Jesus said in Mt 7:21 " Not everyone who says to me "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven "
Jonathan Edwards, John Wesley, George Whitefield, Charles Finney and many others believe this also.....that it is possible for Christians to end up in hell .
Christians, what is your understanding on this ? Try to answer based on Biblical truths and not your opinion or what you think.
Explain Mt 7:21
2006-11-23 03:23:24 · 14 answers · asked by Toshihiro 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
If you are a true Christian...not only in name, but have a close relationship to Jesus...you will go to heaven. Jesus said "if you love me keep my commandments." John 14:15 Those that keep His commandments will have right to the tree of life and will be in heaven. Rev. 22:14
However, you may be a "christian church member" and not have a personal relationship with Jesus and not go to heaven.
"There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end therof are the ways of death." Prov. 16:25
"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and FEW THERE BE that find it." Matt. 7:14
I would take that to mean that although there are millions of Christians in the world, these will not all go to heaven.
To explain Matthew 7:21.....just because you do things in the name of the church or say that you are working for the Lord does not mean that you are obeying Him totally. Only the ones who are doing the will of the Father....which is to obey His commandments (if you love me keep my commandments..John 14:15)...only those people will enter into the kingdom of heaven.
2006-11-23 03:36:56 · answer #1 · answered by bethybug 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
First of all 'hell' in the grave. Second, only those who OBEY God get to go to heaven. Most 'Christians' are that in name only, they do not obey God, because they pick and choose which of the 10 commandments they will or will not obey. The 'new' commandment that Jesus gave is the condensed version of the 10 commandments. Love the Lord (God) with all of your heart, mind and body, commandments 1-4, and the second is likewise love they neighbor as they self 5-10.
2006-11-23 03:37:39 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If they dont follow Jesus. Jesus, prayer, forgiveness of your sins and following the Bible are the things you need to get to Heaven.
John 14:6
Jesus answered "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one goes to the Father except through me
2006-11-23 03:36:59 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Many will say to me on that day, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in you name drive out demons and perform many miracles?" Then I will tell them plainly, "I never knew you. Away from me, you evil-doers!" Matthew 7: 22-23
Jesus knew that either they said it in His name, but maybe (reading between the lines) they tried to take all the glory for their deeds. They were hiding something, and we as Christians cannot hide our sins from God. If we say one thing, yet do another and dishonor our Savior, then no, we aren't going to Heaven. And if we do something we know is wrong, ask for forgiveness and then keep doing the same sin, how do we expect to go to Heaven?
2006-11-23 03:40:26 · answer #4 · answered by swtsoulsearcher 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Loving Christ, accepting his death and life-after-death will get you into Heaven. The man beside Christ on the cross was about as 'big of a sinner' as you can get and he believed and Jesus forgave ~him~. Being a 'Christian' in the worlds view isn't saying much....being a Christian in God's eyes is what's important. If you confess a sin you are forgiven, period. If you turn from that sin, God will never see that sin in your heart again - that's why ~HE~ is God and humans are not. God does not look at sin the way we do. He doesn't see 'lesser or greater' sin. He sees sin as the same.....disobeying His word, the physical act is not as great as the act of disobeying Him.
2006-11-23 03:31:56 · answer #5 · answered by razor_sharp_redhead 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
christianity means you have accepted jesus as your personal lord and saviour. thats it. a true christian wont go to hell. what jesus was talking about was sunday morning christians. the people who go to church on sunday, but the rest of the week you can't tell them apart from an atheist. jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the light, and no one may enter the kingdom except through me."
2006-11-23 03:35:39 · answer #6 · answered by alex l 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
There will be billions of so called Christians in Hell. There is also the Sheep and the Goats.
The Bible is clear that it is very possible to have served God at one time, and to become backslidden, or LUKEWARM (EVER READ WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU IF YOU ARE ONLY LUKEWARM)? This is to the Christian not the unbeliever.
2006-11-23 06:00:08 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I believe that this scripture refers to people who say they are saved but really are not. Only God truly knows a person's heart. Alot of so called "Christians" are bound up by religion much like the pharisees in the bible and are caught up in works. You can do "good" all of your life and never truly be saved unless you are filled with the holy spirit and following what God tells you to do. The devil likes religion too and gets people caught up into thinking that you have to work in order to keep your salvation. This is not true. God loves each of us just the way we are and we don't have to do anything to please man as long as we are pleasing our heavenly father.
God never contradicts himself. The devil knows the scripture better than most of us. He tries to turn scripture around and get christians walking in confusion. The word says that there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. All have fallen short of the Glory of God. If you are a christian constantly feeling guilty that your not perfect and running to the altar every sunday to renew your salvation, you will never walk past the cross. When you are saved, you are saved and God wants you to eventually "grow up" and walk in the kindom of Heaven here on earth (this is joy, peace & righteousness). So that you can be a light unto all the earth. Also this mentality that if you are saved, you constantly have to renew your salvation is false. Here is another example, The word also says that Perfect Love drives out all fear. If you are constantly afraid of burning in hell, then you don't know the perfect love of God. The devil likes to try to keep people living under condemnation, beating themselves up for every mistake that is made. God already sees you as perfect because when you are saved, you accept his son Jesus into your heart and Jesus is all he sees in you. Each of us cannot change on our own accord but are changed from the inside out through the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us!
2006-11-23 03:41:54 · answer #8 · answered by Christina L 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Could You quote your information on Jonathan Edwards and John Wesley because you are wrong.
2006-11-23 03:40:04 · answer #9 · answered by Roberto 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I think God knows the difference between someone that calls them self a Christian and someone that is a true Christian.
Happy Thanksgiving
2006-11-23 03:40:01 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋