Tuesday, August 18, 2009

"GOD DAMN THEM TO 'HELL'..." or DOES HE???

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Sad. Sad. Sad. That is the only word I can use to describe what some people think of a loving Heavenly Father. Our Daddy in Heaven. What imbecilic theological thinking some have. Do you really think God chose some originally to be God Damned to Hell forever and others to be saved in His Son, Jesus Christ???? Well, some churches' theology teaches that very thing. That thinking comes from our dear friend of philosophy, Plato, from the 4th Century B.C. Why haven't we been told these things before? I can not answer that. But, now is the time to "tell the truth".

Number ONE. There is NO such thing as as ever burning, torturing and punishing "hell fire" for anyone. God NEVER intended that to be the case. He did intend to have a human family live with Him forever in His Triune existence. Jesus came for that very purpose to connect humanity to the Triune God to make this eternal life for everyone a reality.

In Ephesians 1:3-14, we see God's ORIGINAL purpose in creating man in the first place. He WANTS, He loves us , He likes us, and He wants to live forever with us in our HUMANITY.

Plato's "hell" was never preached in the early Christian church for the first 500 years of the church! St. Augustine put that philosophy into to Christian Church in the 5th Century A.D. to help "keep people " on the straight and narrow. To keep them obedient. No sex. No adultery. No drinking too much. No nothing when it came to sin. Did it work? Of course not. And Christians have lived under guilt, shame and the lack of assurance of salvation in Jesus ever since.

God chose ALL of us humans in Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world to live with Him forever and to be Holy In Jesus by His declaration. ( Eph. 1:3-14).

All humans are the "ELECT" of God. We were chosen and elected to be His children before the cosmos was ever created. (Eph.1:3-14---again.)

Some , however, may simply choose NOT to believe this truth. And, they will continue in suffering and perishing until they come around and accept and believe what Jesus did to them, for them , in them and through them. When they do, they will begin to experience the Abundant life Jesus brought now and forever. Jn.10:10.

God never did nor ever will "damn" anyone to eternal suffering. Lakes of fire, wandering in darkness , weeping and gnashing of teeth are METAPHORS describing those who refuse to believe WHO they are in the life of God made possible by the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Self condemnation. Self damnation. Self responsibility is and will be the order of the day for them unless and until they change their minds in repentance. ( Gk.'Metanoia'---'change one's mind'). Hopefully they will.

The Good News is STILL the Good News. For ALL.

blessings,

Paul
www.newlifewcg.org
Madison, Alabama
256-468-8081

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1 comment:

Jerome Ellard said...

Amen, Pastor Paul!

Have you been reading Martin Davis???