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ROSSELLA

Guest
Sound's strange that you'd not believe in God, but still believe in his heaven and hell.

Yeah that sounds contradictive.
Accepting God is different than merely believing He exists. My father and most of my family believes God exists and believes in Heaven and Hell, but haven't accepted Him as their savior the way the Bible mandates. They believe all religions are right. Contradictory, yes. But that's what they believe.
 
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ROSSELLA

Guest
Hell or to be more precise the Eternal lake of fire acts as a motivator to make people seriously investigate God.. If there are very serious eternal future consequences to ones response to the will of God then that fear acts as a great motivator for people to find out what Gods will is... And as the scriptures say The Fear of God is the begging of all wisdom.. And that fear is real fear.. But the scriptures also reveal that once a person discovers the completed will of God for mankind then that revelation of His love for us removes all fear..

1 John 4: KJV

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that

feareth is not made perfect in love.
I agree. It's probably the most common reason people seek God. And when I say it's a factor, I don't mean to imply it's not a serious factor. But believing Hell exists doesn't stop a lot of people from walking away from God anyway. Maybe they don't fully understand it, but the world is full of people who choose to accept Jesus while still believing God, Heaven, and He'll exist.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
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It is perfectly rational and exceedingly sane to fear one who can destroy you.
Knowing God can destroy us is not to say He wants to, though. He takes no
delight in the death of the wicked, desiring that all turn to Him for life.
 
D

Depleted

Guest
Leave the thread or the forums, your call.
Really? You're willing to have others decide for you if you stay on this site, but you insist on making your own decision against God?

Wow, dude! Can I talk you into buying some land just east of Atlantic City on my say-so too?
 
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JustWhoIAm

Guest
This thread has officially disintegrated into mush. Tragic, really, the theme was a nice idea.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
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This thread has officially disintegrated into mush. Tragic, really, the theme was a nice idea.
Mush? I do not understand what you mean. God is love. That I do understand :)
 
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JustWhoIAm

Guest
Mush? I do not understand what you mean. God is love. That I do understand :)
I think our brains get in the way sometimes, myself included.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
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I think our brains get in the way sometimes, myself included.
Sure. And our minds are often the cause for many sins, including the unforgivable sin of blasphemy, denying the work of the Holy Spirit of God, which is born of the pride of life. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. The whole idea of God torturing and tormenting people in hell is repugnant, really, on so many levels, one cannot help but sympathize with non believers for railing against it. Too many Christians however support the idea, and rationalize it as being consistent with God's nature, goodness, mercy, justice, grace, and love. They will say such things as how the soul is immortal though it is never said to be in Scripture. In fact, Scripture says only God is immortal.
 

88

Senior Member
Nov 14, 2016
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Sure. And our minds are often the cause for many sins, including the unforgivable sin of blasphemy, denying the work of the Holy Spirit of God, which is born of the pride of life. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. The whole idea of God torturing and tormenting people in hell is repugnant, really, on so many levels, one cannot help but sympathize with non believers for railing against it. Too many Christians however support the idea, and rationalize it as being consistent with God's nature, goodness, mercy, justice, grace, and love. They will say such things as how the soul is immortal though it is never said to be in Scripture. In fact, Scripture says only God is immortal.
*****I'm not a fan of Hell----just thinking out loud though----If God doesn't punish people in Hell (at least for a designated period before destruction) wouldn't that be weird----Hitler is punished the same as a person down the street who is a good family man----but never accepted Christ...
 
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JustWhoIAm

Guest
Sure. And our minds are often the cause for many sins, including the unforgivable sin of blasphemy, denying the work of the Holy Spirit of God, which is born of the pride of life. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. The whole idea of God torturing and tormenting people in hell is repugnant, really, on so many levels, one cannot help but sympathize with non believers for railing against it. Too many Christians however support the idea, and rationalize it as being consistent with God's nature, goodness, mercy, justice, grace, and love. They will say such things as how the soul is immortal though it is never said to be in Scripture. In fact, Scripture says only God is immortal.
Maybe, maybe not. The end of the book has everybody raised and judged at the passing of this earth. Not that I want to argue...

LOL
 

88

Senior Member
Nov 14, 2016
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****I hate the idea of Hell and Punishment like most people----even children do naturally-----I know we must adhere to God's Word---to put our own [h=3]The Punishment of the Wicked - Christian Faith[/h]sentiment or feelings before God's Truth is dangerous...
 
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JustWhoIAm

Guest
Love is not rational. That is a problem, and so is an unfathomable God.
 

88

Senior Member
Nov 14, 2016
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Thinking about Hell is what got me saved----40 years ago driving back from the liquor store---bought some Jim Beam bourbon--driving over a bridge looking at the Sears Tower in downtown Chicago----I heard a voice say----what if Hell is real...
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
55,957
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Maybe, maybe not. The end of the book has everybody raised and judged at the passing of this earth. Not that I want to argue...

LOL
True, we are all resurrected, and we are all judged, the lost according to their deeds and held to the standard of the law because they have rejected the grace of God, and then they pass into the second death, and believers according to what we have done in Christ, for all else is burnt away and counts for nothing. There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, and perfect love casts out fear. Love may not be rational but yet we experience it and know it to be... important at the very least, and highly valued, even if much distorted in our faulty human understanding.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
55,957
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*****I'm not a fan of Hell----just thinking out loud though----If God doesn't punish people in Hell (at least for a designated period before destruction) wouldn't that be weird----Hitler is punished the same as a person down the street who is a good family man----but never accepted Christ...
Why would it be weird? God is no respecter of persons. The lost are judged according to the law. Hell gets thrown into the Lake of Fire.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
55,957
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Thinking about Hell is what got me saved----40 years ago driving back from the liquor store---bought some Jim Beam bourbon--driving over a bridge looking at the Sears Tower in downtown Chicago----I heard a voice say----what if Hell is real...
Of course it is real. It is the grave, and we all go there :)
 

JesusLives

Senior Member
Oct 11, 2013
14,551
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[SUP]Magenta posting this for you on eternal hell.... after cities burned up fire went a out as they are not still burning today but Jude 7 refers to it as eternal fire....

Jude:


7
[/SUP]as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
55,957
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[SUP]Magenta posting this for you on eternal hell.... after cities burned up fire went a out as they are not still burning today but Jude 7 refers to it as eternal fire....

Jude:


7
[/SUP]as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Thank you Dar, our JesusLives :) In fact, Sodom and Gomorrah were in the Valley of Siddim which now rests at the bottom of the Dead Sea. I suppose there are those who would still insist it is burning under water :)

The "eternal fire" of hell is one hot topic! It has been misunderstood by the majority of people for many centuries.

Here are examples and scripture to show its true meaning.

"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:" (Matt 25:41)

It is not the fire itself but its effects that are everlasting as in Jude 7:

"Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."(Jude 7)

Note that "everlasting fire" (Matt 25:41) and "eternal fire" (Jude 7) are from the same original words. Of course, Sodom and Gomorrah are not still burning yet they "are set forth for an example" of the results of a sinful course.

"And tur
ning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;" (2Pet 2:6)

The wicked will be burned up not burning forever in an eternal fire.

"And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts." (Mal 4:3)

"But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away." (Psa 37:20)

Look up perish in Strong's Concordance (word 622), to see it means UTTERLY DESTROY.
Strong's Greek: 622. ἀπόλλυμι (apollumi) -- to destroy, destroy utterly


The punishment is everlasting destruction:

"Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power" (2 Thess 1:9)

It is the destruction, not the process that is forever. The Bible's use of terms like eternal and everlasting can be understood better by some examples.

Further examples of forever to show its meaning

"And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever." (Exo 21:5-6)

In this case, the slave is opting to stay with his master and serve him for as long as he lives and it is termed forever.

"But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever." (1 Sam 1:22)

Of course, Samuel only abided there for a limited period of time.

"I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God." (Jon 2:6)

In Jonah's case forever was only a few days although it may have seemed like an eternity.

By one count, "forever" is used 56 times in the Bible to describe things that have ended.

Does "Eternal Fire" Really Indicate a Fire that Burns Forever and Ever?




 

Adstar

Senior Member
Jul 24, 2016
7,426
3,479
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I agree. It's probably the most common reason people seek God. And when I say it's a factor, I don't mean to imply it's not a serious factor. But believing Hell exists doesn't stop a lot of people from walking away from God anyway. Maybe they don't fully understand it, but the world is full of people who choose to accept Jesus while still believing God, Heaven, and He'll exist.
I believe the fear of hell can draw a person to God but the fear of hell cannot keep a person with God.. The love of God and the respect one has for the will of God keeps us with Him.. :D

I honestly rarely ever think about heaven and hell anymore.. I only think about them when they are brought up in discussion on forums like C ..