Arthur Brain
Well-known member
so says scripture. God is merciful. He is the judge, not me. Why be concerned about something you either have no knowledge of, nor are the judge? We can only be assured of what scripture states.
Scripture says God is love, twice if I'm not mistaken? Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Going by the biblical definition of love it does no harm, unlike your own idea that God's love actually harms those in a state where they can't do anything but apparently be tormented by it and have no chance to embrace it - much like the 'loving' parent who locks their child in a basement for failing a test.
Your statements do not even reflect the reality around you. I must assume you are not in some back country, and if in the US you really have a false view of reality. I know a lot of people who know what scripture says, know the consequences of rejecting Christ, but still do reject Him. Maybe they are like you, and think that God is not cruel and won't send such a good person to hell, when it is not about God at all but man. Some blow it off as a myth, some like Marx, for example, thought it was a panacea for the common man. I think some people rationalize it, tries to minimize it, some just ignore it and don't want to speak about it. Why do you think man has developed so many ways to be saved. They don't like the Truth.
Ah, does your 'reality' revolve around your own perceptions regarding what people think of a doctrine that espouses that which you declare to be the 'truth'? You presume a great deal quite frankly, though you're correct in regards to my thinking a loving God wouldn't be cruel. You do? How about you explain to those who are bereaved or suffered appalling losses that their loved ones are going to be 'loved' through eternity even though they'll be suffering throughout? I think you're the one who needs a reality check here.
its not even about me. It is what scripture states regarding man's responsibility to God. God created us for a purpose. We either fulfill the purpose or we don't.
He has a judgement. Very straightforward.
So you do take some credit for your own sparing from the "hellish love" of God then? Noted.
If the Gospel understanding has not changed from the beginning as the Apostles taught it to the early Church, my faith is such that I must believe it as the Truth. Would the Holy Spirit trick us? Would He lie to us?
If you don't believe it as Truth, that is also your choice. What revelation would you have that is different and could be the Truth?
It is quite evident that in the sola scriptura milieu man has created many different versions of how to be saved. Different theories, ideas, what Paul calls fables. Man prefers to develop a very benign, comfortable, fuzzy psychological idealogy of how he would like to be saved, is apparently overwhelming for a lot of people.
Most of the early church schools of thought, with the original translations of the Greek/Hebrew texts etc didn't hold to eternal suffering at all apparently. Who's to say you haven't been misled into thinking there's a God who would leave people in such a state for eternity instead of reconciling everything? Is it easier to sit in judgment on your fellow humans while actually being one yourself?