Christians, the afterlife, and conflicts with others
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 11:25 am
Hey guys,
I have this somewhat big question to ask. It has to do with the afterlife and how believers will get along with each other during that time. Specifically, I want to focus on believers who have had issues with other believers during this life that never get resolved or at least, not fully resolved.
How will two or more believers (assuming they are genuine believers) get along with each other and fully resolve their issues that began during "this life"? For example, take two guys, one is married and is a true follower of Christ the other, at first is a lost man who is a thief.
One day, he breaks into the nice guy's house and while stealing something, shoots and kills the man's wife. The thief is later caught and found guilty for murdering the guy's wife. The guy obviously is bitter about it, but the thief/ murderer later while serving life in prison, converts to Christianity and forgives the man and tries to ask him for forgiveness and even though the man whose wife was murdered knows he should as a believer, he just can't get himself to do so.
So flash forward a million years or whenever this current earth/human age is over and we are in eternity how would God get the man whose wife was murdered to like the guy who murderer? Assuming the two are both believers and both make it into heaven?
Another scenario would be two believers at a baptist church, one a deacon, the other a pastor, the deacon one day thinks people should be sprinkled instead of immersed when they are baptized. The two get into a heated argument, and they either almost get violent or they do get violent {depending upon your particular "taste" for drama
} with each other due to their passionate views on this topic.
Anyways, the guy who wants people to be sprinkled gets angry, takes 1/3 or 1/2 of the church and they go join a Methodist church or something. Either way both people are angry and bitter with each other until the end.
But again assuming they are both believers, true, genuine believers. In the afterlife, in God's kingdom, how does God resolve things from this life between the two? Will they just forget about it? Will they be close friends or like family members?
Or to expand this into a even bigger question and issue, what if it's true that if a person doesn't fully resolve conflicts with all people in this life before their life is over, will it effect their salvation? As far as I know as long as one asks God for forgiveness and everything is ok between that one person and God then that person alone should be ok.
Because after all, not all conflicts can be solved in this life. People lose touch with other people because of location, circumstances and so on. Plus, one person may be able to forgive while the other just can't seem to do it. And it's not just because the person who won't forgive is being difficult.
Well, it may be in some cases, but what if it's a case where a believer was raped by a priest or by a top member of some church when they were young? I mean, how can one forgive someone like that? Luckily I've never been in such a situation but I've heard the accounts of those who have and that's something that''s extremely difficult for a person to forgive.
But with like myself, I forgive others who have done me wrong but I"m not sure others will forgive me. Some of them, I know are believers or at least claim to be believers. If they don't forgive me am I in any trouble with God because the "conflict" is not "resolved"? That's what I"m unsure about and will these conflicts be resolved and laid to rest in the afterlife? That's all I"m asking.
Thanks guys!
I have this somewhat big question to ask. It has to do with the afterlife and how believers will get along with each other during that time. Specifically, I want to focus on believers who have had issues with other believers during this life that never get resolved or at least, not fully resolved.
How will two or more believers (assuming they are genuine believers) get along with each other and fully resolve their issues that began during "this life"? For example, take two guys, one is married and is a true follower of Christ the other, at first is a lost man who is a thief.
One day, he breaks into the nice guy's house and while stealing something, shoots and kills the man's wife. The thief is later caught and found guilty for murdering the guy's wife. The guy obviously is bitter about it, but the thief/ murderer later while serving life in prison, converts to Christianity and forgives the man and tries to ask him for forgiveness and even though the man whose wife was murdered knows he should as a believer, he just can't get himself to do so.
So flash forward a million years or whenever this current earth/human age is over and we are in eternity how would God get the man whose wife was murdered to like the guy who murderer? Assuming the two are both believers and both make it into heaven?
Another scenario would be two believers at a baptist church, one a deacon, the other a pastor, the deacon one day thinks people should be sprinkled instead of immersed when they are baptized. The two get into a heated argument, and they either almost get violent or they do get violent {depending upon your particular "taste" for drama
} with each other due to their passionate views on this topic.Anyways, the guy who wants people to be sprinkled gets angry, takes 1/3 or 1/2 of the church and they go join a Methodist church or something. Either way both people are angry and bitter with each other until the end.
But again assuming they are both believers, true, genuine believers. In the afterlife, in God's kingdom, how does God resolve things from this life between the two? Will they just forget about it? Will they be close friends or like family members?
Or to expand this into a even bigger question and issue, what if it's true that if a person doesn't fully resolve conflicts with all people in this life before their life is over, will it effect their salvation? As far as I know as long as one asks God for forgiveness and everything is ok between that one person and God then that person alone should be ok.
Because after all, not all conflicts can be solved in this life. People lose touch with other people because of location, circumstances and so on. Plus, one person may be able to forgive while the other just can't seem to do it. And it's not just because the person who won't forgive is being difficult.
Well, it may be in some cases, but what if it's a case where a believer was raped by a priest or by a top member of some church when they were young? I mean, how can one forgive someone like that? Luckily I've never been in such a situation but I've heard the accounts of those who have and that's something that''s extremely difficult for a person to forgive.
But with like myself, I forgive others who have done me wrong but I"m not sure others will forgive me. Some of them, I know are believers or at least claim to be believers. If they don't forgive me am I in any trouble with God because the "conflict" is not "resolved"? That's what I"m unsure about and will these conflicts be resolved and laid to rest in the afterlife? That's all I"m asking.
Thanks guys!
