If Jesus is the only way to achieve everlasting life?

Apparently, jesus is the only way to achieve "heavenly" everlasting life. "Hellish" everlasting life is the default in most flavors of christianity. Either way, you get everlasting life -- but magic jesus decides if it's good or bad.

And no, it doesn't make any sense. But what in christianity does?

Peace.

Hi Anna,

There really is no contradiction here between the two statements that there is eternal punishment, and a loving God who grants eternal life to those who acknowledge Jesus as their Saviour. When a potter makes something from clay, the Potter determines the perimeters, and not the medium which is the clay. Creation is subject to the Creator, and not the other way around. God The Creator of all things has determined that there is an answer to our dilemma of heading towards eternal punishment when our days in this our fallen world are over, and out of his nature of loving kindness and compassion He has provided us with a solution before that day comes.

ETERNITY is for all humans, for we are three dimensional in our make up. We are an eternal spirit which possesses a soul, and resides in a body. The misunderstanding comes about by not having this concept in our knowledge bank; eternity can be in one of two categories:

1) Eternal joy and life in the presence of an Eternal God,

OR

2) Eternal misery and continual death outside of the presence of God.

This concept can be quite easily grasped when we remember the way of Speech we hear when describing someone who is suffering a terrible time in sickness, and we hear an onlooker say, "It's like a living death that they are going through". In other words, death can be ongoing - prolonged indefinitely.

Mankind is automatically destined to this 'death-eternal' state because we are subject to the consequences of original sin which brought about separation from our Creator (God). Our Creator is a loving God who doesn't want his creation to suffer the consequence of sin, and therefore through Christ we are offered redemption from this terrible situation. It's not so much that God is up there with a big stick just waiting to lay into us and beat us to death. No, it's actually the opposite. God wants us to enjoy abundant life ETERNALLY. We have the choice to either accept His very generous offer, or decline - so, with having this in mind, who is really responsible for this terrible 'punishment'? God or man?

When you hear christians mention this eternal punishment it is only (or at least should be) in the context of a loving warning, and not in the attitude of a finger-pointing slur against anyone. Why do governments around the world warn about having unprotected sex? Is it because they have the good intent to persuade folk for their own good, or is it to be spiteful and malicious? I suspect you know the answer to that one as I do - it's to help and protect by warning. Same with God's warnings in The Bible.

Hope this explanation helps.

Hi Anna,

It's kind of like we've all been dumped into the ocean, hundreds of miles from land. Without help, we will all drown.

Some of us happen to see a big life boat with people in it calling to us, and swim for it. We get in the boat and call to others to come get in also.

The others see it too. Some of them hear us calling, and convinced that it is not a mirage, they get in.

Some of them won't believe that there truly is a life boat near them, it's just a trick of their mind. So they turn and swim away, thinking that they will make it to safety on their own.

Of course they won't. If they don't get in, they have no hope.

Jesus is the life boat. Get in!

eternal existence is GOD Almighty. once you've eternal existence interior you (you obtain kept) then you actually have eternal existence (interior You!). maximum human beings imagine that eternal existence potential your agonna stay ceaselessly (we'd want to easily attempt this, do not understand immediately). eternal existence is Jesus. If the Dalai Lama dosen't have Jesus (eternal existence) living in him at the same time as he Leaves the Earth for sturdy, then he's damned. such as i develop into Damned Befor I were given kept (getting your Spirit Recreated so Jesus can stay interior You). Did it (were given Born-back) lengthy time period in the past. Thanky Jesus! Ditto................

We believe what Jesus himself said.

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6

Likening himself to the door of the sheep pen, that is, the protector of believers and their guide to heaven, he said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." John 10:1

Jesus presents himself as the sole way to union with God, and so we point to him as the way.

The Bible speaks of the torment that damned souls will experience as the "second death". It also speaks of people being "dead" in their sins and trespasses before they are converted to Christ. So in those contexts "death" does not mean the absence of animation. Rather it refers to being disconnected from God.

Revelation 21:8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

Ephesians 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

well think of it this way, you are stranded in the middle of the ocean and are about to drown and their is a hand above you trying to rescue you but you don't you don't even look up to see their is someone that can save you, what do you think is gonna happen if you slap away the only hand that can save you? and in most cases you are in more danger when you don't realize it, think about it, if your house was on fire wouldn't you be pissed of no one told you and you burn up in it and the fire happened when you didn't realized it, that's what the good christians are we are the ones that tell you that your house is in fire, but i wouldn't tell you to be christian cause you will go to hell if you don't cause then you would be joining for the wrong reasons...

Fear associated with mankind is only theme which has became cause of concept for everlasting life. In order to kill human instincts like cruelness & selfishness concept arose & gaining popularity by time

Actually, this is misunderstood. Those that reject God and His way of life and love will not suffer eternal punishment but instead be deprived of an eternal relationship with God.

edit: We want to add that accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior is the only way to have an eternal relationship with God. There is no other way to achieve everlasting life.

Jesus is the only way, God gives us a choice on who we will serve.. Him or Satan. If you choose to follow Jesus, then you have the right to Eternal life, if you choose Satan, then you will go to be with him in Hell. You choose. Whether you believe this or not, you will have to stand before the Almighty God and give account of your life . This is all written in the book we call the BIBLE