Results 1 - 3 of 3
|
|
|||||
Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | The Purpose of Hell? | Rom 9:20 | Reformer Joe | 29799 | ||
I do... Why did God create hell? For the same reason He has done everything else: to glorify Himself, to make his attributes known. In the case of hell, the existence of it glorifies the justice of God. You and I, despite the fact that we are part of God's creation, have willingly committed cosmic treason against our Creator, when he himself has made it clear that we are to glorify Him (which is only the most appropriate thing to do since He is infinitely holy). Therefore, the Bible has a good description for us: "But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God" --Romans 2:5 God's wrath is real and it is directed at all of those who by their unrighteousness have declared themselves His enemies. And who falls into that category? 'as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE."' --Romans 3:10-12 Well, that would include all of us among those who are completely DESERVING of hell. There will be no one in hell who does not know that s/he belongs there. I think it is only sensible to fear God's wrath, for it is holy, perfect, all-powerful, and comletely unrelenting once released (and don't forget deserved by all). "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God." --Hebrews 10:31 I think you have the concept of "punishment" mixed up with "rehabilitation." Hell is for condemnation of God's enemies, which include all who "suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18)." All of this is absolutely horrifying news for the human race...if that were the whole story. But while God demonstrates his justice by the existence of Hell, he also profoundly demonstrated his mercy by sending Jesus Christ to take upon Himself the just punishment of all those who will trust in Him. For those who trust not in themselves, but in Christ's sinless life (thereby not deserving punishment), death on a Cross (meeting the demands of God's justice on behalf of their sins), and resurrection from the dead (demonstrating that God's justice had been satified toward them) are promised eternal life in Heaven. Despite the fact that I deserve to go to hell for each and every violation of God's perfect moral will, Christ Jesus paid for each and every one of my violations of God's perfect moral will 2000 years ago. Therefore, as Romans 8:1 tells me, there is no condemnation for me. God's unwavering justice and retribution for my sinfulness has been met in Christ, and God's mercy has been demonstrated toward me as well. And in all of this, God is glorified, just as glorified as He is when he sends the wicked and unrepentant to eternal damnation for rebellion against an infinitely prefect Creator. Hell is by no means a place of learning and applying a lesson. It is final judgment. As of right now, where do you stand if you were to meet your final judgment now? Knowing that your rebellion against God deserves full and eternal condemnation, are you trusting in the only way out God provided? "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." --Acts 4:12 If you have a Bible, I would suggest that you look at the first three chapters of the New Testament book of Romans to see more clearly the extent of our rebellion against God, and God's gracious provision of a way out when that is the last thing we deserved. Then read the first chater of 1 Peter to see what God promises those who are followers of Jesus Christ. Salvation is more than sparing us from God's just wrath; He went much further than that, adopting and promising an inheritance to all those who will trust in Christ for forgiveness. And remember, this is nothing anyone ever earned: Christ earned it for us. "But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." --Titus 3:4-7 Hope this clears up the miconceptions you had! --Joe! |
||||||
2 | The Purpose of Hell? | Rom 9:20 | Horripilation | 29826 | ||
Hey, I want to say thank you for replying to my post and helping to clear up a few things. A little while after posting this I engaged in conversation with a good Christian friend of mine and he also pointed out that I seemed to be confusing the concept of punishment with that of discipline (or, as you put it, rehabilitation). Though I am a Christian, I'll be the first to admit I'm a bit "backslidden", so to speak, and have probably been delving into things that I shouldn't be (most often literature-wise), and as such I think that ideas that I would have normally dismissed as being purely fiction, or blasphemous even, have been given a little too much thought to such a degree that I end up rationalising these ideas somehow, trying to *make* them make sense and be true. Eh, I'm not even sure if all *that* makes sense. But maybe you know what I'm talking about. Again, thanks for taking the time to answer this "Pharisee" (as kalos previously referred to me as. heh.) -Christopher |
||||||
3 | The Purpose of Hell? | Rom 9:20 | kalos | 29847 | ||
Christopher: I offer you my sincerest apology. I am truly sorry I posted something that was interpreted to mean I was calling you a Pharisee. What I previously wrote was not an accusation of you. Without coming right out and saying so in the posting, I merely raised the question. I have no window to look into another man's soul. We ought never pronounce judgment on another based solely on one posting by that person. On the other hand, thank you for your post of 01-10-2002, 2:29 am. It gives us much more understanding of where you are coming from. I do wish you the best. Welcome to the Forum. Grace and peace to you, kalos |
||||||