Righteousness

Friday, 18 December 2015

How many people will actually be saved?

Searched this on Google, interesting answers !

1. Conclusion and Purpose

If a large number of people were walking with God today, it would mean that many of the Bible verses mentioned in this chapter would have to be false. It appears that only a small number of people are born again or being saved today, and many verses only apply to the small number of God's chosen people. It is possible that there may be less than one hundred born again people alive in the world today. However, the Bible indicates that there will be a much larger number in the near future. However, to avoid complacency, it is important to remember that the evidence in this report indicates that if the status quo prevails, then probably nobody that we know will make it to the kingdom of Heaven.

2. When God come How many people will be saved that are alive. the bible states only 144,000, that are alive will be save out the whole world. How many dead will be saved, the bible state a number that no man can number.

3. God does not want anyone to be lost, but the choice is ours. In II Peter 3:9 we read, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perishbut that all should come to repentance". God does not want us to go into eternal punishment. He is not going to force us to serve him, otherwise we would be mere robots. I Timothy 2:4 says, "Who desires all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth". It is God's will that all be saved, but we know that is not going to happen. We have already seen that only few are going to be saved and the majority are going to be lost.

4. Question: "Will more people go to heaven or to hell?"

Answer: The question of whether there are more people in heaven or hell is answered by Jesus Himself in one succinct passage: “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13–14).......

According to Matthew 7:13–14, there is no doubt that more will go to hell than to heaven. The question for you is, then, on which road are you?

—————

I stopped my search and reading any further ideas here, as I was starting to get depressed.

Let the word of God speak -

"And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”

Genesis 22:15-18 KJV

“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

Revelation 7:9-17 KJV

“And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.”

Revelation 5:1-14 KJV

“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Revelation 20:11-15 KJV

Let's look at this chapter in Young's Literal Translation-

Revelation

1And I saw a messenger coming down out of the heaven, having the key of the abyss, and a great chain over his hand, 2and he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, who is Devil and Adversary, and did bind him a thousand years, 3and he cast him to the abyss, and did shut him up, and put a seal upon him, that he may not lead astray the nations any more, till the thousand years may be finished; and after these it behoveth him to be loosed a little time.

4And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them, and the souls of those who have been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus, and because of the word of God, and who did not bow before the beast, nor his image, and did not receive the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand, and they did live and reign with Christ the thousand years; 5and the rest of the dead did not live again till the thousand years may be finished; this [is] the first rising again. 6Happy and holy [is] he who is having part in the first rising again; over these the second death hath not authority, but they shall be priests of God and of the Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

7And when the thousand years may be finished, the Adversary shall be loosed out of his prison, 8and he shall go forth to lead the nations astray, that are in the four corners of the earth -- Gog and Magog -- to gather them together to war, of whom the number [is] as the sand of the sea; 9and they did go up over the breadth of the land, and did surround the camp of the saints, and the beloved city, and there came down fire from God out of the heaven, and devoured them; 10and the Devil, who is leading them astray, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where [are] the beast and the false prophet, and they shall be tormented day and night -- to the ages of the ages.

11And I saw a great white throne, and Him who is sitting upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven did flee away, and place was not found for them; 12and I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and scrolls were opened, and another scroll was opened, which is that of the life, and the dead were judged out of the things written in the scrolls -- according to their works; 13and the sea did give up those dead in it, and the death and the hades did give up the dead in them, and they were judged, each one according to their works;

14and the death and the hades were cast to the lake of the fire -- this [is] the second death; 15and if any one was not found written in the scroll of the life, he was cast to the lake of the fire.

Let us also look at Matthew chapter 25 also in Young's Literal Translation-

Matthew

1'Then shall the reign of the heavens be likened to ten virgins, who, having taken their lamps, went forth to meet the bridegroom; 2and five of them were prudent, and five foolish; 3they who were foolish having taken their lamps, did not take with themselves oil; 4and the prudent took oil in their vessels, with their lamps. 5'And the bridegroom tarrying, they all nodded and were sleeping,

6and in the middle of the night a cry was made, Lo, the bridegroom doth come; go ye forth to meet him.

7'Then rose all those virgins, and trimmed their lamps, 8and the foolish said to the prudent, Give us of your oil, because our lamps are going out;

9and the prudent answered, saying -- Lest there may not be sufficient for us and you, go ye rather unto those selling, and buy for yourselves.

10'And while they are going away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those ready went in with him to the marriage-feasts, and the door was shut;

11and afterwards come also do the rest of the virgins, saying, Sir, sir, open to us;

12and he answering said, Verily I say to you, I have not known you.

13'Watch therefore, for ye have not known the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man doth come.

14'For -- as a man going abroad did call his own servants, and did deliver to them his substance, 15and to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to each according to his several ability, went abroad immediately.

16'And he who did receive the five talents, having gone, wrought with them, and made other five talents; 17in like manner also he who [received] the two, he gained, also he, other two; 18and he who did receive the one, having gone away, digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

19'And after a long time cometh the lord of those servants, and taketh reckoning with them; 20and he who did receive the five talents having come, brought other five talents, saying, 'Sir, five talents thou didst deliver to me; lo, other five talents did I gain besides them.

21'And his lord said to him, Well done, servant, good and faithful, over a few things thou wast faithful, over many things I will set thee; enter into the joy of thy lord.

22'And he who also did receive the two talents having come, said, Sir, two talents thou didst deliver to me; lo, other two talents I did gain besides them.

23'His lord said to him, Well done, servant, good and faithful, over a few things thou wast faithful, over many things I will set thee; enter into the joy of thy lord.

24'And he also who hath received the one talent having come, said, Sir, I knew thee, that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou didst not sow, and gathering from whence thou didst not scatter; 25and having been afraid, having gone away, I hid thy talent in the earth; lo, thou hast thine own!

26'And his lord answering said to him, Evil servant, and slothful, thou hadst known that I reap where I did not sow, and I gather whence I did not scatter! 27it behoved thee then to put my money to the money-lenders, and having come I had received mine own with increase.

28'Take therefore from him the talent, and give to him having the ten talents, 29for to every one having shall be given, and he shall have overabundance, and from him who is not having, even that which he hath shall be taken from him; 30and the unprofitable servant cast ye forth to the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth.

31'And whenever the Son of Man may come in his glory, and all the holy messengers with him, then he shall sit upon a throne of his glory; 32and gathered together before him shall be all the nations, and he shall separate them from one another, as the shepherd doth separate the sheep from the goats,

33and he shall set the sheep indeed on his right hand, and the goats on the left.

34'Then shall the king say to those on his right hand, Come ye, the blessed of my Father, inherit the reign that hath been prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35for I did hunger, and ye gave me to eat; I did thirst, and ye gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and ye received me; 36naked, and ye put around me; I was infirm, and ye looked after me; in prison I was, and ye came unto me.

37'Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see thee hungering, and we nourished? or thirsting, and we gave to drink? 38and when did we see thee a stranger, and we received? or naked, and we put around? 39and when did we see thee infirm, or in prison, and we came unto thee?

40'And the king answering, shall say to them, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as ye did [it] to one of these my brethren -- the least -- to me ye did [it].

41Then shall he say also to those on the left hand, Go ye from me, the cursed, to the fire, the age-during, that hath been prepared for the Devil and his messengers; 42for I did hunger, and ye gave me not to eat; I did thirst, and ye gave me not to drink; 43a stranger I was, and ye did not receive me; naked, and ye put not around me; infirm, and in prison, and ye did not look after me.

44'Then shall they answer, they also, saying, Lord, when did we see thee hungering, or thirsting, or a stranger, or naked, or infirm, or in prison, and we did not minister to thee?

45'Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as ye did [it] not to one of these, the least, ye did [it] not to me.

46And these shall go away to punishment age-during, but the righteous to life age-during.'

*Are there more stars in the universe than grains of sand on Earth?

and following -:

*How many people have ever lived on the earth?

————

*Are there more stars in the universe than grains of sand on Earth?

Ask an Expert

The Trifid Nebula

The Trifid Nebula (Source: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA)

Are there really more stars in our universe than there are grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth?

It may hurt your brain to think about it, but it seems that the answer is likely to be yes, or at least the numbers are roughly in the same ballpark.

Astronomers actually set out to answer this question about a decade ago. It's a tricky problem to solve, but it's slightly easier if you throw in a couple of qualifiers — that we're talking about stars in the observable universe; and grains of sand on the entire planet, not just the beaches.

The scientists started by measuring the luminosity density of a section of the universe — this is a measurement of how much light is in that space.

They then used this measurement to estimate the number of stars required to create that amount of light. This was quite a mathematical challenge!

"You have to assume that you can have one type of star represent all types of stars," says astronomer Simon Driver, Professor at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research in Western Australia and one of the scientists who worked on the question.

"Then let's assume, on average, this is a typical mass star that gives out the typical amount of light, so if I know that a portion of the universe is generating this amount of light, I can now say how many stars that would equate to."

Now equipped with an estimate of the number of stars within a section of the universe, the next challenge was to work out the size of the universe.

Given we know that the universe is 13.8 billion years old, we can assume that we exist in a sphere 13.8 billion light years in volume. But there's a catch: the universe is potentially infinite in size.

"We know that it has a finite age — we know it started 13.8 billion years ago — but spatially, in terms of its extent, it could be infinite," Driver says. However we also know that because of its age, we exist in a bubble within that infiniteness, and that bubble is called the 'observable' universe.

After all these calculations and caveats, Driver and colleagues came up with a figure of seven followed by 22 zeros, or 70 thousand million, million, million stars in the observable universe.

That's 70,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars!

So what about grains of sand on Earth?

"That was almost harder to work out than the number of stars," Driver says.

Luckily, someone suggested starting with the Sahara Desert, which is home to around half of all the grains of sand on Earth.

"That made it easier; I then just had to work out how many grains of sand are in the Sahara, and I didn't have to worry about every beach on the planet," Driver recalls.

He found the total size of the Sahara, the average depth of sand across the Sahara and from that was able to calculate the approximate number of grains of sand in the Sahara.

"Once I got all that I could put all those numbers together and got a number that was remarkably close to the figure for the number of stars, but just a little bit less," he says. "It was about a factor of 10 smaller, but there's easily a factor of 10 error in both of those estimates so it could just as easily be the other way around."

That's 70,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars versus 7,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 grains of sand!

So even though it's an impossible question to answer definitively, it seems that the mind-bending possibility of so many stars existing in the universe is actually true.

Professor Simon Driver spoke with Bianca Nogrady

*How many people have ever lived on the earth?

There are currently seven billion people alive today and the Population Reference Bureau estimates that about 107 billion people have ever lived. This means that we are nowhere near close to having more alive than dead.Feb 4, 2012

“And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”

Genesis 22:15-18 KJV

According to the doctrine of hell; all these billions should now be, or shall be consigned to hell.

For factoring in all those who are good enough in their own self righteousness to keep all of God's laws and remain perfect and intact until that time; who then can be saved?

For if there were left one righteous, God would spare all.

Yet aren't Sodom and Gomorrah to stand in the day of judgement?

Who alone is righteous then?

The Lord Jesus Christ, He alone is worthy.

Isn't it because of His victory, His righteousness that God is able to draw all men to Himself?

Isn't the Father waiting till all His enemies be made His footstool?

But yet there was never any mention of or an explicit belief in a literal hell in the Old Testament, nor among the Jewish people.

“And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. And when ye come into an house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.”

Matthew 10:11-15 KJV

“And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

Luke 18:26-27 KJV

“My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

James 2:1-26 KJV

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

James 1:1-27 KJV

Thursday, 17 December 2015

Is God Really Love? Is There Any Shadow Of Turning In Him?

Is God Really Love?

Is There Any Shadow Of Turning In Him?

“Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

James 1:16-17 KJV

Is Salvation only offered to some whom God fore knew and He damned the rest to hell: Calvinism.

Or is our free will just too strong in the end for a God Who is love and His free gift of grace, faith and mercy to out love us, that any could withstand and want to remain unwilling to yield, fighting against God for eternity? Armenianism.

For sure, I believe God will not end the pursuit first!

If salvation is won through Christ's sacrifice, and is then God's free gift to us, why would this gift be given only to some? Of course, there were answers that were typically given to this question, but with one exception they struck me as implausible. (The one reason that seemed plausible was that only some accept the gift, but that raised the question, at least in many cases, some of which made the question quite urgent, of why the offer wouldn't be made under more favorable circumstances.)

Universalism and the Bible The Really Good News 

Keith DeRose,Professor of Philosophy, Yale University

Dualism ? Question: "What is dualism?"

Dualism ?

Question: "What is dualism?"

Answer: In theology, the concept of dualism assumes that there are two separate entities—good and evil—which are equally powerful. In “Christian” dualism, God represents the good entity and Satan represents the evil entity.

However, the truth is that even though Satan has some power, he is no equal to God Almighty, for he was created by God as an angel before he rebelled (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:13-17). As the Scripture says, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). According to Scripture, there is no dualism, no two opposing forces of equal power called good and evil. Good, represented by God Almighty, is the most powerful force in the universe without exception. Evil, represented by Satan, is a lesser force that is no match for good. Evil will be defeated every time in any head-to-head match with good, for God Almighty, the essence of good, is all-powerful, whereas evil, represented by Satan, is not.

Whenever any doctrine portrays good and evil as two equal opposing forces, that doctrine contradicts the scriptural position that good, represented by God Almighty, is the dominant power in the universe. Since Satan was not, and never will be, equal to God, any doctrine that says he is can be marked as a false doctrine. The fact that Satan was thrown out of heaven for trying to rise above God does not mean Satan has given up trying to be equal or superior to God, as evidenced by the basic tenets of “dualism” that have come down largely through the philosophical stem of human wisdom.

There can be no dualism existing in any corner of our universe. There is only one power that is overriding, and that power is God Almighty as revealed to us in the Bible. According to the scriptural evidence, there is only one power that is omnipotent, not two. Thus, any doctrine of dualism which contends that there are two equal powers opposing each other (good and evil) is a false doctrine.

Recommended Resources: Basic Theology by Charles Ryrie and Logos Bible Software.

c/o

( got questions.org )

———————

Therefore the doctrine of hell is a false doctrine, for not only does it ascribe an equality to satan and thus the power of evil and sin.

Or it posits a cooperation between good and evil and a God Who even though He wills all men to be saved and has demonstrated His great love towards us in the giving of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who has conquered death, hades and the grave: still does not have enough power to completely overcome sin and death; even after the so called defeat of Satan.

From our position it looks like God wants to maintain evil and will take delight in the eternal misfortunes of countless billions of innocents.

Wasn't salvation a free gift, not dependent upon our works of goodness or self righteousness.

Why would God then go back on His love gift of grace to all of mankind and reckon the price His own Son paid as insufficient and not strong enough to counter our very strong free will.

Isn't God, or anyone who has such an important and everlasting gift to offer, especially One Who by very nature is love; obligated by love and mercy to relentlessly pursue the list sheep, to wait patiently in faith for the prodigal to return, to search endlessly to eternity if needs be until that lost coin is found again; all for the rejoicing in heaven of one lost sinner coming home.

And who said that it was only in this life that we had hope in Christ?

For I will agree with Paul, who said that if this were the case we would of all men be most miserable.

“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.”

1 Corinthians 15:19-28 KJV

Can Evil triumph finally over Good? God is Good all the time?

Can Evil triumph finally over Good?

God is Good all the time?

If the doctrine of hell and the implied weakness and ultimate betrayal, reversal and double mindedness of our loving father in sender a rescuer, Who ultimately failed in His mission: Who is held by many in this dubious position as camp commandant for eternity is allowed to continue to blaspheme the spiritual and intellectual growth of Christian and sinner alike: the evil in this world at least will continue to flourish and the church and God will remain the worlds laughingstock and as intellectually bankrupt as she has been for centuries.

Are we offering a free gift, not only of grace but faith and a message of a hope beyond the grave.

Or are we as modern day Pharisees reinventing self righteousness and works for justification of our lives; not knowing that it is the love of God that leads men to turn to Him!

How is it possible that those who know the depths of sin and ignorance, those who hear the character of God slandered by believers and unbelievers, those who love the ones who pass unrepentant into the Unseen - how is it possible that they should rest satisfied, while retaining in their hearts even a shadow of a doubt that, "as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive ?"

The old merciless teaching is still taught ; there yet remains in many a nursery, as well, alas, as in many a missionary school abroad, a well-known book called "Peep of Day." In this, little children are allowed to read such doggrel as the following: ----

"Now if I fight, or scratch, or bite,

In passion fall, or bad names call,

Full well I know where I shall go.

Satan is glad when I am bad,

And hopes that I with him shall lie,

In fire and chains, and dreadful pains.

All liars dwell with him in hell,

And many more, who cursed and swore,

And all who did what God forbid."

Surely it is time that everyone who believes that the Everlasting Father lovingly, eternally, educates all His children should speak out plainly, and not be ashamed to confess with the Psalmist, "My trust is in the tender mercy of God for ever and ever." -- EDNA LYALL, Eastbourne, 16th December, 1890

Let me next show what this hell of the popular creed really means, so far as human words can dimly convey its horrors, and for this purpose I subjoin the following extracts-

"Little child, if you go to hell there will be a devil at your side to strike you. He will go on striking you every minute for ever and ever without stopping. The first stroke will make your body as bad as the body of Job, covered, from head to foot, with sores and ulcers. The second stroke will make your body twice as bad as the body of job. The third stroke will make your body three times as bad as the body of Job. The fourth stroke will make your body four times as bad as the body of Job. How, then, will your body be after the devil has been striking it every moment for a hundred million of years without stopping? Perhaps at this moment, seven o'clock in the evening, a child is just going into hell. Tomorrow evening, at seven o'clock, go and knock at the gates of hell and ask what the child is doing. The devils will go and look. They will come back again and say, the child is burning. Go in a week and ask what the child is doing; you will get the same answer, it is burning. Go in a year and ask, the same answer comes - it is burning. Go in a million of years and ask the same question, the answer is just the same - it is burning. So, if you go for ever and ever, you will always get the same answer - it is burning in the fire." The Sight of Hell. *** Rev. J. FURNISS, C.S.S.R.

"The fifth dungeon is the red hot oven. The little child is in the red hot oven. Hear how it screams to come out; see how it turns and twists itself about in the fire. It beats its head against the roof of the oven. It stamps its little feet on the floor." - ib. "Gather in one, in your mind, an assembly of all those men or women, from whom, whether in history or in fiction, your memory most shrinks, gather in mind all that is most loathsome, most revolting * * * conceive the fierce, fiery eyes of hate, spite, frenzied rage, ever fixed on thee, looking thee through and through with hate *** hear those yells of blaspheming, concentrated hate, as they echo along the lurid vault of hell; everyone hating everyone *** Yet a fixedness in that state in which the hardened malignant sinner dies, involves, without any further retribution of God, this endless misery." Sermon by the Rev. E.B. Pusey DD.

"When you die your soul will be tormented alone; that will be a hell for it: but at the day of judgment your body will join your soul, and then you wilt have twin hells, your soul sweating drops of blood, and your body suffused with agony. In fire, exactly like that we have on earth, your body will lie, asbestos like, for ever unconsumed, all your veins roads for the feet of pain to travel on, every nerve a string, on which the devil shall for ever play his diabolical tune of hell's unutterable lament." Sermon on the Resurrection of the Dead. *** Rev. C. H. SPURGEON.

Awful as are these quotations, I must repeat that they give no adequate idea at all of the horrors of hell; for that which is the very sting of its terrors -their unendingness - is beyond our power really to conceive, even approximately, so totally incommensurable are the ideas of time and of endless duration.

It will be said, "we no longer believe in a material hell - no longer teach a lake of real fire." I might well ask, on your theory of interpreting Scripture, what right have you so to teach? But let me rather welcome this change of creed, so far as it is a sign of an awakening moral sense. Yet this plea, in mitigation of the horror your doctrines inspire, cannot be admitted; for when you offer for acceptance a spiritual, rather than a material flame, who is there that cannot see that the real difficulty is the same, in either case. If evil in any form is perpetuated then the central difficulty of the traditional creed remains.

Merely to state the traditional doctrine in any form, is to refute it for very many minds. So deeply does it wound what is best and holiest in us; indeed, as I shall try to show further on, it is, for all practical purposes, found incredible, even by those who honestly profess to believe it. This terrible difficulty, felt and acknowledged in all ages, has been largely met for the Roman Catholic, by the doctrine of Purgatory, which became developed as the belief in endless torment gradually supplanted that earlier and better faith, which alone finds expression in the two really catholic and ancient creeds, faith in Everlasting Life.

Christ Triumphant

Universalism Asserted

as the Hope of the Gospel on the Authority

of Reason, the Fathers, and Holy Scripture

Thomas Allin

Reprint of the Ninth Edition

c/o

tent maker.org

Free Will is not really free !

Birth

Death

Hereditary

Thoughts

Weakness to evil

Hell or not?

If my will is stronger than Gods, then God's remedy for man and sin, Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection is not enough to stop me.

Oh Wo is me !!!

If this is true, this kind of freedom I do not want !!!

Even the most hellish of men have turned, heeded loves wooing and heaven has rejoiced.

Love never surrenders.

Death shall finally be swallowed up of victory, so that its sting shall be gone.

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 15:19-28, 54-57

“Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.”

1 Corinthians 15:24-28 KJV

Salvation is a Gift !! Not of Works !!

Salvation is a Gift !!

Not of Works !!