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S. Michael Houdmann
Supporter
If we think of Jesus as merely a man, then this question is a natural one to ask. But the reason Jesus did not have to spend eternity in hell is that He is not merely a man, but the God-man. The se...
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Bruce Lyon
Supporter
There is no place in scripture that says anything about sinners being cast into a ever burning hell and being tormented for the coming ages upon ages. Absolutely nothing of a sort. That belief has come to us from pagan origin and not from God's revelation to us. We are told that at the White Throne Judgment all those who were not a part of the first resurrection will be resurrected and those whose names are not found written in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire and destroyed and the memory of them will be forgotten. Think about the following for a moment. How could any believer who has been resurrected at the first resurrection and have become glorified immortal men/woman have any peace knowing that their relatives are suffering everlasting torment in an ever burning hell? To believe such a thing is to blaspheme the name and character of our God and our Father. As One whose character is determined by love, would He not do as the scripture says and destroy all those whose names are not found in the book of life. Does scripture not say our God is a consuming fire, and that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Believers have no such fear of their God and their Father because they know they have been delivered from the wrath of God which unbelievers and those whose names are not written in the book of life have not so been delivered. God will destroy all those whose names are not written in the book of life and do so as an act of love, knowing that such people would be totally miserable if they lived in the ages to come with their anti-God attitude.
rogers ward
Supporter
This prophet writes by permission of the Holy Spirit. It took an act of God to allow sin into the world. It took an act of God to destroy sin. The bible says by one man(Adam) sin entered the world and by one man (Jesus) sin was destroyed. However the sacrifice was greater than the sin. The sacrifice was both man and God. God in essence gave a peace of himself for the forfieture of sin. When Jesus rose from the grave he states in Rev 1:18 " I am he that liveth and was dead, I am alive forevermore, I have the keys to hell and death". What Jesus did in that one act on resurrection day could not will not be duplicated ever again and was more than enough to cover the sins of all mankind forever. Jesus said "the thief comes but to steal, kill and destroy, but I have come that you may have life, and life more abundantly. God granted man life, Jesus gives us new life and thank God for the Holy Spirit which seals us with eternal life in Christ Jesus. Thank God for his son Jesus, the lamb of God. Thank God for his son Jesus, the resurection and the life. Thank God for his son Jesus whose one act was more than enough to save the world, for all eternity and place us back in right standing with God. For God so loved the world that He gave us his only begotten son that WHOSOEVER believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting Life. Gods judgements are finite, but his love is infinite. His Love, Grace, Mercy and Son will always triumph, he is the God of more than enough.
Larry Truelove
Supporter
I would suggest that an eternity in hell does not satisfy God's wrath. That's why their stay will not be temporary. There is simply no other way to put them away from God's comforting grace and love. When they reject God, they reject anything good from God. Jesus' punishment was not eternal because His death was able to satisfy God's wrath.
James Kraft
Supporter
Jesus did not go to hell because He paid our sin debt in full when He said it is finished. That is when our salvation became complete. He paid for all our sin and gave us His righteousness when we trusted Him as our only savior. Romans 4:1-8 We were saved the same way Abraham was. Abraham believed God, and was counted righteous by His faith alone. At the same time his sin could no more be imputed to his account, because Jesus did that when He went to the cross years after Abraham. So, When we trust Jesus as our only savior, with nothing from us, our works, what we do, we are given eternal life through the spirit that makes us alive to God. Since Jesus has given us His righteousness, and our sins can no more be imputed to our account, we have eternal life through faith in His finished work on the cross. We are all sinners, but Jesus blood sacrifice paid for them all. And we did nothing for it. So Jesus did not go to hell. He went to hades which is the center of the earth. And He led the old testament believers out of captivity in hades to heaven. Now when we die we go straight to heaven. When we die we are absent from the body, present with the Lord. Paul said so. He paid the penalty for all our sin by His life, death, and resurrection. He had no sin to pay for, but since He had no sin, He became sin for us. He took our place so that we could be saved through what he did for us. All those that have trusted Jesus as their savior are going to be with Him in heaven because of what He did for us. We are declared righteous by faith alone in Jesus alone.
Bob Wier
Supporter
I'm just going to keep this simple. Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Hell or the lake of fire, is for those who reject God and His free gift of salvation. God gave us freewill and will not force anyone to spend eternity with Him.
Aurel Gheorghe
Supporter
The penalty for our sins is not eternal life in hell. The wicked will die the second death in the hellfire. They cannot live forever in hell because only God is immortal (1 Timothy 6:16). When Adam and Eve were driven from the Garden of Eden, an angel guarded the tree of life so sinners would not eat of the tree and "live forever." (Genesis 3:22-24). The teaching that sinners are immortal in hell has no basis in scripture. The Bible is clear that the wicked die and are destroyed, not live forever in misery. It does not say how long will they be punished before receiving death in the fire; however, it will be according to their deeds; meaning some will receive greater punishment than others, based upon their works (Rev 22:12; Matthew 16:27; Luke 12:47- 48). Most likely Hitler will suffer more that some 17-year old who rejected Christ and wasted his life on drugs. The term "forever," is used 56 times in the Bible. It means a period of time, limited or unlimited, and sometimes is describing events that have already ended. In Jonah 2:6, "forever" means "three days and nights." (Jonah 1:17.) In Deuteronomy 23:3, means "10 generations." For humans, it means "as long as he lives" or "until death." (1 Samuel 1:22, 28; Exodus 21:6; Psalms 48:14). So the wicked will burn in the fire as long as they live, or until death. The Bible says the wicked suffer "death" (Romans 6:23), will suffer "destruction" (Job 21:30), "shall perish" (Psalms 37:20), will "burn" up (Malachi 4:1), "shall be destroyed together" (Psalms 37:38), will "consume away" (Psalms 37:20), "shall be cut off" (Psalms 37:9), "shall be slain" (Psalms 62:3). God will "destroy" them (Psalms 145:20), and "fire shall devour them" (Psalms 21:9). The hellfire will go out at some point and there will not be left "a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it" and in God's new kingdom all "former things" will be passed away. (Isaiah 47:14; Rev 21:1-4). The unquenchable fire is fire that cannot be put out, but which goes out when it has turned everything to ashes. Jeremiah 17:27 says Jerusalem was to be destroyed with 'unquenchable fire', and in 2 Chronicles 36:19-21 says this fire burned the city "to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah" and left it desolate. Yet we know this fire went out, and Jerusalem is not burning today. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed with 'everlasting, or eternal', fire (Jude 7), and that fire turned them "into ashes" as a warning to "those that after should live ungodly." (2 Peter 2:6). These cities are not burning today. The fire went out after everything was burned up. Likewise, everlasting fire will go out after it has turned the wicked to ashes (Malachi 4:3). The effects of the fire are everlasting, but not the burning itself. First, 2 Peter 2:9 say that God “reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.” Knowing that the judgment hasn’t taken place yet, we can safely say that no one is being punished in hell at present time (Matthew 13:40-42; John 12:48). We also know that both, the righteous and wicked are resting in their graves; they are not in heaven or hell (John 5:28-29; Job 21:30-32).
DEAN R. DONAHUE
Supporter
I love to quote scripture and answer back with a solid biblical foundation almost all subjects in the Bible, however, this answer will be given from my heart and attested to by my relationship to the one who bore my punishment. This should begin with the value we place upon our own life. Without Christ I am nothing. I have a shelf life. I will simply be a memory in a decade, and inside of two generations, forgotten. Simply put, a man. Next, let me put the Man Jesus in the equation. This Son of Man is the Son of God. This crucified Being was not only a man, but God. He, with the feebleness of a man's flesh lived a life worthy of overcoming the effects of sin. He conquered it and not by might, but for the love of, simply put, man. Death is the effect of sin in it's fullest result, yet Jesus experienced death having committed no sin. How could death hold him, He never faltered. He never failed, yet he died the sinners death. Remember, this is God that died on the cross. Certainly His value is worth all that he created, simply put, His death was worth every man created. Our sins debt was less than the value of His love. He gave His life freely, and because he overcame evil, He had the right to take it back again. Sin has been defeated. Death is no longer the end to simple men like me, nor does Jesus forget us. His Grace is sufficient, His love abundant, His sacrifice, worth the life of a sinner, me.....
Gregory Tomlinson
Supporter
I do believe the case can be made for eternal punishment, and hell being a place of torment. Luke 16: 23 And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. Luke 16: 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. There is carnal reasoning that can be done about corporeal physics and the body being unable to tolerate fire eventually turns to ash as the fuel is expended. Yet the soul is not corporeal. We can be tempted to use earthy, carnal reasoning and say if God were love he would never torment people eternally, removing all personal responsibility and accountability for the choices of the sinner who hated God, hated his people, killed his people, destroyed the earth, robbed and oppressed and ignored His warnings for violating His law. Add rejecting His son’s sacrifice and it is not a clear understanding of the value God has placed on His son’s suffering. It is also why Christ only spent three days, not eternity because God’s love for Him and the purity of His obedience paid the perfect price for all who believe on His name. Carnality cleverly uses the wisdom of man to avoid accountability by reasoning this perspective of accountability is not love and does not fit, He must not be a loving God. Yet to ignore such a price paid for our sin is to crucify him a new and hold him to open shame. In love He pleaded, sent warnings, preserved writings, sent messenger after messenger, demonstrated long-suffering and patience in putting off judging some of the wicked while they lived. Carnality reasons God's eternal punishment of separation and torment is unjust for the offenses, and out of character it might claim. God is Holy; sin cannot live in his presence as it is corrupt and that which is corrupt will be put away. Read very carefully Proverbs 1: 24-31. Prov. 1:24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; 25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 26I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: 30They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. (KJV) God’s wisdom is greater than man’s and every sin will receive a just recompense. There is a price to pay for every sin and not every sin is unto death, the law defines sin and the penalty for those that are found in violation of it. Those who reject Christ, the perfect sacrifice provided by God, will be eternally separated because they chose it not. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. To the world I would say it is terrible so don’t reject the free gift, come while you can, humble yourself and receive life everlasting.
Jay Saunders
Supporter
If Jesus was just a man our religion is in vain but he was a God/Man. He was born into the world by a chosen vessel named Mary. She was not impregnated by a man but by the Holy Spirit's power of God manifested in, on or through mankind. Mankind includes woman because God made man first then woman from a part of man. This is all written down in scripture. Only a God / Man could live a life here on earth without sinning. A sinless sacrifice was necessary to bear or pay the price for mankind's sins. Jesus was a prophet as well as a savior. A true prophet speaks of future events before they happen, or has knowledge about people, places or things that no one but God could know. Jesus Christ was the word of God made into flesh and was with God in the beginning. God the Father is a three-part being just like man was made in the image of God. John chapter one clearly declares this. If you have the Holy Spirit indwelling through the rebirth of your spirit, you can know these truths and understand them. Only through salvation can you really read and understand the secrets of scripture spiritually. The Holy Spirit leads us in all understanding of spiritual truth. Without him your understanding is darkened. Jesus clearly proclaimed that we must be born again spiritually. You can not or will not be born again until you do three basic things. 1. Realize you are a sinner and are worthy of one place at death hell. 2. Realized that God your Heavenly Father who gave you the gift of life, wants you to be saved from hell. 3. Repent and be saved by and through the acceptance of God's grace through the confession that Jesus Christ is Lord before man. You must confess Jesus Christ as Lord. He is and was the only begotten son of God. The sinless sacrifice for your sins. If you accept this plan of salvation that the creator of heaven and earth provides us, you can become worthy of heaven at death. This is God's our Heavenly Father's plan. You must accept it or reject it. Only your pride, arrogance, wealth and ignorance can keep you from eternal life at death in heaven. Only Jesus can give you peace with God your Heavenly Father, whose only desire is to love you not judge you. Repent! Taste and see how wonderful is God's grace. Don't let wealth and power keep you from his love. Selah! Joyful Worshipper Son of Thunder
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