What if the true nature of God will surprise us?

[ayin jade]

5 hours ago, Amigo42 said:

Very thoughtful.  Indeed, God is much than we can imagine and his mercies are more than we can know on earth.  Even Christians try to put him in a box and say he's only for us, but he has compassion on the rest of his children also.  In the end, I think God looks at did we exhibit his character which is love.

But who is His children?

John 1:12  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 
John 1:13  who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 
 

As many as received Him refers to Jesus in the context of that passage. So it is clear that those who believe in other gods are not the children of the one true God. 

[ayin jade]

4 hours ago, B-B said:

Sorry, what I mean is that it's my close family.. Sorry for any misunderstanding... I'm referring to a parent, siblings and in-laws (and their families).

I do pray for opportunities to be a witness...but as they seem fully convinced in their own minds that they each believe the 'truth', I mainly spend time in prayer for them, behind closed doors. Praying that our Lord will have mercy upon their souls, showing them that all their 'good works' are as filthy rags, that they cannot earn or merit salvation...I pray that the Lord would give them ears to hear, and eyes to see.

 

I had muslim inlaws (they divorced a few years ago), and have a muslim niece and nephews. I understand this. 

[B-B]

1 hour ago, ayin jade said:

I had muslim inlaws (they divorced a few years ago), and have a muslim niece and nephews. I understand this. 

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about the divorce... Hoping you still get to see your niece & nephews...

(My younger sister converted to Islam in her late teens. She is married to a muslim).

Edited May 28, 2022 by B-B

[The_Patriot21]

13 hours ago, Amigo42 said:

Well, it still matters because Jesus wants us to have an abundant and purpose-filled life while we're here in this life and the next.  He wants how we live to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth.

He does want us to live a purpose filled life-filled with His purpose. Our lives can only be abundant if we are following Him. 

Without accepting Christ we cannot have an abundant life....we can have a purposeful life, but it wont be for the right purpose, and it will result in hell.

[AnOrangeCat]

7 hours ago, The_Patriot21 said:

Without accepting Christ we cannot have an abundant life....we can have a purposeful life, but it wont be for the right purpose, and it will result in hell.

This is important, too. Especially in response to...

  

22 hours ago, Amigo42 said:

What if some doctrines that people think are Biblical are actually influenced by man.  The idea of hell is a great example.  The entire concept is misunderstood, misapplied, and taught incorrectly in most cases.

I'm well aware that the nature of Hell has been heavily debated and that some cite Greek influence as a heavy contributor to today's views on Hell. So far as I'm concerned? People can debate the nature of Hell all they want, but its existence can't be debated. Whatever form it may take there's something awful, undesirable, and permanent about it. If it was only a temporary thing or not so bad then what Jesus did on the cross is diminished. Jesus is the central figure of the Bible and salvation and reconciliation with God are central points. The Old Testament looks forward to that, the Gospels describe it, and the rest of the New Testament points back to it. I personally can't condone or endorse any viewpoints that downplay the importance of the Cross. Jesus died and went through a lot of suffering and humiliation to save us from something very real and awful. He wouldn't have spoken of it so vividly and more than anyone else in the Bible if it weren't so, and Revelation uses very similar imagery for confirmation.

I won't pretend to know the specifics of Hell. But I can say with certainty that I want no part of it and feel that it's a serious matter. You say you feel like Hell is misunderstood. What's your take on it and what led you to believe on it as you do?

[Amigo42]

On 5/29/2022 at 7:20 AM, AnOrangeCat said:

What's your take on it and what led you to believe on it as you do?

 

Hi, sorry for the late reply.  To answer your question.  Overall, it's a matter of logic.  On it's face, it just makes absolutely no sense for God to punish anyone with eternity in hell for a finite life of sin.  It's sick.  No God of love would do that.  That's the sinfulness of the human mind creating such a place.  Annihilationism makes more sense than that. Since God gave all of us common sense, I believe it goes without saying that He is just and hence the title of the OP, his nature is probably greatly misunderstood. 

[Mike Mclees]

21 hours ago, Amigo42 said:

 

Hi, sorry for the late reply.  To answer your question.  Overall, it's a matter of logic.  On it's face, it just makes absolutely no sense for God to punish anyone with eternity in hell for a finite life of sin.  It's sick.  No God of love would do that.  That's the sinfulness of the human mind creating such a place.  Annihilationism makes more sense than that. Since God gave all of us common sense, I believe it goes without saying that He is just and hence the title of the OP, his nature is probably greatly misunderstood. 

It is true God is a God of love, but his book is wrote for a reason. If I am  misunderstanding please correct me. Would you read his word and then countermand it. I would pray not but this sounds as that you are. How much have you read it? First why is it written. It is so we will come to know Him that he is a loving God but also just. There are reasons that many won't go to heaven . Listen to what Jesus said 7:22

"Many will say in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and did many wonderful works. and then profess unto them depart from me ye that work iniquity. 

In this pride is their downfall. The pharisees ask Jesus, " what are the two greatest commandments? "Jesus said to them, thou shalt love the Lord they God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second like unto it thou  shalt love the neighbor as thyself. 

Yes God loves us but we must also love Him and all he has commanded us. These scripture I wrote pertain to all us who are saved and not saved.   

Edited June 6, 2022 by Mike Mclees

[Amigo42]

On 6/6/2022 at 12:09 PM, Mike Mclees said:

It is true God is a God of love, but his book is wrote for a reason. If I am  misunderstanding please correct me. Would you read his word and then countermand it. I would pray not but this sounds as that you are. How much have you read it? First why is it written. It is so we will come to know Him that he is a loving God but also just. There are reasons that many won't go to heaven . Listen to what Jesus said 7:22

"Many will say in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and did many wonderful works. and then profess unto them depart from me ye that work iniquity. 

In this pride is their downfall. The pharisees ask Jesus, " what are the two greatest commandments? "Jesus said to them, thou shalt love the Lord they God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second like unto it thou  shalt love the neighbor as thyself. 

Yes God loves us but we must also love Him and all he has commanded us. These scripture I wrote pertain to all us who are saved and not saved.   

 

 

Hi thank you.  Yes, I've actually been blessed to have read the Bible three times from front to back.  I just have the view that though it was inspired it is not directly written by God.  There are parts that are simply not literally but figurative and symbolic.  The parts that are literal and historic are clearly delineated and attested to via archeology and etc.

[ayin jade]

2 hours ago, Amigo42 said:

 

 

Hi thank you.  Yes, I've actually been blessed to have read the Bible three times from front to back.  I just have the view that though it was inspired it is not directly written by God.  There are parts that are simply not literally but figurative and symbolic.  The parts that are literal and historic are clearly delineated and attested to via archeology and etc.

Im curious then. Do you regard the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as literal or figurative and symbolic?

[Jayne]

2 hours ago, Amigo42 said:

Hi thank you.  Yes, I've actually been blessed to have read the Bible three times from front to back.  I just have the view that though it was inspired it is not directly written by God.  There are parts that are simply not literally but figurative and symbolic.  The parts that are literal and historic are clearly delineated and attested to via archeology and etc.

My view is that God can and did inspire even the figurative and symbolic.

One of the psalms says that God will protect us with his feathers and his wings.  That does not, of course, mean that God is a great big chicken.

It's symbolic and even Jesus used that from his owns words.  When entering Jerusalem to die, he wept as he cried audibly for Jerusalem and said, "...how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing."

Again, that does not mean Jesus is a chicken.  Again, it's figurative.

Yet, ALL of those words were inspired of God.

It doesn't have to be literal to be inspired.