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How can a good God send people to Hell
I have friends who cannot believe in a God who sends decent people, maybe any
people, to hell.
Any ideas of what I can say?
people, to hell.
Any ideas of what I can say?
Views: 680
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Stephen on
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Dear Lt,
I respect you as well! Again I did not make this posting to cause an argument or cause contention. I mearly wished to show why it is that I believe what it is that I believe.
You certainly have every right to disagree with the view that I presented and I would go further to say we all have relatives who died to uphold that right.
I think that you and I can agree on an even larger point and that is we both serve a God who is willing to die for us, sinners tho we are. In that sacrifice we find that grace Provides each of us with that which is needed to be with our father in heaven forever. In that spirit I will ever be on that journey for truth.
Thank you for your blessing brother. I take it to heart!
Love in Christ, Stephen
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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on
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The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4). He is part of the Trinity. Do you differentiate between the Holy Spirit and the Holy Ghost?
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Permalink Reply by candy on
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well ya friends are right ...we dont believe in a god who sends decent people to hell .or any people ha ha ...............the good people dont go to hell swetty,,,:) its what we the people choose ...:) you choose to do good ..in jesus ..you go to heaven ..you choose to do bad ....and sin you go to hell "!!!! its that simple............:) ...thats it..... no confusion .is it .okay now da :)
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Permalink Reply by Carla on
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Hi Candy.. You are right. We do tend to make it complicated! But these guys do like to debate graciously (I do too actually-I'm just not that good at it)....
anyhow, as LT always says, and scripture agrees:
Pro 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend.
study notes say this:..Mental sharpness comes from being around good people. and a meeting of minds can help people see their ideas with new clarity, refine them, and shape them into brilliant insights. This requires partners who can challenge one another and stimulate thought---people who focus on the idea without involving their egos in the discussion; people who know how to attack the thought and not the thinker. Two friends who bring their ideas together can help each other become sharper.
I know that I have experienced that several times in fellowship learning more....this is so true.
Blessings, Carla
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Dear brothers and sisters and any who read or enter into this discussion,
First of all I wish to thank you all for the love and Christian fellowship I feel here in this site. And I do not wish to detract from that awsome fellowship that I see in here. Neither do I wish to confuse. I seek to edify. Lt's counsel in regards to PROV. 27:17 by me is well recieved. Carla... I sooo identify with your last entry in this discussion! I cannot begin to tell you!
Candy, Carla,LT, anyone,If I confuse I appologize. We may seem to differ on small points but to me this only serves to better understand God's will for us.
Carla,LT... Thank you so much for taking the time to present to me what you percieve to be truth. I love you for it! I want you to know I take your counsel to heart and consider your viewpoint in prayer. I understand that you have strong feelings on these matters and I love and respect that.
At this point my head swims with all the information I have received and need a little time to pray over and digest all that you have presented. I ask all of you for your prayers as I seek to understand your viewpoints. I know you hold these points and ideas as truth and from God and I wish to express my respect for that.
We discuss some "heady" ideas here, and this forum I see as a good tool to explore those ideas. Please know I believe in, love and seek to serve the same God you do.
Please pray for me in that God might help me with my limited typing and writing skills. I wish to express that which I hold as truth with clarity. Love you all! God bless you. Stephen
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Permalink Reply by Dr. Cheryl Durham on
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The presupposition of a person who believes God SENDS people to hell, is that He hand picks people to be saved and hand picks people to go to hell. That is not the case. Hell is a place reserved for people who do not WANT to be with God. God is the source of good everywhere so without Him and the benefits of knowing Him, all that is left IS Hell. The other assumption prevalent in this statement is a works righteousness which is also not true. It implies, IF we are good enough for God's standards, we get into heaven and IF we don't live up to God's standards we go to hell. NEITHER is the case when it comes to getting the heavenly pass. We don't EARN our salvation, it is a GIFT, its free, and the only people who go to hell are those who reject the gift of His love..they have to WANT HELL by rejecting heaven. Tackle the assumptions and the rest will fall into place
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Dear Dr. Durham,
I so indentify with your statement here! I really agree with and try to show that "God is a source of good"! In that goodness I see justice supreme and the wisdom to dispence it.
I was once told that "To go to hell one has to "work" at it" I see much truth in that understanding. As salvation is a gift and we are saved by Grace (the works of Jesus) What is left for those who reject that gift? The only thing left is their own performance. As we all understand our personal performance always falls short!
As I see it, hell is a place of eternal separation from God.
God provided for me a way of escape from my inherited sinful nature in his son Jesus the Christ. As a member of his heavenly family my inheritance is eternal life. My motivation is not so much to avoid hell as it is to be closer to him that redeems me. He is my love,my life and he wants me to be with him now and forever.
Thank you so much Dr. Durham for your perspective on this! IHL Stephen
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Hello Everyone! I received this beautiful devotional in my email today..I wanted to share it with you all.. Jan--show this to your friends, and I pray they will experience the Joy in their hearts of what it means to be a Christ follower...REJOICE! He has saved us...and one day we will be with Him...so let everything we say be good and helpful, so that our words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
DEVOTION
Alive in Heaven
December 21, 2008
"And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven." (2 Kings 2:11)
This remarkable event--the translation of Elijah alive into heaven, without dying--was altogether miraculous, but it really happened! Among other things, it assures us that heaven is a real place in this created universe, for Elijah is still there in his physical body, still alive, to this very day. The prophet Enoch, who had also served God in a time of deep apostasy, had likewise been taken into heaven without dying (that is, into the "third heaven," beyond the starry heaven, where God's throne is), as recorded in Genesis 5:24 and Hebrews 11:5.
Enoch's prophecies, addressed to the entire world of mankind, were given at approximately the midpoint of the period from Adam to Abraham, whereas those of Elijah, addressed only to Israel, were given at essentially the midpoint of the time from Abraham to Christ. Both were caught up alive into heaven before their ministries were finished. It is possible that they will return again to earth as God's "two witnesses" who will prophesy to both Jews and Gentiles in the last days (note Malachi 4:5-6; Revelation 11:3-12), then finally to be slain and resurrected.
In any case, there will also be one entire generation of believers who will--like Enoch and Elijah--be caught up alive into heaven. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven . . . and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). This could very well be our generation! And "when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2). HMM
Blessings in Christ, Carla
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Permalink Reply by Jan on
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Thanks Carla! I love it.
I will file it away for the right time for others to read.
Sadly my friends are quite hostile to Christianity.
I supppose that is a reaction, better than luke warm.
For now, I have passed them up to God and asked for
promptings should the time ever be right.
And trying to follow your advice to build up my own faith and
love walk as the further on I am the better equipped I will
be to reflect a little of His love and all He does for us.
So, your devotional encouraging me might just have a
knock on effect.
It also foccuses my mind on wanting to complete God's plan
for my life before that wonderful moment arrives!
I have been following all your discussions with great interest.
CIFIDs brain fog limits my energy for joining in but I am
still benefitiing. God is good, He finds a way.
I really appreciate how loving you are with each other too.
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Hello Jan,
It is always so difficult to witness to non-believers...for they are truly living under a veil of deception 2 Corinthians 3:12-15 and 2 Corinthians 4:3,4...but whenever anyone turns to the Lord the veil is taken away... 2 Corinthians 3:16. Continue to pray for them. Each of us has people in our lives who do not know the Lord...That's not a coincidence or a mistake...We are to live as children of Light amongst them Eph 4:17-32....so then they may see Christ in us. My husband is an athiest...I know how hard it can be. But we live this way in God's strength, not our own.
Remember, we too were once under that same veil of deception...It was only when each of us turned to Christ that the veil was lifted...and we each experienced a re-birth in Spirit.
Christ be with you my dear sister....We are so loving with eachother because it is our Love for Jesus that holds us together...We are one body....all God's children.
Blessings, Carla
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Thanks Carla! I love it.
I will file it away for the right time for others to read.
Sadly my friends are quite hostile to Christianity.
I supppose that is a reaction, better than luke warm.
For now, I have passed them up to God and asked for
promptings should the time ever be right.
And trying to follow your advice to build up my own faith and
love walk as the further on I am the better equipped I will
be to reflect a little of His love and all He does for us.
So, your devotional encouraging me might just have a
knock on effect.
It also foccuses my mind on wanting to complete God's plan
for my life before that wonderful moment arrives!
I have been following all your discussions with great interest.
CIFIDs brain fog limits my energy for joining in but I am
still benefitiing. God is good, He finds a way.
I really appreciate how loving you are with each other too.
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