I do love Jesus for giving me peace with God and I always will....but I really struggle with the idea of eternal punishment. If Adam's sin cursed us all, then didn't Jesus' blood save us all?
I want everyone saved and I mean EVERYONE...yes, even Jim Jones and Hitler, and Mohamed.
I want all of our eyes to be opened to all truth at the point of death, then for Jesus himself to embrace us and welcome us all home.
Again, is this heresy?
Al
Favorite Answer
The heresy is in thinking that only Christians have access to salvation. And shame on you for comparing Muhammad with Hitler and Jim Jones.
As for wanting everyone to have salvation, THAT is very Christian of you.
And the Word was God
Unfortunately, yes.
I would like everyone to be saved and go to Heaven as well. But just because something sounds harsh doesn't make it false.
Here's the deal. God wouldn't be a righteously just God if he just let everyone in for nothing in the end,
Jesus' Blood does pay for our sins, BUT it is not automatic. You must first recognize you are a sinner and want to give up your sin, humble yourself, repent of your sins and ask for forgiveness, pray and ask Jesus to come into your heart and life and save you from your sins so that you can be with Him one day. Then you must begin to walk a Christians life. Not because works save you, only the grace of God through your faith are you saved. But works is a sign that someone was saved, you see.
It's like a person who's got a very steep speeding ticket standing in front of the judge and he's about to sentence you to pay. You ask if he can just forgive you this time and let you go. God can't just do that without the sins you've done being justly paid for. Now imagine a man from the crowd behind you don't even know coming up with a big wad of bills and offering to you that he'll pay your fine in full if you'll just accept it. Unfortunately, what people don't do is accept the gift. You must take it before you are granted it, you see.
This is what others don't do. You must accept Jesus' gift of salvation, but people who don't believe in God like Atheists, or even people who don't believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ aren't doing that.
That's the different, you see. But it makes ALL the difference!
There are only two places after death. Are you going to accept Jesus' gift of Salvation and be with Him in Heaven one day? If not, I'm afraid the only alternative is an afterlife totally separated of Him and void of anything good, which comes from Him. It's everyone's choice. Those who don't accept the give get the punishment for their sins that we all rightly deserve.
God Bless!
gracemartinsen
First of all, the teaching that there is an eternal torture chamber where the unsaved will burn an eternity for the sins of one short lifetime is defamation to the character of God. This is a teaching that was created to frighten people into church (more people=more tithe=more pay for the minister).
Hell was created for the devil and his angels- Matthew 25:41: "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." It was not created for us. We can only partake of it if we refuse the gift of salvation.
The wicked will burn until they're burned up- "Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it." Isaiah 47:14. Only ashes remain- "And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts." Malachi 4:1, 3.
Sin will be destroyed and it is the effects of the hellfire that are eternal- "He will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time." Nahum 1:9.
God's love and justice demand that he puts an end to sin, but if He had zapped Satan out of existence when this all happened, we would all serve God in fear. He had to allow this to play out so that we can know God had no other choice when this all comes to pass.
To answer your question, no, it's not heresy. It's lovely of you to want all people to be saved, this is God's wish. But, if God allowed people into heaven who are not through with sin, it would rise up again.
Anonymous
Timothy 4:9-10
9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance 10(and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.
The Bible specifically says that ALL MEN are saved.
I don't claim to have the answers, but if you're going to go off of the Bible, universal salvation is a justifiable position. It is also much less offensive than the "you're all going to hell" position that most jackasses take.
Note that a lot of people will say that this verse is actually saying that all men CAN be saved. That doesn't make sense, though...if someone is someone else's savior, then that someone else is, by definition, saved.
But people LOVE the idea of hell. They want it. They need it. It helps them deal with the lack of ultimate justice.
vahucel
It is very easy to accept Jesus as the Son of God that came to this world to save all the humanity.
But Jesus messages are something more inner.
Jesus is the greatest Messenger, but Jesus that can save you is a state of conscience that must be born inside you... the historic Jesus brought the subtle message, but He must be born inside you...
as He said to all people: "without me you can nothing."