Why would I want to live forever?

[ViaCrucis]

Isaiah 25:8
He will swallow up death [in victory; He will abolish death forever]. And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; and the reproach of His people He will take away from off all the earth; for the Lord has spoken it.
Isaiah 25:7-9 (in Context) Isaiah 25 (Whole Chapter)

Revelation 7:17
For the Lamb Who is in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to the springs of the waters of life; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Revelation 7:16-17 (in Context) Revelation 7 (Whole Chapter)

Revelation 21:4
God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more, neither shall there be anguish (sorrow and mourning) nor grief nor pain any more, for the old conditions and the former order of things have passed away.
Revelation 21:3-5 (in Context) Revelation 21 (Whole Chapter)

Correct. That isn't the aspect I was drawing attention to however.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[lucaspa]

When I was like six I would cry about being in heaven and living forever. Living forever sounds horrifying. A finite life is a blessing. Can you imagine being alive for 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 years. Well, you're going to be alive a lot longer than that if you believe in heaven.

I think it is cool. Lots of time to learn everything. Time to form millions of relationships and explore each of them.

Why do you think it is so bad?

 

[elman]

I would. I do not want to live for over 60 trillion years. The same thing day after day. How can I be happy when others are in hell too?

Why would you assume you will be unhappy and why assume it will aways be the same thing? Also you are saying you want to be in hell? I don't believe in Dante's hell by the way. I don't think there is any pain or suffering or bordom in the afterlife.

 

[EmmaXO]

I think it is actually an expression of total willingness to allow you and others freedom. If you freely choose to reject God, then why should I feel bad that you suffer the consequences?

I cannot spend time feeling badly that you choose to walk away. I might say, "That's too bad," but should I feel bad for ever when you choose to say, "no" especially after you've been told repeatedly that there is a price you will have to pay? No. For me to feel bad that you were warned and then burned yourself would be over emoting as far as I am concerned.

God is giving everyone a choice--some people get many choices. He has given us a map and underlined the way i.e. the exact directions to heaven.

The map to heaven is in Roman 10:

3 For they [the unbeliever] being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.


[What this means is that they are still trying to prove that they are perfect and deserve to be with God. But we're not perfect. And therefore we can't live with God.

You might say that heaven is an exclusive club. You can join, and be there, but you have to follow the rules to come in. If you choose not to join, then you don't get in. If you choose not to join, then why should I feel sorry for you that you chose not to join?]

4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

[What this means is that the answer to the law of sin and death (so you don't have to suffer it) is Christ.]

5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.


[We can not live perfectly and so deserved nothing more than to die and go to hell because we were not perfect. To be where God is, you have to be perfect to live in God's sight. You have to have joined the group to go to the group's club so to speak. There are two places that you will go--either heaven or hell. If you don't choose heaven, you get to go to hell.]


6 But the righteousness which is of faith [through Christ] speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above)
7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart:


[In other words, God's word is first in your mouth (just below in this passage described, then in your heart (which is your choice of thinking) also just below described.]


that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,


[Step one: Say with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord."]


and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.


[Step two: Believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. It is my humble opinion that the Holy Spirit gives you the ability to believe this after you say "Jesus is Lord."

IMHO saying "Jesus is Lord" means that Jesus is Lord, and you're willing to submit to His rule, His Way and His methods to get you to Him.]

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

God made salvation this easy because anything else might have been too hard for us being that we are human, and then we could blame Him for us not being saved.

Therefore, when you've thought that God's ways (heaven or hell based on our choices) is too much, it isn't. It is easy, and those who don't choose to speak the words cannot say that it was too hard. They can only say, "I made a choice." Those that go to hell have only to admit that they chose hell.

Therefore, how is it reasonable that I should feel bad forever for those who made a choice when they go to hell?

If I say, "Watch out! That burner on the stove is hot." But then you put your finger on it and are burned badly, most people would say, "Why did you do that?" Most people won't feel sorry that you chose to do that very foolish thing even after being warned, but they will feel confused and irritated after you do it and complain.

You have the map to heaven. Choose now what you want to do. And after you choose, don't complain that you don't like the results.

(I will tell you, however, that my entire family has told me that they believe and have confessed Jesus is Lord, so I anticipate that they will all be there with me. I have talked to them all because I would prefer they don't go to hell. But it was their choice.)

Now you have a choice. I gave you the map to heaven. You now know the way. You can say, "I don't believe your map" and then throw away the map and go about your own way--working to be a "good person" all your life and sometimes failing to do the right thing--still thinking that you are "good enough" for God.

I gave you the map that shows you the way to get to heaven. If you decide to not follow the map, and then you get lost, do you think I should feel bad after I told you what the consequences were when you did not follow the map? You're saying, after you threw away the map I gave you and said you don't believe that my directions are right, that I should feel bad that you made your own choice? (If I tried to shove it down your throat, then you'd feel really angry. And I still couldn't convince you to follow the map, could I?)

By saying I should feel bad that you made the wrong choice--well, you're putting me in a no win/no win situation. I will not feel bad if you choose wrongly. It was your choice. I gave you freedom of choice!

The point is that you are not "good enough" to be in God's presence. You have to be cleaned up first. Jesus is the answer to cleaning you up.

I John 1:9 says, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

You have to accept His offering so you can get that shower to be clean enough to reach the Father. Otherwise, you will not make it on your own merit.

Don't choose hell. Get clean. Why not?

But if you choose to not get cleaned up after I told you how, explained the consequences if you did not, and told you to "Get clean," then I am not going to beat my brains out for eternity that you made the wrong choice. What else can I do but give you the map, tell you the consequences, and tell you to do it?

I can do nothing else but that. And it would be unfair and unreasonable for you to expect me to feel bad for eternity that you willingly and willfullly made the wrong choice after I told you how to go the right way. I'm not going to feel badly if you choose hell. I did not choose hell. I told you not to choose hell. I even spent an hour trying to show you the way to get to heaven and not go to hell, and I don't even know you personally! And if you do choose hell, then it was your own choice! Nope, you can call me calloused, but if you choose hell, then I'm not going to spend eternity in sorrow over your bad choice.

God bless you in your search.

This is an exceptionally apathetic viewpoint to have. Are you indifferent to the suffering of others? Do you pity the beggar on the street? Surely his choices have a reason to do with why he is there. Does he deserve no sympathy? It’s his fault.

When you were a kid did you ever say, "I wouldn't be sad without my mom. I would love it!" Then one day your mother hasn't come home from the store, and you get a gut-wrenching feeling something awful has happened to her. You instantly regret what you said.

We see people on the news everyday suffering and we think, "That will never happen to me." The next day you could be the one watching a tornado rip the roof of your house off, or the person stuck under the rubble of a collapsed building.

The point I want to get across is saying is not doing or feeling. Your child could rot in hell forever and you will feel no pity?

Are you forgetting there are other religions that all teach they have the only truth too? Your religion is the only truth because it says so? Well other religions say so too. They insist it is truth. What if you get to heaven and Allah asks you why you rejected Mohamed?

People have reasons for doubting Jesus and God.

You could have been born someone else.

 

[anunbeliever]

I cannot spend time feeling badly that you choose to walk away. ...Therefore, how is it reasonable that I should feel bad forever for those who made a choice when they go to hell?

You speak of feelings as if they are a choice. My brother has a "prodigal son" - the boy chose to get mixed up in the wrong crowd. He joined a gang and is now doing time in prison. Whilst his father knows the boy is reaping what he sowed, he is still worried sick over his son's fate. If he could trade places with the boy i think he would.

 

[Jonathan95]

This is an exceptionally apathetic viewpoint to have. Are you indifferent to the suffering of others? Do you pity the beggar on the street? Surely his choices have a reason to do with why he is there. Does he deserve no sympathy? It’s his fault.

When you were a kid did you ever say, "I wouldn't be sad without my mom. I would love it!" Then one day your mother hasn't come home from the store, and you get a gut-wrenching feeling something awful has happened to her. You instantly regret what you said.

We see people on the news everyday suffering and we think, "That will never happen to me." The next day you could be the one watching a tornado rip the roof of your house off, or the person stuck under the rubble of a collapsed building.

The point I want to get across is saying is not doing or feeling. Your child could rot in hell forever and you will feel no pity?

Are you forgetting there are other religions that all teach they have the only truth too? Your religion is the only truth because it says so? Well other religions say so too. They insist it is truth. What if you get to heaven and Allah asks you why you rejected Mohamed?

People have reasons for doubting Jesus and God.

You could have been born someone else.

YHWH is on our DNA, so Islam can't be right. Why'd Allah out that on our DNA?

 

[Living in the Light]

An eternity in ecstasy would be a good thing. Perhaps you don't understand the spiritual.

 

[EmmaXO]

YHWH is on our DNA, so Islam can't be right. Why'd Allah out that on our DNA?

I'be gone over this before. Actual laminin looks more like a break dancing stick figure than a cross.

Redirect Notice

 

[Jonathan95]

I'be gone over this before. Actual laminin looks more like a break dancing stick figure than a cross.

Redirect Notice

No: http://noapologizing.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/laminin.gif -- The Cross in Our Bodies: Laminin — Lifescape Magazine

Also, I wasn't talking about Laminin, I was talking about our DNA-code, also, a code has a creator:

Amazon.com: The God Code: The Secret of Our Past, the Promise of Our Future (9781401902995): Gregg Braden: Books The YHWH Code - The Yahweh Code DNA Divine Names

 

[1Prophetess]

This is an exceptionally apathetic viewpoint to have. Are you indifferent to the suffering of others? Do you pity the beggar on the street? Surely his choices have a reason to do with why he is there. Does he deserve no sympathy? It’s his fault.

EmmaXO: IMHO this is not apathetic. This is giving you complete freedom to choose, and after you choose, it is not feeling bad that you made your choice. I would not prefer that you choose against Jesus. But if you willfully do so, you do.

Your view seems to want someone always to blame for bad choices. I think this is not right. When you make bad choices, you must pay for them. That is why you don't want to make the wrong choice.

I have sympathy for the beggar on the street. Thus, I often give to them. I have great sympathy for the suffering of others and often think they suffer because their faith is not complete. If a person lacks faith to resolve their issues, then it is their choice. If they made a choice, how can I pity them? I have to only say, "It is their choice. I would not choose that. But they did. And so it is right to have allowed them to do so."

The alternative is for me to say, "You have no freedom. I will choose for you. You may not choose anything bad for yourself." This is not freedom but slavery. The Bible says Christ came to set us free. I prefer freedom over everything else.

...Are you forgetting there are other religions that all teach they have the only truth too? Your religion is the only truth because it says so? Well other religions say so too. They insist it is truth. What if you get to heaven and Allah asks you why you rejected Mohamed?

People have reasons for doubting Jesus and God.

You could have been born someone else.

Why don't you go to this thread http://www.christianforums.com/t7620223/ and then you can see the proof of my belief?

I do not believe in Jesus just because someone said so. I believe because I keep seeing miracles.

Of course, you can insist that a miracle is not one and therefore not believe. Others have.

But you know the consequences of disbelief now, don't you?

So believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved!

 

[1Prophetess]

YHWH is on our DNA, so Islam can't be right. Why'd Allah out that on our DNA?

I would like to read what it was that caused you to come to this conclusion. Please reference. Thanks.

 

[Jonathan95]

I would like to read what it was that caused you to come to this conclusion. Please reference. Thanks.

Amazon.com: The God Code: The Secret of Our Past, the Promise of Our Future (9781401902995): Gregg Braden: Books The YHWH Code - The Yahweh Code DNA Divine Names

 

[Ernst Junger]

i believe most standard theologies have an end of time scenario, where the just and wicked alike are ressurected, and then the wicked are tossed into the lake of fire to burn. Since there is no more time, the corporeal flame is "eternal", but its not a continous procession of moments. Just one moment of humiliation and agony, or of fulfillment and completion.

 

[elman]

i believe most standard theologies have an end of time scenario, where the just and wicked alike are ressurected, and then the wicked are tossed into the lake of fire to burn. Since there is no more time, the corporeal flame is "eternal", but its not a continous procession of moments. Just one moment of humiliation and agony, or of fulfillment and completion.

I think the wicked will be dead for longer than a moment and the righteous will be alive longer than a moment.

 

[juvenissun]

When I was like six I would cry about being in heaven and living forever. Living forever sounds horrifying. A finite life is a blessing. Can you imagine being alive for 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 years. Well, you're going to be alive a lot longer than that if you believe in heaven.

I don't know if people have said this already. But here is mine:

Your point is well taken, you DON'T want to live forever in pain and boring. But unfortunately, you ARE going to live forever, like it or not.

 

[EmmaXO]

I don't know if people have said this already. But here is mine:

Your point is well taken, you DON'T want to live forever in pain and boring. But unfortunately, you ARE going to live forever, like it or not.

That's debatable. I'm sure there are many people who disagree with that. I haven't been responding as I've been very busy and didn't feel very well today.

Can you provide some concrete evidence I'm going to live forever? Preferably outside of the bible, and no hallucinations either.

 

[juvenissun]

That's debatable. I'm sure there are many people who disagree with that. I haven't been responding as I've been very busy and didn't feel very well today.

Can you provide some concrete evidence I'm going to live forever? Preferably outside of the bible, and no hallucinations either.

No "concrete" evidence (I am glad that we don't). But the idea is very common. Everyone has a soul and soul will not die. If you don't believe that, then you do not have to worry about your original question.

 

[EmmaXO]

No "concrete" evidence (I am glad that we don't). But the idea is very common. Everyone has a soul and soul will not die. If you don't believe that, then you do not have to worry about your original question.

So if something has no concrete evidence, why believe it?

 

[razeontherock]

So if something has no concrete evidence, why believe it?

Concrete is merely one building material. It's effectiveness does nothing to reduce the usefulness of anything else available. In the same way, there are many other ways of knowing something, other than the "concrete evidence" you state you desire.

Besides, concrete has no meaning in the realm of the Spirit

 

[GrayAngel]

That's debatable. I'm sure there are many people who disagree with that. I haven't been responding as I've been very busy and didn't feel very well today.

Can you provide some concrete evidence I'm going to live forever? Preferably outside of the bible, and no hallucinations either.

There is some documented evidence of after-death experiences, which have been found to occur when the brain is completely non-functional, something that scientists used to think was impossible.