Anyway..
The better question is this one: isn't this roughly equivalent to the New Agers saying that there is a universal "Christ consciousness"...
YES.
The so called Christ Conciousness is the imitation, or more accurately-- the unholy counterfeit of the Body of Christ (I will be like the Most High). The difference is the Spirit which inhabits its members-- and it is the Spirit who is still propagating the age old Lie, from the Garden (ye shall be as gods). They will be no such thing, of course.. rather they will be slaves to the Spirit that inhabits them.
The Body of Christ, on the other hand, is inhabited by the Holy Spirit-- not to be gods, mind you.. but to do the Will of God through Christ-- that they may be one, as we are one-- see JOHN 17:23 for further explanation, and GILL'S EXPOSITION, below... he does a better job than I do with the subtleties.
Regarding the BODY of Christ...
4983. sóma
4983. sóma
"number of men closely united into one society, or family as it were; a social, ethical, mystical body" --
"who by the influence of his Spirit works in the church as the soul does in the body."
"number of men closely united into one society, or family as it were; a social, ethical, mystical body" --
"who by the influence of his Spirit works in the church as the soul does in the body."
I in them,.... Christ is in his saints; not as he is in all the world, being the omnipresent God; or as he is in every man, communicating the light of nature as Creator; or as he is in the human nature, which is united to his divine person; or circumscriptively to the exclusion of him elsewhere; for he is in heaven, his blood is within the veil, and his righteousness without us: but he is in them, in a gracious manner, in regeneration; when he is revealed to them, formed in them, enters into them, takes possession of them, communicates his grace, grants fellowship with himself, and dwells in them; not only by his Spirit and grace, but in person, as the head in the members, as the master of the house, and the King of them; which is an instance of condescending grace, and is peculiar to God's elect: hence all their holiness and fruitfulness; nor shall they ever perish; their bodies shall rise from the dead, and being reunited to their souls, Christ will be in them in a glorious manner to all eternity:
and thou in me; the Father is in Christ, not only by union of nature, nor merely in him, as Mediator, in a way of grace; but as he will show himself in and through him in glory for evermore, and is what is here prayed for:
that they may be made perfect in one; this regards not their justification, which is already perfect; nor their sanctification, which will be; but either perfection in glory, when they will be perfect in knowledge, in holiness, in peace, joy and love: or rather the perfection of their numbers is meant, when the whole election of grace will be completed in regeneration, sanctification, and glorification:
and that the world may know that thou hast sent me: as before; See Gill on John 17:21;
and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. The Oriental versions, the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic, all read the words thus, "and I have loved them, as thou hast loved me"; contrary to all the Greek copies, and other versions, which read as we do. The Father loved Christ as his own Son, and as Mediator; so he loved him when he assumed human nature, and became obedient to his will both in doing and suffering; when his Father left him, and poured out his wrath upon him, and when he laid down his life for the sheep. The instances of his love to him as Mediator are, his putting all things into his hands, showing him all that he does, and concealing nothing from him, and appointing him the only Saviour, the head of the church, and Judge of the world. The nature of this love is, that it is from eternity; is a love of complacency and delight; it is special and peculiar, unchangeable and inseparable, and will last for ever: now God has loved his people, as he has loved his Son; he loves them not merely as creatures, as the descendants of Adam, or as considered in themselves, but as in Christ. The instances of his love to them are, his choosing them in Christ; making a covenant with them in him; the mission of him into this world, to obtain salvation for them; the quickening and calling of them by his grace; the care he takes of them afterwards in supplying their wants, supporting them under temptations, delivering them out of afflictions, and causing all things to work together for their good; to all which add the provisions he makes for them, both for time and eternity. The nature of this love is such as that he bears to Christ; it is from everlasting; a love of the utmost delight and pleasure; it is special and peculiar, unchangeable, and will continue for ever: there is not the same reason for his loving them as his Son; and this as must not be thought to denote equality, but similitude and order.
and thou in me; the Father is in Christ, not only by union of nature, nor merely in him, as Mediator, in a way of grace; but as he will show himself in and through him in glory for evermore, and is what is here prayed for:
that they may be made perfect in one; this regards not their justification, which is already perfect; nor their sanctification, which will be; but either perfection in glory, when they will be perfect in knowledge, in holiness, in peace, joy and love: or rather the perfection of their numbers is meant, when the whole election of grace will be completed in regeneration, sanctification, and glorification:
and that the world may know that thou hast sent me: as before; See Gill on John 17:21;
and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. The Oriental versions, the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic, all read the words thus, "and I have loved them, as thou hast loved me"; contrary to all the Greek copies, and other versions, which read as we do. The Father loved Christ as his own Son, and as Mediator; so he loved him when he assumed human nature, and became obedient to his will both in doing and suffering; when his Father left him, and poured out his wrath upon him, and when he laid down his life for the sheep. The instances of his love to him as Mediator are, his putting all things into his hands, showing him all that he does, and concealing nothing from him, and appointing him the only Saviour, the head of the church, and Judge of the world. The nature of this love is, that it is from eternity; is a love of complacency and delight; it is special and peculiar, unchangeable and inseparable, and will last for ever: now God has loved his people, as he has loved his Son; he loves them not merely as creatures, as the descendants of Adam, or as considered in themselves, but as in Christ. The instances of his love to them are, his choosing them in Christ; making a covenant with them in him; the mission of him into this world, to obtain salvation for them; the quickening and calling of them by his grace; the care he takes of them afterwards in supplying their wants, supporting them under temptations, delivering them out of afflictions, and causing all things to work together for their good; to all which add the provisions he makes for them, both for time and eternity. The nature of this love is such as that he bears to Christ; it is from everlasting; a love of the utmost delight and pleasure; it is special and peculiar, unchangeable, and will continue for ever: there is not the same reason for his loving them as his Son; and this as must not be thought to denote equality, but similitude and order.
Claire Rousseau
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I agree.
p***philia, homosexuality, bestiality, necrophilia & whatever other sick, sexual abominations exist....these are NOT normal human temptations.
They are a whole other level of deprivation.
“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”.....1 Corinthians 10:13
They are NOT sins that are common to man.
When I look at a child, animal, or another woman, there are simply NO sexual feelings involved, no temptation of any kind.
Even the thought of those things make my stomach churn & I shudder in disgust & must think of something else so I don’t vomit. Even if someone put a gun to my head to try to force me to partake in such vile abominations, I would say, “Pull the trigger then, because I cannot do that.”
I’m sure you guys feel the same way, too.
That’s because those are not temptations that are common to man, and indicate a hardened heart & seared conscience.....signs of a reprobate.
Yes it is different to saying God became a tree... because man is made in God's image.
elsbet
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"To dismiss some verses with 'Jesus was fully man and God' contradicts the very basis of biology."
The Supernatural always does defy natural law-- it must to qualify as such.
God's superemity doesn't allow Him nor His form, to take the role or body of a creation.
According to whom?
The Supernatural always does defy natural law-- it must to qualify as such.
God's superemity doesn't allow Him nor His form, to take the role or body of a creation.
According to whom?
Fine i'll take it as i love Bible quotes.
I am an uneducated former bedwetter who used to stamp on ants for fun... but truly i am a human. And so are you whatever you call yourselves... you are all humans 24/7 ... except those who aren't exactly so (but the serpent seed is for another topic).
You believe what saves you is believing in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
So lucky you who was born in a time and place with the opportunity to hear read and choose to believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There was a man who was born in the Americas about a thousand years before the Gospel of Jesus Christ came his way... so unlucky him i guess. He never had a shot at salvation accordng to your belief.
This applies to those who have heard about Him for how do you figure somebody can believe in someone they never heard about ?
All those born before Jesus Christ and also in the early centuries after in remote places of the world could not possibly know about Him... so they never stood a chance at redemption according to your belief.
Well that might be your belief... but in factuality that was decided since the beginning from before the foundation of the world.
He owes us nothing.
NONE of us are worthy of Heaven....not you, not me, not ANYBODY except Jesus.[/QUOTE]
Are you trying to tell me (an uneducated former bedwetter who used to stamp on ants for fun...) that God who created me are completly justified in throwing me into Hell as He owes me nothing ? Misses I don't think you know who you're talking to lol... and i won't repeat.
Sincerely my Maker owes me a shot at salvation. And that's all i ask for... just one long shot.
[QUOTE="Claire Rousseau, post: 146268, member: 1894"]And you really think people have NEVER heard of Jesus? Wrong....the VAST MAJORITY have. [/QUOTE]
Not wrong as no more than a handful heard about Jesus in the four millennia before Him and also after in the Americas for example not a single soul knew who He is for over a thousand years.
[QUOTE="Claire Rousseau, post: 146268, member: 1894"]He is, over 2,000yrs after His resurrection & ascension, THE MOST FAMOUS/WELL KNOWN figure EVER to tread this earth. And He always will be.[/QUOTE]
Sure but He got some competition... as there are a handful of famous/well known figures vying for attention and/or worship. We just happened to pick the right God or perhaps He picked us...to preach the Gospel.
The Good News.. that Christ died for our sins was buried and raised to life on the third day.
Now atheists for example don't believe it nor those of the reincarnation religion nor Muslims not even Jews.
Only a peculiar people commonly known as Christians believe it.
So do we got a problem Houston ? Sure but since God is universal at all times and is just and fair and all that... everybody got a shot at salvation.
No matter the color creed or tounge Christ paid for the sins of all humans past present and future.
So the well known secret to salvation is to repent of what is wrong and begin to do what is right.
For if you don't... you crucify Christ afresh and put Him to an open shame. Not my words but you know where to find them.
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Red Sky at Morning
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@TokiEl
To imagine that there was no salvation for those who looked forward to the coming of the Messiah would be a very odd reading of scripture. E.g. Genesis 15:6, deferring to Abraham.
"And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness"
Additionally, to imagine that the message of God had not gone out to cultures wider than the Hebrews would again be incorrect. The nations immediately in contact with them would know there was something very different about the God of the Hebrews and have to make a decision on what that meant for them. There are also evidences of an awareness of a distinctly Judeo-Christian concept of God in cultures you would not expect. E.g. Native American Indians (great book btw)
Pre-Colonial Revelations of God to Native America
"A revealing book of intriguing stories told by elders from different First Nations Tribes about The Creator, His Son, Native End-Times Prophecies, Revelations & more.
Many of these traditional stories have been told for generations at Ceremonial Grounds, Stomp Arbors, Powwow Grounds, and private family gatherings tucked away deep on tribal lands. I was honored and humbled to be able to sit and learn these old stories from elders hailing from many First Nations tribes. Comanche, Dineh, Apache, Anishinabe, Aztec, Cherokee, Creek, Cheyenne, Lakota, and Mohawk are a few of the tribes whose elders shared their beautiful stories with me. I listened eagerly to these accounts that were passed down from generation to generation while understanding filled my spirit and I was asked to pass these stories along to the next generation.
These are stories that were told before missionary contact and I realized with each story that I listened to I had heard them before…not from my tribe but from another ancient tribe who has left an impacting legacy on the earth with the greatest story ever told within a book called The Bible.
The Creator planted the seed in my heart to write this book as a way to help build the bridge of reconciliation between the nations. You might laugh, cry, sing for joy or wail from the deepest parts of your soul. Betrayal, love, reconciliation, unity, sacrifice, joy, peace, history, archaeology, science, the perseverance of the human spirit and the longing for Creator to heal our land and broken hearts. A longing for our spirit to be uplifted from the only One who can give us Hope in the face of utter defeat and despair.
I was humbled being entrusted with hearing these stories and was given permission to retell them so they can be shared with the world. Seneco Kakona (Many Blessings). - Chief Joseph RiverWind"
And... ancient Chinese characters:
A whole study in itself but perhaps it helps make the point:
And
Or this whole playlist!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSdlQwtWchk5MYn4DCHIGtrRuCknSJrUQ
To imagine that there was no salvation for those who looked forward to the coming of the Messiah would be a very odd reading of scripture. E.g. Genesis 15:6, deferring to Abraham.
"And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness"
Additionally, to imagine that the message of God had not gone out to cultures wider than the Hebrews would again be incorrect. The nations immediately in contact with them would know there was something very different about the God of the Hebrews and have to make a decision on what that meant for them. There are also evidences of an awareness of a distinctly Judeo-Christian concept of God in cultures you would not expect. E.g. Native American Indians (great book btw)
Pre-Colonial Revelations of God to Native America
"A revealing book of intriguing stories told by elders from different First Nations Tribes about The Creator, His Son, Native End-Times Prophecies, Revelations & more.
Many of these traditional stories have been told for generations at Ceremonial Grounds, Stomp Arbors, Powwow Grounds, and private family gatherings tucked away deep on tribal lands. I was honored and humbled to be able to sit and learn these old stories from elders hailing from many First Nations tribes. Comanche, Dineh, Apache, Anishinabe, Aztec, Cherokee, Creek, Cheyenne, Lakota, and Mohawk are a few of the tribes whose elders shared their beautiful stories with me. I listened eagerly to these accounts that were passed down from generation to generation while understanding filled my spirit and I was asked to pass these stories along to the next generation.
These are stories that were told before missionary contact and I realized with each story that I listened to I had heard them before…not from my tribe but from another ancient tribe who has left an impacting legacy on the earth with the greatest story ever told within a book called The Bible.
The Creator planted the seed in my heart to write this book as a way to help build the bridge of reconciliation between the nations. You might laugh, cry, sing for joy or wail from the deepest parts of your soul. Betrayal, love, reconciliation, unity, sacrifice, joy, peace, history, archaeology, science, the perseverance of the human spirit and the longing for Creator to heal our land and broken hearts. A longing for our spirit to be uplifted from the only One who can give us Hope in the face of utter defeat and despair.
I was humbled being entrusted with hearing these stories and was given permission to retell them so they can be shared with the world. Seneco Kakona (Many Blessings). - Chief Joseph RiverWind"
And... ancient Chinese characters:
A whole study in itself but perhaps it helps make the point:
And
Or this whole playlist!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSdlQwtWchk5MYn4DCHIGtrRuCknSJrUQ
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Claire Rousseau
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Depends on whether the person was actually saved, or they just practiced Churchianity.
Someone who is genuinely saved WILL still suffer for his crimes. God will make sure that they get chastened heavily, as He sees fit.
Hebrews 12:
4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
He may decide to strip him of everything or everyone that matters to him, send him to prison, or even take his life. But he will certainly pay for his crimes.
God won’t take away his salvation but He WILL punish him in this life.
Helioform
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According to her, the vast majority of mankind will end up in Hell forever. Why? Just because we don't deserve anything else?! What kind of twisted masochist would believe in a God that sends the largest part of humanity to eternal torture just because Adam and Eve bit in a freaking apple? It boggles my mind. This is largely the reason why I dropped out of Christianity a while ago but still view the Bible as a good book, when you don't take it all as the unique "Word of God".
Jesus was a very good philosopher but he just was not God. The Bible contradicts itself many times on his alleged divinity. I'd rather form my opinion on who God is by reading more than just a single religious book.
Works based salvation is the only logical theory that can be accepted. I give that to Islam because they have the right idea. It's just sad that they are also caught in the religious fundamentalism that prevents them from accepting other beliefs as valid. But they usually look at scientific theories in a more open manner than Christians usually, that I have observed.
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floss
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Care to share your ex-denomination? (It does matter)
Red Sky at Morning
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A couple of verses to state my view on why Jesus came and on the relationship between law and grace:-
In Luke 4:18, Jesus connected himself and his ministry to the prophecy of Isaiah:-
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised"
And
Romans 8
1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Imagine you were about to enter eternity and were faced with two choices in a tunnel of light that some people claim to see. A great sign stretches across the top saying:-
"Why should you be allowed in?"
One fork says "because of what I have done", the other says "because of what your Son did".
On that choice, everything hangs.
In Luke 4:18, Jesus connected himself and his ministry to the prophecy of Isaiah:-
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised"
And
Romans 8
1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Imagine you were about to enter eternity and were faced with two choices in a tunnel of light that some people claim to see. A great sign stretches across the top saying:-
"Why should you be allowed in?"
One fork says "because of what I have done", the other says "because of what your Son did".
On that choice, everything hangs.
phipps
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I think you misunderstood Claire Rousseau. She's only saying exactly what the Bible teaches about most people going to hell. God is all knowing and He knows most people are going to hell. Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Of course He doesn't want anyone to be lost eternally. Its why Jesus came to this earth to die on the cross for our sins, so that we may not have to suffer the consequences of sin. John 3:16,17 reads, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." However there is a condition to Jesus' gift of salvation. Revelation 14:12, "Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." God's people keep His commandments and exercise the faith of Jesus, the same faith in God Jesus exercised when He was here on earth. If we don't do everything to God's glory (which includes His character of goodness mercy, unselfish love), we will pay for our own sins because we rejected Jesus' gift of salvation. Hell is meant for Satan and his angels only but sadly many will join him there. God will not let one person go to hell without having given them many chances to choose Him.
According to the Bible no one is going to end up in hell forever. God is a God of love and mercy. He sacrificed everything on the cross so that we wouldn't perish but have everlasting life. The opposite of everlasting life is everlasting death. Eternal death is the punishment for sin. The destruction of the wicked will be total and eternal. The wicked will not live in hell forever. That means they would have eternal life but the Bible says eternal life is for those who believe in Jesus. I will quote what someone wrote on here last year about hell to add to what I've written..
Not so. God is love. Even in judgment He does not torture anyone forever.
How could anyone enjoy Heaven while knowing that their loved one(s), who did not make it, was/were being tortured by God in hell? Could you enjoy Heaven or love a God like that?
Malachi 4:1…and the day that cometh shall “burn them up.”
Malachi 4:3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be “ashes” under the soles of your feet…
1) While on fire, yes, they will experience torment.
2) But subsequently the fire will burn them up.
3) Ashes denotes complete destruction of what was previously on fire.
4) The fire that can not be quenched simply means that no one, not Satan, not the elite, not man, no one, can put it out until it accomplishes the work of totally destroying the wicked.
Hell does not currently exist. After Christ returns to gather His people then the wicked who remain, and Satan and his demons, will eventually be burned with the earth. We will understand and agree with God’s righteous judgment. Then God will make all things new after the fire completes its cleansing work. The results will be eternal. There will be no reappearance of the wicked or Satan ever again. Forever.
Remember that Satan will always look to misrepresent the character of God.
God is love, not someone who tortures. He is merciful and He longs for us to turn to Him but He will not force us because He is love. We have a choice.
Sin came into the world because of Adam and Eve but no will be going to hell because of that. God gave us all freedom of choice, but with that freedom comes the consequences of the choices we make. He showed us the path to eternal life. He offered us salvation which requires His power and our surrendered will. We have to be willing to co-operate with God, to do in His power whatever His word shows us. Where we end up whether its heaven to everlasting life or hell to everlasting death, will be because of the choices we made.
Jesus is God and there is nothing in the Bible that contradicts that anywhere from Genesis to Revelation. He was predicted in the old testament but Isaiah 9:6 stands out for me.
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Other verses that prove Jesus is God are, John 10:30, "I and My Father are one.”, John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.". John 1:14, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.". 2 Peter 1:1, "Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have ]obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ:" Even the apostles understood that Jesus was/is God.
The Bible (which is God's word), tells us not to rely on ourselves or man. Relying on our own opinions instead on God's word is a dangerous error. It means we are refusing to listen to what God is telling us, we are blocking the channel for His spirit to speak us. I've done it and still do it sometimes when I'm down. Its something I pray about for God to help me with.
We've explained here, there is no such thing as works based on salvation. Works are not the cause of salvation; works are the evidence of salvation. Faith in Christ always results in good works. In fact, before we are saved, our works are done in the flesh and cannot please God; even our most “righteous” deeds fall far short of God’s glory. We can be saved only because God is gracious and merciful and has designed a way for us to be declared righteous when we are not. When Jesus became sin for us, we inherited His righteousness.
James 2:14-26
4 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without [a]your works, and I will show you my faith by [b]my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is [c]dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made [d]perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was [e]accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
There are different religions within Christianity and not all of them adhere to the word of God fully. Any Christianity that portrays God as someone who tortures people and has no mercy is not following the Bible. No matter whether we belong to any religion or not, we must check everything for ourselves by the word of God. The bereans are a good example from the Bible. Whatever was preached to them they went and checked the scriptures for themselves. Acts 17:11, "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." If we search God's word earnestly (God's word is not just about knowledge, its about obedience which is based on love for God and trust in Him), He will reveal Himself to us through the Holy spirit. We should never allow ourselves to be influenced by men, religions or other institutions. Only God's word is infallible.
I hope and pray that you accept Jesus as your personal saviour. God bless.
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