Romans 8:38-39

[Marston]

When I read this I can only conclude that all people will eventually be in God's Kingdom. How about it?

 

 

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[other one]

Remember that the writer is speaking about people who had accepted Jesus as their savior, not the whole world.

[Marston]

2 hours ago, other one said:

Remember that the writer is speaking about people who had accepted Jesus as their savior, not the whole world.

Great point. Indeed, the first verse of the chapter says "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

[farouk]

18 minutes ago, Marston said:

Great point. Indeed, the first verse of the chapter says "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Remember also that verse 4 of Romans 8 speaks of walking 'not after the flesh, but after the Spirit'.

[farouk]

It's a most glorious chapter, Romans 8.................

[Marston]

This discussion reminds of this meme that I recently encountered. The idea that God forsakes his own creation FOREVER doesn't make any sense to me.

[timf]

Romans 8 is an uplifting chapter. I think it works well with chapter 7. In chapter seven Paul writes about how frustrating it was to try to keep the law in his flesh. In chapter 8 we read about the solution to the problem by walking in the Spirit (ref Gal. 5).

The transition one can see is at the end of chapter 7.

Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

It is interesting that the solution is not a what or a how, but a who.

Rom 7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

[AdHoc]

On 3/17/2025 at 8:26 PM, Marston said:

This discussion reminds of this meme that I recently encountered. The idea that God forsakes his own creation FOREVER doesn't make any sense to me.

God's love is real, virile and easily evoked. But He has the full palate of emotions, and so He can get angry, vengeful and hateful. The most remarkable occasion for His hate was the brother of Jacob - Esau. Esau was the firstborn. The firstborn received a double portion and carried on the family name. Esau gave up a double portion of the Good Land, and he despised his parents by marrying Canaanite women. But above all he despised God for it was God's choice who was born first. Can you imagine what he gave away? He should have been part of Jesus' genealogy - " The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Esau"!

Such an affront to the AllMighty cannot go unanswered and Esau is hated. But bad apples make rooms for worms and we find in Isaiah 66:22-24 that those who took on God, will Land in the Lake of Fire - "prepared for the Devil and his Angels". But the word "hell" actually does not appear in the original Bible. Three pictures are used interchangeably - 1.The Lake of Fire, 2. Gehenna, and 3. the Second Death. These are one-word pictures of the Greek word for "perdition", which means - not annihilation, but "exquisite lack of well-being". The description is "their fire can not be quenched and their worm will not die". Notice the word "THEIR". This suffering is very personal and commensurate with the offense. "Perdition" is not a place. It is a condition defined in Matthew 10:28 - inflicted by God.

So we can do away with that picture above. Hell is not a creature. It is a state. But above this horrific threat - one that made our Lord Jesus sweat blood - is the sure knowledge that God keeps His promises. Woe to the man who hears of what Jesus has done for men and the earth, and does not embrace it.

[D. Adrien]

On 4/1/2025 at 5:56 PM, AdHoc said:

God's love is real, virile and easily evoked. But He has the full palate of emotions, and so He can get angry, vengeful and hateful. The most remarkable occasion for His hate was the brother of Jacob - Esau. Esau was the firstborn. The firstborn received a double portion and carried on the family name. Esau gave up a double portion of the Good Land, and he despised his parents by marrying Canaanite women. But above all he despised God for it was God's choice who was born first. Can you imagine what he gave away? He should have been part of Jesus' genealogy - " The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Esau"!

Such an affront to the AllMighty cannot go unanswered and Esau is hated. But bad apples make rooms for worms and we find in Isaiah 66:22-24 that those who took on God, will Land in the Lake of Fire - "prepared for the Devil and his Angels". But the word "hell" actually does not appear in the original Bible. Three pictures are used interchangeably - 1.The Lake of Fire, 2. Gehenna, and 3. the Second Death. These are one-word pictures of the Greek word for "perdition", which means - not annihilation, but "exquisite lack of well-being". The description is "their fire can not be quenched and their worm will not die". Notice the word "THEIR". This suffering is very personal and commensurate with the offense. "Perdition" is not a place. It is a condition defined in Matthew 10:28 - inflicted by God.

So we can do away with that picture above. Hell is not a creature. It is a state. But above this horrific threat - one that made our Lord Jesus sweat blood - is the sure knowledge that God keeps His promises. Woe to the man who hears of what Jesus has done for men and the earth, and does not embrace it.

I give thanks that Paradise will be without sinners!

[AdHoc]

1 hour ago, D. Adrien said:

I give thanks that Paradise will be without sinners!

Amen, and I also give thanks that sinners could enter paradise through the One non-sinner.

God bless.