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I believe the issue has everything to do with some of the Scriptures that seem to be teaching these things plainly.
The center of Christ's work, the main event to which the Old Testament pointed, and to which the whole New Testament expounded, was Christ's sacrificial death on the cross.
The New Testament writers ascribe the saving efficacy of Christ's work specifically to His death, or His blood, or His cross (Rom 3:25; 5:9; 1 Cor 10:16; Eph 1:7; 2:13; Col 1:20; Heb 9:12, 14; 1 Pet 1:2, 19; 1 John 1:7; 5:6-8; Rev 1:5).
The Bible refers to salvation as a "free gift". We do receive it feely on our end, but the Bible also says that we were "bought with a price" (1 Cor 6:20; 7:23).
1 Peter 1:18, 19 tells us:
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
So, there is ample biblical information that corroborates the teaching that it was Christ's substitutionary, atoning death that provided salvation for sinners. And Christ knew just what it was that He would have to endure. He cries out in Matt 26:39, "...O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. As He hung on the cross, just before he died he uttered the words, "It is finished".
Another serious issue is how we tend to ignore the justice of God as we consider how unthinkable an idea it is that God would have required a sacrifice for sins. If we see that this was foreordained within the Godhead (with Christ being part of that Godhead) we see that it was entirely the work of God on our behalf. If we consider this fact in light of what we preach concerning God's love, we will see this love in His provision of salvation.
We have all broken the law of God. There is generally a penalty for breaking the law. And God, being righteous and just, will not take lightly that His law has been broken. We are guilty before Him as a result (Rom 3:19; Rom 3:9; Gal 3:22).
James 2:10 tells us that if we keep the whole law and stumble in one point we are guilty of all. Why would God care to make such a point if it really didn't matter? Why focus so much on our guilt?
God's nature demands that sin be punished. He tells us that, "Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered (Prov 11:21).
Even Proverbs 16:5 is noteworthy: "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. We saw once in Psalm 10 that God points out that it is our pride that keeps us from seeking Him.
If God refused to give sin its full measure of punishment then He could not claim to be perfectly just. He declares in Nahum 1:3 that He will "not acquit the wicked".
There is so much else in Scripture that speaks of God's hatred of sin. We read a verse like Psalm 34:16, where it says, "The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth".
And in Habakkuk 1:13 we have read that God is "of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity.
We can see that God does not take sin lightly. It is through Christ's atoning, sin-bearing work that God is able to be both "just and the justifier of him who believes in Jesus" (Rom 3:26).
God is the Supreme Lawgiver. Therefore He must maintain His veracity, law, and justice.
Note: Rom 2:5-6
5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
Yes, God is angry with sin and will not let it go unpunished. But through the Lord Jesus Christ He has made the necessary atonement so that mans' sins can be paid for, and that those who come to Christ as the only means by which man must be saved (cf. Acts 4:12) will have forgiveness of sins.
It sounds horrible, I know, that God would still punish (eternally?) those who do not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. This seems, on the surface, to fly in the face of the truth of God's goodness and love and mercy.
But God's justice must be satisfied. This is another aspect of God being God. Yet His mercy and grace are the bigger story, and for this we praise Him forever.
But we must not question why he does what He does, why He saves whom He saves. We know from Eph 1:5 that He has saved a people "according to the good pleasure of His will".
Would God be just in condemning us all? Yes, for we have violated the law of a Holy and Righteous God. Has He bestowed unspeakable love and mercy in saving any of us? Yes!!
The bottom line is this: "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved". Let this be our focus. God promises us that those who come to Christ will "in no wise" be cast out. Let us "cry mightily unto God".
And as we come to Christ, let us remember: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Jesus can only save those who want to be saved. He gives an invitation we must be free to refuse, or else it is without meaning.
This is theologically correct... God gets the credit for our believing, we are held responsible for our freedom to reject.
Also, "or else it is without meaning" is why Jesus is called a "precious stone".
1 Peter 2:7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, â€
Someone may have pointed this out in the plethora of pages before this post but I laughed when I noticed the OP listed many sects... except for the Catholic Church, the biggest Antichrist of them all. The Bible illustrates this plainly even...
OK, let's play the UR game: Do you really believe war is the good news?
Quote:
Originally Posted by MysticPhD
OF course not . . . war is not part of the Gospel . . . it is part of the Old Bad News of the OT. War is the province of men, period . . . God has absolutely nothing to do with it . . . except as an excuse for men.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Finn_Jarber
How can you believe death is the good news?
Reading comprehension difficulties, Finn??? This question does not compute. But I will answer this off-topic unrelated question anyway. Death is the rebirth as Spirit into eternal life . . . of course it's good news.
Reading comprehension difficulties, Finn??? This question does not compute. But I will answer this off-topic unrelated question anyway. Death is the rebirth as Spirit into eternal life . . . of course it's good news.
I was only giving you a demonstration of the UR tactics here. I am glad I was able to drive the point home.
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. - Jesus Christ (John 10:9)
So then Jesus is the gate? Does it say you the whoever come to him or he is the only gate? Are there other gates to choose?
Really it means that salvation is through Jesus (the gate) and no other gates are mentioned so it's not a choice but a statement of fact that the gate is Jesus and all will at some point use the gate. Correct? Or is there a verse with another gate in it labeled gate #2?
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