apathrev said:
It's good for people to want to have faith and get saved just to avoid hell, rather than because of God's love...?
apathrev, if you tell a sinner (lawbreaker) that God Loves him or her, he or she will just say great and go on his or her merry way with the false hope that everything is ok; never knowing the truth that he or she is separated from the fullness of God's Love and destined for a place of everlasting punishment (Hell) because they have broken God's Law (sinned)... Apathrev that is not Love that is deceit.
Not only that, but when you tell a sinner that God or Jesus Loves them and give no explaination to what that Love means, and what that Love has done, and what that Love can do for them all they want to do is stick their finger down their throat and say "gag me, it's another religous crazy"... To only give half the truth is a lie, and not the Love Of God.
Check these verses that say it is God's Truth (not half truth) that is His Love to mankind; and the consiquence of not receiving "The Love of the Truth":
2-Thessalonians 2:10b Because
they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Did you hear it?... "The Love of the Truth"... God's Love to mankind is his Truth.
Christ Jesus was God's Love manifest in a human body and He preached about Hell more than anyone else in the Bible... Christ said that it would be better for us to poke out our eyes, and cut off our hands and feet than to end up in Hell... Can't you see by Christ's example that the whole truth about our lives and our absolute need to repent, and to receive Christ Jesus as LORD and Savior is God's Love to us?... Hear the words of Christ (God's Love to mankind):
Mark 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
It is God's Love ("the Love of the Truth") that is trying to keep all men, women, and children from going to a place of everlasting punishment (Hell)... And we as God's Children (Christians) are commanded to speak "the truth in love":
Ephesians 4:15b Speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ ...
apathrev said:
And before you start pouncing on me for not responding to your whole thread, I didn't bother since I'm tired of being lead around in circles. The verse speaks pretty clearly "Do not judge." If you interpret that as "Do judge," then whatever,
apathrev, I'm not leading you in circles, and I'm sorry if this hurts but you saw the same thing in the scripture when you read through it again: Christ said the repented have the right to judge:
Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote [sin] that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam [greater sin] that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote [sin] out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam [greater sin] is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam [greater sin] out of thine own eye [repent- change your mind and behavior]; and then shalt thou see clearly [be able to make a judgment] to cast out the mote [sin] out of thy brother's eye.
Did you hear it?... After a person has repented he is able to make a judgement ("see clearly") to help free someone from their sin ("to cast out the mote from thy brother's eye")... Sorry, but the very verse you use to defend your interpretation that no one has the right to judge, gives the repentant the right to judge.
Love You,
FishTech