Is Heaven heaven if anyone's missing?

[Hmm]

Imagine a fire-alarm going off at our place of work or wherever we are and we run outside and the register's taken. Some are not accounted for so, while we're naturally glad we survived, we are also affected by sadness.

God is love and we're meant to become more and more like Him, so we're intended to experience the same breadth, width, height and depth of love for all people as Jesus did.

To me, this means we won't ever be able to forget those we love or ignore their suffering or loss. God hasn't designed us to be able to indulge in our own bliss while a single sheep remains lost.

"We love because He first loved us". Christ never turned His back on tax-collectors or prostitutes or sinners of any kind. Indeed, He descended from the heavens and broke open the gates of Hades for them. Should we not also strive to do the same?

Knowing the extent of God's love should not make us oblivious to the fate of anyone. Shouldn't it rather enhance our love for everyone and encourage us to be kind and to seek the good of all?

We should not rest until "All things are made subject to Christ Jesus and God is all in all". This is the ultimate goal of creation and until it happens, God's work of creation and salvation remains unfinished.

All of heaven and earth yearns for the restoration of all things, and will continue to do so until God draws all things to himself, things in heaven and earth and under the earth alike.

Or is that just silly of heaven and earth and it should just grow a pair and learn to love Eternal Conscious Torture/Torment (ECT) instead?

 

[Der Alte]

Imagine a fire-alarm going off at our place of work or wherever and we flee outside and the register's taken. Some are not accounted for so, while we're naturally glad we survived, we are also affected by sadness?
God is love and we're meant to become more and more like Him. So we're intended to experience the same breadth, width, height and depth of love for all people as Christ does.
To me, this means we won't ever be able to forget those we love or ignore their suffering. God hasn't designed us to be able to indulge in bliss while even a single sheep remains lost.
"We love because He first loved us". Christ never turned His back on tax-collectors or prostitutes or sinners of any kind. Indeed, He descended from the heaven, and broke open the gates of Hades for them. Should we not try to do the same?
Knowing the extent of God's love should not make us oblivious to the fate of anyone. Shouldn't it rather enhance our love for everyone and encourage us to be kind and to seek the good of all?
We should not rest until "All things are made subject to Christ Jesus and God is all in all". This is the ultimate goal of all creation and until it happens, God's work of creation and salvation is not finished.
All of heaven and earth yearns for the restoration of all things, and will continue to do so until God draws all things to himself, things in heaven and earth and under the earth alike.
Or is that just silly of heaven and earth?

Anybody can make the Bible say almost anything they want it to by quoting selective verses out-of-context. Although you have not actually quoted any verse you have alluded to some.
Here are links to a few of my recent posts refuting Universal Reconciliation.

Universalism- Why a literal reading of the King James Bible may imply that everyone will be saved

The Issue of Universalism and Possible Ultimate Release from Hell

The Gospel Plus Nothing

The Gospel Verses Religion

 

[public hermit]

I imagine we will all pity and pray for the very worst of us until the Lord joyfully puts the last lost sheep over his shoulders and brings them home. That will be the biggest party of all. (Luke 15:5-6)

 

[Hmm]

Anybody can make the Bible say almost anything they want it to by quoting selective verses out-of-context. Although you have not actually quoted any verse you have alluded to some.
Here are links to a few of my recent posts refuting Universal Reconciliation.

Universalism- Why a literal reading of the King James Bible may imply that everyone will be saved

The Issue of Universalism and Possible Ultimate Release from Hell

The Gospel Plus Nothing

The Gospel Verses Religion

How about addressing the specific question of this thread? This would save me much time and money in headache pills from trying to read through all your linked posts.

 

[public hermit]

Anybody can make the Bible say almost anything they want it to by quoting selective verses out-of-context.

Yes, we watch you do it with the same wall of text every thread.

 

[Der Alte]

How about addressing the specific question of this thread? This would save me much time and money in headache pills from trying to read through all your linked posts.

I could do that but when proponents of UR post the same proof text verses over and over and over etc. and I post the most relevant verses which counter UR I have repeatedly been accused of spamming. Pick one or 2,

 

[Der Alte]

Yes, we watch you do it with the same wall of text every thread.

Funny! The people who repeatedly refer to my posts as "walls of text" say absolutely nothing when a UR-ite posts a long post with multiple vss., only if I do it.
How about you choose one of my posts and go through it and show how I am wrong. Should be easy as pie. ETA: of pi if you prefer.

 

[Hmm]

You are very hard to please Comrade Alte. First you semi-accuse me of not quoting verses:

Although you have not actually quoted any verse

And in your next breath you accuse me of repeatedly posting verses:

I could do that but when proponents of UR post the same proof text verses over and over and over etc

You've left me in a bewildered (lost, confused, puzzled, uncertain, baffled, adrift, perplexed, disconcerted, at a loss, mystified, disoriented, bamboozled [Collins English Thesaurus]) state.

 

[public hermit]

Funny! The people who repeatedly refer to my posts as "walls of text" say absolutely nothing when a UR-ite posts a long post with multiple vss., only if I do it.
How about you choose one of my posts and go through it and show how I am wrong. Should be easy as pies.

Have you seen my pies!? Presumptuous. I doubt I could do anything with that mess, either.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Seriously, it's like this guy literally spends all day just looking for threads at CF where he can find a subject or viewpoint to combat.

 

[Basil the Great]

The OP's point is well taken, but a way around the problem of lost loved ones would be for God to wipe out our memories of them. The bottom line is that simply do not know who will be in Heaven or how many.

 

[Hmm]

Seriously, it's like this guy literally spends all day just looking for threads at CF where he can find a subject or viewpoint to combat.

I seriously think of him as AioniosBot!

 

[Hmm]

The OP's point is well taken, but a way around the problem of lost loved ones would be for God to wipe out our memories of them.

But would we be the same person in any meaningful sense if that was the case? Whatever the next life is, if I can't remember my loved ones from this life, I honestly wouldn't want it. Heaven would not be heaven for me if that was the case. This may sound extreme, but I would include animals and trees and hills in that too - all of creation!

 

[AntiVillain]

but a way around the problem of lost loved ones would be for God to wipe out our memories of them.

Which would just replace one problem with another: that He'd be contradicting that whole free-will thing, and forcing us to forget them.

 

[public hermit]

The OP's point is well taken, but a way around the problem of lost loved ones would be for God to wipe out our memories of them. The bottom line is that simply do not know who will be in Heaven or how many.

Except God is big on memory, on remembering the good things the Lord has done. It's not that great if the sin that is overcome and the memories of those redeemed are not remembered, and that memory of redemption cannot help but include all of us. The moment God starts erasing the memory of some, the memory of the rest becomes insufficient. We all sinned together.

 

[Lazarus Short]

The OP's point is well taken, but a way around the problem of lost loved ones would be for God to wipe out our memories of them. The bottom line is that simply do not know who will be in Heaven or how many.

The Bible relates that He will wipe every tear from our eyes. Wiping memories is not mentioned. Actually, we do know that EVERYONE will be in the Kingdom of Heaven, for God states in His Word that He will be All in all.

 

[Hmm]

The Bible relates that He will wipe every tear from our eyes. Wiping memories is not mentioned. Actually, we do know that EVERYONE will be in the Kingdom of Heaven, for God states in His Word that He will be All in all.

Wiping tears but not memory - love it!

 

[RileyG]

If someone hates God, why would they want to be in his presence? They already made their choice.

 

[RileyG]

The Bible relates that He will wipe every tear from our eyes. Wiping memories is not mentioned. Actually, we do know that EVERYONE will be in the Kingdom of Heaven, for God states in His Word that He will be All in all.

What about the parable of the sheep and goats? Not everyone makes it according to Jesus.

 

[public hermit]

If someone hates God

Define those who hate God, please.