I did not ask for this

[Denny]

Here goes: GOD created eveything, me included, according to His plan. I have to live on Earth and if I don't obey

His word I go to Hell and get tortured for eternity. Kind of like blackmail, either do it His way or get tortured

forever. I don't understand that part. The problem is that God made spiritual beings (humans and angels) as

eternal creatures. In fact, the Bible says that God has put the knowledge of the eternal nature of our spirits

within each of us:

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom

what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

I did not ask to be created and now I have to suffer for eternity. I would love to go to heaven, but I don't think

I could ever live up to His standards. Living on Earth is kind of useless I think. Why create life and make it go

through all the hoops to get to heaven?

Who will be in heaven with God? The angels will be there and have been there since God created them. The Bible gives

several lists of people who will not be in heaven.A summary of the activities that keep people out of heaven is

listed in the table below.

sexual immorality
idolatry
adultery
prostitution
homosexual offenses
theft
greed
drunkenness
slander
swindling
impurity
witchcraft
hatred
discord
jealousy
fits of rage
selfish ambition
dissensions
factions and envy orgies
abomination
lying
cowardice
unbelief
murderer
sorcery

The list is fairly extensive and includes some things that all of us have done. At the end of the first creation we

will appear before the great white throne of God. God will go through the "books" to see if we have committed any of

the deeds listed in the table above. In addition, the names will be checked to see if they are in the "book of

life." Anyone whose name is not found in the "book of life" will be thrown into the lake of fire, based upon the

deeds that they had done in their lives. God does not grade on the curve, so all people who have been guilty of any

one of the violations above will be sent to the lake of fire, which is the second death.

So, i will be sent to a lake of fire for eternity. Sounds pretty gruesome to me and not something that I look

forward to. In fact, it is down right depressing.


Anyone whose name is not found in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire, based upon the evil deeds

that they had done in their lives.

All who enter God's kingdom must be absolutely holy, since no sin is allowed in God's presence.

[zoegirl]

All who enter God's kingdom must be absolutely holy, since no sin is allowed in God's presence.

You are absolutely right. "No one is righteous" That is why Christ himself died and gave His life.

You complain that God is being unjust and blackmailling us. But a Holy and Righteous God cannot exist with sin. He is also a just God. He must not co-exist with sin, sin must be rejected.

We rejected Him. When we sinned, it was a direct rebellion to Him and His being and righteousness. We placed ourselves as God and declared that He was not over us. A Holy and Righteous God must also allow us to reject him. And unfortunatley, this is our choice. We reject Him. In HIs love, though, He came to earth as an incarnate God to live a perfect life and die as a sacrifice.

Far from being a God who blackmails us, Scripture shows a God who created the perfect and good garden for His creation and that the image-bearers rejected Him. And while God cannot exist with sin, He loved us enough to set in motion the most beautiful and stunning move....He came to die for our sins. That's it. We cannot do a single thing to earn this, we cannot do a single thing to earn a place in heaven. As you yourself saw in scripture, any sin places us in rebellion to God. But by accepting Christ's gift of Himself, we are confessing that we are unable to accomplish anything towards our own salvation and that Christ's death is the only way. AMAZING GRACE....THAT's the God we worship....AMEN!

[Silvertusk]

So, i will be sent to a lake of fire for eternity. Sounds pretty gruesome to me and not something that I look

forward to. In fact, it is down right depressing.

Unless like Zoegirl said you accept the free gift of Jesus to take your sins on him rather than you so that you do appear clean before God. God knew all along that that we wouldn't meet up to his standards. We wouldn't be true freewilled creatures if we could. So God had a plan that meets his standards and saves all of us. He didn't have to do that and you are right, he didn't have to create us either, but i am very glad he did.

All sounds pretty amazing if you ask me.

Silvertusk.

[FFC]

Denny, You seem to have a pretty good grasp on the Holiness of God and the punishment and wrath that comes to all who have sin, but what about all the verses that show His grace and love and His provision of Salvation to all who would receive the free gift of eternal life through His son Jesus? Here are just a few:

John 3:16-17

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Or

John 1:12
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—“

Or
2 Peter 3:9
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Or
Hebrews 13:12
And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood.

So yeah God is Holy and righteous and tough on sin, but He is also loving and full of mercy and grace. He will never turn away anybody who truly wants to be forgiven and have eternal life in Him.

I hope this helps.

[Denny]

Thanks for the uplifting words! I need to read more to understand our GOD. So, I am saved and I will go to heaven because I do believe in His word. But I just feel so ashamed sometimes because of sin. I guess we have to have the sour so we can understand the sweet.

[FFC]

But I just feel so ashamed sometimes because of sin

Hi Denny,
Believe it or not that is a good thing. It means you are still in tune with the holy Spirit. If you stopped feeling ashamed then you would have a problem. The good news is we have a heavenly Father who is never suprized or taken aback by our sins and is ever faithful and always ready to forgive us.

There is a verse somewhere that says "even when we are faithless He remains faithful. Just remember that whatever God wants you to do He will give you the grace to do it if you surrender your life to Him.

Take care
FFC