Would a just and merciful God send most of His creation to an eternal hell?

[timlamb]

No he does not require more of us than of himself and no a just and merciful God would not send a single soul to an eternal hell.

Some have said we send ourselves there but this is not what the bible says. I am reminded of the phrases they shall be cast into... they shall be bound hand and foot and taken away... weeping and gnashing of teeth and such. All of which sound like these people are not sending themselves anywhere but are being forced.

These things come from some of the very same verses that are used to support eternal hell how anyone can get that we go there willingly is beyond me.

We go there willingly the same way a murderer causes his own punishment. He makes his choice and pays the price.

I don't know if I have met a true "peace maker" but when I think of what Jesus might expect from a peace maker, characteristics like pure in heart, merciful, righteous, and meek, they would most definately be called sons of God. There certainly are no peacemakers here. And John 1:12,13 still defines a minimum requirement for Children of God.

 

[timlamb]

You uni-people realy have a pollyanna view of God. When you describe what you want God to be I hear this wimpy voice saying "come on you guys, be nice and I'll let yoiu play on the gold streets. And you guys down there. Do ya give or do I dunk you in the hot water again?"

The God I know Said "I am a jelous God" and "Vengence is mine".
He destroyed cities for being evil and immoral.
He alowed satan to inflict great suffering on Job just to prove a point.
Twice He allowed the slaughter of children.
He left his chosen people in bondage for hundreds of years, and then brought them out to wander the desert for forty years for disobediance.
He made a man demonstrate his faith by proving he would sacrifice his son to please God.
He has allowed much pain even to destroying the world once already, and promising it would happen again.
Does this sound like your wimpy little God who would not send any one to eternal punishment. We are told to love our enimies, but He will turn His enimies into foot stools. God will pass judgement

I think God has proven over and over that He cares more about the character of your soul than anything. God has shown patience with the weak, confused, and ignorant but he doesn't tolorate rejection or disobediance for long. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; because as soon as you cross that threshold between this world and the next, your fate is set. When He's had enough, your out of here, no more chances, and His decisions are permenant and decisive. There is tremendous evil in this world and God has proven time and again he will have no part of it.

 

[red77]

You uni-people realy have a pollyanna view of God. When you describe what you want God to be I hear this wimpy voice saying "come on you guys, be nice and I'll let yoiu play on the gold streets. And you guys down there. Do ya give or do I dunk you in the hot water again?"

The God I know Said "I am a jelous God" and "Vengence is mine".
He destroyed cities for being evil and immoral.
He alowed satan to inflict great suffering on Job just to prove a point.
Twice He allowed the slaughter of children.
He left his chosen people in bondage for hundreds of years, and then brought them out to wander the desert for forty years for disobediance.
He made a man demonstrate his faith by proving he would sacrifice his son to please God.
He has allowed much pain even to destroying the world once already, and promising it would happen again.
Does this sound like your wimpy little God who would not send any one to eternal punishment. We are told to love our enimies, but He will turn His enimies into foot stools. God will pass judgement

I think God has proven over and over that He cares more about the character of your soul than anything. God has shown patience with the weak, confused, and ignorant but he doesn't tolorate rejection or disobediance for long. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; because as soon as you cross that threshold between this world and the next, your fate is set. When He's had enough, your out of here, no more chances, and His decisions are permenant and decisive. There is tremendous evil in this world and God has proven time and again he will have no part of it.

.....................since when did love, compassion, mercy and forgiveness have anything to do with 'wimpiness'....?! Sometimes they're some of the hardest things to dispense, as people its often all too easy to not forgive and bear grudges and cause pain, it takes more courage to 'turn the other cheek' than it does to 'smite your enemy'............
If the only way that God can be viewed as being all powerful and encompassing and 'unwimplike' is by torturing and causing pain to his beings and not forgiving them then I'm at a loss to be honest...........i'm just utterly bemused........

 

[Soul Searcher]

We go there willingly the same way a murderer causes his own punishment. He makes his choice and pays the price.

So in other words to say that anyone goes there willingly is at best missleading and at worst an intentional falsehood. What you really seem to be saying is that God will force anyone who does not believe into eternal torture where they will remain forever with no mercy whatsoever. If this were true and were the fate of even one then to call God merciful would be a lie.

I don't know if I have met a true "peace maker" but when I think of what Jesus might expect from a peace maker, characteristics like pure in heart, merciful, righteous, and meek, they would most definately be called sons of God.

Interesting why do you lump all these things together? Jesus seperated each of these things and said something different about each of them yet you combine them all together. As for who are the peacemakers, do you think this means those who bring about world peace or simply those who set out to preserve peace in anyway, such as settling disputes between there neighbors or giving of themselves to keep the peace with others.

There certainly are no peacemakers here.

A bit judgmental isn't it? I'll bet all of us have played the peacemaker role now and then. I know I have been called on often to be the peacemaker in my family and among my friends. Doesn't Universalism in general promote peace and equality for people, whereas ET seperates and divides people into us and them and causes tension between them?

And John 1:12,13 still defines a minimum requirement for Children of God.

And what does the verse actually mean?

Does it mean that belief is a requirement to be a child of God?
or
Does it mean that if one believes the words of Jesus he then has the power to be a child of righteousness "IF" he pays heed to the message of Jesus/God do justly, love mercy, walk humbly... by thier fruit shall they be known.

Still we are all literally the children of God, some walk in the light and are figuratively the children of light others walk in the darkness and are figuratively the children of darkness. They are all children of God some who have lost thier way. The lost sheep which Jesus will save.

Jesus said his sheep know his voice, I don't know about you but his words of mercy, love, compassion speak loud and clear to me.

The words of ET doctorine do not. They reek of man and corruption.

Would you condemn your child for life if he came to you and said you are not my parent? Are you more loving than God?

 

[Soul Searcher]

.....................since when did love, compassion, mercy and forgiveness have anything to do with 'wimpiness'....?! Sometimes they're some of the hardest things to dispense, as people its often all too easy to not forgive and bear grudges and cause pain, it takes more courage to 'turn the other cheek' than it does to 'smite your enemy'............
If the only way that God can be viewed as being all powerful and encompassing and 'unwimplike' is by torturing and causing pain to his beings and not forgiving them then I'm at a loss to be honest...........i'm just utterly bemused........

I hear ya.. It takes much more effort to forgive someone than to reach out and tag em upside the head.

The ET doctorine paints us a picture of a god full of rage rather than love and mercy. A god that is more like a spoiled child than a wise father. A god that cares more about blind faith in him than about the welfare of his children.

 

[EchoPneuma]

You uni-people realy have a pollyanna view of God. When you describe what you want God to be I hear this wimpy voice saying "come on you guys, be nice and I'll let yoiu play on the gold streets. And you guys down there. Do ya give or do I dunk you in the hot water again?"

THis has got to be the most twisted view of what universalists believe that I have ever heard. But if it makes you feel better to believe this....go ahead. However, it's nothing but total bunk.

The God I know Said "I am a jelous God" and "Vengence is mine".

That same God also said that He is overflowing in mercy and love, and that mercy OVERCOMES judgement. He also said that where sin abounded....GRACE DID MUCH MORE ABOUND. Yet you want to focus on His jealousy and vengeance. Just why is that?

He destroyed cities for being evil and immoral.

He ALSO forgave and restored if they REPENTED. Mercy TRIUMPHS over judgement remember?

He alowed satan to inflict great suffering on Job just to prove a point.

And just what WAS the point Tim? Wasn't it to increase Job's FAITH. Didn't God RESTORE ALL back to Job at the end??

Twice He allowed the slaughter of children.

and your point is?? Does this mean they burned in hell for eternity?? Hmmm? Or were they gathered to His loving arms in heaven?

He left his chosen people in bondage for hundreds of years, and then brought them out to wander the desert for forty years for disobediance.

You're not making any points here Tim. He ALSO blessed them richly and provided all they needed.

He made a man demonstrate his faith by proving he would sacrifice his son to please God.

You really do have a warped view of God Tim. God ALSO wouldn't allow Abraham to sacrifice Issac. He provided a ram. It was a test of FAITH.

He allowed much pain even to destroying the world once already, and promising it would happen again.

So?? What does this have to do with eternal punishment? Absolutely nothing. God judges and chastens. But mercy TRIUMPHS over judgement....remember?

Does this sound like your wimpy little God who would not send any one to eternal punishment.

It sounds like YOUR warped view of God is what it sounds like. You have created a 'god" in your own image. It's not the one of the bible. Your 'god" is angry, vengeful, unforgiving, unmerciful, arbitrary and unjust. He is unbalanced.....all wrath and judgement and no mercy, love and forgiveness. And YES, that kind of a God would be "wimpy" and inadequate. Thank goodness, that is not the true God of heaven.

We are told to love our enimies, but He will turn His enimies into foot stools. God will pass judgement

You have GOT to be kidding? So you are saying that God IS NOT going to love HIS enemies?? Is that really what you're saying?? That God expects more of us than of Himself? Have you noticed that God's enemies in that passage are spiritual things....like Satan and death?...not people. Guess not huh?

I think God has proven over and over that He cares more about the character of your soul than anything.

He cares more about the SALVATION of your soul than anything. That is why He is going to save everyone.

God has shown patience with the weak, confused, and ignorant but he doesn't tolorate rejection or disobediance for long.

There's that God in your own image again Tim. The God of the bible says OVER AND OVER that "His MERCY ENDURES FOREVER". That He DELIGHTS in showing mercy and that His love endures forever. That He WILL NOT always be angry. You are making God into something He is not....and ignoring scripture to do so. That is dangerous.

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; because as soon as you cross that threshold between this world and the next, your fate is set.

And WHERE, pray tell, do you get this idea that as soon as you shed the body that your fate is set?? That's NOWHERE in scripture. THat is just YOUR IDEAS. It's the doctrines OF MEN. All the bible says is that after death we will face a judgement. It DOES NOT say that our eternal destiny is FIXED at that point. I defy you to show it. You can't, because it's NOT THERE.

When He's had enough, your out of here, no more chances

That's YOUR warped image of God Tim. THe REAL God says that His mercy ENDURES FOREVER. That mercy TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGEMENT.

, and His decisions are permenant and decisive.

Hey, you got one right. This is TRUE. So when Jesus says "that if I be lifted up, I WILL draw ALL MEN to Myself"....then we KNOW that it is a permanent and DECISIVE decision for Him to DO IT.

When Paul says "that God WILLS all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth"....we can KNOW that it is a PERMANENT DECISIVE decision of God and it WILL HAPPEN in God's OWN TIME.

There is tremendous evil in this world and God has proven time and again he will have no part of it.

So, your point is? Jesus said that He came to "destroy the works of the devil". Do you believe He did that Tim? Or do you believe He failed? Isn't evil a work of the devil? Did Jesus destroy it? No?? So Jesus dying and paying for ALL SIN didn't destroy evil as far as God is concerned?

THe bible says that Jesus "DID AWAY with sin by the sacrifice of Himself ONCE FOR ALL". See that? He DID AWAY WITH SIN. That means that from God's perspective it doesn't exist anymore. It's been PAID FOR....WIPED OUT....DONE AWAY WITH.....by the sacrifice of Jesus...once FOR ALL.

You need to back up and give Jesus credit where credit is due, for what He accomplished. It is SO MUCH bigger than you are even imagining.

 

[timlamb]

.....................since when did love, compassion, mercy and forgiveness have anything to do with 'wimpiness'....?! Sometimes they're some of the hardest things to dispense, as people its often all too easy to not forgive and bear grudges and cause pain, it takes more courage to 'turn the other cheek' than it does to 'smite your enemy'............
If the only way that God can be viewed as being all powerful and encompassing and 'unwimplike' is by torturing and causing pain to his beings and not forgiving them then I'm at a loss to be honest...........i'm just utterly bemused........

I did not say that those admirable characteristics made one wimpy. I see a peacemaker as the culmination of the best in a man. You can be meek and not a peacemaker, but a peacemaker must have meekness.
A peacemaker, as pesented by Jesus, does more than mediate disputes, or stop people from fighting; shouldn't a peacemaker instill unity and trust?

Every time we sin and are forgiven God has turned the other cheek. The reality of things is many people are in unalterable rebellion toward God, they reject Jesus and lash out at the suggestion they need forgiveness or repentance. Their hearts are evil and hardened and the love of God is not in them. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah were probably the best of friends and welcomed all to join them, there was unity in their depravity. But they rejected God and rebelled against Him, and He distroyed them.
There are many more instances of Gods justice and wrath being poured out. God does not sit around begging repentance; He does put the hand up along side the head and say wake up and get it right. And God will take away all that you have just to show others that your faith is genuine, and make no appologys for it.
It is not all about you, it is all about Him. You were created for Him, and if anyone rejects Him, He will reject them.
God's love is available to all; salvation is available to all; but, remember the whosoever; a whosoever who doesn't believeth in Him will parish and will not have everlasting life. There is a reason He made the distinction.
He is a loving God, but reject His love, and you get the wrath brought on in justice; the penalty for sin is death.

 

[Deraj]

But of course if it is not eternal then it is not eternal.

True, but it is.

This is all speculation for me, but I like to speculate;

The atonement covers the same sins that are covered in hell/torment/whatever you want to call it. The atonement had an end, but its' effects were eternal, as they provided a way for us to be cleaned.
However, those who turn out as evil or twisted as Satan, may take a while to repent. They would continue to sin in their heart at least, and would have to continually suffer to pay for those sins, as the payment has to be made, and the atonement only covers it, if the individual accepts the terms of the atonement (broken heart and contrite spirit).

They could end the torment if they repent, but whilst they are still wicked, the torment is eternal.

I personally do not believe in any eternal hell, the whole idea is nonsense to me. I do believe in a just and merciful God who is well above torturing people eternally for lacking faith.

Those who end up with the most torment will have plenty of faith. Satan I am sure, has plenty of faith in God's existence and in his power. Therefore his punishment is worse for rebelling and hating God and wanting his own power.
Those who lack faith may have some punishment, depending on what you mean by lacking faith.
Those who have faith and love God and keep his commandments are rewarded.
Every individual is different, so the degrees of their punishment or reward is also different.

 

[timlamb]

mercy does triumph over judgement,repentant believers will obtain mercy, they will not face judgement; and mercy and forgiveness are as permanent and decisive as is judgement for those who reject mercy.

 

[Deraj]

mercy does triumph over judgement,repentant believers will obtain mercy, they will not face judgement; and mercy and forgiveness are as permanent and decisive as is judgement for those who reject mercy.

"Triumph" is a strong word. Repentant believers will obtain mercy and then after the mercy has had its' effect, they will be judged. It may be that they are found to be clean, but they are still judged, whether they obtain mercy or not.
God is both merciful and just, not only in favour of mercy. Therefore, mercy does not triumph over justice, but it provides an alternative to punishment for the sins we commit.

 

[EchoPneuma]

I did not say that those admirable characteristics made one wimpy. I see a peacemaker as the culmination of the best in a man. You can be meek and not a peacemaker, but a peacemaker must have meekness.
A peacemaker, as pesented by Jesus, does more than mediate disputes, or stop people from fighting; shouldn't a peacemaker instill unity and trust?

You sure do add alot of your own ideas to the scriptures.

.

The reality of things is many people are in unalterable rebellion toward God,

Who are YOU to say that it is "unalterable rebellion"? Are you limiting what God is capable of doing in the souls of men? You have such limited vision Tim.

they reject Jesus and lash out at the suggestion they need forgiveness or repentance.

Yes, FOR RIGHT NOW. You have NO IDEA of the future....yet you act as though what you see right now is all the truth there is. Paul ALSO used to "lash out at the suggestion that he needed forgiveness or repentance"....till Jesus DRAGGED him to Himself on the road to Damascus. Jesus will do the same FOR ALL.

Their hearts are evil and hardened and the love of God is not in them.

Perhaps now....but God will being them to repentance in due time. Let God out of the box you have Him in.

The people of Sodom and Gomorrah were probably the best of friends and welcomed all to join them, there was unity in their depravity. But they rejected God and rebelled against Him, and He distroyed them.

He physically destroyed their city. You have no idea of their eternal destiny. However Jesus DOES say:

Mark 6:11
And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

So Sodom and Gomorrhas's judgement will be more tolerable than some other cities according to Jesus. Doesn't sound like eternal damnation to me.

There are many more instances of Gods justice and wrath being poured out.

So. We've already established that God does judge and does chasten. But we've ALSO established that mercy TRIUMPHS over judgement.

God does not sit around begging repentance

Oh really? This is out of Ezekiel 18

30 "Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!

Sure sounds like God is pleading with them to me. Once again Tim, the "god" you present is not the God of the bible.

; He does put the hand up along side the head and say wake up and get it right.

He does whatever it takes. With some, it's pleading, with some it is chastisement. He's a loving Father and He deals with each on of His children differently. There is no "formula" with God.

And God will take away all that you have just to show others that your faith is genuine, and make no appologys for it.

Perhaps, if you are a Job. But He also richly gives us ALL THINGS for our enjoyment according to Paul. And if we delight ourselves in Him, He has PROMISED to give us the desires of our heart.

It is not all about you, it is all about Him

EXACTLY. That is why since He WILLS all men to be saved....they WILL all be saved....because it IS ALL ABOUT HIM.

.

You were created for Him, and if anyone rejects Him, He will reject them.

But in the end ALL will receive and acknowledge Him. That is what the bible says. Every knee WILL BOW and every tongue WILL CONFESS THAT JESUS IS LORD TO THE GLORY OF GOD. So He won't have to reject ANYONE.

God's love is available to all; salvation is available to all; but, remember the whosoever; a whosoever who doesn't believeth in Him will parish and will not have everlasting life. There is a reason He made the distinction.

Whosoever doesn't believe will "perish" (appolumi in greek which means ruination, lostness)...they will be one of the lost and come to ruination. But Jesus came to SEEK AND SAVE THAT WHICH WAS LOST. So no worries. They WILL BE FOUND. He WILL eventually draw them to Himself.

He is a loving God, but reject His love, and you get the wrath brought on in justice; the penalty for sin is death.

But not ETERNAL death, as there is no such animal. They will be separated from God for "an age" of chastisement, but ultimately they WILL be reconciled back to Him because of what Jesus did.

 

[EchoPneuma]

mercy does triumph over judgement,repentant believers will obtain mercy, they will not face judgement;

You really do need to get your beliefs in line with the bible Tim. Hebrews says "that it is given unto man once to die and then to face the judgement...and Paul says in Corinthians that "we must ALL stand before the judgement seat of Christ to give an account of ourselves"...the John says that "judgement begins with the household of God". Christians most assuredly WILL face judgement.

Mercy will be eternally shown to anyone who repents.....and all eventually WILL repent and declare Jesus is Lord to the glory of God. The ability to repent doesn't stop at the grave Tim. Jesus said He WOULD draw all men unto Himself....we know with some that doesn't happen in their physical lifetime...so it MUST happen in the spirit realm.

and mercy and forgiveness are as permanent and decisive as is judgement for those who reject mercy.

Your ideas only. His mercy ENDURES forever. Mercy TRIUMPHS over judgement. So if the judgement is that someone must endure God's wrath for an age, then mercy will STILL triumph over that judgement eventually because His mercy ENDURES FOREVER....and He delights in mercy....but has NO PLEASURE in the death of the wicked.

 

[timlamb]

You really do need to get your beliefs in line with the bible Tim. Hebrews says "that it is given unto man once to die and then to face the judgement...and Paul says in Corinthians that "we must ALL stand before the judgement seat of Christ to give an account of ourselves"...the John says that "judgement begins with the household of God". Christians most assuredly WILL face judgement.

Mercy will be eternally shown to anyone who repents.....and all eventually WILL repent and declare Jesus is Lord to the glory of God. The ability to repent doesn't stop at the grave Tim. Jesus said He WOULD draw all men unto Himself....we know with some that doesn't happen in their physical lifetime...so it MUST happen in the spirit realm.



Your ideas only. His mercy ENDURES forever. Mercy TRIUMPHS over judgement. So if the judgement is that someone must endure God's wrath for an age, then mercy will STILL triumph over that judgement eventually because His mercy ENDURES FOREVER....and He delights in mercy....but has NO PLEASURE in the death of the wicked.

"mercy triumphs over judgement" oh what a tangled web... Try using it in context, "..because judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been mercyful.." I suppose you are going to tell me that all will be mercyful in their post death repentance.

Just as a person who has broken no law, we who have been made sinless by salvation through the blood of Jesus will face no judgement. We who have been given mercy because of our belief will have mercy forever.

Yes he DESIRES that all repent, and he ASKED us to repent, and He TOLD us to repent. And the kingdom of heaven is at hand those who do not listen and die are dead to God, Judged because of the choises they made.

 

[FineLinen]

Yes he DESIRES that all repent, and he ASKED us to repent, and He TOLD us to repent.

He will's that all mankind repent and come into/unto the knowledge of the truth! This is His desire and His predestined will.

"Who will have all men to be saved (ov pantav anqrwpouv qelei swqhnai). Literally, who willeth all men. As who, or seeing that He, giving the ground of the previous statement. Prayer to God for all is acceptable to him, because He wills the salvation of all. Qelei willeth, marking a determinate purpose. " -Dr. Marvin Vincent N.T. Word Studies-

http://newhopemusic.com/songs.s-z/thine.htm

 

[timlamb]

So where is salvation for the merciless? There are alot of them out there.

 

[katallasso]

Did you miss the first couple of verses in Romans chapter 5, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have GAINED ACCESS BY FAITH into this grace in which we now stand."
Verse 17 "...how much more will those who recieve God's abundant provision of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life..."
Key words being "those who recieve" and "gift of rightneousness"
Whether refering to the condemnation of sin or the justification that brings life, he is refering to jews and gentiles alike when he says all men. We have all sinned, and so justification was made for all, jew and gentile. It still must "gain access by faith" and "recieve the gift"

I in no way believe this is a free ride to heaven. Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again. We must be brought to faith in Jesus Christ. It either happens in this life or the next. If when one dies and finds he is in the place of correction I am sure he will pay attention.

 

[EchoPneuma]

"mercy triumphs over judgement" oh what a tangled web... Try using it in context, "..because judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been mercyful.." I suppose you are going to tell me that all will be mercyful in their post death repentance.

It says JUDGEMENT without mercy will be shown....NOT comdemnation without mercy. "Judgement" is simply God determining what needs to be done and doing it....for those who have shown no mercy towards others, God will not show them any mercy in determining what chastizment He gives them. You need to get your doctrines straight. Are you saying that ONLY Christians can show mercy Tim?? If the merciful WILL BE SHOWN MERCY....then even unbelievers who have been merciful WILL BE SHOWN MERCY....right??

Then, of course, there is this...

Romans 11:32
For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

Do you feel yourself sinking?

Oh, what a tangled web is right!

Just as a person who has broken no law, we who have been made sinless by salvation through the blood of Jesus will face no judgement.

Then you've got a BIG argument with Paul because he tells the Corinthians...

2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Like I said....you need to get your beliefs in line with the scriptures and stop believing what men tell you to believe.

We who have been given mercy because of our belief will have mercy forever.

Again, this isn't what the bible teaches....but you're free to believe it. You contradict yourself again. First you say that it's the MERCIFUL who will recieve mercy and now you say it is those who BELIEVE that will be shown mercy. You seem to be dancing here Tim.

Yes he DESIRES that all repent, and he ASKED us to repent, and He TOLD us to repent.

No, the bible says that He WILLS it. He also desires it, asks it, pleads for it and tells us to do it.....but if we don't do it willingly....He WILL "drag" us to Jesus.

And the kingdom of heaven is at hand those who do not listen and die are dead to God, Judged because of the choises they made.

You sure keep proclaiming alot of unbiblical stuff on God's behalf. They are judged and will be chastened for "an age"......they ARE NOT "dead to God".... Jesus said:

Luke 20:38

He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.

You're just striking out all the way around Tim. Why don't you seem to believe what the bible really teaches?

 

[EchoPneuma]

So where is salvation for the merciless? There are alot of them out there.

I dunno...since you're the only one on here who seems to be proclaiming a MERCILESS eternity for the lost and who believes in it and condones it as just.....it really should concern you.

 

[Uphill Battle]

He will's that all mankind repent and come into/unto the knowledge of the truth! This is His desire and His predestined will.

"Who will have all men to be saved (ov pantav anqrwpouv qelei swqhnai). Literally, who willeth all men. As who, or seeing that He, giving the ground of the previous statement. Prayer to God for all is acceptable to him, because He wills the salvation of all. Qelei willeth, marking a determinate purpose. " -Dr. Marvin Vincent N.T. Word Studies-

http://newhopemusic.com/songs.s-z/thine.htm

so then, when do those who are already dead, and died without repentance, repent?

 

[Soul Searcher]

So where is salvation for the merciless? There are alot of them out there.

Really? I have heard stories of the evil that men do but I have yet to meet a single soul who seemed to be without mercy. I wonder where these lots of them have been hiding these past 45 years