I am guessing that these are rhetorical questions based on the judgment you passed on DD2008 by saying he serves a "nasty god."
I didn't judge him. He said, basically, that everyone is a sinner and if people die without hearing how they can be saved, bad luck; they will be punished for being sinners, even though they didn't know they were, and were unable to repent.
I asked if he believed that a God of love, mercy and compassion would condemn people who had not heard the Good News.
That being said, I would like to know how you interpret the following Biblical passages:
Matthew 20.28
28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
It is as it says; Jesus came to give his life as a ransom. I believe it says "for many" because many will accept, but not all; NOT because only some of the many people who have lived since the resurrection will be chosen to be saved.
Romans 1:18-21
18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Again, I don't see that there's a problem with this.
It says that
even though they knew God, they did not honour him. Some people know God, but choose not to honour him as God or give thanks to him. Maybe this means they have head knowledge only, maybe they believe in God and only call upon him when it suits them, or they want something from him. Maybe they claim to know him, because they hear the Gospel in church each week, but they actually only know
about him, and their faith has little impact.
People living on some remote island somewhere who have not heard the Gospel, do not know God. They may be able to look at creation and give thanks that there is a higher power who made all that - but they don't know the God who was revealed to us in Jesus, if they have never heard of Jesus.
Romans 9:22-23
22What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory.
I don't know what to make of that, I'd need to think about it a bit more. It seems to contradict other Scriptures which say that God wants everyone to be saved, that Jesus died for all, that God made everyone in his image, knows us all intimately (Psalm 139) and by name, (Isaiah 43).
Other Scriptures say; "THIS is how God showed his love: he sent his one and only Son into the world." (1 John 4:9). And "THIS is how we know what love is; Jesus Christ laid down his life for us" (1 John 3:16). What should they say - "this is how we know what love is; Jesus Christ died for some people. If you are one of the chosen, rejoice; if you were created by God to be sent to hell, bad luck."? That's not love. The cross shows God's love for us - Scripture says so. But if Jesus only died for a few people, then his death only shows that God loves those he has already chosen and who he knows will love him. And Jesus said, "what good is it if you are kind only to those who are kind to you? Even the pagans do that."
As Scripture does not contradict itself, this can't be what that verse is saying.
1 Thessalonians 5:9
9For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Suffering eternal death and the wrath of God does not have to be anyone's fate or destination because God sent Jesus to save us from this.
Revelation 5:9
9And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
Salvation is universal. Not that only a few from evey tribe and nation would, or could, be saved, but that Jesus died for everyone. (Of course, not everyone WILL be saved, because some will choode to reject him. But God has made salvation possible for everyone.)
Revelation 13:8
8and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.
God is outside time. He saw everything before he even created the world - he knew what would happen, who would accept him and who wouldn't. Those he knew would accept him, be saved through Jesus, be his children and belong to him, already had their names written in the book of life before the world was created. We can be safe and secure in him. He already knew that we would accept him - just as he already knew that we would sin, and provided a Saviour before it even happened. (1 Peter 1:20)
Knowing what Scripture says about the love, grace, mercy and goodness of God, and having experienced this for myself; I cannot believe that he sat in heaven thinking, "I'll create John Smith/allow him to be born, and live for x number of years. But he's going to hell."
What would be the point of that?
That's about as logical as me making a handmade greetings card/cross stitch sampler, putting a lot of effort into it and spending money making it, knowing that I was going to put it straight in the bin. Even if I put it in a cupboard for 50 years then threw it away, the result's the same.
A woman who gave birth to a child in a field and walked away and left it, would be judged to be either ill, or very cruel. If the child died without being found, but the woman was found, or gave herself up, she might well be charged. How can we think that God would be that cruel, if we know we wouldn't?
