I stated in my last post, "Jesus didn't come to earth to establish a new religion. He came to bring healing to a broken relationship. The relationship was broken by disobedience BUT the disobedience was the result of a lack of, or perhaps even an inability to love our Creator as He is worthy to be loved. As with any relationship, when we love ourselves the most, we serve ourselves over and before those who we claim to love. That's too bad because one of our primary goals in life is to love God and to enjoy Him forever.
What's this got to do with the wife abusing, drug addicted John Lennon's lyric, "Imagine no religion - It's easy if you try"? Nothing, except it isn't easy at all. That only way someone can say such a thing is if you haven't got a clue about human nature. We were created to worship something and we WILL worship something. Be it education or intelligence
money or looks or power or science or mood altering chemicals or church / religion or some gods, something will garner our devotion. Something will be called upon to carry the load for us.
Jesus said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and carrying a heavy burden, and I will give you rest for your souls. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
That is so very, very true. And to think of how, in our pre Christian days that seemed so very impossible. Yet, becoming a bond-servant to Jesus is the only way
to be free. Not just to feel free but to actually be free. As long as we go to anything else it will just be some variation of the same old same old.
Jesus invitation to "Come follow Me," is the only invitation worth following.
I think that I'm going to write a bit about this over the next few days. However, on Friday we're heading to a different lake, probably the last get-away of the summer so . . .
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So, God creates us for the purpose of worshipping him, makes us defective (evidenced by the fact that we did it so poorly he had to sacrifice himself to himself to save us), and then still doesn't fix us entirely, because we'll worship anything at all.
Tell me again why God couldn't simply make it so every single human being is incapable of worshipping anything but correctly?
Because being a robot is not the best possible existence. A life without choice is not as good as a life with choice. A life without love is not as good as a life with love. The life we have now is not the end. This life is preparation for the end.
"A life without choice is not as good as a life with choice"
But if you don't make the choice God wants, He'll torture you. But it's your choice.
But if you don't make the choice God wants, He'll torture you. But it's your choice.
This isnt accurate Glen. First, you should want to do good, instead of evil, nevermind what "God wants". Secondly, He isnt toruring anybody. How many judges do you know that sent their own Son to take your (and my) rightful place? Somehow this part is conveniently left out.
There is absolutely no need for anyone to go to hell Glen. In fact, as JD just said, in order to go to hell, you will have to step over Jesus' dead body to get there.
Glen,
We murder people everyday. I am not just talking about a physical action. I am including abuse, neglect and everything in between. We have destroyed everything that was created for us; relationships, our bodies, the world. I could go on and on about the things we have murdered. We are guilty. Guilty criminals deserve a guilty sentence. We all deserve to be separated from God since He is the opposite of murder. He gives life. We all deserve to go to a place we call hell. But God stepped in and stood before our accuser and pardoned our sins if we accept it. It is that easy. He "tortures" only those who have murdered without repentance.
PF,
Being forced to do something isn't real. If you force someone to love you then it's not love. God allowed us to make choices to show He loves us but wants us to make the right decision. Do you want people to like you based on law or based on just being you?
But if you don't make the choice God wants, He'll torture you. But it's your choice.
This isnt accurate Glen. First, you should want to do good, instead of evil, nevermind what "God wants". Secondly, He isnt toruring anybody. How many judges do you know that sent their own Son to take your (and my) rightful place? Somehow this part is conveniently left out.
First, I do want to do good. I'm sure most people do.
Second. God is the one who casts people into a lake of fire. A lake of fire HE created.
Thirdly. It is unjust to kill your own son just because you are unable to forgive other people.
There is absolutely no need for anyone to go to hell Glen. In fact, as JD just said, in order to go to hell, you will have to step over Jesus' dead body to get there.
Noone "steps" into Hell. That makes is sound like it is their choice. People are cast (thrown) into Hell.
Glen,
We murder people everyday. I am not just talking about a physical action. I am including abuse, neglect and everything in between. We have destroyed everything that was created for us; relationships, our bodies, the world. I could go on and on about the things we have murdered. We are guilty.
You've had to do some pretty heavy definition redefinition to make people into "murderers".
Guilty criminals deserve a guilty sentence. ...unless they accept a pardon and let an innocent be punished instead?
We all deserve to be separated from God since He is the opposite of murder. He gives life. We all deserve to go to a place we call hell. But God stepped in and stood before our accuser and pardoned our sins if we accept it.
Even if we accept this guilt, it is unjust to pardon the guilty by punishing the innocent. By the way, who is "our accuser"?
It is that easy. He "tortures" only those who have murdered without repentance.
So in your worldview God doesn't torture the guilty, God tortures the unrepentant. Which is pretty much what I said - do as He says (repent) or be tortured.
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