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People who "make" it? Compared to running a marathon and making it to the end? Or completing an Iron man?
Again, that implied fear, that only a few are chosen to enter paradise..only the select will make it. Just like we have created here on earth, everything is a competition and the ones who deceive themselves are always dangling the "secrets" of salvation just beyond the reach of the least of us. Then the delusional ones blame the least of us for lacking in their faith. They ridicule the least of us for being unwilling to blindly follow man-written dogma then the really pious ones keep records of the sins committed bu the least of us to be used against us when we claim a belief and love of God--because sinners are incapable and not permitted to love god??
Do you ignore this passage?
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Matthew 7:13-14
Quote:
Originally Posted by zthatzmanz28
The chosen will have us believe we must be sinless before we can be embraced by God and there is no way in God's plan that sinners will be seated net to Christ. Somehow they believe Jesus attended all the grand balls, oppressed the least of us and invested in Bain Capital just to improve profit margins?
Is it that LOVE is a four-letter word that the "chosen" cannot bring themselves to be embraced by the concept? Or is it just too simple an idea?
No, we just believe you must have a repentant heart and strong desire to seek and serve God and love people. These are signs of a born again nature. The Bible teaches that even our best efforts are filthy rags compared to His perfect holiness.
Quote:
Originally Posted by zthatzmanz28
That salvation must be a competition. It has to be EARNED. That the saving grace of GOD must teach a lesson because anything GIVEN FREELY is NEVER appreciated?
I say it is TIME we let go the FEAR, INTIMIDATION and HATE and embrace our neighbors, ALL our neighbors and let GOD's LOVE and GRACE actually envelop us.
Embracing your neighbor should not mean embracing sin. God hates sin.
Because you will have NO imperfect thoughts in "heaven". Or desires. Etc. Nothing to obscure happiness. All that is cleansed off a soul before it "enters" heaven. As "heaven" is a state of complete happiness for a particular "soul". Or Conscious Self.
Now should you believe that you can accomplish THAT state of purity in single life or, that someone else had it done for you - that's up to you.
Some of my happiest times have occurred because of an unhappy event...
You are asking a question that has no realistic bearing. The people who make it to heaven will be Christians who truly love God and want a path away from sin. Once we are free from the temptation of our sin nature bodies and have received the full understanding and knowledge from God about the nature and ugliness of sin in the afterlife, I can not even phantom that a person in heaven would want to commit a sin.
I dunno. I've seen some pics of Victoria's Angels and if the ones in heaven look anything like that they could bring me back to life in a hurry!
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Matthew 7:13-14
No, we just believe you must have a repentant heart and strong desire to seek and serve God and love people. These are signs of a born again nature. The Bible teaches that even our best efforts are filthy rags compared to His perfect holiness.
Embracing your neighbor should not mean embracing sin. God hates sin.
"In heaven there is no beer...that's why we drink it here"
-- Polka song sung at the Oktoberfest at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, circa 1992, with lots of beer on tap.*
"In heaven there is no beer...that's why we drink it here"
-- Polka song sung at the Oktoberfest at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, circa 1992, with lots of beer on tap.*
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