The good man that turned bad out of necessity

  • Welcome to Christian Forums, a Christian Forum that recognizes that all Christians are a work in progress.

    You will need to register to be able to join in fellowship with Christians all over the world.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Matthias

Well-Known Member
May 3, 2022
34,759
25,300
113
Kentucky
Faith
Other Faith
Country
United States
Gender
Male
I'm not sure what you mean by this…

Then you should ask for clarification.

… but I don't think you should go around calling other people savages when engaged in civil discourse.

See the hypothetical scenarios various people have asked me about. The attackers in all of those constructions are savages.

And we return to that state of nonexistence after death as well, Christian or not.

Mother hen won’t like that.
 

Riven

Well-Known Member
Jul 6, 2024
1,646
1,272
113
38
Florida
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
Gender
Male
I’m hoping for more than no existence
So do most people. But I don't think it's anything to be afraid of. That being said, it doesn't go over well with church goers. They want Christianity to be a certain way. They want to immediately go to heaven upon death.

Nonexistence, even if for just a blink of an eye, sounds terrible. Because remember, the passage of time when you're unconscious is instantaneous. So if you die before Jesus returns, you will instantly be brought back to life after your body and soul die, despite potentially being dead for millions of years... or billions. We have no idea when Christ will return after all.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Mancunian and RLT63

Matthias

Well-Known Member
May 3, 2022
34,759
25,300
113
Kentucky
Faith
Other Faith
Country
United States
Gender
Male
So do most people. But I don't think it's anything to be afraid of. That being said, it doesn't go over well with church goers. They want Christianity to be a certain way. They want to immediately go to heaven upon death.

Nonexistence, even if for just a blink of an eye, sounds terrible. Because remember, the passage of time when you're unconscious is instantaneous. So if you die before Jesus returns, you will instantly be brought back to life after your body and soul die, despite potentially being dead for millions of years... or billions. We have no idea when Christ will return after all.

We’re supposed to be watching for his return. Keep your eyes on the Middle East and the signs of the times.
 
  • Like
Reactions: markalan

RLT63

Well-Known Member
Apr 24, 2022
4,314
2,668
113
Montgomery
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
Gender
Male
So do most people. But I don't think it's anything to be afraid of. That being said, it doesn't go over well with church goers. They want Christianity to be a certain way. They want to immediately go to heaven upon death.

Nonexistence, even if for just a blink of an eye, sounds terrible. Because remember, the passage of time when you're unconscious is instantaneous. So if you die before Jesus returns, you will instantly be brought back to life after your body and soul die, despite potentially being dead for millions of years... or billions. We have no idea when Christ will return after all.
This is true
 

Matthias

Well-Known Member
May 3, 2022
34,759
25,300
113
Kentucky
Faith
Other Faith
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Yes I do in some ways.
I think it's probably relevant to a lot of people.

“It may have taken you fifty years to make yourself such a hell-deserving sinner as you are, but it will not take Jesus fifty ticks of the clock to wash you and make you whiter than snow, and to get you back into the great Father’s house.” - C.H. Spurgeon

Are you at - or nearing - the point where you want to go home?
 

Mancunian

Member
Aug 17, 2026
89
50
18
Cheshire
Faith
Agnostic
Country
United Kingdom
Gender
Male
“It may have taken you fifty years to make yourself such a hell-deserving sinner as you are, but it will not take Jesus fifty ticks of the clock to wash you and make you whiter than snow, and to get you back into the great Father’s house.” - C.H. Spurgeon

Are you at - or nearing - the point where you want to go home?
That very much depends on what home looks like.
Would I be rubbing shoulders with murderers and rapists from this life who have become born again Christians and have been washed clean?
Would they have recollection of their crimes or would their minds be wiped clean too?
 

RLT63

Well-Known Member
Apr 24, 2022
4,314
2,668
113
Montgomery
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
Gender
Male
That very much depends on what home looks like.
Would I be rubbing shoulders with murderers and rapists from this life who have become born again Christians and have been washed clean?
Would they have recollection of their crimes or would their minds be wiped clean too?
That’s a fair and searching question. Heaven isn’t primarily about the company of other people; it’s about being with God Himself—face to face with the One who is perfect holiness, justice, love, and beauty. Everything else flows from that.On the people who will be there: yes, heaven will include those who in this life committed terrible sins—murder, rape, and worse—if they truly repented and trusted in Christ. The same blood of Jesus that cleanses “respectable” sinners also cleanses the worst of us. Scripture is clear: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). The thief on the cross, the Apostle Paul (who once hunted Christians), and countless others stand as evidence that no one is beyond the reach of that grace.Would those people still remember their crimes? The Bible doesn’t give a detailed psychological map of heavenly memory. What it does say is that in the new creation the former things will not be remembered in a way that produces sorrow, shame, or division (Isaiah 65:17; Revelation 21:4). Tears are wiped away. The sting of sin is gone. We will be fully transformed—glorified bodies and minds that are no longer capable of sin or of being dominated by the pain of the past. The focus will not be on what we once were, but on what Christ has made us and on the worship of the One who redeemed us.So the question isn’t really “Will I have to share eternity with people who once did evil?” The deeper reality is that every single person in heaven—including you and me—will be there solely because of mercy, not because we were good enough. The ground at the foot of the cross is level. And the people who stand there in the end will be new creations, washed clean, and fully at home with God and with one another.If the idea of that kind of grace still feels unsettling, that’s understandable. It has unsettled people for two thousand years. But it is also the only hope any of us have.
(I had some help with this response and can't take full credit)
 
Last edited:

RLT63

Well-Known Member
Apr 24, 2022
4,314
2,668
113
Montgomery
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
Gender
Male
That very much depends on what home looks like.
Would I be rubbing shoulders with murderers and rapists from this life who have become born again Christians and have been washed clean?
Would they have recollection of their crimes or would their minds be wiped clean too?
Here is an article addressing our memories while in Heaven

 

Matthias

Well-Known Member
May 3, 2022
34,759
25,300
113
Kentucky
Faith
Other Faith
Country
United States
Gender
Male
That very much depends on what home looks like.

Home looks like Jesus and the apostles.

Would I be rubbing shoulders with murderers and rapists from this life who have become born again Christians and have been washed clean?

Yes.

Would they have recollection of their crimes or would their minds be wiped clean too?

Why are you concerned about what Christians remember about the sin they committed and were forgiven by God for?
 

Mancunian

Member
Aug 17, 2026
89
50
18
Cheshire
Faith
Agnostic
Country
United Kingdom
Gender
Male
Home looks like Jesus and the apostles.



Yes.



Why are you concerned about what Christians remember about the sin they committed and were forgiven by God for?
I'm concerned that people who have been raped or murdered may have to rub shoulders with their attackers,
That's why I asked the question about memory.
 

Matthias

Well-Known Member
May 3, 2022
34,759
25,300
113
Kentucky
Faith
Other Faith
Country
United States
Gender
Male
I'm concerned that people who have been raped or murdered may have to rub shoulders with their attackers,
That's why I asked the question about memory.

In some cases, that will happen.

Christians must pray that their persecutors, and persecutors of our brothers and sisters in Messiah, repent and become saved.
 

Matthias

Well-Known Member
May 3, 2022
34,759
25,300
113
Kentucky
Faith
Other Faith
Country
United States
Gender
Male
@Mancunian you should read Luke 6:27-28 when you have a spare moment in your day. Christians rejoice when our prayers for our enemies result in disciples being made for Jesus.

It’s a blessing for followers of Jesus to be persecuted for our faith in him.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others.
 

Mancunian

Member
Aug 17, 2026
89
50
18
Cheshire
Faith
Agnostic
Country
United Kingdom
Gender
Male
In some cases, that will happen.

Christians must pray that their persecutors, and persecutors of our brothers and sisters in Messiah, repent and become saved.
Can you not see how awful that is.....

Let's go back to scenarios.

I get home from work one night and my entire family are being attacked, now being a good Christian I try to intervene without killing but unfortunately the attacker overpowers me and knocked me out cold.
When I awake my entire family are dead.

Are you seriously telling me that I must pray for this person to repent and be saved?
Do you not see how wrong that is?

On top of that, assuming the attacker did repent and was with God, I would have to rub shoulders with him in the next life.

Some perfect justice right there.
 

Matthias

Well-Known Member
May 3, 2022
34,759
25,300
113
Kentucky
Faith
Other Faith
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Can you not see how awful that is.....

You cannot see what a blessing it is.

Let's go back to scenarios.

I get home from work one night and my entire family are being attacked, now being a good Christian I try to intervene without killing but unfortunately the attacker overpowers me and knocked me out cold.
When I awake my entire family are dead.

Are you seriously telling me that I must pray for this person to repent and be saved?
Do you not see how wrong that is?

It is never wrong to pray that wicked men repent of their wickedness and be saved. That is the calling of Messiah. That is what he did for us.

On top of that, assuming the attacker did repent and was with God, I would have to rub shoulders with him in the next life.

You would want to.

Some perfect justice right there.

Were you of this mindset when you were a Christian?
 

Mancunian

Member
Aug 17, 2026
89
50
18
Cheshire
Faith
Agnostic
Country
United Kingdom
Gender
Male
You cannot see what a blessing it is.



It is never wrong to pray that wicked men repent of their wickedness and be saved. That is the calling of Messiah. That is what he did for us.



You would want to.



Were you of this mindset when you were a Christian?
I didn't think deeply when I was a Christian. I just went with the flow, didn't give much thought to what eternal life or who I'd be spending it with.

Didn't give much thought to how wrong God's justice system is.

I accepted silly explanations and didn't question them. I thought that the majority of people can't be wrong.... I listened to my elders and people in authority as children and young people do.


To be quite frank, nothing that you have written about your version of Christianity is very appealing. It's actually less appealing than the watered down CofE nonsense that I was spoon-fed as a child.

I think that the fear of death is all that is driving Christianity on... Nobody would like to be raped and murdered and then be happy to see their attaker be saved for eternity.... Unless they had a screw loose obviously.

So I think that you could well be wasting your time on me.
 

Matthias

Well-Known Member
May 3, 2022
34,759
25,300
113
Kentucky
Faith
Other Faith
Country
United States
Gender
Male
I didn't think deeply when I was a Christian. I just went with the flow, didn't give much thought to what eternal life or who I'd be spending it with.

Didn't give much thought to how wrong God's justice system is.

I accepted silly explanations and didn't question them. I thought that the majority of people can't be wrong.... I listened to my elders and people in authority as children and young people do.


To be quite frank, nothing that you have written about your version of Christianity is very appealing. It's actually less appealing than the watered down CofE nonsense that I was spoon-fed as a child.

I think that the fear of death is all that is driving Christianity on... Nobody would like to be raped and murdered and then be happy to see their attaker be saved for eternity.... Unless they had a screw loose obviously.

So I think that you could well be wasting your time on me.

It’s Jesus’ time.
 

RLT63

Well-Known Member
Apr 24, 2022
4,314
2,668
113
Montgomery
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
Gender
Male
You cannot see what a blessing it is.



It is never wrong to pray that wicked men repent of their wickedness and be saved. That is the calling of Messiah. That is what he did for us.



You would want to.



Were you of this mindset when you were a Christian?
I must say he thinks of things that I have never thought about