Posted on 05/13/2014 6:45:28 PM PDT by mgist
Most of those I have known who have been addicts suffered from a small vision of all that is, often not getting past themselves. They are great at rationalizing whatever they think they want, though, and the whole 'ends justify the means' bit plays right into that mindset.
It isn't hard to see the deception from outside, but like a paper room with the walls painted to look like stone, it looks inescapable from the inside. Only God can open eyes that refuse to see and empower people to tear down the boundaries they thought were real.
Those paper stones, the paper tigers, lose their power once God demonstrates how they melt before His own power.
I’ve heard it likened to an elephant that is tied to a stake with a string, and it stays there because of the memory of when it was a chain. In that way, virtues can be shanghaied by Satan and used to bluff a person into sin.
Since Hell is real, I’d rather hear about it than not hear about it. If people are driven from the faith because someone said something they didn’t like, they were never a member anyway. If someone refuses the Prevenient Grace of God because of something that was said, they would have refused it no matter what.
Salvation is not a garment to put on and take off.
Should not one be Christlike?
Audience matters. Gratuitous, proud hellmongering will make Jesus’ job more difficult. Note very carefully His audience with hellfire statements. With the privilege of having the bible comes the duty of using it carefully.
Better to pluck out one’s eye than spend forever in torment.
Jesus said that.
And to whom was he speaking? Not those who knew they were sinners needing help, but to those thinking nothing needed to be done with their sin — due to pride.
And that might as well be addressed to you. Man’s methods, man’s logic is not God’s methods and logic.
He was still talking about Hell to sinners. Don’t blame me. I didn’t write the Bible. It’s not my fault. I’m just telling you what it says.
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.