It seemed so easy for the thief on the cross to be saved.

[Friar Tuck]

Is it that easy for us too ? , or is John Macarthur correct in saying millions of Christians will go to hell after they die , and then gives his reasons.
No need to watch the entire vid if you don't wish to , 5 or 10 should give you the drift.

 

[d taylor]

Is it that easy for us too ? , or is John Macarthur correct in saying millions of Christians will go to hell after they die , and then gives his reasons.
No need to watch the entire vid if you don't wish to , 5 or 10 should give you the drift.

-
​

God has made receiving His free gift of Eternal Life as uncomplicated as this.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
---------------------------
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.
---------------------------
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

But men and women like MacArthur and many others have complicated God's simple free gift message and fashioned a gospel of doubt. Where people do not know what they must do or what to believed to receive God's free gift of Eternal Life.

 

[timothyu]

It was that easy. Religion complicated His movement to make itself seem essential. The repentant thief acted in the ways of the Kingdom unlike the other thief who made it all about himself. The repentant one had no worldly concern for himself or his fate but admitted his guilt while proclaiming Jesus ‘ innocence. His concern was for others, not self interest like the other thief. He followed the will of God, specifically the second commandment, thus proving his worthiness.

 

[johansen]

Personally it does frustrate me a little because at the end of the day our lives on this earth have no value, and we are required to forgive the people that harmed us, even to beyond things worse than death.

But i have to accept it and after a long time it makes sense.

John MacArthur is an angry sinner. I do not listen to him. I would rather kill myself

 

[PloverWing]

Is it that easy for us too ? , or is John Macarthur correct in saying millions of Christians will go to hell after they die , and then gives his reasons.
No need to watch the entire vid if you don't wish to , 5 or 10 should give you the drift.

I watched about the first half of the video.

There is a style of preaching, moderately common in the Baptist tradition I grew up in, that focuses on telling Christians that they're not really saved. The preacher tells the congregation that just because you're baptized and try to follow the teachings of Jesus and go to church regularly and trust that God will save you, that's not enough to be a real Christian. Usually the altar call message is that what you have to do is to accept Jesus as your savior. Surprisingly, to me, MacArthur takes it a step further in this sermon and says that even if you've accepted Jesus as your savior, that's not enough to be a real Christian either.

I find this to be a spiritually destructive type of preaching, undermining people's trust in God week after week.

 

[Matt5]

Summary of "Why Millions of Christians May Face Eternal Separation" by John MacArthur | Grok / X

https://x.com/i/grok?conversation=1928742685760004160

"Is it that easy for us too ?"

No, it is not going to be that easy. The reason is that Jesus is returning soon. That means most of the planet is getting wiped out. Primarily, that will mean death by radiation exposure. Death by radiation looks a lot like the hell of weeping and gnashing of teeth, except the weeping is really screaming. Naturally, when at pain level 10, time will stop. Or at least seem to stop. Death will come after days at pain level 10.

All of those things are currently sitting on our doorstep just waiting for the right trigger.

 

[timothyu]

I find this to be a spiritually destructive type of preaching, undermining people's trust in God week after week.

But it keeps them coming back for more. Dependant on the business.

 

[Clare73]

It was that easy. Religion complicated His movement to make itself seem essential. The repentant thief acted in the ways of the Kingdom unlike the other thief who made it all about himself. The repentant one had no worldly concern for himself or his fate but admitted his guilt while proclaiming Jesus ‘ innocence.

Did he not ask to be admitted into Jesus' kingdom (Lk 23:42)?

His concern was for others, not self interest like the other thief. He followed the will of God, specifically the second commandment, thus proving his worthiness.

Salvation is not based on one's concern for others.

That's a works-based salvation, contrary to Eph 2:8-9.

 

[timothyu]

Did he not ask to be admitted into Jesus' kingdom (Lk 23:42)?

No, to be remembered

 

[timothyu]

Salvation is not based on one's concern for others.

It absolutely is. Not only is it the way of the Kingdom but Gods will, His second commandment for us here. God gave us resurrection. The rest is up to us.

 

[Clare73]

No, to be remembered

So his only concern was simply to be remembered?

 

[Clare73]

It absolutely is. Not only is it the way of the Kingdom but Gods will, His second commandment for us here. God gave us resurrection.
The rest is up to us.

Not according to Php 2:13. . .

 

[timothyu]

So his only concern was simply to be remembered?

He wasn’t selfish, but humble.

 

[Clare73]

He wasn’t selfish, but humble.

It is by faith you are saved. . .not by (good) works of humility (Eph 2:8-9).

And that faith is a gift (Php 1:29, 2 Pe 1:1, Ac 13:48, 18:26, Ro 12:3).

Salvation is (100%) of the Lord! (Rev 7:10).

He shares not his glory with another (Is 42:8, 48:11).

 

[timothyu]

And that faith is a gift

The gift was resurrection and the Kingdom. Faith is based on the Abrahamic faith, trust in the will of God

 

[Clare73]

The gift was resurrection and the Kingdom. Faith is based on the Abrahamic faith, trust in the will of God

Not according to Php 1:29, 2 Pe 1:1, Ac 13:48, 18:26, Ro 12:3, where faith is a gift.

 

[NewLifeInChristJesus]

God has made receiving His free gift of Eternal Life as uncomplicated as this.​

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
---------------------------
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.
---------------------------
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

But men and women like MacArthur and many others have complicated God's simple free gift message and fashioned a gospel of doubt. Where people do not know what they must do or what to believed to receive God's free gift of Eternal Life.

It's hard for me to see consistency in a reformed person's point of view that lost people are to blame for their own eternal damnation. Call me crazy.

 

[d taylor]

It's hard for me to see consistency in a reformed person's point of view that lost people are to blame for their own eternal damnation. Call me crazy.

-

​

Well a person is born in a state of separation from the Life of God. But they are not like a dead person, like Calvinist make them out to be.
A person is alive and can think and reason and after examining the evidence presented by The Bible will either believe or not.

 

[Clare73]

It's hard for me to see consistency in a reformed person's point of view that lost people are to blame for their own eternal damnation. Call me crazy.

It all goes back to God's own imputing of Adam's sin to all mankind (Ro 5:17), causing all to be guilty and objects of wrath by nature (Eph 2:3).

God locked up all mankind in sin so all would have to come to him for mercy (Ro 11:32).

 

[KevinT]

Personally it does frustrate me a little because at the end of the day our lives on this earth have no value ...

I may not understand your point of view, but I would disagree that our lives on this earth have no value. The prayer that Jesus taught his disciples was to say, "...Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as in heaven." I have recently read Paul, a Biography by NT Wright, and he brought up some very good points -- namely that "going to heaven" is not the point of Paul's teachings. Instead, it was that Jesus was God's Messiah, and the Messiah is going to set the world right. Thus Paul was teaching for everyone to become part of God's kingdom with Jesus as Lord. It was all centered on God's actions on this earth, both current and future. Consistent with this, in Revelation we see God's city coming to the Earth-- Earth reformed is the future home of humanity. In contrast, Platonism teaches that the earth is evil, and the goal one should strive for is to leave this material world and hope for a better existence in some other spiritual plane. And over time, much of this Platonic thought has gotten entangled with Christian teaching, with unfortunate effects.

If one accepts that God is working to establish His kingdom on Earth, then what we do here on this planet DOES matter. If I give a cool glass of water to someone who never accepts Jesus as his lord, that WAS still worth doing.

Just my 2 cents.
Best wishes,

KT