The Importance of Hell [4 reasons]

Redeemer.com ^ | Undated | Tim Keller

[Cvengr]

I remember in a Scriptural Word Study that the opposite meaning of “Agape” for Love is not Hate, but actually “Fear”.

[Dr. North]

LOL at your linguistic relativity.

[Dr. North]

Good comeback.

[Future Snake Eater]

I can’t conceive of a merciless God. Parents teach you and when you still touch the stove and burn your fingers, they don’t say “I taught you and you never leaned. If you like the stove, here, I’ll push you in the oven and put it on 450-degrees.”

Parents don’t give up on you. I am having a very hard time believing that Christ give up on you any more easily. There are hard-headed kids that never learn, and parents don’t stop loving them as a result of their kids continuing poor behavior.

You seem to be strongly mischaracterizing what this is all about. God is not merciless. He is just, He is merciful, but He is not a doormat, and His patience has limits. Look at Exodus. There were a couple of times when He finally had enough and was going to completely destroy Israel. Only Moses' begging (and God's mercy) prevented it.

To go with your oven analogy, people keep reaching up and touching the hot stove, God keeps telling them not to, heals them, and they touch it again and again. He keeps warning them not to, but they blow Him off and see what it's like inside.

No one can snatch us from His grasp, but we can walk away. He doesn't relish it, in fact it grieves Him. But He is that He is--meaning, He doesn't change his mind; He doesn't make empty promises. If He says, believe in Me or you will die, then that's exactly what will happen--there's no reason to believe otherwise.

Him commuting the sentence of Hell upon those whom He told would get it would make as much sense as a court allowing Charles Manson out of prison b/c it would be the merciful thing to do.

It sucks that it has to happen, but we can't say we weren't warned.

[wmfights]

I agree with you, WM. I don't think there's any question that the Bible supports an immortal soul going forward:

It came up for discussion because my church is teaching a class on witnessing to muslims. One of the first objections they make is "you claimed to kill God if Jesus was God".

BTW, FK Merry Christmas

[Forest Keeper]

Thanks, and Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and yours. :)

One of the first objections they make is "you claimed to kill God if Jesus was God".

I would think that Muslims would be able to make the soul/body distinction, especially if their crazies are expecting 72 virgins after being blown to bits. :)

[wmfights]

I would think that Muslims would be able to make the soul/body distinction, especially if their crazies are expecting 72 virgins after being blown to bits. :)

I'm just getting started with this, but it seems to be one of the ways they claim Christians are polytheistic.