Posted on 08/01/2013 8:41:18 PM PDT by pastorbillrandles
If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.(Revelation 14:9-11)
This generation has a hard time accepting the long-standing Christian doctrine of the certainty of Hell, eternal punishment and the wrath of God. How could it be that simply for sinning, or unbelief, that one would have to suffer in the lake of fire for eternity? Doesn’t that seem extreme?
As I suggest in the title, they just don’t “get” hell, and as a consequence, in many formerly evangelical churches,by and large the doctrine is being jettisoned, as if it is an outdated ‘relic’ from the harsh,judgmental past.
One very important reason for this defection from orthodoxy, has to do with the lowered standard of preaching in the churches. All too often, particularly lacking is the exposition of the doctrine of God; his Glory, Majesty, attributes and perfections.
There have never been so many christian churches, teachings, books,seminars or conferences, but rarely do these sermons hold forth the doctrine of God. The vision of “the only true God”, is all but gone for too many christians, therefore it is difficult to believe in Hell and even to perceive the necessity of the cross.
The most important aspect to any person’s character is how they see God. This is the determining factor in every other area of life, it controls how they relate to others, how they live in marriage, business, family, how they parent, everything revolves around how one sees God. (This is true of everybody, even ‘Atheists’). All personal problems are theological in nature.
In order to believe in Hell and judgment, as Jesus, and the apostles described it, one must believe that there is a Divine person,GOD, who is so exalted, so high and lifted up, so Holy and awesome, that to reject and to spurn him, is to spurn goodness itself! Could there be anyone so “high and lifted up”?
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.(Isaiah 6:1-5)
The issue of sin and damnation isn’t so much a matter of what we actually did to deserve hell, rather it is more a matter of who we did it against, who we rebelled against, spurned, rejected, and disowned!
David, the adulterer, murderer and national stumbling block, confessed to the God whom he had grieved, ,“Against You, You only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight…”(Psalm 51)
When we are given some sense of God in his majesty, Holiness and goodness, it becomes easier for us to believe in an ultimate banishment from all that is pleasant and good as the just judgment of those who reject God.
We are told by eyewitnesses to the Lewis revival of the 1950′s, that when the LORD Sovereignly revealed himself to teenagers at a dance, they fell on their faces and many separately confessed, “Hell would be too good for me O LORD….for I have seen you…have mercy upon me a sinner!”
Similarly, the suffering and agony of the cross of Jesus is difficult for this generation to grasp. There are new teachings, denying the wrath of God as being somehow beneath an “All loving God”. Worse yet there are those who reject the doctrine of propitiation, that is that Jesus died as a satisfaction for our sins.
They simply do not see that sin is “that bad”.Nor does this egalitarian generation believe that anyone at all is above them, let alone that God is “That awesome”; so high and lifted up, that it took nothing less than the suffering, agony and rejection of the man who is “The Lord from heaven”, to save us from eternal damnation.
But we behold in the cross of Jesus the awful holiness and righteousness of God, as well as His mercy and compassion. We shudder at the sight of the crucified Messiah, fixed between heaven and earth, and in trembling awe we ask ourselves,”Is this what it took to redeem us” ?
If they could but get a glimpse of who God is, perhaps this generation would be able once again to see the eternal danger they are in, and flee the wrath to come. Is this what the Proverbs taught us when Wisdom said,
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and,b> the knowledge of the holy is understanding.(Proverbs 9:10) ?
Oh for that understanding to be poured out on this erring generation!
Welcome to FR. What was your previous screen name?
The notion of a sadistic, capricious tyrant who treats people like captives of Ariel Castro isn’t exactly inspiring.
It isn't exactly true either.
For that matter, it isn't true at all.
If I believed what you did about God, I wouldn't believe in Him either, but He's not like that. I don't blame you for rejecting that image of God. It deserves to be rejected.
Well, it does classify that the mark is for the purpose of being able to buy and sell, so that would kind of preclude the idea that it's a mark on our character or personality.
Hmmm ... the newbie sounds a bit like Dawkins.
Maybe you should look outside the premillenial lens, since it tends to distort one’s vision. That said, much of Revelation is hard to interpret, but the mark appears to be a physical mark received through conscious effort on the part of willing participant. Take the mark or don’t eat. Easy choice, right?
Still, just to put forth a thought here, look at, say, Paula Dean, or that football player that said the ‘n’ word this week. Especially in the case of Paula, they are destroying her career. Of course she will still have money and be able to buy and sell, but what about some poor smuck in the future, when PC has become much worse? And suppose he says it about homosexuals, or heck, maybe at that time pedophilic serial killers will be demanding their civil rights?
I believe that most Bible passages can be read on more than one level, although, I believe that if you skip over the lower, more obvious, levels to skip to the higher ones you will come to serious grief with your interpretations.
Pretty typical atheist excuses that I’ve seen and heard before.
And your answer is just right - If that was who God was, you’re right to reject Him.
“They don’t accept that there are consequences for their actions”
Because there never have been. The Dr. Spock, read:lazy, parents have raised several generations of spoiled brats. They have never had to face consequences and their parents are stunned when they ever do. They won’t even raise their voices at their children they are so lazy and incompetent.
Republican?
On the “mark” issue, it’s pretty clear that NO ONE can buy or sell without it, in any manner whatsoever.
This would require an absolutely intrusive surveillance state that is starting to come to fruition.
I do believe we’re in the season of the Lord’s Return.
Typical of a “I wanna be my own god so I’ll find an excuse to reject the Real Thing.”
Sounds like a bunch of evos who were invited to leave FR.
Thanks
“the article is about not getting/acknowledging/comprehending hell”
My mother hands out copies of the Celestine Prophecy like candy. What was that again?
So God, showing Himself manifestly merciful and strong in delivering the Hebrews from generational bondage (regardless if you believe that, or other things, we are dealing with your interpretation of Scripture), and in defeating wicked enemies, and (after evidencing His power and high intent for them) enters into a consensual covenant with them, in which He is faithful, but they repeatedly are not, and chastises them when they fall away, to turn them to the good way;
And calls them to worship God above all else, not because He needs anything, but because it is right and what is best, as He is alone is totally righteous, eternal and Almighty, and cannot fail, unlike the created things man worships instead;
And who forms character thru trials, and blesses obedience, as a precursor to what He and will do forever, far outweighing the trials of this life, while offering grace to the wicked that he should repent, and after much long-suffering, judges the impenitent, though not fully now but eternally;
Renders God to be "a sadistic, capricious tyrant who treats people like captives of Ariel Castro?" And that all who believe in Him, with the untold multitudes of hymns testifying to their personal experience of Him, as being delusional souls, which should be supplanted the by the supposedly more "brite" atheists?
That has been tried before, with negative results, as the objectively baseless moral reasoning of atheism can just as easily justify whatever evil it sees as "reasonable," working evil as much or worse as false religion with its bloody jihads and inquisitions.
Is it possible that your view of God is related to your view of your father or some other authority figure? I say this as it has been my experience with militant atheists that they refuse to even allow as a possibility that the God of the Bible exists and is contrary to your (assassination of) characterization of Him
And some it seems post on this official pro-God forum in their desire to express a basic animosity toward God and authority (though you have only signed up).
Wow, someone who gets it. Post of the day, and the day is young.
Premillienialist views distort one’s vision??
Perhaps, but perhaps not, either.
What view would you espouse then? I’m willing to consider all views, but wii make up my own mind. Including about the Revelation.
“The bizarre superstitions of Bronze Age goat herders are finally losing their hold over the mind of modern man?”
Glad to know you have all the answers to the universe. Maybe you could share the wisdom of your age and tell us all how it is, oh Arrogant One.
How much of what there is to know do these “brites” think they know?
That’s a huge question when they go about criticizing God.
Bump and bookmark for excellent essay
That's where the downfall starts...Watering down the 'fear' of the Lord...
Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. Heb 10:28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Heb 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant,
wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Heb 10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Luk 23:29 For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.
Luk 23:30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.
The 'fear' of the Lord to the unsaved is and should be very real...
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