Posted on 05/03/2002 11:20:24 AM PDT by RnMomof7
God teaches the people of Israel (and us) that tears are not an infallible mark of true repentance...there are many self serving tears shed...
Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
2Ti 2:25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
Trust me God hears the cry of the heart HE has led to repentance:>))
It's true that Jesus is the only way to avoid hell, but I believe if I'm correct those that seek a way to avoid hell seek a way to avoid it because inwardly their spirit is telling them they are to good to deserve hell. I believe their spirit is really deceiveing them because if they were so good to not deserve hell they'll just die and go to hell and defeat deaf and hell like Jesus did. But God the father knew Jesus, and that he was spotless. To add to that I don't think those people who seek Jesus because they don't want to go to hell are really seeking after Jesus. I personally believe the Armininist have made a big mistake on making a big emphasis on hell in their evangelistic efforts to convert the unsaved. They quote scripture that I believe was directed solely at the Jews toward their destruction in a symbolic language that they (the Jews) understood or would have been understood by the people of that century. I'm not totally writeing off Hell as a reality, but do believe we need to look at the context of those verses that we reference and quote for hell.
My concept of Hell would probably be in line with the article that Nate4one posted the other day. Hell Revisted:The True Wages of Sin
Hell is one of those many subjects that I’ll really like to study really good before I made to many more comments on it. But anyway I’ve said my two cents on the subject and will hopefully be looking a little more closely at that article and this as time goes by.
Never the less I just wanted to add my two cents to your comment but not get off into a full fledge discussion on hell that would distract from this article on regeneration.
If one's opinion differs from the first five centuries of Chritianity (and who would know better than them), you tell me.
There you go, making me have to go and read the article to understand what your trying to tell me. I think I understand though.
Well actually I am sure it has occurred to others frequently :>))...I cleaned off my computer desktop all that day..I do not have a "floopy" so I save everything there...you would be amazed at some of the posts I have saved:>))) It was like a treasure chest...and yea I had time to read the greats!!
Well, Hell is a very real place, one in which the Lord spoke more of then heaven. Moreover, the fear of it is a cold water of reality on the unsaved, getting to them to realize that they need a Saviour and Jesus Christ is that Saviour.
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him (Jn.3:36) Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? (Mark 23:33)
My concept of Hell would probably be in line with the article that Nate4one posted the other day. Hell Revisted:The True Wages of Sin Hell is one of those many subjects that I’ll really like to study really good before I made to many more comments on it. But anyway I’ve said my two cents on the subject and will hopefully be looking a little more closely at that article and this as time goes by. Never the less I just wanted to add my two cents to your comment but not get off into a full fledge discussion on hell that would distract from this article on regeneration.
thank you for stating your opinion
That is alright! sirs what must I do to be saved is the beginning of finding the salvation answer, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved
Well, Hell is a very real place, one in which the Lord spoke more of then heaven. Moreover, the fear of it is a cold water of reality on the unsaved, getting to them to realize that they need a Saviour and Jesus Christ is that Saviour.
True God spoke more of hell then he did of heaven but in most cases in was in relation to the false Jews and that they were going to be destroyed. Your dispensation theology will not recognize that.
Also Cold water won't wake up a dead man. A man needs to see that he is a sinner first and that he needs a savior second. The emphasis in evangelical preaching etc. needs to be on the sinner part not on the hell part.Everybody seeks to advoid hell thats mans nature whether dead or born again. But a dead man will not recogonize that he is a sinner, he will always put himself higher then God. The emphasis in evangelical preaching should be in the relationship of man to God and that God is soverign over man and that man needs God to be saved from him self. It is only after a man is born again that he sees this. God has called us Christians to preach the Gospel, I believe the more Christians do this the more God will work in the hearts of those that are his. Preaching alot on Hell and making a big emphasis on hell and not our relationship with God only presents a lope sided gospel which only brings false conversions. We need to preach a well balanced Gospel.
The references to hell were not to the destruction of Israel, a totally different subject.
Also Cold water won't wake up a dead man. A man needs to see that he is a sinner first and that he needs a savior second. The emphasis in evangelical preaching etc. needs to be on the sinner part not on the hell part.Everybody seeks to advoid hell thats mans nature whether dead or born again. But a dead man will not recogonize that he is a sinner, he will always put himself higher then God. The emphasis in evangelical preaching should be in the relationship of man to God and that God is soverign over man and that man needs God to be saved from him self. It is only after a man is born again that he sees this. God has called us Christians to preach the Gospel, I believe the more Christians do this the more God will work in the hearts of those that are his. Preaching alot on Hell and making a big emphasis on hell and not our relationship with God only presents a lope sided gospel which only brings false conversions. We need to preach a well balanced Gospel.
Well, when God spoke to Abimelech and told him he was a dead man, Abimelech got the message (Gen.20:3), so the unbeliever can understand what God wants him to understand. Moreover, to those of us who believe that man has a decision to make on where he chooses to spend eternity, he needs to be warned of the realities of Hell. No one said that Hell was the only thing that needed to be preached! After Hell gets the unbelievers attention he needs to be told that his debt has been paid by someone else so he doesn't have to go there, he can take the free gift offered to him instead (Rom.6:23), he can believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. Hell, however, is a crucial part of the Gospel message and needs to be stressed more, not less. It seems to me that it is your 'Gospel' that is unbalanced.
Where does the ability to believe come from?
15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Notice not a word about the fear of hellfire torture forever but simply death. God has delivered His children from the curse of death which passed upon all mankind.
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Paul's epistle to the Romans is a comprehensive study on sin mentioning sin about fifty times, never once mentioning hell, summed up by this verse.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Heaven or hell, eternal life would be required to be tortured forever with Abraham and Lazarus loking across the chasm at the poor souls begging for drops of water and mercy for their families forever. What lost soul desiring God would want to be associated with such a God? Will God give Judas the gift of eternal life so that he may be tortured forever for doing God's will? What a false doctrine! If you teach this doctrine as truth you are part of those misrepresenting God to the world as has been done for centuries. You are parroting the false doctrine of ages and do not even realize it.
Hell is the personification of eternal, everlasting God judged death, the cessation of existance forever. God will return you from whence you came, dust, you being forever in His debt for life and all that went with it which He gave you freely. This is the merciful God I serve.
Genesis 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Job 7:9 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.
Job 24:19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so doth the grave those which have sinned.
Psalm 6:5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?
Psalm 49:14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.
Psalm 49:15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
Hosea 13:14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
1 Corinthians 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.