RE: General questions about the Christian idea of God and love
September 16, 2014 at 5:07 am
(This post was last modified: September 16, 2014 at 5:46 am by Hellfire1014.)
What do Christians mean by God's love or God is love?
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
-1 John 4:18
Is God's love conceived as conditional or unconditional?
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. -Romans 5:8
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. -1 Corinthians 13:4-7
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. -John 3:16
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God -Ephesians 2:8
If it is unconditional, how can one ever divorce themselves from it?
See link - http://carm.org/does-god-hate-anyone
Does God continue to love those whom he has reserved hell for?
See link - http://randalrauser.com/2011/12/does-god...-not-save/
If God is omnipresent, in what sense is it logical to speak of the absence of his presence in hell? They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power -2 Thessalonians 1:9
If God is immutable, how can any love he possesses for us ever change into wrath? The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. - Nahum 1:3
If you have/had a child who disowned you as a parent, and you therefore reacted by revoking any extension of love you possessed for them, in what sense could your love be considered unconditional? Contrary to the world’s mindset, the fact that “God is love” does not mean He “winks at” or excuses sin (Rom. 6:23). However, He forgives us if we are humble enough to ask.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 6:23
If God's love is conditioned on our actions or beliefs about him, is it fair to say that God's love is inferior to the love that many human parents do in fact possess for their children? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 8:35-39
Your last two questions contradicted each other by the way. You question god's love being inferior to a parents love. Yet the question before you verily state a parent reacting by revoking their love for a child. God is our heavenly father. He is a parent to us all. For we are his creation. God is love, but just like a parent can be made to become disgusted, and hate his children. Just like a parent with a child that rebels. That parent does not know that child that rebels any more, because that child is not the child that the parent raised. Only due to his own actions. Love rules all. After we're in heaven we will no longer need faith, because we will be with god, and see. After we're in heaven we will no longer need hope, because our hope will be realized. And finally when we're in heaven love will continue.
It is not me who could post these things, or come up with these things. Obviously they are from the bible. It is gods holy spirit, inspiration, and power that make's this able. The bible is truth. The bible is gods words. I could not be so smart by myself as to do these things on my own.
As much as we do not want ourselves, or other christians to burn in hell we do not want to see ANYONE burn in hell. I wish everyone in hell could be saved eventually, but I'm pretty sure this is not so. If me a mortal man who is not pure, who is not perfect, who is not ALL TRUTH, who is not worthy, who is basically nothing does not want to see anyone burn in hell. Do you not think god does not want to see you burn in hell?
No one would want to burn in hell for TRILLIONS of years. Imagine what one day in hell would feel like. You know time on earth sometimes goes by slow, sometimes fast. It talks about gods time being different from our time on earth. It says nothing about how the time in hell is. Just imagine you being bored, waiting, or any situation where the time passes slow for you. I don't think there is redemption from hell.
Just a month ago I was looking at porn, hateful, masturbated lots, practiced trying to open my chakra, practiced trying to orgasm with the root chakra to do it "hands free", smoked weed, I knew these things were wrong. Well the weed I didn't think was that bad, but finally after I turned back to God, and Jesus I remembered things I had forgotten. I rebelled against god (turned away even though conviction was put on me) a few years ago. Smoking weed, and reading the bible before I went off to play Counterstrike Source. I felt in my heart that I either could continue to smoke weed, and do as I pleased, or I could stop and turn to god. I continued to smoke weed, and do as I pleased. Only like I said a month ago in my love for my sin did I turn back to him. I knew it was wrong. Finally, finally I hated it. Finally I wanted to change. That's the biggest thing. YOU have to want to change. You have to want it in your heart. You have to hate your sin. How can you want that if you love it? Obviously you can't. You don't want to sacrifice anything. You want to continue to do what pleases you. I've stopped smoking weed, I've stopped looking at porn, I've stopped masturbating. Obviously I also stopped practicing any yogi, meditation, chakra crap. When I was younger I had "gay experiences." I knew these were wrong when I was younger. I did not want to continue that lifestyle. I did wrestle with that for a while. (My sexuality.) I knew it was wrong, I wanted the change in my heart, and it had changed. That was younger though.
I can't say anything to you to change you, that is all up to you, and god. I'm no better than anyone one of you. I'm a sinner too. The only thing I have that you don't have is help from god. Help to turn away from my sin. Help to understand. My hope for you guys is that the below has not happened to you....
They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. -Ephesians 4:18
Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ -Matthew 13:14-15
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
-1 John 4:18
Is God's love conceived as conditional or unconditional?
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. -Romans 5:8
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. -1 Corinthians 13:4-7
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. -John 3:16
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God -Ephesians 2:8
If it is unconditional, how can one ever divorce themselves from it?
See link - http://carm.org/does-god-hate-anyone
Does God continue to love those whom he has reserved hell for?
See link - http://randalrauser.com/2011/12/does-god...-not-save/
If God is omnipresent, in what sense is it logical to speak of the absence of his presence in hell? They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power -2 Thessalonians 1:9
If God is immutable, how can any love he possesses for us ever change into wrath? The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. - Nahum 1:3
If you have/had a child who disowned you as a parent, and you therefore reacted by revoking any extension of love you possessed for them, in what sense could your love be considered unconditional? Contrary to the world’s mindset, the fact that “God is love” does not mean He “winks at” or excuses sin (Rom. 6:23). However, He forgives us if we are humble enough to ask.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 6:23
If God's love is conditioned on our actions or beliefs about him, is it fair to say that God's love is inferior to the love that many human parents do in fact possess for their children? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 8:35-39
Your last two questions contradicted each other by the way. You question god's love being inferior to a parents love. Yet the question before you verily state a parent reacting by revoking their love for a child. God is our heavenly father. He is a parent to us all. For we are his creation. God is love, but just like a parent can be made to become disgusted, and hate his children. Just like a parent with a child that rebels. That parent does not know that child that rebels any more, because that child is not the child that the parent raised. Only due to his own actions. Love rules all. After we're in heaven we will no longer need faith, because we will be with god, and see. After we're in heaven we will no longer need hope, because our hope will be realized. And finally when we're in heaven love will continue.
It is not me who could post these things, or come up with these things. Obviously they are from the bible. It is gods holy spirit, inspiration, and power that make's this able. The bible is truth. The bible is gods words. I could not be so smart by myself as to do these things on my own.
As much as we do not want ourselves, or other christians to burn in hell we do not want to see ANYONE burn in hell. I wish everyone in hell could be saved eventually, but I'm pretty sure this is not so. If me a mortal man who is not pure, who is not perfect, who is not ALL TRUTH, who is not worthy, who is basically nothing does not want to see anyone burn in hell. Do you not think god does not want to see you burn in hell?
No one would want to burn in hell for TRILLIONS of years. Imagine what one day in hell would feel like. You know time on earth sometimes goes by slow, sometimes fast. It talks about gods time being different from our time on earth. It says nothing about how the time in hell is. Just imagine you being bored, waiting, or any situation where the time passes slow for you. I don't think there is redemption from hell.
Just a month ago I was looking at porn, hateful, masturbated lots, practiced trying to open my chakra, practiced trying to orgasm with the root chakra to do it "hands free", smoked weed, I knew these things were wrong. Well the weed I didn't think was that bad, but finally after I turned back to God, and Jesus I remembered things I had forgotten. I rebelled against god (turned away even though conviction was put on me) a few years ago. Smoking weed, and reading the bible before I went off to play Counterstrike Source. I felt in my heart that I either could continue to smoke weed, and do as I pleased, or I could stop and turn to god. I continued to smoke weed, and do as I pleased. Only like I said a month ago in my love for my sin did I turn back to him. I knew it was wrong. Finally, finally I hated it. Finally I wanted to change. That's the biggest thing. YOU have to want to change. You have to want it in your heart. You have to hate your sin. How can you want that if you love it? Obviously you can't. You don't want to sacrifice anything. You want to continue to do what pleases you. I've stopped smoking weed, I've stopped looking at porn, I've stopped masturbating. Obviously I also stopped practicing any yogi, meditation, chakra crap. When I was younger I had "gay experiences." I knew these were wrong when I was younger. I did not want to continue that lifestyle. I did wrestle with that for a while. (My sexuality.) I knew it was wrong, I wanted the change in my heart, and it had changed. That was younger though.
I can't say anything to you to change you, that is all up to you, and god. I'm no better than anyone one of you. I'm a sinner too. The only thing I have that you don't have is help from god. Help to turn away from my sin. Help to understand. My hope for you guys is that the below has not happened to you....
They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. -Ephesians 4:18
Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ -Matthew 13:14-15
