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God is a God of Love but also a God of justice and sin needs to be judged IF NOT FORGIVEN. God draws all men to himself but men must be willing, they can resist - which is of course in opposition to 5-Point Calvinism. You must ask for forgiveness during this lifetime to receive it. It is a gift that you must receive. Countless people after many opportunities, invitations, the WORD delivered to them over and over again and still they reject and resist. Well, when you die, that's it, your chances are over.
All will be saved:
Rom 5:18 Consequently, then, as it was through one offense for ALL MANKIND for condemnation, thus also it is through one just act for ALL MANKIND for life's justifying."
Rom 5:19 For even as, through the disobedience of the one man, THE MANY were constituted sinners, thus also, through the obedience of the One, THE MANY shall be constituted just."
Paul makes a parallel between "the many" who were condemned & sinners and those who will be justified & constituted just.
“In Romans 5, the justification is co-extensive with the condemnation. Since all share in one, all share in the other. If only a certain portion of the human race had partaken of the sin of Adam, only a certain portion would partake of the justification of Christ. But St. Paul affirms all to have been involved in one, and all to be included in the other.”
No, specifically God knows the expiration date of a soul.
Scripture knows nothing of an "expiration date of a soul". It never uses such language. That's why you couldn't post a Bible verse that says that.
That is the ultimate sacrifice of love, to give one's life. But there is a cost of death, their is a battle in the heavens between angels and demons for souls -- make no mistake, many are lost.
All sinners have been lost. You have been lost. The prodigal son, the Bible says, was "lost" & later found.
God judges those proportionately according to their sin.
Nobody deserves infinite punishment for the finite sins of a momentary lifetime. That would be unjust.
We are exhorted to seek God while we can, not to wait, for death comes unannounced sometimes and catches us unawares.
Better to seek & find God now than to go to Hades or the lake of fire & find Him later.
Jesus condemned the Pharisees did He not, "Who will save you from the Gehenna?"
Wheat is useful to the farmer for food. Chaff is useless, unless it is used for fuel. That occurs by burning it, as in Mt.3:12. Of course burned chaff is not annihilated but changed into something else. This verse does not address the final destiny of people's souls. It doesn't even mention the word "soul", let alone any soul is ever annihilated & God Himself is powerless to resurrect that soul. Neither does it state the wheat & chaff represent different people rather than 2 parts of one person. In fact the previous verse said they would be baptized in the "Holy Spirit and fire" (v.11). Not one or the other. That is salvation. And it was spoken to the Pharisees & Sadduccees whom John called a "generation of vipers" (v.7).
Mark 9:49 For everyone will be salted with fire.
He does save His sheep that way, but ask yourself this: Why isn't everyone saved and become a believer in this life.
Free will. You think Love Omnipotent of the Scriptures is like a Hitler who annihilates billions out of existence forever & infinitely for the finite momentary sins of a brief & fleeting lifetime of a few years or decades?
You think His love expires about as quickly as a carton of milk. But God is a God of infinite and unconditional love. It is far greater than the vast universe He created.
If He doesn't save all is it because He can't or doesn't want to?
Annihilating eternally does not respect human free will. Nor is it for the good of anyone, including the relatives & loved ones of those endlessly annihilated.
Love Omnipotent has all eternity to wait & keep trying to save people. And given His willingness & ability to draw men to Himself an infinite number of times through eternity, it is mathematically impossible for anyone to reject Him an infinite number of times. Each time the man has a free choice to choose or reject God there is a chance he will choose God. Given an infinite number of such chances, the odds are impossible that he will not eventually choose God. So all will be saved.
Jesus said He is the only way and the way to destruction is wide and the narrow path, only a few find.
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matt. 7:13, 14
Matthew 7:14 (NASB)
14 "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
1. Jesus says "FEW" were finding it (Mt.7:13-14)
2. Paul says "MANY" will be saved (Rom.5:18-19)
Both are right.
Jesus was referring to the situation at His time in the first century, not final destiny.
Bible versions don't say "few will EVER find it". This Greek Interliner says "finding":
Matthew 7:14 Interlinear: how strait is the gate, and compressed the way that is leading to the life, and few are those finding it!
Young's Literal Translation
how strait is the gate, and compressed the way that is leading to the life, and few are those finding it!
Matthew 7:14 is in the present tense, few "finding" it, speaking of that particular time, not of final destiny. Earlier in Matthew final destiny was already revealed re salvation:
Mt.1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Mt.2:6b ...my people Israel.
"Pay attention to the Greek verb tenses.
“Enter (eiselthate | εἰσέλθατε | aor act imperative 2 pl) through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and easy the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter(eiserchomenoi | εἰσερχόμενοι | pres mid ptcp nom pl masc) through it. Matt 7:13"
"How narrow is the gate and difficult the way that leads to life, and few are those who find (heuriskontes | εὑρίσκοντες | pres act ptcp nom pl masc) it! Matt 7:14"
"In v.13 the word for 'enter' is the Greek word 'eiserchomenoi' which as noted is a present tense participle more accurately translated as 'entering.' Thus all this verse is saying is that there are many who are presently entering the wide gate. This verse does not refer at all to sometime in the future where people may or may not be resurrected out of the lake of fire. If it did, this verse would employ the future tense of the verb - but it doesn't. We can only say what this verse states - simply that when Jesus spoke these words, many are entering the broad gate/road."
"Same thing with v.14. The word for 'find' is 'heuriskontes' which is a present tense participle. Thus few people are currently 'finding' the narrow gate. No reference at all to the future."
Note the word "many", not "few":
Rom 5:18 Consequently, then, as it was through one offense for ALL MANKIND for condemnation, thus also it is through one just act for ALL MANKIND for life's justifying."
Rom 5:19 For even as, through the disobedience of the one man, THE MANY were constituted sinners, thus also, through the obedience of the One, THE MANY shall be constituted just."
Paul makes a parallel between "the many" who were condemned & sinners and those who will be justified & constituted just.
“In Romans 5, the justification is co-extensive with the condemnation. Since all share in one, all share in the other. If only a certain portion of the human race had partaken of the sin of Adam, only a certain portion would partake of the justification of Christ. But St. Paul affirms all to have been involved in one, and all to be included in the other.”
Therefore there is salvation after death. And corrective punishment.
Jesus shall see of the travail of His soul & be satisfied. Not satisfied a little bit, but the vast majority fried alive forever.
"He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities." (Isa.53:11).
For how "many" (not few) did He "bear their iniquities"? All. Those will He "justify" (Isa.53:11).
After you die and are ushered into Hades, like the Rich Man, of course you would have a change of heart - Oops, I screwed up, I'm sorry, em ... I believe now! But what did Abraham say? Your state is fixed, He said no to all his pleas: to send Lazarus to give him water, to warn his brothers, etc. He said you had your chances, your life and made your choices - now it's too late, you've been judged.
Luke 16:19-31 doesn't say anyone's "state is fixed" for eternity at death. And endless annihilationism advocates a God who is unjust, unloving & unrighteous.
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