Apparently I did not make myself clear enough when I gave you the connection with the verse. So please let me try again:
Ephesians 4:9 and 1 Peter 3:18-19 tell us that Christ went under the earth, to the realm of the dead and preached to the dead. Why would He do that if there was no chance for the “imprisoned spirits” to come to repentance and He might as well have spoken to a wall? How come every knee should bow to Him under the earth (Philippians 2:10), when the dead can’t bow their knees?
If this helps: assuming that the realm of the dead is well beyond our time and space, Christ’s preaching to the dead may as well be yesterday, now or tomorrow. So in any case the time to repent is now. What we probably both agree on is that the sooner we repent and return from our wicked ways the better (which imho is exactly what “the time is now” means to express, both now and back in the days when Jesus walked the earth and called people to repentance.)
What I don’t quite understand is why you accuse me of believing what I want, no matter what scripture says, when you yourself have not yet gone to great length to back up your view with scripture. Where do you think the Bible says that there is no chance for repentance for the dead? What it does tell us concerning salvation is that “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26), and you think He could not rescue anybody from hell if He wanted to? Maybe your strong beliefs in this point aren’t guided by scripture so much, but by deeply ingrained tradition?
P.S.: my picture has always referred to scripture in one way over the other. My former avatar showed the dove above the waters that symbolizes the Holy Spirit. I always liked that picture because it carries with it all that hope that must have filled Noah when he got that twig + it reminded me to pray for spiritual guidance. Alas, when I re-entered this forum after almost a year’s absence, that picture was gone and - being a dumbo when it comes to tech - I couldn’t find it anymore. So I chose this one instead. This place looked as if could need a reminder of that command.:)
