>>Yet I truly believe a God of love and mercy would not condemn those of us whose sins have been chasing a few girls,cheating on a test or stealing candy from a store.<<
You are 100% incorrect, and have no scriptural support for your position. You ought to read the book of Romans.
God's standard for us is the 10 Commandments. Breaking one is no different than breaking all of them, regardless of the amount or weight of the sin (be it 'chasing girls' or outright adultery, be it stealing a candy bar or a cadillac). All of us are sinners who deserve hell for violating God's standards.
This is what makes Grace all the more sweet. This is what makes God's love and mercy all the more a blessing. When one is in Christ, and has his sins forgiven and atoned for by Christ's sacrifice, he is no longer under that condemnation.
God in his infinite justice cannot let lawbreaking go unpunished. No earthly judge would do it, why would God, the creator and sustainer of all life, allow it?
>>Hell is for those like Pol Pot,Hitler,Stalin,Saddam,etc.The REAL bad folks of which there are way too many as it is.<<
Other men are not the standard. God's law is.
There is a great lie, a great deception about the ugly reality of sin. Don't buy into it.
There is no such thing as Purgatory. There is Heaven, and there is Hell, and you will be in one or the other on your last day. Purgatory is a fantasy invented by men who believe that people can work their way into salvation. It is by grace, and grace alone that one can be saved. And this grace is a gift from God. No amount of reasoning or arguments will save one. No amount of good deeds or positive thoughts will amount to anything without being ransomed by Christ's blood.
Confess, repent, and forsake your sins (even the "small ones") and trust in Christ for your salvation - not the whims of a man in Rome.
Nonsense. Only those who are saved even get to purgatory, so nobody can "work their way into salvation" there.
Amen and BTTT
Well,if all you say is true and I am not saying I think it IS,then that famous Curtis Mayfield song is defintely applicable-
If Theres a Hell Below,Were All Going to Go!
I am not a person who takes The Bible literally.I do read it a lot and much is very inspirational and just basic common sense.Yet I simply cannot take every word at face value.I am a critical thinker and do not accept ANY book or idea without deep analysis and a healthy dose of skepticism.
Good answers I was praying and contemplating what to answer and you did it for me.
Because God is just as well as merciful, it is only right that those who sinned greatly undergo some sort of expiation for the damage they caused on earth. And, after all, who would want to appear before God in a less than pristine condition?
It's in the Bible.
Matt. 12:32Jesus thus clearly provides that there is forgiveness after death.Jesus says, “And anyone who says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but no one who speaks against the Holy Spirit will be forgiven either in this world or in the next.”
Luke 12:47-48When the Master comes (at the end of time), some will receive light or heavy beatings but will live. This state is not heaven or hell, because in heaven there are no beatings, and in hell we will no longer live with the Master.That servant who knew his master's will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master's will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.
2 Macabbees 12:43-46He then took up a collection among all his soldiers, amounting to two thousand silver drachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice. In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view; for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin.
1 Corinthians 3:10-15According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it,for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, the work of each will come to light, for the Day will disclose it.
It will be revealed with fire, and the fire (itself) will test the quality of each one's work.
If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage.
But if someone's work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire.
“if any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” The phrase for "suffer loss" in the Greek is "zemiothesetai." The root word is "zemioo" which also refers to punishment. The construction “zemiothesetai” is used in Ex. 21:22 and Prov. 19:19 which refers to punishment (from the Hebrew “anash” meaning “punish” or “penalty”). Hence, this verse proves that there is an expiation of temporal punishment after our death, but the person is still saved. This cannot mean heaven (there is no punishment in heaven) and this cannot mean hell (the possibility of expiation no longer exists and the person is not saved).