Do God’s promises for eternity matter if you don’t believe you will go to heaven?

[1watchman]

You should have read the originality. post. It isn’t that there is no interest, but that I am beat down to the point of rejection. I as wondering about meaning with the Eternal things of God if you no longer believe you are going to go there.

If you believe you "...no longer believe you are going there" as you say, you must have not truly received the Savior or just refuse to believe His promise. If you read John 3; John 5:39-40; John 14; Acts 4:12; Romans 8; etc. you might hear God speaking to you as a promise of security. If that is not good enough you may just have to go on doubting God's salvation. He truly loves His creation and His children. Why not receive the Lord Jesus and enter into God's promises? That requires one to not ignore Him, but walk and talk with the Lord Jesus daily (God manifest in the flesh); which brings peace by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Have you ever done these things, friend?

 

[ViaCrucis]

The reasoning is rather simple. I don’t believe I will be capable of having the relationship with God necessary to get to heaven.

Here's the thing--what does this even mean?

The Gospel is that Christ died for you. Do you believe God unable to save you when that is precisely what He says He's done--and is continuing to do?

Do you believe your personal defects as a human sinner are stronger than the mercy of God poured out for you?

Don't underestimate God, He will drag us into heaven kicking and screaming all along the way.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Neostarwcc]

Sure they do. No matter what your eternal destiny, God will fix this broken world and an innumerable amount of people will be able to enjoy it far beyond the stars in the sky.

The time is coming where there will be no more sin, the time is coming where the color of our skin won't cause division among us. The time is coming where God will live among the people and be their God. A golden era of no more disease, famine, death, crying or pain.

No matter what my eternal destiny that makes me feel extremely warm and happy inside. It should make everyone happy but unfortunately not all of us think that way. We tend to think on the negative side and focus on God's coming punishment rather than his upcoming blessing.

 

[Jeshu]

I don’t believe I will be capable of having the relationship with God necessary to get to heaven.

That is how your relationship is at the moment but such could change. If you would bring your bad life/feelings to Jesus and let Him replace them with His good life then you might end up loving Him. i know i did.

Think about it like this, with God you always win, even if you loose now, but without Him you will always loose even what you got now.

Honestly brother bring your hurt feelings to Jesus and let Him take care of them. Even bad life cannot take His good life away. With Jesus you are safe, even from death.

Peace.

 

[Guojing]

The reasoning is rather simple. I don’t believe I will be capable of having the relationship with God necessary to get to heaven. So what meaning would the eternal stiff have if I am not going to end up receiving it?

In the first place, your salvation is not based on your relationship with God.

It is based on you believing that Christ died for your sins and rose again on the 3rd day.

 

[Religiot]

I was trying to understand why I don’t value the spiritual things God is giving me in my life compared to the more earthly things I want Him to do (mainly heal my 51 year old wife of the strokes she has had). I literally don’t want anything else from Him without that. Anyway, I started trying to figure out why they don’t matter to me. I finally came up with the reason: I no longer believe that heaven will be my destination. Partly this is knowing myself, and the fact that if He doesn’t heal her, I will likely never forgive Him(please don’t start about God doesn’t need forgiveness). All of the sudden the lack of worth made sense. So I ask you, do God’s eternal promises matter if you aren’t going to heaven?

Your question is malformed...

God is not anyone's genie, but their creator--without that realization gratitude is impossible.

Perhaps the following will benefit you:

"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." --Matthew 10:34-39

Many believers share your perspective:

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." --Matthew 7:21-23

Most want to do their own thing, and most will:

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." --Matthew 7:13-14

I hope you reform your beliefs about God to conform with what He already says about Himself.

 

[Questioning Brother]

That is how your relationship is at the moment but such could change. If you would bring your bad life/feelings to Jesus and let Him replace them with His good life then you might end up loving Him. i know i did.

Think about it like this, with God you always win, even if you loose now, but without Him you will always loose even what you got now.

Honestly brother bring your hurt feelings to Jesus and let Him take care of them. Even bad life cannot take His good life away. With Jesus you are safe, even from death.

Peace.

Had that. He took it away. Whether the Devil did it and God didn’t stop it, or God took it the effect is EXACTLY THE SAME! This plan has his approval.

 

[Questioning Brother]

Your question is malformed...

God is not anyone's genie, but their creator--without that realization gratitude is impossible.

Perhaps the following will benefit you:

"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." --Matthew 10:34-39

Many believers share your perspective:

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." --Matthew 7:21-23

Most want to do their own thing, and most will:

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." --Matthew 7:13-14

I hope you reform your beliefs about God to conform with what He already says about Himself.

No, that is very unhelpful. A creator who would ask that of you isn’t worthy of worship.

 

[Questioning Brother]

In the first place, your salvation is not based on your relationship with God.

It is based on you believing that Christ died for your sins and rose again on the 3rd day.

James 2:19
NKJV
You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

 

[Questioning Brother]

Basically you are upset at God because he doesn't want to prolong your wife's days.
It was probably a test which you failed because you showed to yoruself , us and God that you value your current life more than eternal life , you are too comfortable and probably slacking as Christian to begin with so God put you in not comfortable situation so you can grow from this and rethink stuff.

Another thing is that you don't need to forgive or even love God to go to e heaven it's based on if you believe Jesus died on cross for your sins or not.

*points to verses like the one from James quoted above*
Also, I don’t (explicitly) want Him to prolong her days. I want him to restore her health so that at least we can be together. I can’t give her the amount/type of care shE requires. It has been worse because she is in a nursing facility. We had about 3 weeks of very restricted visitation in November, other than that NOTHING since last March. I don’t necessarily want her for longer, but I want to be with her.

 

[Guojing]

James 2:19
NKJV
You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

Ahh, that chapter 2 from James always lies in the background of those who believe works are also necessary for salvation.

 

[Questioning Brother]

Ahh, that chapter 2 from James always lies in the background of those who believe works are also necessary for salvation.

And dead faith is enough to get into heaven? Or maybe revelation and lukewarm faith? Many verses in the new testament point to the simple beginning faith being the start, but that you must continue to walk n that new life.
Besides that what do you think the “I never knew you...” verses were talking about. No doubt those people believed Jesus was the son of God, but they are rejected from heaven.

 

[Jeshu]

Had that. He took it away. Whether the Devil did it and God didn’t stop it, or God took it the effect is EXACTLY THE SAME! This plan has his approval.

No brother you are reading that wrongly, you don't know God, and have made up His mind by making up yours. Scripture tells us that God wants everybody to be saved. Repent of your thinking God loves you much more than you give Him credit for.

2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

 

[Questioning Brother]

No brother you are reading that wrongly, you don't know God, and have made up His mind by making up yours. Scripture tells us that God wants everybody to be saved. Repent of your thinking God loves you much more than you give Him credit for.

2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

Which part? That they have the same effect? That it has His at minimum implicit approval? If this is His love, I want The opposite.

 

[Jeshu]

If this is His love, I want The opposite.

No this is not His love, but a life cursed by sin, it is obvious to me that you do not know His love otherwise you wouldn't be talking like this. Indeed what you need is His love, so please drop your bad life off at His feet and take up His good life even today.

He loves you to have faith in His love instead of despair it but it is for you to die to your bad life giving room for His good life to grow.

Faith in God's love brings true hope alive unlike you have got now. You think you know God and have tasted His goodness but i can see you do not know Him at all otherwise you be in love with Him.

God is love, the very thing you are missing in your heart thinking as you do, is what God is. God is better than life. Nothing in all Creation is as good as God is. You are missing out big time.

 

[Religiot]

No, that is very unhelpful. A creator who would ask that of you isn’t worthy of worship.

Your assumption is based on your imagination of how a creator ought to behave in order to merit worship: the shear arrogance it takes to make that assumption is unknown to me, yet I know that at the very least it requires a complete lack of fear.

Without the fear of God, the mind of a man becomes reprobate--no form of reason may penetrate any mind that is reprobate: that condition does not preclude intelligence, but does prevent wisdom.

There is nothing I can say, nor argue, nor demonstrate, that can have any effect against your assumptions about God: only you can change your mind from inside, if you first realize that you are but the creation--that is the first step; the second step is to appreciate that you are made in God's image; the third step is to accept that Christ is revealed as the remedy to your mortality: that is the gospel--that God wants us to live forever, with Him, and has provided the way, His Son, Christ.

I hope you reconsider your thoughts. Amen.

 

[Guojing]

And dead faith is enough to get into heaven? Or maybe revelation and lukewarm faith? Many verses in the new testament point to the simple beginning faith being the start, but that you must continue to walk n that new life.
Besides that what do you think the “I never knew you...” verses were talking about. No doubt those people believed Jesus was the son of God, but they are rejected from heaven.

Its enough for us in the Body of Christ, but James was writing to Israel, the 12 tribes under a different gospel, which is the gospel of the kingdom.

 

[GirdYourLoins]

I was trying to understand why I don’t value the spiritual things God is giving me in my life compared to the more earthly things I want Him to do (mainly heal my 51 year old wife of the strokes she has had). I literally don’t want anything else from Him without that. Anyway, I started trying to figure out why they don’t matter to me. I finally came up with the reason: I no longer believe that heaven will be my destination. Partly this is knowing myself, and the fact that if He doesn’t heal her, I will likely never forgive Him(please don’t start about God doesn’t need forgiveness). All of the sudden the lack of worth made sense. So I ask you, do God’s eternal promises matter if you aren’t going to heaven?

You cant expect people who have not been through suffering and spiritual attack to the point of breaking to really understand what you are going through. As you have seen on this post they will give you well meaning advice but ultimately (for me anyway) of no help when you are so broken by what God has allowed to happen in your life. I read Job 3 the other day and thought that is my new way of expressing it.My experiences and issues will be different to yours, but the end result is the same, questioning God and whether you can cope with the life He has given you. For me it was constant violent and psychological abuse as a child and then when I got older things just always seem to go wrong for me and stop me having any success in life. In my 30 year working life I have been through 21 company or department restructures with 20 being very detrimental to my career and stopping me progressing. Ive also had long term health issues as well as the complex PTSD from my childhood.

Ive had a lot of people say about Job to me to try to show me he had it worse than me. I tend to reply that Job was a man greatly blessed and after by God before and after a short period of suffering. On the whole I see Job as a man greatly blessed by God. One massive part of this from my point of view is that Job who knew great blessing until God allowed Satan to afflict him. As Job 2:10 says, shall we accept good from God but not trouble. I do have some good things in my life but out of a life of trouble. I consider it easy for Job, he had such blessing that he was grounded in God giving him good for all of his life up to the beginning of the book of Job. I cant even begin to conceive what that would be like. There are scriptures that say God will bless those He chooses to bless. Romans 9:18. we're just not ones he has chosen to bless and show mercy to.

There is a scripture that gives some hope for our eternity. The rich man and Lazarus. While those that have been blessed in this life are not receiving comfort in the next (I dont mean they will be in the fire with the rich man as they may be saved) where we will spend eternity being comforted for our suffering in this life.

 

[Questioning Brother]

You cant expect people who have not been through suffering and spiritual attack to the point of breaking to really understand what you are going through. As you have seen on this post they will give you well meaning advice but ultimately (for me anyway) of no help when you are so broken by what God has allowed to happen in your life. I read Job 3 the other day and thought that is my new way of expressing it.My experiences and issues will be different to yours, but the end result is the same, questioning God and whether you can cope with the life He has given you. For me it was constant violent and psychological abuse as a child and then when I got older things just always seem to go wrong for me and stop me having any success in life. In my 30 year working life I have been through 21 company or department restructures with 20 being very detrimental to my career and stopping me progressing. Ive also had long term health issues as well as the complex PTSD from my childhood.

Ive had a lot of people say about Job to me to try to show me he had it worse than me. I tend to reply that Job was a man greatly blessed and after by God before and after a short period of suffering. On the whole I see Job as a man greatly blessed by God. One massive part of this from my point of view is that Job who knew great blessing until God allowed Satan to afflict him. As Job 2:10 says, shall we accept good from God but not trouble. I do have some good things in my life but out of a life of trouble. I consider it easy for Job, he had such blessing that he was grounded in God giving him good for all of his life up to the beginning of the book of Job. I cant even begin to conceive what that would be like. There are scriptures that say God will bless those He chooses to bless. Romans 9:18. we're just not ones he has chosen to bless and show mercy to.

There is a scripture that gives some hope for our eternity. The rich man and Lazarus. While those that have been blessed in this life are not receiving comfort in the next (I dont mean they will be in the fire with the rich man as they may be saved) where we will spend eternity being comforted for our suffering in this life.

I agree about Job. The last part is also a good statement, except that I no longer believe a place of comfort is where I will end up. So promises of essentially “the afterlife will make up for it” don’t exactly help.

 

[aiki]

I was trying to understand why I don’t value the spiritual things God is giving me in my life compared to the more earthly things I want Him to do (mainly heal my 51 year old wife of the strokes she has had).

It's human nature, I guess, to have a very limited, temporal, right-here-right-now view of things. We get to thinking this is the Big Show, that the short, often troubled time we spend on this globe is the really important thing. God, though, has His eyes on eternity and is working in our lives now in preparation for us joining Him in that endless expanse of time. After a few billion years have passed, I'm sure we'll look back at the fraction of an eye-blink of time we lived on this planet and understand why God didn't seem as concerned about it as we were. It's pretty hard, though, to take God's eternal view of things when you're hurting really badly. Unfortunately, as difficult as it might be emotionally to take the long view, it is the truth of the matter and explains why God, as I said, isn't on pins-and-needles about how much we enjoy our brief time on this planet. I mean, His own Son had a pretty horrendous time of it in his short, 33 years of earthly life. But the eternal pay-off has been something else!

God may heal your wife. Or, He may not. His priority isn't how well physically we are, but our spiritual health. He'll strip us of everything but Him, if He has to, in order to get our attention, and get us to take Him seriously, submitting to, and depending upon Him constantly as He made us to do. I've got my own physical issues I've been dealing with for years now. No healing, though I've often asked for it. But God's grown me in my relationship with Him, enormously. The physical disability stuff is no fun, but God is still good, preparing me for the forever yet to come.

I finally came up with the reason: I no longer believe that heaven will be my destination. Partly this is knowing myself, and the fact that if He doesn’t heal her, I will likely never forgive Him(please don’t start about God doesn’t need forgiveness). All of the sudden the lack of worth made sense. So I ask you, do God’s eternal promises matter if you aren’t going to heaven?

Well, insofar as His eternal promises run in both good and bad directions, yes, I think they do matter, regardless of which promises one is going to encounter. "Eternal" is a veeerrrry long time. More so, I should think, apart from God, alone in the darkness of hell, having only yourself for company for all of eternity. It's a strange thing to think, but snubbing God on this side of the grave because He wouldn't aid your wife the way you'd like, will mean an eternity of separation from her on the other side of the grave. Kind of cutting off your nose to spite your face, it seems to me...

Of course, His promises of an eternal life with Him in the light, love and holiness of His Person, wouldn't be of any interest, I should think, to the person who despises Him.