How do you answer an unbeliever?

[Charlie744]

16 hours ago, Riverwalker said:

This question was inspired by a question asked by  bk1110 

https://www.worthychristianforums.com/topic/264760-your-go-to-verses-for-evangelism/

I have locked horns with many unbelievers and atheists over the years and their questions have been challenging and as Christians I thought it would be useful if WE posted some here WITH THE ANSWERS we would give them. To help us prepare.

For Instance:

Q "How can a loving God send someone to hell"

A "He is trying to do everything to save you from hell, because he loves you. He sent his son to pay the price for your sin.  But as with all love, it cannot be forced on a person, it is offered, then accepted or rejected. If you reject the love of God, then you reject his salvation and you are the one who has chosen to go to hell" 

Your Turn

If you have been confronted with a question you do not know the answer to, post it here as well.

You are right... there are so many questions they can throw at you that may be extremely difficult to answer...... and just how can we have such a deep understanding of the knowledge of God who put this whole thing together and come up with an answer only HE has......

God NEVER sends anyone to hell...... HE has sent ONE to us to ensure we do not go to hell...... We must take responsibility for the CHOICES we make....... we as adults are really not much better than our children when it comes to accepting responsibility for our decisions....... 

Like growing kids, we want to make our own decisions.... we don't want our parents to tell us what to do any longer.... but they do not want to be subjected to the consequences of those same choices..... we are not too much different.

We may not want to obey HIS 10 commandments or we want to do what WE think is good enough.... "I am a good person, I should not go to hell......",  well that is fine when YOU create the universe and set up your own laws..... 

If God gave us the 10 commandments and we were going to be judged on them then we would have a problem and no one would pass the test...... but God provided us with the means to avoid this judgement and all we have to do is to say "yes" to HIS sacrifice for us...... but still there are billions who refuse to surrender...... there still maybe millions of folks on this planet that have yet to hear the Word of God, but there are billions who have and refused to accept HIS gift......

Just some random thoughts, Charlie

[Riverwalker]

9 hours ago, Omegaman 3.0 said:

The goal here is not to win an argument, or appear to be smart, that is ego, and has no place in this. You goal should be to look at this as a sub-species of envangelism.

Amen the goal here is to save souls.  If they are asking questions, then something inside is niggling at them, and if you can push aside the flimsy walls of their defense, you have a chance to reach hearts.

I am not an apologeticist (is that a word ). I do not seek to argue someone into a corner or try and convince them to be saved, I just want to follow the word

2 Corinthians 10:5

casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

And this has a two fold effect, you might reach the unbeliever, or not. But you will also reach any believer who may be wavering because they hear/read the question and did not know the answer

[Guest kingdombrat]

21 hours ago, johnthebaptist said:

How can a loving God send a person to hell? I don't think most people understand hell.

This is the nail in the coffin to most staunch unbelievers.   Kind of funny when you realize they believe they found a loophole to Reason their own choices and values in life.   And then you [pop] their raspberries with [God sends everyone, even Believers in Him like myself straight to hell when we all die].   The many Biblical usages and words used for Hell connect to the word that means GRAVE!   And the specific words to mean a [Burning Hell] are meant for the Fallen Angels described by ***Peter.*** And you call yourselves intellectuals? 

 

***I believe the Rich Man/Lazarus/Father Abraham story is a RCC add in because the entire story has the Rich Man bartering like Purgatory Conditions.   The Jews themselves have NEVER preached/taught/believed in a [SINNERS] Burning Hell.   So why would Yeshua (Jesus) try to connect to the Jews about something they've NEVER BEEN TAUGHT TO THEM BY GOD?   He wouldn't.    And the term [Gnashing Teeth] was in those days a term one said to get peoples attention or a response like being a smart mouth, and the Jews were most familiar with the usage of this term.   To say Gnashing Teeth, is me replying to a False Lie and yelling, You are Just Kidding me Right, when I ultimately should be saying You're a Liar?/!***

Edited April 14, 2021 by kingdombrat

[missmuffet]

21 hours ago, Riverwalker said:

This question was inspired by a question asked by  bk1110 

https://www.worthychristianforums.com/topic/264760-your-go-to-verses-for-evangelism/

I have locked horns with many unbelievers and atheists over the years and their questions have been challenging and as Christians I thought it would be useful if WE posted some here WITH THE ANSWERS we would give them. To help us prepare.

For Instance:

Q "How can a loving God send someone to hell"

A "He is trying to do everything to save you from hell, because he loves you. He sent his son to pay the price for your sin.  But as with all love, it cannot be forced on a person, it is offered, then accepted or rejected. If you reject the love of God, then you reject his salvation and you are the one who has chosen to go to hell" 

Your Turn

If you have been confronted with a question you do not know the answer to, post it here as well.

God doesn't send some0ne to hell they send themselves to hell for not believeing in Jesus Christ. 

[Riverwalker]

11 minutes ago, kingdombrat said:

[God sends everyone, even Believers in Him like myself straight to hell when we all die]. 

I disagree with this

Ephesians 2:6 And He raised us up together with Him [when we believed], and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, [because we are] in Christ Jesus,

2nd Corinthians 5:

2 Corinthians 5:8

we are [as I was saying] of good courage and confident hope, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

While Hell is the grave, it is nominated as the place where the lost await Judgement day, and then if their name is not found in the Lambs book of life they are thrown into the lake of fire where they meet their second (eternal) death

Heaven is the place where the saved await resurrection day.

Neither heaven nor hell are permanent. but rather they are waiting places for the time to come

Amplified

Revelation 20:11 And I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them [for this heaven and earth are passing away]. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the Book of Life; and the dead were judged according to what they had done as written in the books [that is, everything done while on earth]. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and Hades (the realm of the dead) surrendered the dead who were in them; and they were judged and sentenced, every one according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades [the realm of the dead] were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire [the eternal separation from God]. 15 And if [e]anyone’s name was not found [f]written in the Book of Life, he was hurled into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away (vanished), and there is no longer any [a]sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, arrayed like a bride adorned for her husband; 3 and then I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “See! The tabernacle of God is among men, and He will live among them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them [a 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be death; there will no longer be sorrow and anguish, or crying, or pain; for the former order of things has passed away.”

[Guest kingdombrat]

18 minutes ago, Riverwalker said:

I disagree with this

Ephesians 2:6 And He raised us up together with Him [when we believed], and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, [because we are] in Christ Jesus,

2nd Corinthians 5:

2 Corinthians 5:8

we are [as I was saying] of good courage and confident hope, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

While Hell is the grave, it is nominated as the place where the lost await Judgement day, and then if their name is not found in the Lambs book of life they are thrown into the lake of fire where they meet their second (eternal) death

Heaven is the place where the saved await resurrection day.

Neither heaven nor hell are permanent. but rather they are waiting places for the time to come

Amplified

Revelation 20:11 And I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them [for this heaven and earth are passing away]. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the Book of Life; and the dead were judged according to what they had done as written in the books [that is, everything done while on earth]. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and Hades (the realm of the dead) surrendered the dead who were in them; and they were judged and sentenced, every one according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades [the realm of the dead] were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire [the eternal separation from God]. 15 And if [e]anyone’s name was not found [f]written in the Book of Life, he was hurled into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away (vanished), and there is no longer any [a]sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, arrayed like a bride adorned for her husband; 3 and then I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “See! The tabernacle of God is among men, and He will live among them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them [a 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be death; there will no longer be sorrow and anguish, or crying, or pain; for the former order of things has passed away.”

I am talking the physical body after DEATH is immediately placed into HELL (Grave).  

Edited April 14, 2021 by kingdombrat

[Guest kingdombrat]

11 minutes ago, Riverwalker said:

I disagree with this

Ephesians 2:6 And He raised us up together with Him [when we believed], and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, [because we are] in Christ Jesus,

2nd Corinthians 5:

2 Corinthians 5:8

we are [as I was saying] of good courage and confident hope, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

While Hell is the grave, it is nominated as the place where the lost await Judgement day, and then if their name is not found in the Lambs book of life they are thrown into the lake of fire where they meet their second (eternal) death

Heaven is the place where the saved await resurrection day.

Neither heaven nor hell are permanent. but rather they are waiting places for the time to come

Amplified

Revelation 20:11 And I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them [for this heaven and earth are passing away]. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the Book of Life; and the dead were judged according to what they had done as written in the books [that is, everything done while on earth]. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and Hades (the realm of the dead) surrendered the dead who were in them; and they were judged and sentenced, every one according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades [the realm of the dead] were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire [the eternal separation from God]. 15 And if [e]anyone’s name was not found [f]written in the Book of Life, he was hurled into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away (vanished), and there is no longer any [a]sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, arrayed like a bride adorned for her husband; 3 and then I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “See! The tabernacle of God is among men, and He will live among them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them [a 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be death; there will no longer be sorrow and anguish, or crying, or pain; for the former order of things has passed away.”

I absolutely agree 100%

 

*if what I meant was more than at physical DEATH, the body whether it's like Sarah/Abraham put into a Cave, placed into a dug out hole, lost at Sea, burnt to Ashes, left to rot, whatever the circumstance may be, Theoretically Speaking, is known as Hell, the Grave.   If I would've eluded to anything more, your Response is [Spot On Target] all the way!

[Daniel Marsh]

On 4/13/2021 at 2:54 PM, Riverwalker said:

This question was inspired by a question asked by  bk1110 

https://www.worthychristianforums.com/topic/264760-your-go-to-verses-for-evangelism/

I have locked horns with many unbelievers and atheists over the years and their questions have been challenging and as Christians I thought it would be useful if WE posted some here WITH THE ANSWERS we would give them. To help us prepare.

For Instance:

Q "How can a loving God send someone to hell"

A "He is trying to do everything to save you from hell, because he loves you. He sent his son to pay the price for your sin.  But as with all love, it cannot be forced on a person, it is offered, then accepted or rejected. If you reject the love of God, then you reject his salvation and you are the one who has chosen to go to hell" 

Your Turn

If you have been confronted with a question you do not know the answer to, post it here as well.

I start out by asking them if they really want an answer or are they just rattling cages?  then discuss John 3:16-17 with them