Posted on 07/01/2009 5:22:14 AM PDT by truthandlife
God gives us all free will to make our own choices, do as we please. He hopes we choose right. We are not puppets on a string. He is omniscient - all knowing. He knows how we will choose, what we will do, what wrong paths we will mistakenly take or He would not be God. His being omniscient does not conflict with the fact that He gave us free will. There is no conflict with the attributes of God and the free will of all men, His creation.
The content of this article in not concerned with punishment and rewards in the hereafter. It is about location. Where will each individual soul spend eternity. It will either be in Heaven with God or apart from Him. The only thing that decides your location for eternity is faith in Christ Jesus as Lord. One’s eternal location is not at all dependent on how sinful/bad/evil a person was or how good/godly/saintly one lived. The verdict of where each person ends up is only based on did they or did they not believe that Jesus Christ was their Lord and was He God.
Regardless of how much sin and how wretched the sinner - their faith is what decides the verdict.
Either Michael is saved or he isn’t. I imagine praying for his soul is pretty worthless, but if it makes you feel better???
Well then why question others views if you have it all figured out.
Have a great day!
I was hoping you would provide a Biblical reason for praying for someone’s soul. All you talked about was your feelings. Is there any other reason, either a church teaching or biblical instruction that would make you think praying for someone’s soul would help in any way?
I am sincerely wondering. I’ve never seen or heard of such a teaching. Perhaps you could enlighten me since I’ve been a Christian for only a short time.
I didn’t mean to suggest I have it all figured out. I asked a question so that I might find an answer. If you have none, then it’s okay too.
I love to talk scripture with them - I always start out with the Diety of Jesus Christ, then go right into Bible verses.
Needless to say, our house is now "black-listed", as they no longer stop here when they "do" our neighborhood - but we do pray against them when they hit our street.
What you believe does not affect your eternal destiny. What you believe is an INDICATION of your eternal destiny.
Salvation is by GRACE ALONE. It is UNDERSTOOD through FAITH alone. FAITH is an indicator - not a condition. Those who make temporal conditions fulfilled on the part of man necessary for eternal salvation fail to understand the Gospel of Jesus having already SAVED His people from their sins. Mat. 1:21
I happen to believe that ultimately, we are puppets on God’s string. I also happen to believe that God knows how we will spend eternity, even before He creates us.
The bottom line is you said, “I imagine...” Which takes me back to my original point, that no one truly “knows”.
I was taught that the prayer bowls spill over when full!
IF my prayers make a difference and fill up the bowls then of course I earnestly pray.
James 5:15-18, for one, addresses our need to pray for others, therefore it certainly CAN make a difference.
Okay, thank you for your answer. Now I understand why you pray for Michael Jackson’s soul, it is something you were taught.
No literate adult ends sentences with three exclamation points.
I stopped reading at “FOR ETERNITY!!!”
This man may have something legitimate to say, but a lot of people will not even give him a chance until he learns how to communicate.
That sounds promising, at least. I DO pray he’s with Jesus and has found the peace he was searching for in his troubled life.
Everything we pray for happens in God’s timing, not ours.
Once he’s gone, there is no use in praying for his soul. That was determined while he was still alive. I do pray he made the right decision but even that is too late.
Bill Keller is a great communicator. Just because YOU have a problem with three exclamation points really is YOUR problem, not his. You miss out on a lot.
We are given free will, but what becomes of those who are mentally ill to the point that they do not really have the grasp on reality that the rest of us think we have?
God knew before hand every sin that would ever be committed by all men because every single one of those sins, from the very smallest to the largest most horrible - they were all placed on Jesus Christ when He died on the cross.
It is done, finished and paid for. Jesus alone completely paid the price for all the sins of all men.
They will be with the Lord forever. They are the same as those who have not yet come to the age of accountability, like children with immature comprehension. I know many think MJ falls in the category possibly. I can see it possibly. Those who have worked with/had close contact with adults in this category easily know that is the case.
Thank you for answering. I have posted that question a few times on these threads and have not had an answer until now.
(Tagline just for you.)
I don’t think everything we pray for eventually happens, but let’s hope then, that He will eventually put an end to wars and we will actually have a long-lasting peace.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.