“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says...I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments—sword and famine and wild beasts and plague—to kill its men and their animals!" (Ezekiel 14:21)
DEATH by various natural phenomenon are God's four dreadful judgments. Note that there was not even a hint of eternal conscious torment after death.God has and will continue to send those four judgments ending in death during this present evil again which we live.
At the Cross, however, God through Christ Jesus revealed His plan to save all from the DEATH caused by His judgments. This salvation is the result of the LOVE of God for the "ungodly", all of whom are "powerless" to save themselves from His "wrath" - DEATH.
”You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly…God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life…” (Romans 5:6-11)
In the days of Ezekiel the Jewish religious teachers were falsely testifying that God IS NOT ANGRY and will not bring judgment. And now, after the Cross, religious leaders of all professions are saying God IS ANGRY and in His wrath He will not only bring DEATH through His Judgments, but will add ETERNAL conscious torment in hell thereafter.
Religious men are getting worse. They have always been wrong about what God has said, adding to what God actually says, or denying what God says. Jesus might say - "of what Spirit" are they?
"And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him...his disciples James and John...said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them...But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save." (Luke 9:54-56)
God has "justified" sinners to Himself by the "blood" of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his death "we were reconciled" to God. That is the gospel...the good news...the opinions of religious men notwithstanding.
For my wife, children and grandchildren..and anyone else who may be interested!
Showing posts with label eternal conscious torment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eternal conscious torment. Show all posts
The Wrath of God
“Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning…” (Psalm 30:4-6)
“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.…” (Psalm 103:8-10)
“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His loving kindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the God of gods, for His loving kindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His loving kindness is everlasting. To Him who alone does great wonders, for His loving kindness is everlasting; To Him who made the heavens with skill, for His loving kindness is everlasting; To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, for His loving kindness is everlasting…” (Psalm 136)
Those of you who insist on believing God will consign anyone to a place where "their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched" to be "tormented day and night forever and ever" should meditate on the above verses for a while. Then go to these and other verses of Scripture to which the Greek Mythological hell was applied by religious men to control their followers and “study to show yourselves approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
Don't misunderstand me. The anger and wrath of God is real and it is addressed and applied to all mankind for “the wages of sin is death” and “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and "each of us will give an account of ourselves to God". However, when I study all of the places where God’s wrath is poured out in the Bible I find that it is kindled slowly, lasts but for a moment, and then His love trumps His wrath. Joy and blessing follows as the morning comes and a new day begins, or "this present evil age" ends in a new age, or when the "former things" are past and the “new heaven and a new earth" arrives. When the plan of God is finished, He will not have lost even one of those He loves...which is the whole World! So forget the past and be confident that the best is yet to come...
“Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. The beasts of the field will glorify Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I have given waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people. The people whom I formed for Myself will declare My praise.” (Isaiah 43:18-21)
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said, Behold, I am making all things new. And He said, WRITE, for these words are faithful and true.” (Revelation 21:1-5)
“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.…” (Psalm 103:8-10)
“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His loving kindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the God of gods, for His loving kindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His loving kindness is everlasting. To Him who alone does great wonders, for His loving kindness is everlasting; To Him who made the heavens with skill, for His loving kindness is everlasting; To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, for His loving kindness is everlasting…” (Psalm 136)
Those of you who insist on believing God will consign anyone to a place where "their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched" to be "tormented day and night forever and ever" should meditate on the above verses for a while. Then go to these and other verses of Scripture to which the Greek Mythological hell was applied by religious men to control their followers and “study to show yourselves approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
Don't misunderstand me. The anger and wrath of God is real and it is addressed and applied to all mankind for “the wages of sin is death” and “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and "each of us will give an account of ourselves to God". However, when I study all of the places where God’s wrath is poured out in the Bible I find that it is kindled slowly, lasts but for a moment, and then His love trumps His wrath. Joy and blessing follows as the morning comes and a new day begins, or "this present evil age" ends in a new age, or when the "former things" are past and the “new heaven and a new earth" arrives. When the plan of God is finished, He will not have lost even one of those He loves...which is the whole World! So forget the past and be confident that the best is yet to come...
“Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. The beasts of the field will glorify Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I have given waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people. The people whom I formed for Myself will declare My praise.” (Isaiah 43:18-21)
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said, Behold, I am making all things new. And He said, WRITE, for these words are faithful and true.” (Revelation 21:1-5)
What Happened At The Cross?
Was Jesus Christ our “substitute”. Theologians believe so and sometimes refer to it as “vicarious atonement”. The doctrine can be summarize as follows: Jesus “paid the price” for our sins by dying on the cross.
Of course this is not true since both believers and unbelievers all suffer and die eventually. NOTE the catch phrases “paid the price”. You hear that all the time in church. Think about it. If Jesus paid the price for our sin and the wages of sin is death, then we should not die. Or if the horrible doctrine of eternal conscious punishment was the price for sin then Jesus would have to be eternally punished to "pay the price". Of course neither is true. Man dies and no one is eternally punished.
"God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself...and has given us the ministry of reconciliation...For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in him (Jesus), and through him to reconcile ALL things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet he has now reconciled you in his fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him (God) holy and blameless and beyond reproach.” (2 Corinthians 5:19; Colossians 1:19-22)
Romans 6:23 clearly says that...
"the wages of sin is death”
And 2 Timothy 2:11 clearly tells us that we must die in order to live...
“if we be dead with Him shall we live with Him.”
So what did Jesus actually DO at the cross? First what he did NOT do:
He did NOT take our place so that we should never have to take it. It is still our place to suffer and die. 1 Peter 4:13 tells us to rejoice that we suffer as Christ suffered...
So what did Jesus actually DO at the cross? First what he did NOT do:
He did NOT take our place so that we should never have to take it. It is still our place to suffer and die. 1 Peter 4:13 tells us to rejoice that we suffer as Christ suffered...
“rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed”
And Hebrews 9:27 tells us that all die...
“it is appointed unto men once to die, and AFTER that the judgment”.
The word “judgment” simply means the decision of what to do with us after we die. That decision has been reserved by God our Judge. And God’s judgment (decision) is to give the dead eternal life as a free gift...
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us…For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 5:8; 6:23)
Theologians have got the Church so screwed up in its man made doctrine that it is almost impossible for most people to learn and accept the TRUTH.
Christ Jesus became a man in the incarnation where he JOINED Himself to mankind, to bear the curse of suffering and death WITH us. Mankind is to be delivered OUT of death by the resurrection. Our death satisfies the penalty for sin.
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us…For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 5:8; 6:23)
Theologians have got the Church so screwed up in its man made doctrine that it is almost impossible for most people to learn and accept the TRUTH.
Christ Jesus became a man in the incarnation where he JOINED Himself to mankind, to bear the curse of suffering and death WITH us. Mankind is to be delivered OUT of death by the resurrection. Our death satisfies the penalty for sin.
Again, God has promised SINNERS the "free gift" of eternal life. This promised new and abundant life is demonstrated for us in the resurrection of Christ Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, the first fruits, who has promised to return and resurrect all mankind.
The doctrine of “substitution” denies the union of Christ Jesus with mankind. He is not our “substitute”, he is the “SAVIOR” of all who die as the "wages of sin".
We should open our eyes that they might see and give God the glory for the wonderful promise of the reconciliation and salvation of ALL sinners. Then tell people about it because that is the gospel and it is our "ministry".
The doctrine of “substitution” denies the union of Christ Jesus with mankind. He is not our “substitute”, he is the “SAVIOR” of all who die as the "wages of sin".
We should open our eyes that they might see and give God the glory for the wonderful promise of the reconciliation and salvation of ALL sinners. Then tell people about it because that is the gospel and it is our "ministry".
What about conflicting English translations of the Bible? Sincere teachers of the Bible should point out that there is a difference of opinion with regard to the translation of the oldest Greek manuscripts. Here is an example:
Matthew 25:46 King James Version
"And these will go away into everlasting (aionios) punishment (kolasis), but the righteous into eternal (aionios) life."
This verse is most frequently quoted to me to defend the false doctrine of eternal conscious torment in hell. The verse is translated by Young's Literal Translation as follows:
“And these shall go away to punishment (kolasis) age-during (aionios), but the righteous to life age-during.”
This reflects the true meaning of this verse, as originally inspired by the Holy Spirit, and it does not introduce any contradiction to Paul’s later revelation of the eventual Salvation and Reconciliation of ALL.
And when the context in which Jesus was speaking is examined it becomes clear that he is not referring to the eternal destiny of anyone…but is telling Jews where Jews would be during the Kingdom age that Messiah Jesus will establish on the present earth. An age with a definite beginning and end in which Israel would once again be the “head and not the tail” according to Moses (Deuteronomy 28:13).
Matthew 25:46 King James Version
"And these will go away into everlasting (aionios) punishment (kolasis), but the righteous into eternal (aionios) life."
This verse is most frequently quoted to me to defend the false doctrine of eternal conscious torment in hell. The verse is translated by Young's Literal Translation as follows:
“And these shall go away to punishment (kolasis) age-during (aionios), but the righteous to life age-during.”
This reflects the true meaning of this verse, as originally inspired by the Holy Spirit, and it does not introduce any contradiction to Paul’s later revelation of the eventual Salvation and Reconciliation of ALL.
And when the context in which Jesus was speaking is examined it becomes clear that he is not referring to the eternal destiny of anyone…but is telling Jews where Jews would be during the Kingdom age that Messiah Jesus will establish on the present earth. An age with a definite beginning and end in which Israel would once again be the “head and not the tail” according to Moses (Deuteronomy 28:13).
Jews who have believed God down through the centuries will be resurrected to live during that AGE and reign with Messiah, and those who do not believe will be punished by not being raised until AFTER that age is over. And by the way the Bible clearly tells us the length of the KINGDOM AGE…1000 years.
“…they did live and reign with Christ the thousand years…they shall be priests of God and of the Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." (Revelation 20:4-6)
Sometimes I wonder if some bible teachers have even read through the Bible.
“…they did live and reign with Christ the thousand years…they shall be priests of God and of the Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." (Revelation 20:4-6)
Sometimes I wonder if some bible teachers have even read through the Bible.
Are ALL things really of God? Again… ALL… things, good and evil. Listen to the Apostle Paul.
“For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are ALL things” (Romans 11:36).
“There is but one God, the Father, of whom are ALL things“ (I Corinthians 8:6).
“ALL things are of God” (I Corinthians 11:12).
“ALL things are of God” (II Corinthians 5:18).
“Him who works ALL things after the counsel of His Own will” (Ephesians 1:11).
“For whom are ALL things, and by whom are ALL things” (Hebrews 2:10).
Did God inspire Paul to say this?
Listen, you cannot just harmonize some of the Scripture. Either it all can be harmonized or none of it can be trusted.
It is absolutely necessary, in my view, for God to eventually reconcile and save all mankind if “All things are of God”…the evil as well as the good. Therefore eternal conscious torment in hell must be a false doctrine.
The bible clearly teaches that "ALL things are of God" but it also says WE can do ALL things through CHRIST.
”Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God…We have no confidence in the flesh…I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me” (2 Corinthians 3:5-6; Philippians 3:3; and 4:13)
The truth is the truth whether men believe it or not, and Jesus Christ IS the...
"Savior of the WORLD" (John 4:42)
“For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are ALL things” (Romans 11:36).
“There is but one God, the Father, of whom are ALL things“ (I Corinthians 8:6).
“ALL things are of God” (I Corinthians 11:12).
“ALL things are of God” (II Corinthians 5:18).
“Him who works ALL things after the counsel of His Own will” (Ephesians 1:11).
“For whom are ALL things, and by whom are ALL things” (Hebrews 2:10).
Did God inspire Paul to say this?
Listen, you cannot just harmonize some of the Scripture. Either it all can be harmonized or none of it can be trusted.
It is absolutely necessary, in my view, for God to eventually reconcile and save all mankind if “All things are of God”…the evil as well as the good. Therefore eternal conscious torment in hell must be a false doctrine.
The bible clearly teaches that "ALL things are of God" but it also says WE can do ALL things through CHRIST.
”Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God…We have no confidence in the flesh…I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me” (2 Corinthians 3:5-6; Philippians 3:3; and 4:13)
The truth is the truth whether men believe it or not, and Jesus Christ IS the...
"Savior of the WORLD" (John 4:42)
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