...One group of people seems to think that people
will burn in hell forever. If you believe this, then you must
believe the Lord is incapable of, or unwilling to, discipline
the people he creates...
If he is chastening you, sure (Heb 12:6). Could be
he's let go of you and you're headed for hell (Heb 10:26).
...Another group seems to think that if at some
point you accept the Lord as your Savior, you live happily ever
after, no matter what you do...
The greasy gracer
(false convert).
...If you believe this, I think you are in for a
rude awakening.
Yeppers.
I believe we are all bound for heaven.
You've got that backwards. All are headed for hell if
they do not receive Jesus as their Savior. No one goes to hell for their sin.
They go to hell for their failure to trust in God's provision for their sin.
It will be a much, much easier ride for those who
accept the Lord’s discipline.
Are you a Calvinist?
If you are, read Haggai. Calvinists are indifferent and inactive--a waste of
skin.
Laish
Most will never follow Jesus that's the point.
resurrection33
I don't think the Lord ever gives up...
Ge 6:3, Ro 1:28, Heb 10:26
resurrection33
I think the Lord loves us and enjoys it when we pray to him.
notuptome
..Joh 9:31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but
if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will,
him he heareth.
That's right. The sinner knows this. It's that one thing that the Holy
Spirit keeps bringing up in the mind of the one living in rebellion (Is.
63:10). You come to God on his terms or you don't come at all (Mk 1:4).
resurrection33
You remember the great and first commandment is to love
the Lord with all our hearts, minds, and souls. Does
that suggest to you that he desires to have personal
relationships with us?
Love God. Love your neighbor. We've graduated from the Ten Commandments.
It's possible not probable. Jesus didn't come to make men good. He came
to make dead men alive (Eph 2:1).
"Most men die at 27, we just bury them at 72." ~ Mark Twain
resurrection33
I suspect a lot of people are still wresting with
adultery. Remember how Jesus told us not to look
lustfully at people?
Sexual sinners go into the Great Tribulation (Rev. 2:18–24). If they've
rejected the gospel prior to the rapture they will be sent a strong
delusion to believe the lie (2 Thess 2:11).
resurrection33
[Our law higher not lower (Mt 5-7)]...[W]hen you say, "We've
graduated from the Ten Commandments." I have to wonder where
you are coming from.
I'm coming from the church. Are
you still under the law? Haven't
repented? 1 Ti 1:9
We should obey the Lord's commandments. Why wouldn't you
want to?
An unbeliever and a make-believer don't obey--can't obey the law (Ro
7). The law showed us how
sinful we are and we agreed with God that we need a savior; so, we put our
trust in him. We live by faith (Ro 8).
resurrection33
When we obey the Lord, we avoid a lot of serious trouble.
We obey the Lord because we love him and we love our neighbor (Ro 8).
I don't cheat on my husband because I have a post-it note on the visor in my
car that reads: Don't forget--don't cheat on hubby today and then drive
through town like a braying horse looking for someone to bed (Ps 32:9,
Pr 26:4, Jer 2:24, Jas 3:3)--
whilst
remembering my pledge for the day.
Who could keep that up for a lifetime? 1 Ti 1:19
tourist
You absolutely should obey the Lord's commandments.
Mal 4:4-6, Mt
24:14
resurrection33
...[I]n the end, do the Lord's will and things go well.
His way is the
best way (Jn 10:10).
Yoseph
He, who began a good work in you is also the finisher of our
faith...grace.
Right, foolish Galatian (Ga 3:3).
They were not to return to Judaism. What we have is so much better--it blew
Paul away. The sprit would come and go with Saul and in this dispensation
the Holy Spirit would come and stay.
There's no better deal
than to be in Christ. When we're gone--Are we there yet?-- that benefit is
gone.
samuel23
I suppose that we all want to believe that a person who did
not live for the Lord got saved just before they died, and
maybe a few do, however at this age I have come to believe
that most people die as they have lived.
"There's always hope. There's just no chance." ~ Dennis Prager