according to what i was always taught that according to the bible in order to reach heaven you have to have a personal relationship with Christ ok lets say a man spends his whole life helping others donating food and clothing to the homeless feeding the starving children his entire life devoted to helping others and not thinking of himself are you to tell me that when he reaches heven God is gonna be like i know you did all those wonderful things and all that is in your heart is goodness but you never embrased me or got to know me so im gonna have to send you to hell. see i cant believe that would be so i think if that was the case God would be more like i know you did all those things you were always a positive note i never got to know you how bout you come in and let me get to know you now. i cant believe that a supreme being that is so forgiving and loving would turn some one away just because they didnt totally embrase him all i want from you is what are your feelings on this and y
2006-11-21 05:07:38 · 20 answers · asked by llamasrocknroll 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
is this real?
IS THIS THE WAY LIFE IS SUPPOSED TO BE?
the only hope for the future of mankind is the possibility that someone will be able to realise that the world they were experiencing was not the true reality.
2006-11-27 23:49:50 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
There was a time when no Gentile could have a relationship with God. Gentiles were cut off. Only the Jews could enjoy covenant with God. Now God has opened up the door for all.
It's still about being born again, receiving a transformation of nature. Without being born of the Spirit a person has no way to connect with the things of heaven.
Besides, if a person doesn't want Jesus, why would they want to go to heaven anyway? He's King there. Like it or not, heaven is a kingdom, and God reigns in His kingdom. If a person doesn't like Jesus here, doesn't like what Jesus is about, then what makes that person think they will like Him any better there?
2006-11-21 05:20:54 · answer #2 · answered by Carol L 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Current translations and interpretations of the Bible have led many to believe that if you don't accept Christ as your personal savior, you are doomed, regardless of what you did here on Earth. So if a criminal accepts Christ on his deathbed, after committing many atrocities, he is saved, while if another person does many good works for humanity, but never accepts the belief of Christ and dies, he's doomed to the pit. Of course these are extreme examples, but they fit well with many sermons to convince the masses to stay in the faith.
Now, what to believe.......hmmmm......the Bible does have passages supporting that you have to pray through Jesus to God. By doing this, Jesus is speaking on your behalf to God. Basically there's no way around it, if you really are following the Bible.
Now as for the concept of "hell," many are led to believe that it's a place of fire and torture. This is a misinterpretation to scare the public into the faith. It works too, hence there are many who would rather go and pray than to face an eternity of torture. Of course if you read your Bible carefully, you may learn to understand that "hell" is not a burning place. Hell comes from an old German word "Heolle", which basically is the grave. Going further into the past, Jesus made mention of a place called Gehenna, were one will burn. Gehenna is an actual town that existed. In Gehenna, there was a wall, and outside the wall, fires were kept burning to help destroy the garbage dumped as well as those people who have died and could not pay for a proper funeral. Also the bodies of criminals were tossed there after there executions. From this concept, the modern belief of "hell" came into being.
So what happens when we die? We go into a state of non-existence...no memories, no feelings, not knowing the passage of time....kind of like a deep sleep. When Lazarus died and was ressurected, he had no memories of going anywhere.
Once dead, we can only hope for the ressurection in the future. Many will come back, both good and bad, to get a second chance to learn God's ways within the 1000 years of peace.
2006-11-21 05:30:26 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually, we are supposed to accept Christ's death on the cross as payment for our sins. From that stems the relationship.
The point here is: scripture tells us that compared to His sacrifice all of our good works are as filthy rags. There is no good work we can do that saves us.
Are you going to tell me that there is anyone who honestly does all of his good works without considering "how I am doing"? We all of us try to measure up to someone else and that negates it, doesn't it. I have to say that this does not mean we ought not be trying to live for others, scripture supports this as well, but I am saying that the only person who ever had completely pure motives (glorifying God) in any of their actions was...Jesus.
We don't get create God in our image, it is the other way round. Believe me, I am so glad I am not God because I am one of the most selfish people I know. (We'll leave out hormonal changes right now.) Only God never changes. Only God knows the future. Only God is truly mericful and just. So, we cannot in anyway make the call as to how people are redeemed. ; )
2006-11-21 05:18:43 · answer #4 · answered by tantiemeg 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There has never been a man like this on earth(accept Jesus Christ). For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I tell you this is the truth that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the life; NO one may come to the Father except through the Son. On the day of judgment many will be before Him and say did we not do things in your name, and He shall say 'depart from me you worker of inequity for I never know you.'
2006-11-21 05:20:40 · answer #5 · answered by JesusFreak 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Let's say I made you an omelet with five eggs. And one of these eggs is rotten. It is disgusting and terrible and oozing grossness. I serve it to you. You wouldn't eat it right? Well because one bad egg tainted the other four. That is how it is for God. It does not matter if you sin once a day you are guilty before him. You are holding up the wrong standard. We are not compared to each other. "God doesn't grade on a curve." His standard is Christ who did live a perfect life. Eph. 2:8 "For it is by grace you have been saved by faith."
2006-11-21 06:04:11 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God John 3:3
2006-11-21 06:13:42 · answer #7 · answered by bethanne_35 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You must have a relationship with God, as in pray, and doing good things your entire life wont send you to Heaven, you have to 1. Admit to God that you are a sinner, and that you sin 2. Believe that he died on the cross for our sins and 3. Confess him as you savior and Lord
2006-11-21 05:48:33 · answer #8 · answered by yahoogrl1 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Okay, this really makes no sense. If you don't believe in Him, why would you care if chrisianity says you need a personal relationship with Him? I'm not buddist, so I could care less if Buddah approves of me or not so its kinda hard to figure why a non-christian would care since they don't believe anyway. And if you do believe, you'd do the personal relationship thing because you believe.
I just don't get why non-christians are so upset over the fact that their rejection of Christ would lead to His rejection of them??? Makes perfect sense to me. Why do non-believers think they're entitled to a heaven they don't even believe in, just because they think they're good people? Its not just about being a good person, its about faith.
2006-11-21 05:18:50 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
One thing you need to understand is that our good deeds mean nothing, we were created to do good.
Imagine you made drinking glasses, to hold a beverage is their purpose. You make thousands of different kinds but they are all the same in purpose. If one breaks, it can no longer be used. If man sins once, he cannot get into heaven. Now imagine you provide a glue to use so that the broken glass can still be used... this is Jesus.. Jesus is the reason why even though we sin, we can still get to Heaven. If however the glass will not accept the glue, no amount of good beverages it has carried will matter, if it will not accept the glue, it has to be thrown away.
2006-11-21 05:16:58 · answer #10 · answered by impossble_dream 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4: 7
2006-11-21 05:21:56 · answer #11 · answered by swtsoulsearcher 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋