Kenny wrote:Kenny wrote: If not, is it fair to punish someone who didn't have a chance...
Ken
B. W. wrote: I will answer your questions with questions: Have you ever lied, hurt another person Ken, falsely accused another, attempted to entrap someone with baited questions?
Ever abandoned, rejected someone, verbally hurt another feelings, stolen things like a persons trust or even stolen some sort of possessions another owns?
Ever schemed to bring low another person in order to exalt yourself in some manner above others? Look with lustful fantasy at another? Who have you betrayed? Have you ever turned your back on those in need?
Let me put it this way; I am as corrupt, and as honest, and as wicked, and as kind, as you are. Have you done any of those things? (I think you have your answer)
I was worse. In my ignorance, like you, I refused to honestly with integrity even look into what Christianity actually teaches and sought like you to discredit it at every turn.
Then God, by His Grace kept after me showing I need to be forgiven of all things I have ever done and the need to live a changed life out of darkness by him holding my hand.
I saw through the message of cross whom I betrayed, neglected, abandoned, put of trial, tempted to ensnare, to control, use, rejected, hurt, broken hearts, destroyed faith in others, and my need to be released from the ignorance that bound me to that lifestyle which enslaved me.
I saw by the power of the Resurrection of Jesus, that I too can be resurrected out from the bondage of my old ways, not by what I can do but rather the Lord God residing in me, empowering me to step out of such darkness.
I am free now and never desire to return to the lifestyle of ignorance that you so far have chosen. I am not the same person I once was. I do not do those things that I once did because I am free and now help others, like yourself find freedom from living an ignorant wasted life without purpose or hope.
I found Jesus Christ more than able to keep his word because he is alive and still goes about changing folks from their personal worlds of ignorant darkness. He will do so for you, Ken... Just reach back to him. Stop trying so hard to defend your own ignorance as the superior way to live. reach out through Prayer and ask Him to forgive you of all your sins and then your will discover proof - He is alive!
Kenny wrote:B. W. wrote: Romans 3:23, ...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...
Rom 3:10, ...as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE...
Isaiah 26:10, Though the wicked is shown favor, He does not learn righteousness; He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness, And does not perceive the majesty of the LORD.
How unjustly are you dealing with us here, right now? And you expect to skate into heaven and corrupt it with your lifestyle? If God did, then he would not be absolutely just...
Skate into Heaven? Remember who you are talking to; I don't believe in Heaven; remember? But you do, so if anyone intends to do any skating into Heaven, between the two of us that would be you. This question I am asking has nothing to do with me, I'm talking about someone who never heard of christianity.
You are ignorant and your own question is about those ignorant therefore you answered your own question: You don't believe in heaven but rather the superiority of ignorance.
It is by the shed blood of Jesus Christ, which, I helped to shed, whom I also vicariously put Jesus on the cross and put him on trial vicariously just like you are doing now, that by this shed blood cleansed me from shame of doing so and shown me how, what God’s Love went through to open the door to heaven to me.
I do not deserve heaven, nor any human being does. However, God reached to humanity while humanity rejects and chooses ignorance as their best defense. In this reaching, The Lord shows humanity by a profound act that gives clarity to the human condition, defining what sin really is, so those from amongst humanity can be forgiven, healed, set free, released from those things that hold one in their personal prison, and then teaches how to live a new way not bound to the ignorance you, Ken, try so hard to defend.
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whosoever believes on him shall not perish but have life abundant... John 3:16 quoted from memory.
The design of your layered questions, as well as your comment above, mocks God's love reaching out to you because you are choosing to remain ignorant of who Jesus Christ is and what He has done; therefore, your own question indeed applies directly to you.
Kenny wrote:Kenny wrote: ...If so; wouldn't it be better to allow as many to remain ignorant in order to get as many in heaven as possible?
Ken
B. W. wrote: -No- none are ignorant except the unborn and little children whose minds have not developed with full moral reasoning -
None are ignorant? Consider a person born, lived, and died in in West Africa back in the 14th century. The only God he knew of was Amma; he never heard of Jesus, Yahweh, the Holy Spirit, the BIble, or anything remotely related to Christianity. How can you say this person is not ignorant of the Gospel?
Ken
They seen the world around them and thus denied the creator. God in his foresight foreknew such folks would never accept him as well as God foreknows who in their progeny line in the future would not reject him. Therefore, he places people in the scheme of time accordingly with no injustice to anyone.
That is what the bible summarizes on this matter Kenny, the bible you are ignorant of.
Where?
Acts 17:22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34
Romans 1:20
Job 34:12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23
God knows the final answer of your heart too Kenny. I do not.
From the evidence, you are here and we present the gospel to free you of your slavery to ignorance and its fruit.
You are free to accept His offer to forgive and release you or not. God is just, way beyond what you are anyone can concoct to prove that he isn't. He already foreknew the final choice everyone will ever make and thus rightly places each person in the scheme of time accordingly. Refining the dross out from the gold so a new day arises free from sin, death, sin...
God offers a free choice too all people, despite His own foreknowing what the final result will be. He offers to all in various ways, but like you, many choose freely to create justifications according to their own images and likeness to justify the ignorance of continuing a life bound to sins and teaching others it is okay to live that way.
You cannot prove such person in West Africa back in the 14th century is innocent. History and archaeology disproves such notions outright. History of Humanity is a vile one only with a brief respite here and there granted by God so humanity would not go extinct or remain lost always choosing corruption to reign by.
Romans 3:23, ...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...
Rom 3:10, ...as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE...
Isaiah 26:10, Though the wicked is shown favor, He does not learn righteousness; He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness, And does not perceive the majesty of the LORD.
Job 28:12,13, But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living.
All Verses quoted from the NASB
-
-
-