Will former Christians that became Atheists go to heaven? (scriptures, evolution, priests)
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You might just NEED to fall away from what you believe about God, in some cases.
Very true Pleroo, 20 years of dogma is enough to either kill you or cause you to scratch your head and think something is not quite right here. But no we dismiss that as being the devil and surround ourselves in what we have been taught and resist God thinking it is the devil.
Very true Pleroo, 20 years of dogma is enough to either kill you or cause you to scratch your head and think something is not quite right here. But no we dismiss that as being the devil and surround ourselves in what we have been taught and resist God thinking it is the devil.
Well some of us are slower learners than that ... took me 40+ years. But I will say, it really did almost kill me, literally.
You may one of the ones who can wake up. I hope so.
Well, I hope the Lord will wake up the former believers and go before that throne of grace for whatever turned them away from the faith, but unless they look to Him for help to repent, they will be left behind to be gathered later on as vessels unto dishonour in His House.
Scriptural evidence can be found here;
2 Timothy 2:18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.
Before continuing, keep in mind that there are other things that can cause a believer to err from the truth and have their faith overthrown like evolution theory, etc. Paul testify to God;s saving power even on those that no longer believe or have gone astray into iniquity...
19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
So there are vessels unto dishonour in His House that did not depart from iniquity that will become "castaways" to be received later on after the great tribulation. Proof of God judging His House first before He comes to judge the world with the raptured saints ( the vessels unto honour in His House that shall attend the Marriage Supper at the pre tribulational rapture event ) is found here.
2 Timothy 2:11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
So former believers and those saved believers that have gone astray are at risk of being left behind unless they look to Jesus Christ for help to find the truth in order to depart from iniquity, but of they do get left behind. He still abides in them to receive them later as vessels unto dishonour IN His House. These be the prodigal sons that had given up their first inheritance for wild living, but they are still sons.
My point is there are atheists that did a 20 year stint of being a bible believing christ.
It's one thing to "do a stint" in a church, have all sorts of head knowledge, etc. It's another to have actual faith in Christ. I'm sorry...I don't know how else to read 1 John 2:19. If you are a Christian...you will not leave.
Jesus said that he will NOT lose any that the Father give him. That's also good enough for me. It doesn't say that we can wander to him....then wander off later. It says the Father gives us to Jesus, and Jesus will not lose us.
Having said all of that....if a person is in a church and they're active, and then they are not, calling themselves an atheist.....the obvious answer is "no....they are not going to go to heaven"-- no matter what we want to call them during their time of being involved in Christianity.
Nothing turned me away from Jesus ... I simply no longer believe that Jesus is here to be turned to. If anything, I believe that the Jesus of the bible narrative, was pointing out that God, whom he called our Father, is the one to be turned to and not to be afraid of. We do not need anyone to mediate that, because God is not angry with us.
A world wide flood from which only 8 people survived; Sodom & Gomorrah; the Pharoah and his armies wiped out when the walls of the Red Sea caved in; & Jesus whipping the money changers in the Temple are pretty much evidence that God can get angry and exact vengeance.
Quote:
Some people still need to believe that they have a savior standing between them and the wrath of God. I can understand that, and perhaps believing that Jesus is that savior is helpful for a time. But, having been released from that belief which I can now see was unhealthy to hold onto, it would be foolish of me to turn back to it.
How was it unhealthy to see God's love for us?
Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Since sin is a poison that brings death, it stands to reason that we need saving from being totally separated from God and all that is good and that place of separation is called hell.
But you are saved; and even though you believe not any more, He still abides in you. The problem is your failing to see the need to go to Jesus for help in discerning why you saw your need of Him to rely on His righteousness & His faithfulness in bringing you Home and not just for helping you to live as His as "unhealthy".
If it is because you could not overcome a sin and therefore got sick and tired of feeling guilty and needing Him all the time, I've been there but He got me through by stop trying to do the best I can in following Him by keeping my commitment to do so by asking Him to set me free to rest in Him that He will do it; break sin's power over my life; and He has , still is, and will continue to do so in bringing me Home.
Religious christians break and fall away, failing to see that if we could not save ourselves by doing the best we can, then neither can we live as His by doing the best we can; that is why the just shall live by faith in not only trusting Jesus as our Saviour that we are saved but trusting Him as our Good Shepherd to enable us to live as His disciple in following Him as well.
Religious christians that break will sear their conscience in order to be free of the guilt of sin having dominion over their lives, but Jesus is still waiting for them to call on Him to destroy the work of the devil in their lives;
1 John 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.....8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
2 Tiomothy 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Better if He delivers you now before the Bridegroom come than later, beloved sister.
If that is not what was "unhealthy" in your relationship with Him, then feel free to explain how relying on Jesus was unhealthy for you, but you should know you are still His and He is waiting for you to call.
It's one thing to "do a stint" in a church, have all sorts of head knowledge, etc. It's another to have actual faith in Christ. I'm sorry...I don't know how else to read 1 John 2:19. If you are a Christian...you will not leave.
Jesus said that he will NOT lose any that the Father give him. That's also good enough for me. It doesn't say that we can wander to him....then wander off later. It says the Father gives us to Jesus, and Jesus will not lose us.
Having said all of that....if a person is in a church and they're active, and then they are not, calling themselves an atheist.....the obvious answer is "no....they are not going to go to heaven"-- no matter what we want to call them during their time of being involved in Christianity.
Pleroo, did for 40 years, the only difference being you say you are a Pastor. There is no way on earth you can prove whether she had anything different to what you claim. Your bible says the devil believes and fears and trembles. All atheists in time like the rest of us will return to the Father.
Having said all of that....if a person is in a church and they're active, and then they are not, calling themselves an atheist.....the obvious answer is "no....they are not going to go to heaven"-- no matter what we want to call them during their time of being involved in Christianity.
Where are they going to go then?
I just can't picture this scenario:
Peter at the pearly gates: Hi Steven, I see here that you lived a good life. You donated much of your time to help the poor, you always gave away what very little you had to anyone who asked for help, you were not a liar or thief, and treated others with love and respect. There is such a long list here of all the good deeds you did that it would take me forever to read it all. Welcome to heav...oh damn, wait a minute, I see here at the bottom that you chose not to believe in Jesus. You thought about it, but had concerns about some of the beliefs that other Christians had like judging others and condemning good people to hell. It just didn't feel right for you so you instead lived a good life without worshiping the one and only Savior. Sorry buddy, but as much as I think you belong here, rules are rules and you're gonna have to spend your eternity in hell. Please take the elevator to the bottom floor. Thank you.
My friend, you must have misread my post. At no point did I indicate that I thought it was unhealthy to see God's love for us. Rather, it is unhealthy to believe that God is full of wrath, angry with us to the point of inflicting eternal torment on us, and that we need to be saved FROM God, which is what the Christianity I came out of teaches. Those are the very teachings that warp the concept of love beyond recognition and instill fear in people. That is what is unhealthy.
aisi
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