iacrobat said:
Goin' to hell! Nothing like fear to keep everyone in their place. Guilt is great isn't it?
I know I am going to get into more controversy here for some by stating that the bible does not teach that we will suffer in some burning torment
if you look into it is mis translated and actually refers to the grave, it says Jesus was in hell for three days. the bible also states that the wages sin pays is death.. not eternal torment.
what people are actually being saved from is not burning in hell
but the sentence of death that adam and eve brought on us, by disobeying God, in the garden of Eden they actually decided they
wanted to be independent, they thought they would be like him being able to know for themselves what was good or bad and wouldnt need God anymore.... God had warned them that this would bring death.. but satan being a liar and causing rebellion told them it wouldn't, and made it seem tempting that God was holding something back from them
But if God was supposedly holding back something good from them as the devil insinuated.. why was it afterwards that adam and Eve hid from God, feeling ashamed, they didn't act like they had discovered something wonderful after they had eaten from the tree, in fact the opposite.. they knew they had done wrong
and in the end who was telling the truth? did they die, yes they did eventually that was the sentence they brought on themselves and their offspring us there is nowhere in the beginning of the bible does it say they are sentenced to some burning hell
God acted to right that wrong by sending his son Jesus to save us from that... adam was a perfect man and only in Gods high standards a perfect man could buy back what adam lost by so Jesus sacrificed his life for us, he didnt have to he wanted too..
God could have destroyed adam and eve and satan there and then.. but his integrity was being called into question his souvergnity was also being brought up. If he had the right to rule over his creation. destroying them would not have answered those questions.. so he has let this period of time pass for that reason, he has let man go his own way and rule themselves to see if they could do a a good job of it.. so you can look around you and see the results for yourself.. if the world is a wonderful place to live in being independent from God.
and even though he knew that that we were imperfect and sinful because of what adam and eve done he lovingly give us that chance to prove that there would be ones could serve him, not through guilt or the fear of going to hell, but because we want to have a close relationship with him like a parent does with a child,
and though he knew not all will want to serve him and have that relationship with him, he still send his son for all mankind to have that chance, so he can fulfil that purpose he started of with having the earth populated with people who will want to serve him having love for each other and him, and where sickness and death
and suffering will be wiped out.. when he was on earth Jesus healed the sick fed the hungry brought back those from death.. showing that is what he will do in the future
God does not want people to worship him out of fear or being burned or tormented in hell, once more this has to do with the early christian church mixing pagan beliefs with what the bible says twisting it around and misrepresenting Gods true purpose
making him seem cruel and uncaring... another one of satans tactics to get people to turn away from God.. and reading through this forums he certainly does a good job
But the bible states that God is not far of from those who are sincerly searching for him.. so you can find him, and discover that he is indeed Love