Quote:
Originally Posted by GrowingPains
It is the understanding of eternity separated from God that gives meaning to God's passion on Calvary. Just a thought. He saved us from something...
Hell is a real place. It is not mere unconsciousness. It is not temporal. It is eternal torment. Perhaps that is why Jesus spoke more of hell than heaven and spent so much time warning people not to go there. After all, if people just stopped existing, why warn them? If it was temporal, they'd get out in a while. But if it were eternal and conscious, then the warning is strong.
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Growing, "heaven" is mentioned or indicated 4742 times in the gospels in 20 translations. However, "hell" only mentioned or indicated 286 times. The term, "fire" was used in relation to punishment 936 times in 20 different translations. The term "hades", only 86. Therefore Heaven was mentioned 4742 times while Hell was only mentioned 1318. On average Heaven was mentioned or indicated a little over three times as often as Hell.
Even among those who teach UR, Hell has eternal consequences. Those consequences are simply not eternal torments. It's about far more than just getting out of Hell and being "saved". Hell will deliver fearsome judgment and punishment upon the wicked. However, UR teaches that there is a day in the dateless future when the wicked will be broken by Hell's flame, their spirits finally brought into submission to the Gospel and that they will be reconciled to God.
Philippians 2:9-11
9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10That at the name of Jesus EVERY knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11And that EVERY tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the GLORY of God the Father.
It will be a fearsome and brutal process... but in the end God will win and ALL will give Him GLORY. Sin and Satan will have won NOTHING.
Oh, I assure you, I believe in Hell. I believe in torments human words cannot describe. I don't downplay Hell's fearsome and terrifying reality. However, I don't neglect the power of Christ's atonement to save the creation he died for either. I believe that He is righteous and just. Holy and Mighty. And that God would never stand by and watch the majority of His creation perish. If UR is correct, God has a plan to redeem all souls. Some through the fire and some through flood, some through great trials... but all through the blood.
Hybrid Mode
