Question

Here is maybe an odd question in refferrence to this statement about hell.

How do you believe in Heaven but not hell. Thats like saying you believe in God but no the devil.

If there was no hell there would not need to be a heaven.

IWantToBelieve said:

If I knew he was actually there, I'd certainly love him. But I cant love something that I dont know is even real. There are many other people out there who feel the same way.

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I seriously doubt that. Love does not just come out of knowing. If God showed to the world that He exists beyond a doubt, all He would get is a bunch of followers that are just doing what He says so they won't go to Hell.

GrayAngel said:

I seriously doubt that. Love does not just come out of knowing. If God showed to the world that He exists beyond a doubt, all He would get is a bunch of followers that are just doing what He says so they won't go to Hell.

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Doubt as you will, but unfortunately you cant prove that in my case.

IWantToBelieve said:

Doubt as you will, but unfortunately you cant prove that in my case.

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If you want proof of God, look around you. Proof of God's existence is often invisible until you look for it. And if you want to find it, look everywhere. You'll likely find it where you least expect it. Also, you need to pray about it and ask God to help you find the truth.

GrayAngel said:

If you want proof of God, look around you. Proof of God's existence is often invisible until you look for it. And if you want to find it, look everywhere. You'll likely find it where you least expect it. Also, you need to pray about it and ask God to help you find the truth.

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I'm looking around me right now..... I dont see him. I tried looking and praying, it didnt work.

Wow, we did get off topic.

Well if you look at it in that light, people who do their very best to make the world a better place are wonderful people.

But the thing with heaven and hell is more the sin of us as humans. People make mistakes even if they aren't bad people, yet those mistakes are just as bad as those actual "bad" people make.

So heaven and hell lie in God's forgiving nature, no matter how good a person is. You need to have those slip ups washed off, if you will.

Thats my opinion at least...hope that helped or something.

Love in Christ,

Kyle

I do believe that the only way to heaven or ultimate reality is through Jesus, but I also believe that Jesus is Love, or the perfect expression of love. I know that a lot of people will disagree with me, but I believe that it is possible to accept Jesus without necessarily making a statement of faith, or following a strict traditional Christian doctrine, but by having the love of Christ for others, and crucifying your own selfish, sinful nature.

Didn't Jesus say, "Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in Heaven"?. In the end, God knows everything. He doesn't need a certain creed or doctrine to tell Him what to do, and isn't bound by one. He knows people's hearts, if they love Him, and if they are sincere. I don't even feel I have the right to say what God thinks, or who will and won't go to heaven. I just live how God wants me to live.

Most importantly, I think we will be judged by how we treat others. The thing to worry about most is " What am I doing for others? How can I love as much as God loves me?" - "Judge not, lest you be judged. For the measure you use to judge will be the measure used to judge you", or, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy".

Too often we get caught up in inventing doctrines and trying to explain God, when we forget the one most important rule: Love -

25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

Anyway, my humble opinion...Hope it helps, and I hope everyone has a great day^ ^.

Arafat said:

Do you believe that people who do good things and work to make the World a better place, are going to hell because they may not be Christians?

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Greetings
They go because they lack doing one thing God said that every person must do to live in heaven. asking for the free gift of salvation by Jesus Christ, if you will believe he did pay the sin debt on the cross, if you believe he rose from the dead then you can be saved.

If you already believe in these, all you must do is confess to Jesus your sins and ask him to cleanse you from them, ask him to save you, and to help you to follow him for the rest of your life-- according to the scriptures-your saved.

Tell someone, start reading the New Testament.

Peace to all in Jesus Christ
Rev Malone

Arafat said:

Do you believe that people who do good things and work to make the World a better place, are going to hell because they may not be Christians?

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In short, yes.

Errr, well we can do great things on Earth, but it doesn't mean we're going to heaven. We can't work our way to heaven through earthly works. Only by the grace of God and by the name of Jesus Christ may we enter, and the name of Jesus Christ is not found in any religion except Christianity.

We cannot get to heaven through good deeds. The only way to heaven is through Christ; we cannot earn salvation as it is a free gift to all those who will accept it.

LilLamb219 said:

The statements above about Lutherans are incorrect and as a Lutheran I'd like to give the Lutheran explanation.

Lutherans believe that we get to heaven through God's Son Jesus Christ and not works. Our sin prevents us from being holy enough to work our way to heaven. The only one good enough is Jesus Christ who is Himself God who came to earth in the form of man and died on the cross in our substitute. Those who believe and trust in the forgiveness of sins won at the cross will have eternal life. Those who trust in their own works (that aren't perfect enough to earn a spot in heaven no matter how hard they try) reject the work of the cross and reject Christ. Rejection of Christ is how man damns himself.

Lutherans believe that hell is a real place.

It's nice for people to want to do good for others in this world. But Christianity is about realizing that we cannot work our way to heaven which is why we are all in need of a savior.

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I am glad that someone else saw that! Christians that are Lutherans do believe that hell is real. If I did not believe there is a hell how could I believe that there is a heaven?

Arafat said:

Do you believe that people who do good things and work to make the World a better place, are going to hell because they may not be Christians?

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Genesis 2:9
And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food;the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

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There were TWO tree's in the garden of Eden, one was the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which, when man partook thereof..

Genesis 2:16-17
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

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People can do either good or evil based upon thier choice to partake of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil..

Leviticus 5:4
Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these.
Isaiah 41:23
Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.
Jeremiah 10:5
They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not:they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

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When one forgoes the pleasures of The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and instead partakes of The Tree of Life;they partake of Jesus and no longer commit good and evil acts (unless, of course, they are decieved (again) into thinking they did not partake of this Holy Tree). Instead they conduct themselves in a manner which is Holy!

IWantToBelieve said:

If I knew he was actually there, I'd certainly love him. But I cant love something that I dont know is even real. There are many other people out there who feel the same way.

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You will only know for certain when you partake of the Tree of Life..

John 1:4
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Psalm 34:8
O taste and see that the LORD is good:blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

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Its not hard to show that no one is "good" enough to enter heaven.


Take this 1 minute test to see why...


www.needGod.com



Dan~~~>knows no one has an excuse

Arafat said:

Do you believe that people who do good things and work to make the World a better place, are going to hell because they may not be Christians?

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Yes. Because every single human being is sinful, and no one deserves to go to heaven.

Arafat said:

Do you believe that people who do good things and work to make the World a better place, are going to hell because they may not be Christians?

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Well, this question is a constant,here in CF. Good people,going to hell. Seems completely unreasonable,huh. When a person first considers his or her life,in the light of what God would think of it. They find that all are deserving of hell. God's standard is impossibly high. None reach it. For this reason,a good effort,is not good enough. All have sinned,that is, transgressed God's law. All of us. Every last one,is a sinner. God has graciosly provided a covering for our sin. Jesus,his only son,is that covering. Make no mistake,even after one embraces Christ,they still sin. The gospel of Jesus,is harmless. It hurt's no one. It does not call for one to judge another. Just themselves. However,the convert must live within the law given by Jesus. This law would not offend any good person. The law is, Love God with all your heart and all your strength and all your mind,and love your neighbor as yourself. This hurt's no one. So, why would a good person, refuse to accept the salvation offered by God,through Jesus Christ? The answer to this question,is the answer to your question.