Seeking Christian answers...?

Question

I have read countless posts about those refusing to accept Jesus will be cast into the pits of fire.

Question 1: What is the difference between refusal and lack of action?

Question 2: Please respond to this...
To me that claims sounds like some reward and punishment system. Pledge your fealty to Jesus and earn your reward. Refuse to pledge, and the mafia boss is gonna put you on ice (I mean fire). So you are implying that I should believe to avoid punishment. What type of religious dogma is that? It sounds that one should become Christian out of SELFISH motivation rather than to find a path of enlightenment.

The logic to your persuasive argument eludes me. Please enlighten me more and WITHOUT QUOTING THE BIBLE.

Thank you everyone who actually answered the question thoughtfully.

Answer 1

I'm not a christian but I will give you a good answer answer:

Any one who believes something out of fear doesn't truly believe.
Any one who has to resort to threats to convince is desperate and power less or power hungry

According to my knowledge of the bible it is by a christians love that will convince others to believe.

But christians are filled with so much hate and dis contempt that they feel the need to build them self's up by preaching hell and damnation.

To wouldn't you be miserable if you couldn't do all the fun stuff you like to do because some preacher or book said you couldn't

To simplify things I will say this "Missouri loves company

Answer 2

1. The difference of refusal and lack of action is knowing about Jesus and refusing to accept Him. Lack of action is knowing about Jesus and not taking the action to get to know Him. You say that you want a christian response, but you don't want anyone to use the bible to quote their view. The bible is the living word of those who love Him. that's the whole problem here. You see Jesus is love. It is not about punishment. It's about enlightment. Look I don't know who you are but it sounds like you are searching. I hear the frustration in your voice. Your focus is on punishment if I don't accept or comform. Loving God is not pressure. It is a free gift to a better enlightend life. Any human knows whether they believe in God or not, that there is good and evil in this world. Know one has to quote a scripture to you for that. but to know true everlasting unconditional cultivated relationship kind of love-like no other-You must accept Him. like you would accept a new friend all your so called cool friends say you shouldn't accept because it's all trumped up bullshit. It's not. He's real. He's alive and He loves you. He must be calling for you because you are asking-seeking. Look when I was six years old I knew Him. You probably did too. You didn't know His name, but you knew Him. All kids do. Did you feel like you would be punished for loving Him back? But that's not all your question-why should I be condemmed because I don't want to love Him back. Well it is not condemnation-it is the removal of His love from you(your choice). You see while you sit there wondering why you should love Him, He is loving you. He isn't having a party when those refuse Him. It hurts Him to loose one soul. when you don't choose Him, then when you pass you die. That is just the natural law of things. When you accept Him, your spirit lives forever under his protection and love. I have never said this to anybody, but I was a short-term missionary when I was 19. My heart broke so often of the many poeple that would not accept Him. As I got older, I realized that it is not Jesus that is refusing them, but the other way around. Even Robert Frost writes about the road less traveled. Are you going to be one of the ones that refuse His love or are you going to br the one who walks the road less traveled. I'll tell you what-if you do choose, It will never be boring. God Bless you and keep you.
Dana

Answer 3

Sure thing.

I suppose its a very black and white view. In some people's eyes, a lack of action is equal to refusal.

I have read a lot here that people seem to think that Christians believe what they believe for fears of what will happen to them if they don't (put you on ice, as you say).

But the key thing is, for everyone that I know, that is not the motivation for following God. We dont believe to avoid punishment. We have all felt something, an internal shift at some point in our lives, that we can not deny. THAT is why I am Christian, anyways.

Answer 4

When Bill Gates dies, odds are that he is not going to leave you his fortune. It is not because he has anything against you.

You could be a good person, done nice things, supported charities, even helped Bill out by buying, rather then piracting, your copy of Windows.

But in the end, he is not going to leave you anything because he has no relationship with you. It is those he has a relationship with who will receive from his will.

The Christian faith teaches that those who have a relationship with God will inherit from his will. Those without a relationship will not. One of the many things God gives in his will is heaven. There are also many benefits to be had on earth in this life, and a return to the New Earth at some future point. So heaven is only a small part of it.

God's will went into effect when he died on the cross. That is why the part of the Bible that talks about the cross is called the New Testament. Testament is an old fashioned word for a will. It is in effect, and sharing the blessings, to anyone who has a relationship with God.

Sure, as Christians, we look to "get" from God. But much of what we "get" is so that we can give to others. One of those benefits is heaven, and we want to be sure that you get your share of it to. (Plus we want to warn you to avoid the alternative.)

There is much more to being a Christian then just wanting to avoid punishment. Just as there is much more to building a career then just wanting to avoid being fired. You also want to do something useful with life, find fulment, make something or provide a service that helps others. And - surprise - get a paycheck at the end of the week. Nothing wrong with that.

Hopefully I am not going to go out and try to build a relationship with Bill Gates just to get his money. That would be wrong. I would want to build it to support, encourage, befriend, and enjoy him as a person. But if he leaves me a fortune in the end, I am going to let people know about it.

Answer 5

I"m not quoting from the Bible, and yes one should become a Christian out of selfish motivation. No one should force anyone to believe in something. I think if you believe that Jesus died for us and if we believe that in our heart then it will be all up to him. I never did believe in the hell thing but we live with threats each day in one form or another. We come into the world alone and we leave alone.

Answer 6

There is a lot more to it than that. The vast majority of Christians believe that hell is for the wicked, and salvation is for the good. Millions don't even believe in hell at all. Millions more believe that hell is only temporary punishment that will be abolished at the end of the present era. Millions more believe that those who end up in hell will be able to repent and escape punishment. The belief system that you are describing is characteristic of American Protestantism, which is only a drop in the bucket compared to Christianity world-wide. And that is only a drop in the bucket compared to the number of Christians who have lived and died since the time of Christ.

Answer 7

Answer 1: Actually there is no difference. The Word of God says that if you're not for him, you are against him.

Answer 2: It doesn't quite work like that. We all deserve hell because we're all corrupt. We've all done wrong. Perfect justice requires punishment for wrong. The reason we need Jesus is because he's the only one who offered to stand in our place and take our rightful punishment onto himself, so that our debt can be paid and we can be free from God's righteous wrath. Justice and mercy are both satisfied ONLY in him.

Answer 8

Actually, I'm not implying anything at all, its not really my problem if you believe or not. Why do you people have a tendency to think we're giving you rules we made up? None of christianity was made up by any of us, we're just going by what the book says. I don't understand why you'd even be bothered if you don't believe in them anyway? Our job was to spread the word, it's done, we're not obligated to do any more than that. It's called free will.

Answer 9

thank you for in seek of know-how. Catholics do no longer supply the capability of salvation to Mary. you may desire to understand that very for sure. while the angel first visits Mary she says her soul rejoices in her savior. She knew she mandatory a savior as do Catholics. i do no longer extremely understand what question you ask after the 1st approximately salvation yet enable me attempt and help you notice something else. interior the previous testomony the ark of the covenant contained the employees of Aaron, the regulation of God interior the pills of the ten commandments, and the manna from heaven the Jews ate. The ark became saved in a tent and became rather respected because of the fact it contained the Spirit of God. It became saved able pronounced as the main holy of holies. This although by applying no means became idol worship. Catholics see Mary because of the fact the recent ark. She contained no longer the employees of a clergyman however the main severe priest in Jesus, Mary contained no longer the guidelines of God interior the pills however the success of the regulation in Jesus, she contained no longer the manna from heaven however the authentic bread of existence in Jesus. Mary is the recent ark of the recent covenant. She is venerated like the previous testomony ark of the covenant. The Jews venerated the previous ark even though it became no longer idol worship, because of the fact the 1st century Christians have venerated the recent ark-Mary yet it extremely isn't idol worship. optimistically this facilitates on your know-how.

Answer 10

The Word of God manifests strongly in Jesus. It is not so much the physical Jesus that saves but the Word of God. What Jesus did at the Garden of Gethsemani was to enter our thoughts, beyond time and space, to absorb our sins. In so doing, He made a connection between God and us. By believing in what Jesus did, and allowing HIm to carry us to God, we are in a way relying on HIm to save us from our sinful and unacceptable conditions.