So people can do all sorts of bad things, but as long as they believe in God they can go to heaven? Is there anything else that bans people from heaven?
God graciously gave us free will. The point is that He didn't and doesn't want us to become those mindless zombies you were talking about. He wants us to make the right choice of our own free will.
As for compassion for the non-believers... I weep for those who do not believe. Literally. As that old song goes... "Some of those souls are so dear to me/ I can't bear to think what their fate will be/ and because of who You are/ the compassion that's You/ Oh Lord this must tear Your great Heart in two..." I fully and firmly believe this.
Do you think it's mean or wrong of God not to just let everybody in to Heaven, even though they're sinners? Truthfully, none of us deserve to go to Heaven... because of the original sin of Adam and Eve plus all the sins we each commit during our lifetimes. God was wonderful and gracious to send us His Son to save ALL of us... God wants everyone to be with Him in Heaven. That's why He sent His Son Jesus Christ to save each and every one of us. Now it's our turn. Do we choose to be with Him or not? To believe in Him or not? It's now OUR choice of our own free will whether or not we go to Heaven.
John 14:6.
So people can do all sorts of bad things, but as long as they believe in God they can go to heaven? Is there anything else that bans people from heaven?
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hmmmm...that does sound a bit...Aryan...doesn't it? [img]confused.gif[/img]I find it totally repugnant to think that, if there's a God, s/he'd want his/her complex & wonderful creation, humankind, cheapened into a bunch of obsequious, "perfect," identical beings.
Good works do not get you into Heaven, but faith in Jesus Christ will make you want to do good works in His name and for His sake.
We all sin...but the truly saved are not going to go around killing people or something like that and then say "Well, it's ok, I'll just ask for forgiveness and I'll still get into Heaven." If a murderer were to truly repent of his or her sin, they would be saved, though.
"Aryan"? As in only white people or something. I'll have you know I'm proud to call some black people, Arabs, Indians, Asians, whites, Hispanics, and all the other races you can think of my brothers and sisters in Christ. The Bible says that people from EVERY NATION will be present when God calls us all home to the new Heaven after judgement day.
<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 23, 2006 06:36 PM: Message edited by: Tra ]</font>
But wanting everyone to be pure and homogenous ("Aryan," if you will) in our *minds* is just as disturbing as wanting everyone to be pure and homogenous in our appearances. If not more disturbing.
This "wouldn't it be great if everybody were Christian" talk reminds me a LOT of white sentiments during the age of westward expansion and Manifest Destiny, i.e.: "wouldn't it be great if those Indians would just quit being savages and assimilate into our superior culture?" Presuming, smugly, that Native American cultures had no value of their own, so pffft, no great loss if they're destroyed.
John 14:6 There is only one way to get to Heaven and be with the Father, God.
And yes, wouldn't it be great if everyone were a true Christian?
<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 23, 2006 10:39 PM: Message edited by: Tra ]</font>
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">No, as in the concept of the "supreme race" (or religion, in this case). People of other religions aren't given any more freedom to "sin" than we are. Who's to say that our concept of sin is any more on-the-mark than theirs?"Aryan"? As in only white people or something.
<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 25, 2006 09:04 AM: Message edited by: kitschywoman ]</font>
It is not MY concept of sin, it's God's (as stated in the Bible, His Holy Word). He's always right. And His ways are always surperior.
I agree with Tra. people always point to us and say, "you want everyone to follow YOUR way" etc. but thats not true at all. it's not OUR way. We are just following what we believe is God's way.
As for heaven and **** , God doesn't SEND people to **** . He allows them the choice of what they want in their life.
But He's the one who runs Heaven...he said this is what you need to do to come in here with me, now it is up to you whether or not you want to do it...so, we are not being mean or saying other people won't be there...God gave you the choice to make for yourself.
We just try to get people to hear God's truth so nothing bad will happen to them when they die. We don't want people left out of heaven either.. [img]frown.gif[/img]
Without sin, as tra said, people would not have clothes. We would not feel shame at being nekkid.
[img]graemlins/rose.gif[/img] Mankind would not be as it is. We would be different in several ways. [img]graemlins/rose.gif[/img]
Without sin, we would live forever. We would feel no pain.
Without sin, there would be no need for consequences.
Without sin, our lives would be the same boring thing every day.
It's hard to think of a world without sin. Sin is a part of our daily lives, and I believe the Lord created it that way. He created it for us to sin and learn how to cope with our sins.
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