Looks like you do not understand the meaning of death. Either the first or the second.A conditional after life yes. But most of mankind agree with you and the devil when he said, ye shall not surely die.
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!
Looks like you do not understand the meaning of death. Either the first or the second.A conditional after life yes. But most of mankind agree with you and the devil when he said, ye shall not surely die.
I like a bit of homework....You are talking to a person that knows the Bible backwards and forwards at the language level. So I will give you homework. You provide the scriptures that support your beliefs.
'If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above,Hmmm…I believe you were already resurrected spiritually/born of the Spirit. Your body can and will die but will be resurrected later, in the judgement, but even though your body dies, you will live. And then later on…you will have a body again?
I always marvel over that verse at the end of one of the gospels that says after Jesus rose, they saw many of their dead walking around…
Because of seeing many of their dead walking around, I suspect that we don’t sleep anymore but think maybe…those that aren’t His do sleep until the second resurrection.
It’s very intriguing…
I like a bit of homework....but I was hoping that you could provide the scripture that supports God being a fiendish torturer of naughty souls in eternal flames. I find that repugnant....don’t you?
Punishment is not possible after death because you have to be alive and conscious in order to suffer.
The dead are not alive, nor are they conscious.....(Ecclesiastes 9:5,6,10; Ecclesiastes 3:19-20) so how does that work? How can humans beings, created in God’s image have no superiority over animals in death? They have the same spirit, breathe the same air, and die the same death.
Punishment can only be experienced before you die....after death the punishment can continue in your absence because your death will be permanent.....you will know nothing about it.
Oh. They're different? How so?Looks like you do not understand the meaning of death. Either the first or the second.
Very good.'If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
When Christ, Who is our life, shall appear,
then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.
Mortify (or reckon as dead) therefore your members which are upon the earth;
fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection,
evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: ... '
(Colossians 3:1-5)
Hi @stunnedbygrace,
You have raised an important point and one which needs to be considered carefully. It is true that by God's reckoning, and by our own reckoning by faith, we have already died with Christ: been buried, quickened and raised with Him, and ascended with Him to God's right hand, now awaiting His appearing in glory, where we too will appear with Him. For God has placed us 'in' Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 1:30-31). He is our life: our life being 'hid' with Christ in God.
Yet though we acknowledge the truth of that, and live within the light of it: nevertheless we are made up of so many pounds in weight, and are living and breathing souls of men; who will die and go back to the dust from whence we came. Our spirit, or, 'breath of life', having returned to God Who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Only the power of the resurrection can raise the dead to life again, and unite spirit and body, to become a living soul once more. Only God can cloth us with the spiritual body prepared for us, suited to our resurrection life (1 Corinthians 15:44 & 49), which He has prepared for us (2 Corinthians 5:2).
As for the record we have of those who were raised to life at the death of Christ, and were seen by the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that you refer to: They, I believe, were raised as Lazarus was, to earthly life, which was still subject to death.
In Revelation 20:4-6 we see two resurrections referred to, those who are privileged to have part in the first of those resurrections will not be subject to the second death: but will be priests of God, and of Christ, and shall reign with Him for one thousand years; whereas those who are not raised until the end of that period, will be subject to the second death. These two resurrections, are revealed within the context of the times being referred to in the book of Revelation: but there is another also in 1 Thessalonians 4, in which those that have been 'asleep in Christ' shall be raised (1 Corinthians 15:23), along with those who 'are alive and remain' at Christ's coming again, who will never die (John 11:26). So there is much to be considered isn't there? :)
God knows what He is doing, and knows the end from the beginning, and is fully aware of what the outcome will be for each and every one of us. You and I can only read His word and seek to understand by His grace. I hope and pray that we are not in error, but only He can know that and by His grace put us right.
Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris
While I do not really disagree, I do believe that what a "lie" is to God may not be quite the same as it many times might be to man.Certainly God can use anyone or anything to speak messages of truth to the world or to individuals, even donkeys. But he will not permit them to lie if such would bring His people into danger, such as Balaam.
I do not think a witch has the power to raise the dead. Isaiah 8 tells us not to trust them or believe them. Yet we have Christians using the testimony of a witch to support their claims of all immediate afterlife.
You mean there are two deaths .Looks like you do not understand the meaning of death. Either the first or the second.
God is love. That I believe is an absolute Truth. Everything He does, thinks, says, is motivated from love. Everything. He cannot lie. He cannot deceive. He cannot coerce. Not because He is following a self imposed arbitrary rule, but because His very nature recoils at the suggestion of Him doing different, acting inconsistently, or changing the game to suit His agenda. Which is why the new testament is not a new way of salvation to the old. The new testament is an unfolding of the plan of salvation that began before creation. It wasn't an afterthought or plan B because the old failed. There were setbacks, that God used for good. But sin and death were never a part of the plan. The irony is that because of sin and Calvary, we now understand the character of God better. And now, through the indwelling Spirit of God, we are closer to God than Adam ever was in the garden.While I do not really disagree, I do believe that what a "lie" is to God may not be quite the same as it many times might be to man.
I believe that God does work on the Left hand as well as on the Right. Who is it that does the left hand work for God?
While the details may not be all the same, or at least perhaps are not described the same, much of what you believe, I believe that I believe.God is love. That I believe is an absolute Truth. Everything He does, thinks, says, is motivated from love. Everything. He cannot lie. He cannot deceive. He cannot coerce. Not because He is following a self imposed arbitrary rule, but because His very nature recoils at the suggestion of Him doing different, acting inconsistently, or changing the game to suit His agenda. Which is why the new testament is not a new way of salvation to the old. The new testament is an unfolding of the plan of salvation that began before creation. It wasn't an afterthought or plan B because the old failed. There were setbacks, that God used for good. But sin and death were never a part of the plan. The irony is that because of sin and Calvary, we now understand the character of God better. And now, through the indwelling Spirit of God, we are closer to God than Adam ever was in the garden.
I was writing in another thread and explaining the difference between sin and evil. When scripture says God created evil, it isn't saying He created sin, or that He approves or even uses sin. He doesn't sin that good may come, as Paul said. We need to be careful I think when considering the nature of our God. It is holy ground.
Amen to all that my brother. That thing you often remind us of... The low place... Always a great place to start each day.While the details may not be all the same, or at least perhaps are not described the same, much of what you believe, I believe that I believe.
Communication between people remains a problem when it comes to putting our understanding or beliefs into words for others read or hear even at time when there is no real disagreement. Sometimes we agree but need to communicate better to let each other know.
I strive to always be careful when describing things of importance [what are they?], including the nature of God, but as you know, people often want to make everything all black and white as if they perfectly understood the Absolute Truths [ATs] of God. They exist, I believe, but a lot of things people hold onto and insist upon as ATs also, I believe, cause them to stumble because they are unwilling to admit even the possibility of error on their own part. I was taught this lesson a very hard way. Is this an AT for me?
I still miss my way too often but I also know that I need to bring it all [all of anything that might be considered an AT by me] to Him regularly for addition, subtraction or correction.
God is always able... but He has made it so that during our allotted time, I believe, we must give Him permission to work within us to fix whatever needs fixing. Many times we do not know what! He always does!
I have no doubt that man was made to live forever, but the presence of the tree of life both in the garden and now in paradise suggests that such life was conditional. I think it highly significant that after having sinned, Adam and Eve were barred from partaking of the tree,
KJV Genesis 3:22-24
22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
The above passages tell me that there is no such thing as an immortal sinner.
With human ideas of justice based an imperfect knowledge of how things really are, I think.Which surely is more in keeping with godly justice.
If there is no immortal soul that survives the death of the body, then you don't have to invent places for them to go....
likely an allegory for “spiritual life,” but im done discussing the possibility of “living forever” with Christians. No, i seriously doubt that Genesis confirms that God created man to have everlasting life, just like i doubt that put on immortality means become immortal, no matter how many ancient Pharaohs and Caesars and even Chinese Emperors, etc, ad nauseum, were obsessed with itGenesis confirms that God created man to have everlasting life in his mortal flesh. The only cause of death mentioned in Eden was disobedience....so if the humans had not disobeyed, they never would have died
”live forever” is an english translation, right, and i bet it is being read too literally? Especially considering the rest of Scripture; near as i can tell we arent even promised toooooooomorrow lolSo there it is...the tree of life allowed the humans to "live forever".....it was there in the garden...free access until they disobeyed, and then they were barred from touching it ever again. An angel was posted to make sure, along with the flaming blade of a sword
”live forever” is an english translation, right, and i bet it is being read too literally? Especially considering the rest of Scripture; near as i can tell we arent even promised toooooooomorrow lol
Well, what came after this statement was nothing scriptural. Just waffle....I’m not interested in people’s opinion of scripture if it is merely a mask for what they want it to say.This will take a few posts but we can straighten this out.
Yes...so let’s look at that. Let’s unwrap some concepts here and figure out where they came from and who promoted them....and what they mean in the big scheme of things.What is not speculation is that the Bible says that the punishment will be eternal and references fire.
So you think all Christians are heaven bound? Why do you imagine that God placed humans on earth then? Did he not already have a large spiritual family in heaven that he created to live there? Did any of them need ‘training’ here to live there? If not, then why us? What was God’s purpose in putting us here? Can you explain?Will we have questions when we get to Heaven? You betcha. But by all biblical indications, Hell is not were you want to end up.
Sorry I could not find them...perhaps you could remind me.....?Now as far as the words Hades, Hell, and Sheol I have already discussed this in this thread. If you want to rehash it we can.
This is one of my favourites......So then you don't think it was Samuel speaking to King Saul in Endor?
No....I mean that there is no such thing as an “immortal soul”. “Souls” in the Bible are living breathing creatures....humans and animals. “Souls” are never referred to as disembodied spirits....ever.Or when you say "immortal soul", do you mean this as a qualification? That souls survive the death of the body, but not forever?
sorry i dont deal with strange fire !!! you can make the Bible say anything you want and proclaim it truth you can play with your strange fire and i will pour water on it..Any Bible you like, as long as you are open to reference to a concordance. Words are important in translation...if you get the meaning wrong, it can be catastrophic to your understanding.
Are you prepared to dig deeper into the word? Do you have anything to fear by doing so?
Weren’t the ancient Be·roeʹans commended for checking the scriptures to see if what they were being taught was in accord with all that is written? (Acts 17:10).....and that was from the apostles, not just your run of the mill church men.
If God found that the Israelites burning their children in the fire was repugnant, then why would he do that himself? Think about it....would you torture your own children? If they were that wicked, wouldn’t just putting them out of existence be enough? What kind of a God do you think he is???
i now suspect even the “969 years” thing is meant as an analogy, although i dont knowI am with you, because in the creation story, we are not told how long man was designed to live, except that we are told that they lived for a long period of time.