I never argued that hell is not eternal. I am arguing that hell (once thrown into the Lake of Fire) is not a separate realm from heaven, otherwise God cannot be "all in all".
In post #675:
(Me) "Are you allowed to answer the simple question, for which I asked prior? Ultimately, do all humans go to heaven, yes or no?"
(You) "
If I said yes, would you be opposed? The idea you are proposing is called apocatastasis and no I am not sure it is allowed in the apologetics section."
Thus, it would appear, you are stating that eventually, all humans go to heaven, maybe even after some 'purification' process?
I'm not asking where hell resides, or if God has control of hell.
I understand your point and I concur. Yes there is confusion, we will never resolve it as long as we live. We can only attempt to but even our best efforts will only allow us to see in part (1 Corinthians 13:12). This is not God playing hide-and-seek, it is His command for us to live by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7, Hebrews 11:1). You will not find evidence or perfect answers in faith, only hope and trust.
And yet, many turn away from the assertion of God due to ultimate apparent 'hide-and-seek.' If faith is required, and many unbelievers don't believe, beca
Take any answers from me or others with a grain of salt. The Bible is designed to contain an infinite amount of answers, so that no man can arrogantly say they have all the answers. At some point, we all choose which scriptures we fully embrace, and which scriptures need re-interpreting. This is what I mean by choosing what you believe. God instructs us to have faith, which is the openness to seek and follow Him.
God holds nothing against you (2 Corinthians 5:19), but rather whoever does not believe condemns them self already (John 3:18).
God is love (1 John 4:7, 4:8, 4:16) and God is Spirit (and John 4:24). The fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control according to Galatians 5:22-23. If you believe these things then in all conscience you are not really a nonbeliever. No doubt there are those who condemn themselves by refusing to believe love, choose joy, practice kindness, exercise hope, etc etc etc. So again I ask, why is the existence of God so rejectable for you?
Judgment is about what rewards we will receive in the next life.
This is how God tells us we can store up treasures in Heaven:
Giving to the needy (Luke 12:32-33)
Give to those who cannot repay (Luke 14:13-14)
Endure persecution (Matthew 5:11-12)
Loving your enemies (Matthew 5:43-48)
Praying (Matthew 6:5-6)
Serving God and others (Matthew 10:41-42)
My stance is that God will accomplish his eternal purpose in the end.
There are many things people choose to believe. Aliens, parallel universes, ghosts, free will, luck, karma, astrology, morality, consciousness. There is as much proof as there is none for these things. You decide what is worth believing, and then you go from there. God included! Faith is how you choose to see the world, which affects how you live in the world and this is a continual process. When you say "I do" in a marriage you can't be certain that it will not end badly for you, but you choose to work hard, be faithful and love your partner until the very end.
I'm sorry you feel that you wasted your time for 3 decades. Are you certain that God didn't answer your prayers, or is it simply because you didn't get the response you wanted?[/QUOTE]