Christians Please help me..I am a little confused.?

Question

Ok, so we are on this lovely website... I am a huge advocate of free speech, and I have nothing but love for our fellow brothers and sisters on here no matter their religion or beliefs. Our job is not just to quote random quotes from the Bible to these people we need to give the Book, Chapter and Verse to them if we are going to quote. When they ask how can I avoid Hell or why did God make Hell...Our job is to tell them. The only way to the Father is through His Son if they do not accept Jesus they will be going to Hell... I do not care what sin it is, sin is sin and He will forgive anyone...It says homosexuality is a sin, but if you repent you are forgiven, to Our Lord that is no worse than a lie...yet we tell them yep you are going to Hell because you are gay? Does anyone else feel that it is our job to tell them the truth, once they know the choice is theirs. I cannot believe people will say yep you are going to hell based on one sin or another. Sin is Sin. Jesus is the answer.

I am sure someone will ask for this to be removed, I am not meaning it as an attack on Anyone...I would just like to get some legitimate CHRISTIAN feedback.. Atheists feel free to comment but it really isn't a debate question...I leave your questions alone, please leave mine alone and let it be answered.

I think that people may have taken my question the wrong way.. I agree honey vs vinegar 100% but there are ways to go about that while still telling the Truth. We should quote scripture is also what I was saying unfortunately what I see is a lot of paraphrasing and not letting people know where in the Bible to find what we are saying. I do not believe it is right to tell people they are going to hell based on a specific sin, but that all sin= hell if we don't repent. I am just saying it a little more bluntly because hopefully believers are reading this (which it seems like).. Thank you and it wasn't meant to be a sermon. I look at this YA as a way for us to minister and possibly lead people to Christ..

Ok: I do not sit here and tell people they are going to hell. I agree 100% God will judge, however, if we do not tell them the truth when they/we get the judgement day and there name is not written in the lambs book of life it maybe because we did not tell them you have to repent and believe in Jesus. I am not saying every question an atheist asks should be answered with you are going to hell...no not at all, that wasn't what I was saying. I agree that all we have to do is tell them it is not our job to convince them.. and homosexuality was just an example..if you look a lot of questions are about being gay and going to hell strictly because of that. I was saying we need to tell them why they would be going to hell if they ask that.it isn't the sin it is the lack of Jesus..that is what people don't seem to want to tell them.
I don't if sins have different levels, but I believe someone who helps 10k recieve Christ vs. someone who never told anyone.Their heavenly rewards will be gr8tr

Answer 1

Most people on this web site are NOT looking for the truth. Most are looking to justify their own current set of beliefs.

But you are correct, when people ask, we should tell them.

Pastor Art

Answer 2

I think you are right in that we need to tell the truth. When someone asks, we need to respond with a true answer to the best of our ability and understanding.

But I do not agree that sin is sin. It just doesn't make sense. I do agree that all sin can be forgiven if one repents, and it doesn't matter what the sin is or how long you've been doing it, God will always forgive true repentance.

Let's say I make $50,000 a year and live a nice life, nice car etc. I give $10.00 to the poor box on Sunday. There is another person who is barely making ends meet each week, living pay check to paycheck. That person also puts in $10.00. I would venture to say that that person's sacrifice is "greater" then mine. That offering means more then mine. Good deeds can have levels, just as sin can have levels. Some sins are more depraved then others...and require more penance.

Answer 3

None of us have the right to tell anyone where they will or will not go. We will all stand before God and HE will judge, that is not our responsiblity, we we specifically instructed not to judge. We can have our opinions based on what the Bible says, but no human has the right to tell another person they are going to hell. When we qoute the Bible, we should only do it to explain our beliefs, not to convince them they are wrong. They are not Christians, they don't believe the Bible, so why would we use a book they don't believe in to change their minds? The first step is to always present God's love, it is what sets Chrisitianity apart from all other religions. You can't win people over with fear tactics and threats. It doesn't mean compromising our beliefs or saying "anything you do is fine" but we have to show genuine love and concern for people. A lot of it is how you present yourself and what you believe, many Christians come across as condemning and judgemental when they are sharing what they believe. If the nonbelieving person doesn't understand Christ's love, they will never get the true meaning of Christianity.

Answer 4

As an atheist, I think that most of us already know what a sin is and what the consequences may be. By telling us what we already know (for example, every person who is gay knows that some regard their lifestyle choice as a sin) it's just aggravating. I have been told my whole life that the choice(whatever it is) is mine, I can decide to go to heaven or hell...the whole nine yards. Part of the problem is that not all Christians believe that, and part of the problem is that I just plain don't hold faith in that religion.

By the time an atheist hits 20, s/he knows that Jesus is a savior and the whole sin thing. S/he doesn't need to be told again.

That being said, I have nothing against you having faith and caring about my soul. I wish I could have such a strong belief in something, but it's just not there. Share you faith with others who feel the same way because odds are, you can't convert an atheist.

Answer 5

Here is one man's view:

In Matthew 28:19-20 (which I memorized under the name "The Great Commission" as an eleven-year-old Southern Baptist), Jesus tells His Apostles "Go ye therefore and TEACH all nations ..." (emphasis added). He does not say "Go ye therefore and CONVINCE all nations ..."

The Christian's assignment is to present the information. Whether or not someone accepts that information is a separate issue.

As for a preacher's ("preacher" meaning here "one who proclaims something") reviling those who don't share his beliefs:
I refer you to the 17th Chapter of Acts. Notice that Paul does not call the Athenians idolaters or heathens, nor does he make any other disparaging remarks -- rather, he tells them "I shall tell you about 'The Unknown God' so that He will then be 'The Known God'."

I am sure that Paul was motivated by the correct Christian spirit. When I read some of today's polemics, I am less sure of *their authors'* motivating spirit.

Answer 6

You're right, sin is sin, and if we don't repent, we pay the price, regardless of what the sin is. I think the problem comes in when christians tell people they're going to hell, when we're not the judge. Who goes to heaven or hell is up to the Judge, Christ, not any of us. We don't know the future, we don't know if these people will or won't repent before their time, which is why we're not the Judge. Face it, if heaven is only for the sinless, then it will only be God, Jesus and the angels, cause not a one of us would cut it. Christians also have a tendency to tell them when they don't ask. If they want to know the rules, they'll ask. Otherwise, don't be telling people they're going to hell, none of us has that right, and it might be a sin on its own to pretend we know something only God and Christ know.

Answer 7

The focus should not be "You are going to Hell because you are gay" but " You are separated from the life of God (which is being born in sin) and will remain so forever if you do not embrace His loving Hand which reaches out to catch you and save you and give you this beautiful relationship. All of this is possible because Jesus was willing to give up a throne to live in your shoes and die the death that you and I deserve, but He resurrected to resurrect us out of this dead life to be with Him forever!"

The type of sin a person chooses to do is not the problem, the separation that we are all born into is the issue. God will clean the heart which causes the person to hate the sin and the process of removing the behavior has then begun.

We don't need to confront homosexuality necessarily but separation from God. But God will lead us as to what we should say if we desire and ask for His wisdom in witnessing.

Answer 8

This just sounded like a bunch of propaganda.
And I'm a Christian.
There isn't any way to tell someone the truth without dragging the Bible and God into it, that's what we do.
So either you quote or paraphrase the Bible in your answers or you don't say anything at all.

Answer 9

First; read 1 Samuel 16:7
2. Are David and Jonation going to Hell? 2 Samuel 1:26.
3. Is Bathsheba going to Hell for Adultery, or did she obey the King (even though she got pregnant?
4. Is Jacob going to Hell for lying to his father Isaac; or is he innocent because he obeyed his Mother?
5 If a person says the scriptural Old Testament is Genesis-Malachi are they going to Hell for violating 2 Tim. 3:16-17 and (depending on one's understanding) Rev. 22:18?

Answer 10

I am happy that you understand that sin is sin, but, before you try to teach, you need to learn.

It is impossible to prove from the Bible that the wicked dead are going to go to a place called hell to be tormented forever.
The Bible simply does not teach that idea. Instead, the Bible plainly says this:

Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. (KJV)

Ezekiel 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. (KJV)

And in case you think that the New Testament somehow overrode Ezekiel:

Romans 6:23 For the reward of sin is death; but what God freely gives is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. (BBE)

The wicked are not going to be given any kind of eternal life.
The concept of hell as a place for the wicked to be tormented for all eternity was adopted by the Catholic Church from a play by Dante called "The Inferno". His ideas did not come from the Bible, but from Greek, Babylonian, Egyptian, and Roman paganism.

The Bible further states: Revelations 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.(KJV)

So, yes, sin is sin. Do you really know what sin is?

1John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.(KJV)

Do you know what truth is?

1John 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.(KJV)

What are these commandments?

Matthew 5:17 Let there be no thought that I have come to put an end to the law or the prophets. I have not come for destruction, but to make complete. 18 Truly I say to you, Till heaven and earth come to an end, not the smallest letter or part of a letter will in any way be taken from the law, till all things are done. 19 Whoever then goes against the smallest of these laws, teaching men to do the same, will be named least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who keeps the laws, teaching others to keep them, will be named great in the kingdom of heaven.(BBE)

Who should we follow as our example?

John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.(KJV)

Answer 11

People on this site cannot take such strong medicine. Not only that, but if you are following the example of the shepherd, He does not go around scaring His sheep but helping them. Scaring sheep is the worst thing a shepherd can do. I think everyone here has heard or knows about the teaching on hell. Honey, not vinegar, dear. Sometimes sarcastic rejoinders.