Null/Voided Out

[Saint Steven]

And I believe that God's nature is actually better described in 1 Cor 13:4-8 then anywhere else even though He could squash us like a bug. But God is uncompromisingly good, trustworthy, merciful, just, and true: virtually the definition of love. And while love is intrinsically opposed to evil He's very patient and kind with us, wanting all to come to Him, but love cannot and will not endure evil forever and if we adamantly persist in it, He'll ultimately allow us to remain eternally separated from Him.

A forever burning hell is completely incompatible with the definition of love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

 

[Saint Steven]

Au contraire, God is not in any way constrained by evil. Read Job 1:6 for example.

Good point.
In the book of Job we see Satan standing before the throne of God. Apparently going there on a regular basis. Found in polite conversation with each other.

chad kincham said: ↑
God can’t and won’t tolerate the evil or corrupt in His presence

 

[Tolworth John]

God will incinerate you. (he has anger issues)

Now you are being childish.

That or you do not comprehend the holiness, justice and mercy that is part of God's character.

Sin is a complete and utter rejection of everything God represents and his punishment for that is not a childish tantrum.

 

[Hammster]

We present a God that is the reflection of our heart. A God of joy, forgiveness, mercy is a person filled with joy, forgiveness and mercy.

A person with a lot of anger, even murder in their heart, love OT God, loves reading God's vengeance and killing of his enemies.

A poster here once argued that God doesn't love everyone, only the saved, so she didn't either. I think she didn't have love for everyone, and created a God in her own image.

Some of us actually try to present God as revealed in all of scripture. There is no “OT God”. There’s just the Triune God as revealed from Genesis to Revelation.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Unless the line of spiritual vision is drawn from Christ directly to the Father the picture is incomplete resulting in a god of one’s own making that has projected the image of humanity into immensity.

 

[Arc F1]

That message was for a church. What does "spit you out of my mouth" mean in that context? Was that church being damned?

The Bible is there so we may have an understanding. The church was being told that if you aren't fully committed to God you will be rejected.

 

[Saint Steven]

Now you are being childish.

That or you do not comprehend the holiness, justice and mercy that is part of God's character.

Sin is a complete and utter rejection of everything God represents and his punishment for that is not a childish tantrum.

Sacred cow makes the best hamburger.

 

[Saint Steven]

The Bible is there so we may have an understanding. The church was being told that if you aren't fully committed to God you will be rejected.

Are you claiming that whole church went to hell? (due to being lukewarm)

Saint Steven said: ↑
That message was for a church. What does "spit you out of my mouth" mean in that context? Was that church being damned?

 

[Saint Steven]

Now you are being childish.

That or you do not comprehend the holiness, justice and mercy that is part of God's character.

Sin is a complete and utter rejection of everything God represents and his punishment for that is not a childish tantrum.

Did you choose to be born a sinner?

 

[Bobber]

Some have struggled with the God of LOVE having wrath. How can he be all LOVE and even have WRATH. This analogy might help although it could be said any analogy can't maybe apply 100%, but it can help.

God is good and God is LOVE. He doesn't just have LOVE his is LOVE . 1John 4:8 But isn't WRATH out of the realm of love? I'd say not. Love is long suffering 1 Cor 1:13. That doesn't mean there isn't an end to how much God will put up with. But when he reaches the end it's for a just, loving and merciful reason.

Consider.....it's a good, loving things for a parent when raising a child or young person to be kind to offer second chance....or even more. That's a good thing. But it can reach a point where a line is crossed where a parent would be no longer good and loving to allow things to continue one more moment. It then becomes evil or wrong NOT to address certain issues and finally take action. So when God has to do that it's a good thing not a bad thing but a merciful thing.

Could we be nearing the time when it says the great day of his wrath is come? Rev 6: 17 Many get involved in discussing various end time prophecies and that's fine but here's another way of looking at it when God would no longer be good to allow children to even be born into this Earth...think of it....no real chance for them to be raised with a good spiritual upbringing.....then you know it's got to be near the time of the end. Out of mercy to the innocents it's good that God finally will say enough is enough. God is LOVE. Long suffering is good. But when you get to the end of long suffering and action MUST be taken that's a good thing too. But God is ALWAYS LOVE.

 

[fhansen]

I actually think that male and female are seen in the image except when specifically told that women are not in the image of God

I think I understand your comments better now. Anyway, God, isn't male or female "Him"self but rather Spirit. And I've never heard it said or taught that women aren't made in the image of God. Either way, if God is all in all, humans are only part of the "all"; we don't get to be everything and gender differences, for one, help demonstrate that fact IMO. And, yes, God is depicted as nurturing, motherly, fatherly; Jesus compared Himself to a mother hen wishing to gather all His chicks together, etc.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

I think I understand your comments better now. Anyway, God, isn't male or female "Him"self but rather Spirit. And I've never heard it said or taught that women aren't made in the image of God. Either way, if God is all in all, humans are only part of the "all"; we don't get to be everything and gender differences, for one, help demonstrate that fact IMO. And, yes, God is depicted as nurturing, motherly, fatherly; Jesus compared Himself to a mother hen wishing to gather all His chicks together, etc.

It (as God) can only be understood in terms that apply as human, I’m agreeing, but what I’m saying is that in itself must be from a balanced viewpoint.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Everyone seems to want to replace the comma with a period. Saying, "Do not judge." What does it actually say?

Matthew 7:1-5
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

I recall the passage I was reflecting on was from Romans "who are you to judge another man's servant?" It is by God whom he stands.

The two ideas of hypocritical judging and whether it is your place to judge at all is something to consider.

 

[Arc F1]

Are you claiming that whole church went to hell? (due to being lukewarm)

Saint Steven said: ↑
That message was for a church. What does "spit you out of my mouth" mean in that context? Was that church being damned?

I have no way of knowing what each individual was doing.

 

[1213]

If evil ends up in a forever burning hell, then it will continue forever.

Sorry, I don’t understand how it can continue forever, if it is destroyed in hell.

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matt. 10:28

 

[martymonster]

Even God's judgment and wrath are part of his love. He uses them to bring sinners to repentance.

 

[Mark Quayle]

Do you know why people say this God is the God of Wrath and Judgement?

What about God is spirit, joy, peace, forbearance, gentleness, forgiveness, merciful, loving?

God is a God of love and justice. You shouldn't stint on the facts.

 

[St_Worm2]

It might be caused by biased translation work. Imposing an erroneous view of God on the text. This text below represents it as something closer to healing. Removing impurities rather than destroying the thing being purified.

Malachi 3:2
But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears?
For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.

Biased translation work Translation work began a couple of hundred years before the birth of Jesus with the Septuagint, and new translation teams have continued to make new translations and paraphrases of the Bible since then (particularly in modern times).

Surely by now one of our linguists would have pointed out such a Bible-wide translation bias if there really was one, yes? (unless you believe that theologians and linguists from every corner of Christendom have all been willing participants in a 2,000+ year long, God-ordained conspiracy against the truth )

As for the verse from Malachi representing something closer to "healing", I suppose that would depend on how far you are willing to bend the meaning of the Text, because the "impurities" that will be removed by the "refiner's fire" in Malachi 3:2 are the "people" who the Lord refers to as "tares" in Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43.

--David

 

[Saint Steven]

I recall the passage I was reflecting on was from Romans "who are you to judge another man's servant?" It is by God whom he stands.

The two ideas of hypocritical judging and whether it is your place to judge at all is something to consider.

Yes. Romans fourteen.

Romans 14:4
Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

 

[Saint Steven]

I have no way of knowing what each individual was doing.

Lukewarm (spew out of mouth) was a message for the whole church. Nothing about individuals, or a limited judgment.

Saint Steven said: ↑
Are you claiming that whole church went to hell? (due to being lukewarm)

Saint Steven said: ↑
That message was for a church. What does "spit you out of my mouth" mean in that context? Was that church being damned?