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Hello all...I'm new to this forum, so you don't know me and will probably wonder if I'm being honest or trying to stir up dust. I can assure you that you will learn I'm honest and want this help. I have another question I'll be asking soon as well.
I was a faithful Christian for 10 yrs. I divorced 2.5 yrs ago and I fell away, and started living a sinful life. I very much want my faith back, but I have all these questions now that I didn't have before.
One of the main questions is, if God truly loves us, why is there an everlasting damnation? I mean, I love my children and punish them when they do wrong so they won't do it again. But, it's never an eternal punishment, and it's never anything so horrible as hell.
I'm having a very hard time with this. I would really appreciate answers from Christians, because I want to hear why they believe God will do this...I would really rather not hear from non-believers who will only bash God.
Hello all...I'm new to this forum, so you don't know me and will probably wonder if I'm being honest or trying to stir up dust. I can assure you that you will learn I'm honest and want this help. I have another question I'll be asking soon as well.
I was a faithful Christian for 10 yrs. I divorced 2.5 yrs ago and I fell away, and started living a sinful life. I very much want my faith back, but I have all these questions now that I didn't have before.
One of the main questions is, if God truly loves us, why is there an everlasting damnation? I mean, I love my children and punish them when they do wrong so they won't do it again. But, it's never an eternal punishment, and it's never anything so horrible as hell.
I'm having a very hard time with this. I would really appreciate answers from Christians, because I want to hear why they believe God will do this...I would really rather not hear from non-believers who will only bash God.
Thanks!
Welcome to CD first off.
I can tell you I honestly fell away for almost 20 years. Although I believed in God, it was more of a turning of my back on Him, to fulfill the desires of my life. Can you regain that which you feel you lost? Sure, but it requires a sincere repentant lifestyle, turning away from sin.
As far as the place called hell goes, I leave the judgments up to Him. I honestly don't know and have flirted with a universalism doctrine for about a year or so. Then the Word started saying something different to me. More like the resounding Word of Jesus talking about the "religious" of His day. Then I wondered. So, it remains a mystery to myself, and I leave it to Him to decide the fate of those who claim and those who refuse and those who never heard. I just take my own mirror, and try to live according to what He wants.
Hello all...I'm new to this forum, so you don't know me and will probably wonder if I'm being honest or trying to stir up dust. I can assure you that you will learn I'm honest and want this help. I have another question I'll be asking soon as well.
I was a faithful Christian for 10 yrs. I divorced 2.5 yrs ago and I fell away, and started living a sinful life. I very much want my faith back, but I have all these questions now that I didn't have before.
One of the main questions is, if God truly loves us, why is there an everlasting damnation? I mean, I love my children and punish them when they do wrong so they won't do it again. But, it's never an eternal punishment, and it's never anything so horrible as hell.
I'm having a very hard time with this. I would really appreciate answers from Christians, because I want to hear why they believe God will do this...I would really rather not hear from non-believers who will only bash God.
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by HotinAZ
Welcome to CD first off.
I can tell you I honestly fell away for almost 20 years. Although I believed in God, it was more of a turning of my back on Him, to fulfill the desires of my life. Can you regain that which you feel you lost? Sure, but it requires a sincere repentant lifestyle, turning away from sin.
As far as the place called hell goes, I leave the judgments up to Him. I honestly don't know and have flirted with a universalism doctrine for about a year or so. Then the Word started saying something different to me. More like the resounding Word of Jesus talking about the "religious" of His day. Then I wondered. So, it remains a mystery to myself, and I leave it to Him to decide the fate of those who claim and those who refuse and those who never heard. I just take my own mirror, and try to live according to what He wants.
Welcome mzjamiedawn!! And I second what HotinAZ said, except for the Universalism part. I just know that hell is real, and we have a choice as to whether or not we go there. What would really be cruel is for there NOT to be a choice. That's why I don't buy the whole predestination thing either. If that were the case, then there would be no need for free will or having a choice. So just trust God that He will do what is fair and just.....leave that to Him.
Ultimately we DO have to stop trying to figure out the mind of God, because we cannot. Our personal responsibility is to look out for our soul and our own salvation and leave the rest to God. Come back to Him, my dear because He loves you and you can always rebuild your relationship with Him.....there is no sin too great, TRUST ME. After you have repented and asked for forgiveness, then it's time to forgive yourself.
Why are you having a hard time with it may I ask? Evil and sin go hand in hand, and God cannot look upon neither. If that's the way He choose to eradicate it, so be it. You liken the image of God's love for us, with only what your mind in the flesh can conceive; which is your love for your children. And believe me I love mines without a doubt too. But the love of God for His children, you and I, is something mere words can't explain. That He love me first, just because! Me, wretched, sinful Betsey!
Who can know the mind of God? His thoughts are not our thoughts, nor His ways our ways, my friend. If at the end, sin and evil are to be no more, and all intelligent life is to bow the knees to Jesus, and confess that He is Lord, then there must come a time when sin is no more. So if there is an everlasting fire, and it's by choice that we go there, what are you really worrying about? You plan on going? Or are you going to obey God? Your choice.....................
"He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death." Prov. 8:36
The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. Psalms 34:16
He is worthy to be praised. Repent and obey for there's no other way. Come while there's time. He's calling in His sheep. You have come back though you strayed, because you heard Him calling. None of us are perfect! No not one!
God Bless you!!
Hello all...I'm new to this forum, so you don't know me and will probably wonder if I'm being honest or trying to stir up dust. I can assure you that you will learn I'm honest and want this help. I have another question I'll be asking soon as well.......
Thanks!
Please watch this video link, "Hell's best kept secret" and I guarantee you that it will be as clear as day to you
One of the main questions is, if God truly loves us, why is there an everlasting damnation? I mean, I love my children and punish them when they do wrong so they won't do it again. But, it's never an eternal punishment, and it's never anything so horrible as hell.
I'm having a very hard time with this. I would really appreciate answers from Christians, because I want to hear why they believe God will do this...I would really rather not hear from non-believers who will only bash God.
Hi, welcome to the forums. There are many Christians that do not believe that eternal hell is taught in the scriptures. And many of the early Christians did not believe this either. Some believe(d) that eternal death is the destiny for unbelievers and some, like me believe(d) that all will be reconciled to God eventually. I believe that the judgments of God will have a higher purpose in that all will eventually be subjected to God so that He may be in all of us, even in those who reject Him now. (See 1 Corinthians 15, Romans 8)
There was a time in my life when I began to question this just like you because I knew God as Father and Father does not punish someone endlessly because He is described as love. Love does what is best for the one who is loved. And God loves each and every one of us, and I believe that He loves us enough to break all blinders and binders which keep us from returning to Him. Jesus asked the Father to forgive those who put Him to death, because "they know not what they do." God is also described as merciful and just.
Here is another video (It's a series) which presents another perspective, if you are interested and an article that I found to be helpful. God bless.
If you are being called, Listen. If you Know your weak, pray for strength. If you want to return call on his name. If the thoughts of your selfishness seem a temptation, they are.
I believe in Judgment. I believe in everlasting life. I believe in Damnation. I believe in Salvation. I also believe when the Book says fear, it means FEAR.
The only way to Life is through the Son. The only way to resist sin is through the help of the Holy Spirit. You have to believe and turn away with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Hello all...I'm new to this forum, so you don't know me and will probably wonder if I'm being honest or trying to stir up dust. I can assure you that you will learn I'm honest and want this help. I have another question I'll be asking soon as well.
I was a faithful Christian for 10 yrs. I divorced 2.5 yrs ago and I fell away, and started living a sinful life. I very much want my faith back, but I have all these questions now that I didn't have before.
One of the main questions is, if God truly loves us, why is there an everlasting damnation? I mean, I love my children and punish them when they do wrong so they won't do it again. But, it's never an eternal punishment, and it's never anything so horrible as hell.
I'm having a very hard time with this. I would really appreciate answers from Christians, because I want to hear why they believe God will do this...I would really rather not hear from non-believers who will only bash God.
Thanks!
...Hello mzjamiedawn, and welcome to CD. You'll find a great bunch of "good fruits" here...this is really a very interesting question...all I really know to say is God never intended for any of His people to go to hell, it was and has always been intended for Satan and his angels. But we have been given a free will to choose...and the Lord says there is life and death confronting us, and He tells us to choose life. He wishes above ALL THINGS that we prosper and be in good health EVEN AS OUR SOUL PROSPERS. God loves you very, very much mzjamiedawn, and I want you to know that His love has never wavered for you, even when you "fell away", He has always been right there with you because He knows you better than you know yourself, and He knew you would be back..and He wants you back...you must know, (and I'm sure you do), that we have to suffer the consequences of our choices, this is how we learn and strengthen in our character...but on judgement day, if we've not chosen life, then we die in our sin...an eternal death, which is really bad...so choose life and die of 'self' and live an eternal life with our King in heaven......love....God bless you.
Hi, welcome to the forums. There are many Christians that do not believe that eternal hell is taught in the scriptures. And many of the early Christians did not believe this either. Some believe(d) that eternal death is the destiny for unbelievers and some, like me believe(d) that all will be reconciled to God eventually. I believe that the judgments of God will have a higher purpose in that all will eventually be subjected to God so that He may be in all of us, even in those who reject Him now. (See 1 Corinthians 15, Romans 8)
There was a time in my life when I began to question this just like you because I knew God as Father and Father does not punish someone endlessly because He is described as love. Love does what is best for the one who is loved. And God loves each and every one of us, and I believe that He loves us enough to break all blinders and binders which keep us from returning to Him. Jesus asked the Father to forgive those who put Him to death, because "they know not what they do." God is also described as merciful and just.
Here is another video (It's a series) which presents another perspective, if you are interested and an article that I found to be helpful. God bless.
That's just what I was going to post Shana. mzjamiedawn, I'm sure it's your conscience speaking up about this, and that conscience is what God will use to cause you to seek out the truth these matters.
Hi MzJamie, I hope you will become addicted to cd, too..In my opinion, I believe there is no fire and brimstone awaiting us for eternity for having unrepentant sin..I believe that the only hell would be eternal separation from God, as in eternal death, the second death from which there is no return..
When I was young, they had me convinced that I would burn forever and scream in unimaginable pain as my body burned again and again for all eternity..They convinced me to the point that I had some nightmares about being on fire..As I matured I think this very false teaching is the reason I studied the bible so hard alongside with the history of the church and then in high school I read about Dante's Inferno and his version of hell and BINGO there in bold print was the same, although fictious hell they were trying to make me believe was in the bible..
God is love, pure love a love we can't understand in this world.. Because we do not know the things of God, so many give him human qualities to bring him to their understanding and they add a bit of evilness to him to scare people into one of the thousands of manmade religions..
Disclaimer: This post is my own belief and is not intended to convince anyone that I know the truth. This is my simple, humble opinion formed over many years of prayer, study and a personal relationship with him
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After you have repented and asked for forgiveness, then it's time to forgive yourself.
That's just what I was going to post Shana. mzjamiedawn, I'm sure it's your conscience speaking up about this, and that conscience is what God will use to cause you to seek out the truth these matters.
