Christians: I would like an answer, please. (page 12)

changeling

Here's what I've learned from this thread and from research it promted me to do:

It seems all christian religions (except JW's) believe humans have an immortal soul.

It seems they all believe that the best reward attainable is to go to heaven and be with God.

Not all souls will be granted entrance to heaven.

While the final desicion rests with God, it would seem that those who refused to believe in God would probably not go to heaven.

The souls of unbelievers and unrepentant evil doers have to go somewhere.

This somewhere is either a literal burning hell, or a state of eternal alienation from god. Both are undesirable outcomes.

I also learned that you can call yourself "christian" w/o being a member of an organized religion, or in some cases, be a member of such, but pick and chose which teachings to believe.

Am I getting close?

changeling :)

BurnTheShips

Am I getting close?

Very close Changeling.

Burn :)

changeling

But you still think I'll have an "icky outcome" if I don't pick or chose something from the christian buffet of beliefs?

changeling :)

BurnTheShips

But you still think I'll have an "icky outcome" if I don't pick or chose something from the christian buffet of beliefs?

You are just dying for me to send you to hell aren't you?

caliber

All pagan religions taught the IMMORTALITY of the soul. The Bible is the only literature of the ancient world that never mentions the IMMORTALITY of the soul. You will find the phrase "IMMORTAL SOUL" rampant in the mythological literature of Egypt, Persia, Greece, and Rome, but totally ABSENT in the Bible. In fact, the adjective IMMORTAL only appears ONE time in the ENTIRE Bible. The term IMMORTALITY appears elsewhere, but the adjective, describing something that is immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen" {1 Tim. 1:17}. The only thing described as IMMORTAL in scripture is God. He is the sole possessor of IMMORTALITY. It is a characteristic of divinity. Referring to God, Paul declares in {1 Tim.6:15,16}.

"Which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, WHO ALONE HASIMMORTALITY, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power."

Not only does the Bible declare that IMMORTALITY is a characteristic of God, it UNEQUIVOCALLY declares that God is the sole possessor of IMMORTALITY. In view of such strong statements, no human being should ever dare to claim to have an IMMORTAL SOUL. To do so would be for a human to claim to have a characteristic that scripture declares to be the sole possession of God. Any human that claims to have something that belongs only to God is BLASPHEMING God. While no human can possess an IMMORTAL SOUL, is there still a SOUL? The answer is YES! However, God clearly defines what is meaant by the soul in the first usage of the term SOUL in the Bible:

" And the Lord God formed man of the DUST of the ground, and BREATHED into his NOSTRILS the BREATH of LIFE, and man BECAME a LIVING SOUL." {Gen. 2:7}.

This tells us that we do not possess a SOUL, but rather, we are a SOUL, a living SOUL. The Biblical soul that God created consisted of TWO PARTS: the DUST of the ground{body}, and the BREATH of Life. When the TWO UNITED, it created a LIVING SOUL, or living being. The SOUL is not separate from the body; instead, the body is a part of the soul. You cannot have a soul APART from the body. The scripture usage of the term SOUL is the OPPOSITE of the PAGAN religions, where the SOUL INHABITED the BODY. Instead, the Bible presents humankind as a holistic creature. Rather than being a separate entity from the body, the soul is presented as the WHOLE PERSON. God breathes into the body created from the dust. The resulting combination of the body united with the breath of life from God creates a living person...a SOUL. When a person dies, the opposite takes place. God takes back the breath of life, the body returns to the dust, and the soul CEASE to exist {Eccl. 12:7}. The soul only exists when the body and breath of life are UNITED. Example:

A light bulb consist of TWO basic elements: a filament, connected to a power source. When the filament in the bulb is connected to the power source, the light burns freely. Disconnect the filament from the power source, and the light goes OUT. That is how it is at death. The person is connected to the power source,...GOD. Death occurs when the power source is SWITCHED OFF, and the life is resurrected when the power source is turned back on at the second coming of Jesus. {Ezekiel 18:4,} says this:

" The SOUL who sins shall DIE."

If as many believe, the SOUL of man is IMMORTAL, it would be incapable of dying. Romans 3:23, asserts that all have sinned. If all have sinned, and the soul that sins DIES, then there is no such thing as an IMMORTAL SOUL. However, the day will come when all those who are numbered among God's people, will be given the gift of IMMORTALITY. When does this event take place? At the Second Coming of Christ, when the righteous dead are resurrected. Until then, no one accept God, Himself possesses IMMORTALITY.

by Ambrose

My thoughts pretty much agree the

above quote concerning immortality

Caliber

BurnTheShips

My thoughts pretty much agree the the above quote concerning immortality

So you don't think you are going to heaven?

caliber

To be very honest I am unsure, all is in God and his plan for me and anyone else.But I have

faith and trust of some future for those who serve him with a humble and true heart motive

Caliber

caliber

I

also learned that you can call yourself "Christian" w/o being a member of an organized religion, or in some cases, be a member of such, but pick and chose which teachings to believe. Changeling

I simply must go with the way I see it in scriptures... what I pick and choose is of little value , my faith tells

me everything rests in God's hand. that's why I don't like the what's going to happen to me question.

Faith, hope and love in God are my stronghold not details or calender of events.Choose to speak to me about faith only !

Caliber

caliber

FHN.

Your heart is just as gracious as God's... God bless you always !

Caliber

Deputy Dog

changeling

This is what I believe, and I don't care if Dawg thinks I'm crazy.

Your JW baggage is blinding you, it does not matter if you "renounce my atheism", "repent and start believing in" God.

What matters is, if you believe that the works (or righteousnes) of Christ are enough to secure a place for you in Heaven.

1Peter 2:6

For this is contained in Scripture: "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." 7This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, "THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone," 8 and, "A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE"; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.

This is about God's redeeming work (his glory), not yours or mine.

And, yes, the "doom" here, is refering to hell

Christians: I would like an answer, please.

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