Christians: Another question about selfless love. more...?

Question

Doesn't god call upon us to love our enemies?

Why wouldn't a Christian say to God: 'You have enough worshippers in heaven, You don't need another. But those in hell have a greater need for my love than You. So I choose hell so that I can spend eternity doing whatever I can to love those You cast down."?

For a Christian, is there a greater, more selfless love than this?

Jesus did it:
"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison".
I Peter 3:18-19:

So why not Christians?
"And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me."
Matthew 10:38

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
Matthew 5:48

And if you would argue that this is impossible, please cite the chapter and verse that conflicts with I Peter 3:18-19 (quoted above).

Answer 1

BECAUSE that is contrary to what HE asks of us. WHO ARE WE to tell God Why wouldn't a Christian say to God: 'You have enough worshippers in heaven, You don't need another. But those in hell have a greater need for my love than You. So I choose hell so that I can spend eternity doing whatever I can to love those You cast down."? Nice sentiment but your telling GOD you know more than Him, He doesn't NEED another worshipper??? HE NEVER asks us to do that and its not being selfless its telling God your intelligence and logic supercedes His in aspects of His plan of salvation. Not a good move buddy.

Answer 2

Have you found anything that says that those in heaven can't visit those in Hell after the end times?

You couldn't get across in the time Jesus lived. Luke 16: 26 "And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that they that would pass from hence to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from thence to us."
(The story starts at Luke 16:19.)

Maybe we will just have to love them from afar, because we just don't fit in there, the way a sunflower can't grow in a cave and fungus doesn't grow in the sun (it may flower/mushroom but the fungus is in the dark soil, or cave.) Perfect and imperfect will separate and positive energy and negative repel each other. They would find me repulsive, and wouldn't want my loving. Like you, if you were in Hades would you want me going "there there, you poor thing, let me put a hot washcloth on your sore neck, let me toss your ice cold beer and offer you some plain tepid water, it's better for you." (don't let the avatar fool you, they don't have ugly selections). I'm sure you wouldn't.

Just chill. Make your choice, believe the lies about God, or acknowledge that he's the most positive personality in the Universe and beyond. There are much more fun things to do than to be here at the computer picking at words. The sun well set soon enough. Try to find a nice place to take a walk and someone nice to share it with.

Answer 3

In 1 Peter 3:18, it mentions 'the Spirit, by which he went...'

'By which' can refer back to the Spirit. It is through the Spirit that he preached to the people in Noah's time. It doesn't say he did this after he died.

The other possible referrence is to the whole verse, in which case the meaning is that it is by virtue of his yet future death that he could preach salvation to the people in Noah's time.

Either way, it can't mean he preached while he was dead, because that would conflict with the parts of the Bible that make it clear that when you're dead, you know nothing, you do nothing.

As to the people who end up in hell, it's not a place where they live forever in torment. It puts to death forever anyone who ends up there. There would be no one in hell to preach to should Christians go there.

People have Now to respond to God's love. If they continue to reject Life, they end up in hell, and that decision is final and fatal.

Answer 4

You seem to believe that the dead are alive. According to the Bible, the dead are dead.

Ec 9:5 - "For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing,..."

Ec 9:10 - "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom."

And when the plan of God's salvation is complete, those who are not in the Kingdom of God will be utterly destroyed, and become as though they never existed, to become ashes under the feet of the saints. There will be no one to comfort in hell.

Mal 4:3 - "Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I do these things," says the Lord Almighty."

Answer 5

He does.
I don't think we need to cast ourselves into hell to love our enemies...
loving the guy who cuts us off in traffic
loving the girl who takes the parking place we were waiting for
loving the person who judges us harshly and without truth
loving the people in our past who have hurt us
this is plenty of practice for what Jesus is asking from us in this life and the next one.
I like to bring His teachings into the everyday and live them as best I can.
humble at his holy feet,

Answer 6

As Peter wrote Jesus taught the spirits in prison prior to the resurrection. Those who have not had a chance to hear the Gospel will. Those who have will be missionaries to those in spirit prison.

Answer 7

I think your original premise (that you could love another, or that you would NEED to love another in hell) is flawed.

Those that choose hell have deliberately chosen to alienate themselves.

There is no need for you to play God, and to try to correct God's decisions.

- john

Answer 8

Storge = Affection or Fondness................

Phillial .........with Blood Relatives....................

Eros....with Self.. or ""Just being in love"".

Agape...Charitable ...............

It is AGAPE LOVE that is talked about here.............not being STUPID about anything.
This does NOT mean that we should be FOOLS and ""take every insult""!