cc:
@St. SteVen, please be advised about:
More troubling passages, for examination, about WHAT Jesus Taught Here:
"And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into
Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up
his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus,
that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am
tormented in this flame.
But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things,
and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which
would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come
from thence.
Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's
house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come
into this place of torment.
Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And
he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, Neither will they be
persuaded, though one rose from the dead." (Luke 16:22-31)
IF these are not
persuaded By Scriptures, are they then, after death/judgment
persuaded
"under the earth, in torment," Or, after resurrection,
By The LORD Jesus Christ, The
Righteous Judge, At [
their ]
Final Judgment? (to be
further examined in Ch 2...)
The vast majority throughout history have not even heard "God's Gracious Offer".
WHAT then? Isn't
This God's Answer (before we exit this life, in physical death
)?:
Rom 1:20 "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world
are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, Even
His Eternal Power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse"
All?
+
Doesn't
God Also Have An Answer for "those who DO seek
Him"? Will He not Send
someone To them, as in this
Biblical Example, With His Truth/Words Of Life?:
"Act 10:1-33 "There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion
of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared God with
all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God
coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked on him,
he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and
thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:
He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall
tell thee what thou oughtest to do.
...
Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is
lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh,
shall speak unto thee. Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done
that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all
things that are commanded thee of God." (Acts 10: 1-33)
Did you not know, that
after The Gospel of Grace is preached to all who will hear, and
we leave
earth In God's Great Grace Departure, to
Heaven, that Grace is thus
Ended, and:
God's
prophetic program
Resumes with judgment/Great Tribulation for Israel and the nations,
and that there will be:
144,000 Sealed Jews, 2 powerful witnesses, And an angel 'flying in the midst of heaven,'
to preach the Everlasting gospel of the kingdom "unto them that dwell on the earth,
and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people" (Rev 14:6)
ALL of them? Did God then
Leave anyone out of the "vast majority throughout history have not even heard"?
Still troubling to me, is not yet having found Scriptural Basis for this to be effective for
UNbelievers, giving them second and third chances in the afterlife, after having rejected
God's Gracious Offer in the nowlife?
To be clear, UR is not about "second and third chances in the afterlife". (as I understand it)
Anyone who has knees to bow and a tongue to speak, in heaven and on earth and under the earth (in the realm of the dead), will whole-heartedly, and without reservation, acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord. No one can say that “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” you will be saved.
Yes, I believe:
Rom_14:11 "For it is written, As I live, Saith The Lord, every knee
shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."
Php_2:11 "And that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is LORD, to The Glory of God the Father."
But,
The Differences I understand, is the
WHEN:
1) believers do this
in this life, By The Holy Spirit.
2) But, the
Evidence of
WHEN 'UNbelievers
do this' confessing will have
to wait to be asked about/examined, in the (work in progress...)
Final Judgment, Ch 2...
Thanks again, friend - appreciate all your careful attention and valuable input in Ch 1...