If God is omnipotent, couldn't He let people into heaven anyway? Why was it necessary for His son to die an agonising death?
2007-07-12 14:53:24 · 35 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
And whilst we're on the subject, why pick belief as the criteria for salvation? Of all potential personality traits, it is the probably the one which is most down to chance and the least effective as an indicator of whether someone deserves to go to Heaven.
2007-07-12 14:53:36 · update #1
I'm hearing a lot about God putting one over Satan with this crucifixion lark - but why couldn't God just kill Satan and have the whole thing over and done with? From the OT, He doesn't seem to have too many qualms about killing humans...
2007-07-12 15:05:11 · update #2
That is to show whether we still know God or not and to show his love to us He has given his only begotten son, that those who believe in him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life.
jtm
2007-07-12 14:59:10 · answer #1 · answered by Jesus M 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Hello, Abdul: Your question has been debated by many, but let me recall that the Bible says Jesus was slain before the foundation of the world.
That tells us that God knew the risks of creating another world while there was a rebellion in His own government of Heaven.
The Sacrificial plan was revealed as Eve was brought into existence and sinned.
You see, God spoke or created from the dust all the creatures, but for Adam's wife, the crowning act of His creation, He put Adam into a deep sleep (symbolizing death), and through a wound in Adam's side, God created his bride.
That would point several thousand years down to the time Christ died on the cross. Then a wound was placed in His corpse and the issue of blood and water that issued out was symbolized by the sacrifice that God provided in Eden to clothe our naked parents. And symbolized by Abel's correct blood sacrifice. And Abraham build altars and sacrificed wherever he traveled, and then on Mount Moriah, he symbolically offered Isaac. And Mount Moriah is the very spot called Gethsemene, where Jesus died for Humanity.
And the Sins of the world that were placed on Jesus crushed His life. As He became sin for humanity (Isaiah 53), the Father withdrew His presence, and Jesus died, the innocent for the guilty suffering the penalty of the most vile sinner. Yes, He died for you--before the sword was thrust in His noble side.
More on how Jesus saves us in a Bible code that proves He is the Messiah at http://abiblecode.tipod.com
Blessings and AGAPE, Balaam
2007-07-12 15:18:32 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The first thing you must understand is that nobody deserves to go to heaven. God does not tolerate sin. There are not tiny sins that God tolerates. We are sinners; He is perfect. Despite what you may have heard others say, God, through his word makes this clear. The penalty for sin is death or spiritual death.
The next thing you might try to understand is faith is what God desires. Just as any father wants his children to have faith in him.
Therefore, grace and mercy must be obtained. God's law allowed a stand in to be used. Originally, they were goats. You have heard the term scapegoat.
It would be useful in you understood the term "fullness of time". A certain amount of good and evil had been done.
So god allowed his son to stand in for us. He paid our penalty.
Some amplification of the basics might be useful.
2007-07-12 15:30:09 · answer #3 · answered by Richard F 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Good questions, although some Christians will say that it's because God had to shed blood to cloth Adam and Eve after their fall.
Other interesting points: If angels don't have free choice, why did Satan rebel? Why punish everyone that came after Adam and Eve for their mistake - why no let each person get tempted to try the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Why was being naked before you knew it was evil bad afterward - this indicates that if you don't know it's evil it isn't.
Sigh, so many unresolved questions that Christians wave their hands at...
Why create the world as if it had evolved and then expect people to believe otherwise, or allow Biblical stories that should have impacted the world or large sections of it to go unnoticed and unremarked upon by any other culture?
There is talk about atonement in other answers, but as a parent I don't have my kids atone nor do I allow them to be tempted to teach them...
2007-07-12 15:06:54 · answer #4 · answered by Pirate AM™ 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Trying to answer as briefly as possible: the laws of justice demand that exact restitution be made for a wrong that is committed. So, when Adam destroyed, for all human kind, the opportunity to live forever as a perfect man who would obey God's will, only another perfect and faithful man could buy this back for us.
The animal sacrifices in the Mosaic Law were a temporary way to procure atonement for our sins but they pointed forward to a perfect, once and for all time, atonement on Calvary.
2007-07-12 15:05:25 · answer #5 · answered by Simon Peter 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No one deserves to go to Heaven. If Salvation depended on whether we have earned it, we would all go to hell. What you believe is more important than what you do, because if you believe right, you will do right. I'm not talking about what someone says he believes, but what he truly believes. Everything you do results from what you believe. People get saved by accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior. Before Jesus came to Earth people got saved the same way, by accepting the coming Messiah. No one has ever been saved a different way. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
2007-07-12 15:05:34 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
It started in the Garden of Eden, due to the disobedience of Adam and Eve.
When they disobeyed they hid from God because their sin was revealed to them(guilt) in the form of their nakedness.
They tried to cover up their nakedness/sin(guilt) with fig leaves.
What they didn't understand was a price of atonement was required for their sin.
Genesis 4:21
God had to destroy the most humble of creatures that he created to make them clothes of animal skins.
The first animal sacrifice for the sins of mankind was performed by God.
Animal sacrifices were always for God in the form of offerings for sin, guilt etc.
But the true sacrifice was Jesus offering himself as the humble sacrificial lamb of God.
Jesus offered himself for the atonement of all sins for the sake of mankind, accepting the body his bread of life(skin covering) the blood offering(the fruit of the vine).
All those centuries the Jewish and Christian never really put together the whole concept of Passover lamb, unleavened bread(incorruptible) Eucharist, wine and so on and so forth.
That is why Islam, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, and so many other religions and beliefs are not explaining this to their followers.
That is what Jesus warned us about , false prophets, wolves in sheeps clothing
2007-07-12 15:23:41 · answer #7 · answered by from above 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
first off beliefs and criteria aren't personality traits, you're parallelism is off. secondly, the bible is both a historical reference as it is a guide.
Granted, everything in the bible isn't being said or condoned by Jesus himself, these are written accounts of what took place at that time.
If Jesus said that he is the way, the truth, and the light and that no man can enter heaven but through him then that is what was said
Both a historical reference and a guide.
everything in the bible isn't a true statement, but everything is a statement of truth. In other words just because someone said it doesn't mean that they were right! Remember these were human beings too!
Like pple use the whole Solomon verse about spare the rod...to spank you kids, well, Solomon said that not JESUS, and JESUS never mentioned anything about SPANKING your kids, it was an account that was recorded, period!
2007-07-12 15:00:44 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
God upholds his laws that he gives to mankind so that we always know we can rely on him for perfect justice. Adam & Eve the forefathers of the human race were initially given the right to everlasting life on earth. The only law they had to meet was based on loyalty to God. They broke that law and in doing so they removed their self from the source of life, God. Just as God said would happen due to disobedience they died. Thus bringing death to all their offspring, which we are today. Romans 5:12 says : "That is why just as through one man sin ENTERED into the world and DEATH through SIN, thus DEATH SPREAD TO ALL MEN because they had all sinned. This is why we die, not because God wants it but because of what the Bible calls "Adamic Sin". When God gave the laws to the ancient nation of Israel he set a perfect standard of justice, remember "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a LIFE FOR A LIFE. (Deuteronomy 19:21.) If God's laws were not perfect, like man's he would have the need to change them and review them from time to time. But his laws are Perfect! When you think that the whole of mankind became subject to death because of Adam the only life that could be given as the law stated (a life for a life) was that of his perfect Son Jesus. You see no other man had the right to everlasting life apart from Adam who lost it and Christ who sacrificed it for us, thus Christ is called a ransom sacrifice for our sins. In effect buying back what Adam lost for the human race.....everlasting life on earth. Romans 6:23 says "for the wages sin pays is death but the gift that God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord." The bible shows that everlasting life will be on earth not in heaven, after God destroys the wicked, Christ's Kingdom that we pray for in the Lord's prayer will exercise authority over the earth. Remember we say "Let your Kingdom come, let your will be done ON EARTH, as it is in heaven. Psalms 37:29 says "The righteous themselves will reside on the earth and live forever upon it." That is why Rev 21:4 says "And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and DEATH will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore the former things have past away."
2007-07-12 15:23:07 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
(1) All throughout the OT, it was required that sacrificial offerings be made on behalf of the people's sins...these offerings had to be perfect without blemish...JESUS became the once for all offering, which eliminated the need to continue making these sin offerings on behalf of people. (This was to answer your initial question.)
(2) God cannot look on Sin - therefor unless someone is 'born again' (look it up in the bible!) than they cannot enter the kingdom of God. That was his initial decision, and he stuck by it (God doesn't change.) Why else do you think he would throw Adam & Eve out of the garden of Eden?!!?
(3)Jesus died in complete humiliation...He experienced all of it, because he became our Sin offering. (Jesus took on an awful lot of penalty for sin, just for you and me) If you just think about what his death symbolized, than you'd understand the significance of why he suffered so much ---- It was also a demonstration of God's love for us (mankind). I mean seriously, would you do that for someone?!!?
Good luck in finding the answers you seek.
God bless.
2007-07-12 15:02:47 · answer #10 · answered by redglory 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
That was the harshest sentence of the day, by Rome and yes, he had to die cause God needed a sacrafice for the atoinment of your sin, a clean lamb without sin.
Heaven is sacred ground, and folks are unclean till they truly confess and admit sin, and are forgiven by Christ.
John 3:16 explains that.
Impotent..NOT, only the person that says that has issues of their own spirituality.
Many that make false claims against God are merely pawns for the dark side, making lite of what they are really afraid of..being humble, and sadly mock what they dont know, or what has not been properly explained to them.
2007-07-12 15:02:49 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋