God's Love: Conditional or Unconditional?

[OneAccord]

""If your views are the truth, I am confident that Jesus, the Master Teacher, would have made it clear to us. His Words do not support your concepts and ideas. All we have to go on is what is revealed to us in His Word as the Spirit gives us understanding. ""

He did say that He spoke in parables and only those who had ears would hear. Why do you suppose He chose to be covert with His teachings rather than teaching plainly?

Mark 4:33,34 And with many parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. But without a parable He did not speak to them.

John 3:14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

"""If none are to be condemned, who was Jesus refering to?"""

It is not saying there that none are to be condemned, but that they stand condemned already. All who are born of the first Adam are born into a death sentence and stand condemned.

Jesus came into the world, sent by a merciful God, because God so loved the world, to save and redeem the condemned, and reconcile them back unto Himself.

There are those who refuse His mercy at this time and prefer to live in the darkness, rather than come into His exposing light, his firey gaze.(Rev 1:14 ....His eyes like a flame of fire...)

Eph 5:13,14 also speaks about the light exposing the darkness. In 14 Paul says "Therefore He says: Awake you who sleep, Arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light"

[OneAccord]

Thanks, OA, that clarifies a lot. Do you believe that Jesus is God?

Yes I do.

[Guest Calamity]

One of the main things I don't understand about this belief, OA, is that if all are to be reconciled to God, eventually, no matter, then why Christ, and the cross? That would be 2 ways to heaven, not one way. One way, granted, would be harder, but still it makes for 2 ways. With Jesus, entry to heaven, without Jesus, entry to heaven after being punished for a time.

John.14

[6] Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

How do you read this?

[OneAccord]

I believe that every man will have to reckon with the cross, it is a fixed point in eternity, but I don't think our opportunity to be reconciled to God through Jesus stops at the grave.

[Guest Calamity]

Heb.9

[27] And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

(judgment):

2920 // krisiv // krisis // kree'-sis //

perhaps a primitive word; TDNT - 3:941,469; n f

AV - judgment 41, damnation 3, accusation 2, condemnation 2; 48

If all has to reckon with the cross, and have a chance after death to do so, then how do you read Heb. 9:27?

[OneAccord]

Heb.9

[27] And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

(judgment):

2920

[Guest Calamity]

Where did the OT saints go, when they died, before Jesus's time? They never saw Him, but believed. Did they go to Heaven, or Abraham's Bosom, or where? If Jesus had not been crucified, ressurected and ascended in their time, where did they go? Do you think they went to Heaven before He came, died, arose, and ascended Himself?

[Guest dove2]

They had to be held in Abraham's Bosom until Jesus died. Even though they died in the flesh, they looked forward to the day of salvation. These are the only ones that ever died that Jesus will preach to. He had to preach to the Old Testament saints because they never heard the message before they died. Every person after Jesus' death, burial and resurrection has heard the message of salvation before they died.

[Matthitjah]

Peace and Jesus Christ Grace be with you all,

I would like to add that a literal interpretation of 1 Peter 3:19,20.

Would require a further explanation of why the Lord would only Preach to those lost in Noahs time while the 8 escaped. Thus leaving all the other individuals after that time up unto the point that He was crucified lacking the same attention.

I would rather draw your attention to the Spiritual.

Isa

[Matthitjah]

Bless you all,

Just one more thing.

The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

He hasn't changed. He was the same before Adam and after the fall. He was the same in the time of Noah and after the Israelites entered the land. He was the same at the time of His crucifiction and after that. David was a man after His own heart.

WHY??????

The requirements are the same as they have always been. Even today.

Peace,

Dave