What if the true nature of God will surprise us?

[Marathoner]

I'll respond to the OP.
 

On 5/24/2022 at 7:32 AM, Amigo42 said:

Religions around the world think that theirs is the true and right one including ours.

Human nature, my friend.

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (Proverbs 14:12 KJV)
 

On 5/24/2022 at 7:32 AM, Amigo42 said:

Some think that people of other faiths will not see heaven.  Even within the Christian religion some groups think that other groups must follow their specific way to make it to heaven.  So, what really is the truth?  The truth might surprise us and may not jive with what we have learned.

This is fallacy. False equivalence to be certain though in most cases people combine a few different fallacies, rolling them up into a discordant whole. First, not all religions teach the existence of heaven. Second, not all religions teach perfection is possible or even desired; third, some religions teach that souls are reincarnated following a path to eventual perfection; fourth, some religions are so far out there as to defy the premises you've established in this topic. 

To answer your question, "So, what really is the truth?", you ought to know that answer already. 

Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:5-6 NASB)

Jesus Christ is the truth. The truth is only surprising to one who doesn't know Him, @Amigo42. There is only one way to God the Father, and it is through His only begotten Son whom He sent. We also know that religion saves/delivers no one for according to the old-fashioned vernacular, religion encompasses the conduct of a person. A person's conduct is indeed influenced by their resident beliefs and even belief systems, which is what religion has come to mean in the modern lexicon.
 

On 5/24/2022 at 7:32 AM, Amigo42 said:

From a common sense perspective, God IS the creator of ALL people.  God loves all people.  Jesus's central message is that God is love.  I personally believe that God looks down upon ALL of his creation with compassion, kindness, and love.  He looks upon us with pity because he sees all of the unnecessary divisions and misconceptions.

From a "common sense" perspective, God is the creator of all things seen and unseen. Did you know that the Son of God created all things seen and unseen?

Some of your assertions appear sound, but others miss the mark. Yes, God is indeed love and so our Father loves every one of us, even those who work iniquity. He is patient and longsuffering for their sake, but to characterize the judgment of God the Father as being concerned with unnecessary divisions and misconceptions is error. Man is guilty of every evil and act of wickedness under the sun and this, my friend, is the judgment of the Almighty. You don't have to take my word for it.

What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written:

“There is no righteous person, not even one;
There is no one who understands,
There is no one who seeks out God;
They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt;
There is no one who does good,
There is not even one.”
“Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,”
“The venom of asps is under their lips”;
“Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;
“Their feet are swift to shed blood,
Destruction and misery are in their paths,
And they have not known the way of peace.”
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
(Romans 3:9-18 NASB)

I think that's sufficient for the matter at hand. In the interests of saving space and keeping this post on point we do indeed hear from God, so the deist assertion that God is impersonal, distant, and unknowable is proven false. God has come to us in Jesus Christ, and He speaks to us even now through the Spirit of the Lord who reasons with all men.

God reasons with men not to convict us that all religions are true in their own way... that there is more than one gate to the Father... that all souls are a part of Him... that the truth is impossible to grasp and know... that knowledge of God is acquired through mysticism, esoteric discipline, and the like... but that man does not believe Jesus Christ whom our Father sent. 

The Lord convicts us all of what is read in that passage from Romans 3 shared above. I will pray for you.

Edited May 26, 2022 by Marathoner
formatting

[B-B]

10 minutes ago, Marathoner said:

I'll respond to the OP.
 

Human nature, my friend.

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (Proverbs 14:12 KJV)
 

This is fallacy. False equivalence to be certain though in most cases people combine a few different fallacies, rolling them up into a discordant whole. First, not all religions teach the existence of heaven. Second, not all religions teach perfection is possible or even desired; third, some religions teach that souls are reincarnated following a path to eventual perfection; fourth, some religions are so far out there as to defy the premises you've established in this topic. 

To answer your question, "So, what really is the truth?", you ought to know that answer already. 

Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:5-6 NASB)

Jesus Christ is the truth. The truth is only surprising to one who doesn't know Him, @Amigo42. There is only one way to God the Father, and it is through His only begotten Son whom He sent. We also know that religion saves/delivers no one for according to the old-fashioned vernacular, religion encompasses the conduct of a person. A person's conduct is indeed influenced by their resident beliefs and even belief systems, which is what religion has come to mean in the modern lexicon.
 

From a "common sense" perspective, God is the creator of all things seen and unseen. Did you know that the Son of God created all things seen and unseen?

Some of your assertions appear sound, but others miss the mark. Yes, God is indeed love and so our Father loves every one of us, even those who work iniquity. He is patient and longsuffering for their sake, but to characterize the judgment of God the Father as being concerned with unnecessary divisions and misconceptions is error. Man is guilty of every evil and act of wickedness under the sun and this, my friend, is the judgment of the Almighty. You don't have to take my word for it.

What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written:

“There is no righteous person, not even one;
There is no one who understands,
There is no one who seeks out God;
They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt;
There is no one who does good,
There is not even one.”
“Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,”
“The venom of asps is under their lips”;
“Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;
“Their feet are swift to shed blood,
Destruction and misery are in their paths,
And they have not known the way of peace.”
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
(Romans 3:9-18 NASB)

I think that's sufficient for the matter at hand. In the interests of saving space and keeping this post on point we do indeed hear from God, so the deist assertion that God is impersonal, distant, and unknowable is proven false. God has come to us in Jesus Christ, and He speaks to us even now through the Spirit of the Lord who reasons with all men.

God reasons with men not to convict us that all religions are true in their own way... that there is more than one gate to the Father... that all souls are a part of Him... that the truth is impossible to grasp and know... that knowledge of God is acquired through mysticism, esoteric discipline, and the like... but that man does not believe Jesus Christ whom our Father sent. 

The Lord convicts us all of what is read in the passage from Romans 3 I shared above. I will pray for you.

Excellent 

[Marathoner]

5 hours ago, B-B said:

Because He is loving, He must chastise and rebuke, because He is loving, He must repay iniquity & injustice, because He is loving, He feels jealousy for His people....etc.

Excellent. The attributes of the Lord are an entirely edifying study which takes us through the scriptures in their entirety, once again rebuking the notion that it is impossible to know God. 

The Lord God has revealed Himself to man! Ah, but because He is merciful and remembers that our frame is dust our Father in heaven, whom no man has seen at any time, sent His Son to be born to a woman under the Law: Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.

His Son is the express image of the invisible God so that, having witnessed Him, man has witnessed God with us (Emmanuel). No man nor woman perished on account of witnessing Christ Jesus, so His coming is magnified according to the many attributes of God. Yes, He came to become sin for us all so that we might be justified in the sight of God the Father, who is greater than all. 

And He came so man in his estate of dust should not perish in the presence of the Almighty. Sorry, I babbled for a bit. His attributes are the most wonderful and edifying study.   

[The_Patriot21]

5 hours ago, B-B said:

I completely agree with your post...I would only like to add that I believe that all of God's attributes actually stem from His great love.

Because He is loving, He must chastise and rebuke, because He is loving, He must repay iniquity & injustice, because He is loving, He feels jealousy for His people....etc.

Absolutely they all stem from love...that is His base attribute...Im just saying that if ones definition of love is not sending anyone to hell for any reason...then theyre in for one heck of a shock.

[B-B]

34 minutes ago, Marathoner said:

Sorry, I babbled for a bit.

Not at all! Tis all good stuff 😊

[B-B]

7 minutes ago, The_Patriot21 said:

.Im just saying that if ones definition of love is not sending anyone to hell for any reason...then theyre in for one heck of a shock.

Yes...you are right...

[The_Patriot21]

1 hour ago, B-B said:

Yes...you are right...

Lol i apologize i just re read my reply and i realized it may have sounded like i was arguing with you, which was not my intent. My intent was to express my firm agreement with you that is all. I apologize for any misunderstanding.

[B-B]

8 minutes ago, The_Patriot21 said:

Lol i apologize i just re read my reply and i realized it may have sounded like i was arguing with you, which was not my intent. My intent was to express my firm agreement with you that is all. I apologize for any misunderstanding.

Oh gosh not at all 😊 I truly didn’t think you were arguing. Please, no need to apologise 😊

[ayin jade]

11 hours ago, The_Patriot21 said:

Lol i apologize i just re read my reply and i realized it may have sounded like i was arguing with you, which was not my intent. My intent was to express my firm agreement with you that is all. I apologize for any misunderstanding.

Pat doesnt argue???

 

 

 

 

Couldnt resist

[The_Patriot21]

6 hours ago, ayin jade said:

Pat doesnt argue???

 

 

 

 

Couldnt resist

Ive actually been trying really hard not to...I mean while we both know I'm always right, convincing others of that can be quite time consuming.