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Only God knows the true heart of a person, only God can judge the person, only God makes the decision in the end..I try not to even speculate on the the judgements of God..We do not have all the answers..He does..
I agree. I do believe that Jesus taught that He was the only way to the Father. However, I don't think we always know what transpired in the moment right before and between life and death. We can think that someone probably did not know the Lord but again, who knows what happened at the end? That's why I also prefer to leave such absolute judgments with the Lord.
To the christians : Can you be saved or go to heaven or paradise or whatever you wanna call it without Jesus? Will you best friend or lover or kid, who was essentially a good person, but not a follower of Jesus, wake up in heaven should they die tonight?
Tim, Jesus the Christ is the only WAY. The Bible tell us "no man cometh to the FATHER except through the SON and ...any man who tries to enter by another way is a thief..." I think u should turn to the Bible to get a good understanding of what JESUS said about HIMSELF. HE said "I AM the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIGHT" "I AM the DOOR" "I AM the RESURRECTION..." Nothing has changed. GOD'S WORD is still true and it is not subjective to the opinions of men. "Good People"- Who is good? When someone made a reference to this in the Bible JESUS said no one is good except the FATHER. Man looks at the outward appearance, but GOD looks at the heart- as some posters have already stated. U can live with a person and see what they do, but never know what is in their heart. All u know is what they show u, so how can man say who is good as far as eternal judgement goes? There was need for JESUS to come in to the earth...we needed a Saviour. If there was another way, HE would not have come to be crucified on the cross, and suffer seperation from the Father while He became sin to atone for all who would accept HIM as their Savior. It is not our righteouness that saves us, but HIS righteousness:"HE who knew no sin became sin..." Our righteousness is inadequate to save us. HE is the KING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS and HE alone saves. There have always been nice people who men look at and say "he or she is a good person, but that standard does not exempt one from sin or the penalty of sin. Only JESUS, the CHRIST does that. This belief is the foundation of the Christian believer!
I believe what north carolina said is true but I also believe what Shana said is true. Jesus is the only way. God`s word says that plainly. No one can enter into heaven or the kingdom without Jesus. Anyone who does not have faith in Christ will experience hell..whatever that may be. Whatever it is, it will not be pleasant and the person will suffer tremendously. But ,like shana, I believe at some point in a future age,every knee will bow and every tongue confess. I believe at some point in God`s own time he will open all eyes and reconcile all things to himself. This isn`t about second chances or getting a free ride etc. as some like to point out. If you are only worshipping God because you feel like you have too then something is wrong. If you feel like you would have a better life without God then something is wrong. But that is what a lot of christians say when you tell them God will eventually save all of his creation. They say,that`s not right..people are getting second chances... as if they would be better off without God in this life. That never made any sense to me. You would not want to experience God`s wrath. People who use the second chance mantra are like the parable Jesus gave about the prodigal son. The brothers were angry because they had been with the Father and doing his work and they thought it unfair that he would give another son blessings eventhough that son was going his own way. God loves us all and he will saves us all. But some will have to experience God`s wrath before their eyes are opened. I know some believe that parable represents a person who was saved and then came back to God. It may well be but it could have several meanings. We need to realize God loves us all as his creation and be thankful if you have been chosen,that you do not have to experience God`s wrath.
Okay, so what we are saying here is that God sees the heart and judges and that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ. So for my family, who are jewish and do not believe Jesus, and the rest of the billions of poeple who are of diffirent faiths and philosophy there is a good chance eternal flames await them?
Okay, so what we are saying here is that God sees the heart and judges and that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ. So for my family, who are jewish and do not believe Jesus, and the rest of the billions of poeple who are of diffirent faiths and philosophy there is a good chance eternal flames await them?
Hey timothy,
I know that is what a lot of so called mainstream christian churches believe. But if you read my post or other threads where I have posted,you will notice that is not what I or some other christians believe. I believe Jesus is the only way to the Father and anyone who doesn`t put their faith in Jesus will suffer God`s wrath. However,I don`t believe in literal flames or bodies be burned for eternity. I believe everyone will know who Jesus is and repent at some point. Whether in this age or the next. If you have been blessed in this life and God has shown mercy on you then rejoice and thank God for it. We all know of people who probably did not know Jesus in this life. They will suffer and come under judgement but God will set them free at some point.
Hi Timothy, I also believe that salvation is only through Jesus and did not fully read all of your post. Jesus is the only Way to the Father. Jesus died to set us free from the slavery to sin. He came to give us abundant life, the life of knowing the One and Only True God. Jesus is also heir of all and will one day subject all to Himself. (Hebrews 1, 1 Cor. 15) I hope and pray that those who hear today come to Him now willingly, if they hear His voice instead of having to face whatever is involved in the subjection of all to God. I don't believe that hell is everlasting.
"He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him, with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the *summing up of all things in Christ things in the heavens and things upon the earth." Ephesians 1:9 (NAS)
anakephalaloomai= to gather together again in one, to reunite under one head
God bless.
Last edited by ShanaBrown; 12-27-2007 at 04:56 PM..
God loves us all and he will saves us all. But some will have to experience God`s wrath before their eyes are opened. I know some believe that parable represents a person who was saved and then came back to God. It may well be but it could have several meanings
Hi, I agree that the parable can have more than one meaning. I believe that we are all offspring of God. All of the offspring were in need of a Savior because of our lost condition due to sin. All needed to be reconciled to God and if we needed to be reconciled we were all estranged from Him. (Colossians 1) It wasn't that God needed to be reconciled to us but we needed to be reconciled to Him like the prodigal son needed to return to his father. The father was always there but the prodigal son left. Just like the prodigal son, we needed to see our need to return to the Father. For some, this will take a rude awakening at another point in time (age), I believe. God bless.
Last edited by ShanaBrown; 12-27-2007 at 08:16 PM..
Reason: addition
Hi, HistoryasitIs, the way that I understand it is like this. When we die in this mortal body, we won't know that we are dead. There is no consciousness. When we wake up (rise to life in the resurrection), it will be as if no time has passed. We are in the presence of the Lord in that sense. Jesus also has the keys of Death and Hades and when we are dead and in the unseen state we are in His presence. How could we say, death, where is your sting, if we are not really dead upon death? Where is the glory of the resurrection if people are already in heaven?
Some scriptural references:
PSALM 146:3 Do not trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. 4 His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. (NASB)
ACTS 2:29 "Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. . . . 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens" . . . (NKJV)
JOHN 11:11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." 12 Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well." 13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead." (NKJV)
JOHN 5:28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. (RSV)
I CORINTHIANS 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed -- 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." (NKJV)
I THESSALONIANS 4:15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air…(NIV)
God bless.
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This belief is the foundation of the Christian believer!
