Death & Salvation

[Adstar]

I hope I'm not being too annoying, but, why the need for a sacrifice at all ? I've always interpreted the animal sacrifices pre-christian religions as being a payment / tribute to the Gods. If animals were good enough before Jesus, why aren't they good enough now ?

Your not being annoying you are being deep. I do not understand completely why a sacrifice is necessary but death is the outcome of sin and also the payment for sin.

Hebrews 10
1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.

The animal sacrafices where a shadow of what was to come. A kind of sign or a foreshadowing of the real thing, the perfect final sacrafice of Jesus. These animal sacrafices could not atone for their sins. Hebrews goes on to say.

Hebrews 10
8 Previously saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and [offerings] for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure [in them"] (which are offered according to the law), 9 then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all.]

So Jesus took away the old animal sacrifices to replace them with His own sacrifice not a sacrifice to be offered each year or each week but a sacrifice offered once and for all.

Actually Analog reading the whole of Hebrews chapter 10 for yourself would be a good idea http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2010;&version=50;

Also Out of intrest, the whole animal scarifice stuff, how did that come about ? Was it a deal (conventment i think is the proper word) God made with his early people or something else ???

Well sacrifice came much earlier than the First Covenant but yes it was also an integral part of the First Covenant established during the times of Moses.





All Praise The Ancient Of Days

 

[Harlan Norris]

What are the christian views on death and salvation ? I understand one view is that you MUST accept jesus as your savour and then bam, instant heaven on death. But that however doesn't seem fair nor just (as i see it) when you consider those who didn't have the same level opptunity to accept jesus. So under christian beliefs, are all those people damned to hell ?

If so, why on earth would a ever loving creator, father, enternally damn his creations and children.

According to the Bible this is how it works.Since Adam and Eve comitted the origional sin.Two things have been constant.Death and salvation.Before Jesus, those who had faith were saved in Abrahams busom.A place separated from hell,by a gulf that was close enough to see across.Now we have the option of gaining salvation through Jesus Christ.It is an option.Appearantly not all will be saved.However for each individual it is a matter of choice.So, damnation is not Gods choice,but ours.I spent my entire adult life an athiest.God was calling me,though.I began to look for answers,just as you are.During my search I found that I could choose salvation,that I was redeemable.I chose life.That was two years ago and I haven't looked back.I pray that my faith will be stronger each day.And so, I also pray that others like myself will consider the offer that comes from God, through Jesus Christ.Salvation,it's really quite a relief.If your worried about those not saved.Accept salvation then encourage others to do the same.

 

[Sophia7]

Here are a few thoughts about the origins of sacrifice and death. This is from Genesis 3:6-7:

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Previously, Adam and Eve had been naked and unashamed. After they sinned, they were embarrassed by their nakedness and tried to cover it up.

Now here is Genesis 3:21-24:

21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Where did God get the garments of skin when there had been no death? An animal had to die for God to get the skins. That was the first animal sacrifice recorded in the Bible.

Besides the story of Cain and Abel, we also see other mentions of sacrifices in Genesis before the covenant with Moses and the Israelites. Noah offered burnt sacrifices after the flood (Genesis 8:20-21). Also, Abraham was tested by God and told to take his son Isaac to a mountain and sacrifice him as a burnt offering (Genesis 22). The interesting thing in this story is that God stopped Abraham before he could kill his son and provided a ram as a sacrifice in his place.

Thus, the sacrificial system was well established by the time of Moses, but the purpose of it was never to serve as a means of salvation itself but only to serve as an expression of faith in the coming Messiah (Jesus) who would offer Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for sin. Sacrifices did no good if a person didn't have faith in God. That's why Abel's sacrifice was accepted and Cain's was not. Sacrifices themselves had meaning only in that they foreshadowed Jesus' death to save us. Sacrifices themselves did not justify people before God because "without faith it is impossible to please God" (Hebrews 11:6).

As others have mentioned, Hebrews is a good book to read to understand what the Old Testament sacrifices were really about and how they pointed to Jesus--particularly Hebrews 8-10. Also, Hebrews 11 mentions many of the Old Testament people who didn't even know the name of Jesus but who were saved by their faith in God nonetheless. Here is a portion of that chapter:

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.

3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

4 By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.

5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.

 

[Sophia7]

I hope I'm not being too annoying, but, why the need for a sacrifice at all ? I've always interpreted the animal sacrifices pre-christian religions as being a payment / tribute to the Gods. If animals were good enough before Jesus, why aren't they good enough now ?

Also Out of intrest, the whole animal scarifice stuff, how did that come about ? Was it a deal (conventment i think is the proper word) God made with his early people or something else ???

As I said in my previous post, animal sacrifices were never good enough; they always pointed to Jesus. They were only symbols of what Jesus was going to do on the cross. They had no power in and of themselves to influence God. As I also pointed out, they predated the covenant that God made with the Israelites during the time of Moses.

To explain what the covenants were all about, here is something I posted recently in another thread about the old and new covenants as described in Hebrews. This relates to the purpose of the sacrifices and how we as Christians believe that we are saved.
________________________________________________________________

The new covenant is about having the commandments of God written in our hearts and minds:

Hebrews 8:10 This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.

Actually, under the old covenant, the law was supposed to be internalized as well; salvation was always about grace, not about keeping the law externally with no spiritual conversion:

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

The old covenant was not the law; it was the agreement that God made with His people at Mount Sinai, when God spoke His law directly to the people and then wrote His law on tablets of stone, which He gave to Moses. The people promised to obey Him, and they confirmed the covenant with the blood of bulls (Exodus 24). God's promise to them under the old covenant was that if they obeyed Him, He would bless them, and if they disobeyed, He would curse them. (See Leviticus 26 for a description of the covenant curses and blessings.)

The problem with the old covenant was that the people never followed through on their promises. They did not understand how the law was supposed to be kept--through grace. They did not trust God or keep His laws in their hearts. They sometimes followed the external regulations, even gradually adding to them and making them impossibly burdensome, which is why Jesus had to remind people of what the law of God was really about--loving God and loving our neighbors. What they missed was what many people today overlook as well--the fact that doing the right things doesn't make us righteous:

MT 15:16 "Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them. 17 "Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man `unclean.' 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what make a man `unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him `unclean.' "

When we accept Jesus, He transforms our minds and makes His laws a part of our character. He recreates us spiritually in His image. That is what being born again is all about. We still keep the law but it is through the grace and power of God, not through our own willpower and effort:

Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Therefore, the new covenant is sealed by Jesus, not by us. Hebrews 8:6 says that the new covenant is founded on better promises than the old covenant. Jesus entered the heavenly sanctuary after His resurrection and confirmed the new covenant with His own blood, not with the blood of bulls or goats (Hebrews 10). It was founded on His promise to engrave His law on our hearts rather than on stone tablets. Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law, which requires a sacrifice to save a sinner from the death penalty, in a way that no animal sacrifice could ever do. The sacrificial system dealt with the consequences of breaking God's law. Jesus' death put an end to the need for sacrifices because He paid the penalty for every violation of His law. His death did not put an end to the law itself; rather, it opened the way into the heavenly sanctuary so that we could have full and direct access to the grace and power of God that keeps us from sinning:

Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

The bottom line is that Christianity is more than a list of rules. Jesus summed it up with the statement that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God will all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and that the second-greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). That is the heart of Christianity, and anyone who doesn't have that love is not really a Christian.

 

[trase]

I believe that humans do not have an immortal soul and that the body and soul are not separate. I believe that at death we do not immediately go to heaven but that we remain in the grave, with no consciousness of anything--that is, we cease to exist in body or spirit form--until Jesus resurrects us and takes us to heaven at the Second Coming. We do not gain immortality until then.

The bottom line is that Christianity is more than a list of rules. Jesus summed it up with the statement that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God will all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and that the second-greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). That is the heart of Christianity, and anyone who doesn't have that love is not really a Christian.

Aren't you contradicting Jesus' own words by not believing in the concept of soul ?

 

[Sophia7]

Aren't you contradicting Jesus' own words by not believing in the concept of soul ?

I do believe in the concept of the soul. However, I believe that the soul is the entire person--mind, body, thoughts, feelings, everything--not the spiritual part of a person that lives on after death. The Bible speaks of God's creating man from the dust of the ground and breathing into him the breath of life, and man became a living soul. Ezekiel says that the soul who sins is the one who will die. For evidence from the Bible, you can check out the links I posted earlier. When Jesus says to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength, He is saying to love Him with every part of your being. Are the heart, soul, mind, and strength all separate things? No, Jesus is speaking holistically here. So where we disagree is on what the soul is, not on whether the idea of the soul is biblical. The reason I mentioned my beliefs on this at all was just to illustrate that Christians can have different beliefs about what happens after death and what hell is. Some Christians believe that hell is a literal fiery place of everlasting torment. Some believe that hell is a state of mind or a spiritual state of separation from God. I happen to believe that hell will be the literal destruction (resulting in death, not everlasting torture) of those who choose to reject God's gift of eternal life. Whatever we believe about the specifics, the fact remains that many people do not accept Christianity because they cannot make sense of the idea that a loving God could burn people in hell forever or that a loving God could kill people.

 

[trase]

I do believe in the concept of the soul. However, I believe that the soul is the entire person--mind, body, thoughts, feelings, everything--not the spiritual part of a person that lives on after death. The Bible speaks of God's creating man from the dust of the ground and breathing into him the breath of life, and man became a living soul. Ezekiel says that the soul who sins is the one who will die. For evidence from the Bible, you can check out the links I posted earlier. When Jesus says to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength, He is saying to love Him with every part of your being. Are the heart, soul, mind, and strength all separate things? No, Jesus is speaking holistically here. So where we disagree is on what the soul is, not on whether the idea of the soul is biblical. The reason I mentioned my beliefs on this at all was just to illustrate that Christians can have different beliefs about what happens after death and what hell is. Some Christians believe that hell is a literal fiery place of everlasting torment. Some believe that hell is a state of mind or a spiritual state of separation from God. I happen to believe that hell will be the literal destruction (resulting in death, not everlasting torture) of those who choose to reject God's gift of eternal life. Whatever we believe about the specifics, the fact remains that many people do not accept Christianity because they cannot make sense of the idea that a loving God could burn people in hell forever or that a loving God could kill people.

Maybe this will help ? http://www.christianforums.com/t2478378-morally-corrupt-christians.html

 

[Sophia7]

Maybe this will help ? http://www.christianforums.com/t2478378-morally-corrupt-christians.html

I found the material that you posted interesting, but I disagree with the theology of the Urantia Book because it contradicts the Bible. Sorry for getting off topic somewhat with this; I suppose it would be better to discuss it in the thread that you linked to.

 

[Mikecpking]

Aren't you contradicting Jesus' own words by not believing in the concept of soul ?

Hi Trase,
We had this discussion before. Jesus clearly believed in the Hebrew understanding of personhood. The Hebrew viewed people as a totality or unity, not 'parts' nor an 'incarnated soul'. They believed people did not have souls, they are souls. Therefore, Jesus challenged the concept of the Greek view of soul surviving death by speaking about 'resurrection'. Immortality of the soul where many have the view that when they die, they will be disembodied souls in heaven has no scriptural suport.
I know you follow the teachings of the Urantia cult which seems very much in contradiction to what the bible actually teaches.

 

[Analog]

The whole idea of Jesus dieing somehow granting me an easy ticket to heaven never made much sense to me. It just seems all too easy for something so important. There must be some other, non jesus way into heaven. What about those who didn't accept Jesus but lead good lives ? Is Jesus -the- only way in Christianity, 'cause surely the Jews had some way to get ino heaven too

 

[matthewgoh]

The whole idea of Jesus dieing somehow granting me an easy ticket to heaven never made much sense to me. It just seems all too easy for something so important.

Hi Analog,

Easy. No it's not easy. You know how "difficult" for a non-believer to accept Christ?

 

[LilLamb219]

The whole idea of Jesus dieing somehow granting me an easy ticket to heaven never made much sense to me. It just seems all too easy for something so important. There must be some other, non jesus way into heaven. What about those who didn't accept Jesus but lead good lives ? Is Jesus -the- only way in Christianity, 'cause surely the Jews had some way to get ino heaven too

The Jews believed in the one who was to come, the Savior, the Christ...and that is Jesus. Jesus is God who came to earth in the form of man to reconcile us to Him by living a perfect life that we can not do, and He died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. This is true whether or not you believe it. You don't have to DO anything as Christ has already done it for you. Rejecting it is what gets people to hell.

 

[12volt_man]

The whole idea of Jesus dieing somehow granting me an easy ticket to heaven never made much sense to me.

Jesus did not die to "grant you an easy ticket to Heaven".


Jesus paid took your punishment in order to reconcile you to God and give you the opportunity to become a child of God.

There must be some other, non jesus way into heaven.

There isn't one. No other person can do it because Jesus is the only one who is sinless and no other way is sufficient because it doesn't include Jesus.

What about those who didn't accept Jesus but lead good lives?

"Good lives" by who's standards?

Is Jesus -the- only way in Christianity, 'cause surely the Jews had some way to get ino heaven too

Yes, the Jews did have a way to get into Heaven: Jesus!

The Jews were saved in the same way that we are saved: by Jesus' atonement on the cross. The only difference is that we look back on the cross and they looked forward to it.

Jesus affirms this in John 8:56. This is why the Bible tells us that during those three days between the crucifixion and the resurrection, Jesus went to preach the Gospel to the faithful Jews of the OT.

 

[Sophia7]

The Jews who were saved were saved by their faith in God even though they didn't understand exactly what Jesus was going to do for them later. They were not saved by their sacrifices or their own actions. Here's a question: do you actually want to work your own way to heaven? You would have a hard time getting in that way--impossible, actually. Whether we are Christians or not, we can all try to be good people, but none of us can be perfect. Even if we don't do anything horrible, we all do little things that are wrong. And all of those things will keep us out of heaven. Only Jesus can make us good enough to get into heaven. There is no other way. As I said before, though, God does take into account the knowledge that people have about Him.

Here's the thing: Christianity is not about doing all the right things because we can't do all the right things, no matter how good we are. Humanity has not yet become perfect and never will. Human nature is not good; it takes a lot of work to even attempt to be a good person. Even today, with all of our knowledge and enlightenment, we still do things that are wrong, even by our own standards.

Christianity is about recognizing that we can't be perfect on our own but that Jesus can take away our guilt and give us the power to help us do the right things. Sin separates us from God and causes us to focus on ourselves. Being a Christian is about asking God to transform our minds so that we no longer want to do those things that tear us away from Him. As a Christian, I am a good person not because I do good things but because I depend on Jesus to help me do good things. And I am not perfect; I still sin sometimes, but I can ask God to forgive me when that happens.

So, yes, Jesus did give us a free ticket to heaven (not free for Him because it cost Him His life). Why would we want to work our way there on our own when the trip is already paid for?

 

[Sabra]

Dear Analog,

What are the christian views on death and salvation ? I understand one view is that you MUST accept jesus as your savour and then bam, instant heaven on death. But that however doesn't seem fair nor just (as i see it) when you consider those who didn't have the same level opptunity to accept jesus. So under christian beliefs, are all those people damned to hell ?

I am honestly not entirely sure whether it happens straight after you die, or on Judgment Day. Either way, the dead have no perception of time, so to them, they die one second and then in the blink of an eye Jesus has raised them again - even though thousands of years ago. When Martha talking to Jesus about the death of her brother, Lazarus, in verse 24 she replied, "I know that will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

Although I acknowledge that some people are already in heaven, such as the criminal on the cross who accepted Christ, Elijah and Moses (who appeared during the Transfiguration), among others, I believe that most people who die now stay dead until the resurrection at the last day.

Then, in my understanding, Jesus will do away with this sin cursed creation and restore it back to how it was in the beginning. A perfect place with no defect, no death, no pain, and no suffering. In fact, "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 20:4, Amp). Why is this so? Because, "No longer will there be any curse" (Revelation 22:3, TNIV). If you can recall, God cursed His creation (Genesis 3) after Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge between good and evil. This was both a curse and a blessing - a blessing such that we have to die yet we can shed this sinful state and enter eternity with God in "heaven" - I use the word loosely as I explained above I don't believe that we actually reside in heaven for eternity, but in the New heaven and new Earth which will be restored to how it originally was where God will make His home with man. Even in the midst of punishment, God's love shines through. Quite amazing.

If I understood the last part of your post correctly, those that haven't heard or know very little of or can't comprehend the Gospel message I believe will perhaps be judged differently than those who have and can. You see, just as now the more power you have the more accountable you'll be, so it is with your knowledge of the Gospel - the more you know about it the more accountable you'll be if you reject it. I believe that God is just, hence why I believe that babies, those who mentally can't comprehend the Gospel message or other wise due to mental illness, those who have never heard the name of Christ will be shown extra mercy and allowed to enter heaven - this is just my opinion. But as sovereign judge, He has the right to judge people according to His will.

It's just my view in a summary: how can you hold people accountable for something that they have no idea about and have not heard (unless the person was to lazy to check it out)? Of course, the amount of people who can use this excuse is serverely limited in this world - the Internet is a great source, as is radio and television - to which almost all people have access. Christian missionaries are also doing their utmost in hostile countries to introduce people to Christ such that they can know Christ and experience the love of their Creator and live the abundant life that He wants them to live and experience His blessings.

If so, why on earth would a ever loving creator, father, enternally damn his creations and children.

It should be noted that only those who accept Christ as their saviour are "children of God." John 1:12 (Amp) tells us:

"But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name."

I just saw your post that said this:

There must be some other, non jesus way into heaven. What about those who didn't accept Jesus but lead good lives ?

Indeed, there are many people who live what we consider to be "good lives" who aren't Christians. But the Bible telss us that "everyone has sinned and is far away from God's saving presence" (Romans 3:23, GNB/TEV). The only way not to be sinful is to keep the Ten Commandments every second of every day for the whole of your life, and to be blunt about it, this is impossible. Remember, doing things in the mind - like lust - is just as sinful as actually carrying it out! So when you look at your neighbour and you think, I so much want to kill that guy or something like that, then you've just broken the law.

James 2:10 tells us, "Whoever breaks one commandment is guilty of breaking them all." In other words, if you're going to try to keep the Old Testament laws, you had better keep all of them.

Since God is holy and sin can't co-exist with a holy God, He demands 100% righteous lives, but "What is impossible for man is possible for God" (Luke 18:27, GNB/TEV). What was He talking about? He was saying that man can't save his own skin from eternal damnation, that is why Jesus was sent to have His blood shed to take our sins away for those who have faith in Him (this is why John the Baptist called Him the "Lamb of God").

Let's see the implications of people who reject Christ:

Why is there suffering and death?[/url]]When Adam rebelled against God, in effect he was saying that he wanted life without God. He wanted to decide truth for himself, independent of God. Now the Bible tells us that Adam was the head of the human race, representing each one of us, who are his descendants. Paul says in Romans 5:12–19 that we sin ‘in Adam,’ after the likeness of Adam. In other words, we have the same problem Adam had. When Adam rebelled against God, all human beings, represented by Adam, effectively said that they wanted life without God.

We have two options: separate from our sins by trusting in Christ, and dwell with God forever; or cling to our sins, in which case God will grant our wish and separate us from Himself for eternity. This is why Jesus on the Day of Judgment says to evildoers, ‘Depart from me …’ (Matthew 7:23, Luke 13:27).

You see, when people reject Christ and cling to their sins, they are in effect that are saying exactly the same thing as Adam was when He rebelled against rejected) God. That is, they are in fact saying that they want to live a life without God, independent of God. That's what you are really saying when you say "No" to Jesus. You're saying, "Go away from me Jesus - don't come in my life with that spotlight of yours. Just leave me alone!" Hence, God grants them their wish and separates them from Himself for all eternity. Since He is the eternal life giving source, then those who reject Him have condemned themselves to eternal death.

I hope this hasn't confused you more. But to be completely honest, we don't know and don't have a right to know how the Almighty God will judge people. People can draw Biblical support for either positions that you die straight away and go to heaven or you wait until the resurrection of the dead on Judgment Day.

 

[Mikecpking]

Sabra,
That was an excellent post!