Religion has so inculcated it’s members with the anthropomorphic concept of God that it’s only natural that most fear God for a host of reasons. And yet we turn around and tell people they need to be optimistic, have a positive attitude towards life. How can one departmentalize this positive life that we’re to live here on earth with God handing a hammer and waiting to nail us at the slightest sin?
In a passing moment of a Sunday morning sermon, God is spoken of as love and then the rest of the time is spent talking about the need to “get right” and “repent of sins” lest the fires of hell consume us. Where would we be if we died in our sleep tonight, where would we spend eternity. It’s like a fleeting moment of love and beauty, and then the reality of what happens to bad people.
And God isn’t just angry at individuals, but towards cities and whole nations. See what happened to New Orleans because of their collective sins!
I simply can’t comprehend how someone can say that they are a Christian, following Jesus, who loved and followed Abba Father, and contend that God is angry, mad, and basically self-serving. Those that beleive in an eternal hell are elevating JUSTICE (of some sort) over LOVE (forgiveness and restoration). Does a father correct? Absolutely. Does a Father give up completely on a child and forever condemn and constantly punish forever? No Father than I know.
If I were alive 2,500 years ago, living in the knowledge that was available to them through the prophets and priests, I’d probably have a skewed view of God as well. But that’s not the case. Jesus came to set the record straight and show us who Abba Father is; and angry isn’t one of those traits. The sooner you see, the sooner we all see, God as He IS, the quicker we will be able to OTHERS as they are and not as we THINK they are.
Jesus indeed said mercy triumphs over justice (Js. 2:13) when He said whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. We know that God knows those who are His (2 Tim. 2:19). Jesus made it clear anyone who continued to deny Him would be denied by Jesus before the Father (Matthew 10:33). In John 5:40 Jesus told the religious leaders they were UNWILLING to come to Him for life. In Luke 12:9,10 Jesus said “he who denies Me before men shall be denied before the angels of God…and he who blasphemes the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven”. Matthew 25:46 states those who are not His righteous will go away into eternal punishment. In 2 Thessalonians 1:9, Paul echoes this truth by stating those who do not obey the gospel of Jesus will pay the penalty of eternal destruction. The word eternal (SC 166) is the same word that modifies God in Romans 16:26, life in John 3:16 and redemption in Hebrews 9:12. My conclusion is that God (who is love) is incredibly merciful to all but love does not demand its own way (I Cor. 13:5).
You’re exactly right that love does not DEMAND it’s own. But we, on this side of eternity SEE DIMLY (I Cor. 13), but when we get to the other side we will SEE CLEARLY- the LOVE we didn’t know existed and we’ll fall on our knees (EVERY KNEE WILL BOW) in gratitude, accepting that we’re accepted. Love won’t be demanded, but such love simply cannot be resisted. No way, no how!
And in response to all the other Scriptures, I’ll not do the “dueling game” by presenting MY Scriptures that say ALL will be saved vs. YOUR Scriptures saying only those who do “such-n-such” will be saved. One must admit that the Biblical words of God do conflict when read literally. So, we agree to lovingly disagree on the salvation issue while we both follow Jesus, wrestling with the Scriptures that we’ve been given to mine the “Spirit” from and not getting hung up on the “letter” (that brings death).
There is definitely a difference between “natural or conscious literalism” approach to the Bible and a “historical-metaphorical” approach to the Bible.Conflict about how to see and read the Bible is the single greatest issue dividing Christians in North America today. I’m not sure that the followers of the “natural or conscious literalism” approach understand that this approach is a modern construction dating from 19th & 20th century Protestant theology; most believing that this approach is the way the Bible has been seen since the distinct and separate documents were first constructed. The “historical-metaphorical” approach group are strongly convinced that many parts of the Bible cannot be taken literally, either as historically factual or as expressing the will of God.
I cannot be a Bible literalist and reject the idea of Biblical infallibility and inerrancy.
Do you guys have a recommendation section, i’d like to suggest some stuff