God is love, right?

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UniversalistGuy

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Is there anyone else here who cherishes the hope that everybody will be saved in the end?
 
There is no hope for those who reject God and choose hell. We know for certain that Satan a third of the angels fell in the beginning (there is no hope for them).

I certainly hope that everyone loves God and attains salvation, but sadly I fear that a good many go down the wide road to perdition. 😦
 
I think that is God’s decision to make. We have pondered in RCIA class before “who would you be surprised to meet in Heaven?” If after the end of all of the ages, satan, tired from the fight and realizing his soon destruction, had an overwhelming change of heart and sincerely begged the Father for forgiveness, would the Father deny him? What if Judas had so much remorse for betraying Jesus that he killed himself to show how sorry he was? Would Jesus forgive him? I believe God is merciful to no end, but His justice must be served too. So yeah, there’s the sad but just possibilty of Hell being populated. I suppose some would argue it wouldn’t be fair to let even those who turned away from God to be saved. They made their choice now they have to pay the price for that choice. But who is to know how far God would go to forgive? We know He became man and let Himself be nailed to a cross for our sins so doesn’t that put Him in the “unable to define how extreme He may be” category alone? God is too awesome to really comprehend everything about Him after all.
God IS Love. So for now, why don’t we just try our best, pray for others, trust in God’s forgiveness and enduring mercy, and hope. Some may not have a chance with the choice they make, but if we do all this, we’ve at least tried to do our part, right?
Peace.
 
JMJ_coder said:
There is no hope for those who reject God and choose hell. We know for certain that Satan a third of the angels fell in the beginning (there is no hope for them).

I certainly hope that everyone loves God and attains salvation, but sadly I fear that a good many go down the wide road to perdition. 😦
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If God is love I think you may be mistaken. 🙂
 
His_little1 said:
I think that is God’s decision to make. We have pondered in RCIA class before “who would you be surprised to meet in Heaven?” If after the end of all of the ages, satan, tired from the fight and realizing his soon destruction, had an overwhelming change of heart and sincerely begged the Father for forgiveness, would the Father deny him? What if Judas had so much remorse for betraying Jesus that he killed himself to show how sorry he was? Would Jesus forgive him? I believe God is merciful to no end, but His justice must be served too. So yeah, there’s the sad but just possibilty of Hell being populated. I suppose some would argue it wouldn’t be fair to let even those who turned away from God to be saved. They made their choice now they have to pay the price for that choice. But who is to know how far God would go to forgive? We know He became man and let Himself be nailed to a cross for our sins so doesn’t that put Him in the “unable to define how extreme He may be” category alone? God is too awesome to really comprehend everything about Him after all.
God IS Love. So for now, why don’t we just try our best, pray for others, trust in God’s forgiveness and enduring mercy, and hope. Some may not have a chance with the choice they make, but if we do all this, we’ve at least tried to do our part, right?
Peace.
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Thoughtful post. Thank you. 👍
 
UniversalistGuy said:
Is there anyone else here who cherishes the hope that everybody will be saved in the end?
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Don’t know how I feel about it. Call me evil, carnal, or arcaic but the idea of divine retribution for some people doesn’t cause me to lose a moments sleep. Some people probably have it coming. I’ll let God decide who.
 
UniversalistGuy said:
If God is love I think you may be mistaken. 🙂
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God allows us to make our own choices. He has loved us enough to give us free will. Part of having free will is the ability to choose to turn away from God.

Love is not in opposition to justice or freedom.
 
UniversalistGuy said:
If God is love I think you may be mistaken. 🙂
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You are confused about love. You seem to think it does not include justice, but it does.

Love is also free and giving, even when it hurts. As much as it hurts God to see us turn our back on Him, he loves us so much He permits us this choice.
 
UniversalistGuy said:
If God is love I think you may be mistaken. 🙂
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“God is Love” is a pretty ambigious statement coming from the same book that describes God as killings thousands of men, women and children with floods, angels, plagues, famines, and war. The God who does such things can’t be love in the sense of being a Care-bear.
 
I agree with JMJ_coder. God will not save those who reject Him. And why should He? They rejected Him. It’s obvious they don’t want to be with Him.

God is indeed love, but He also has perfect justice. Those who will be punished will be punished rightly so; there are no mistakes.

God is also infinite in mercy, but only to those who accept it.

What this really comes down to is those who accept God will be saved. Those who turn against Him won’t.

Though that is an interesting question about Satan. Firstly, I doubt he’ll ever ask for forgiveness. But if he did, I think God would forgive him 🙂
 
CARV said:
Don’t know how I feel about it. Call me evil, carnal, or arcaic but the idea of divine retribution for some people doesn’t cause me to lose a moments sleep. Some people probably have it coming. I’ll let God decide who.
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I’m not in opposition to divine retribution but I hope after it has taken place God will restore everyone to Himself. If God is love, then that seems what He is most likely to do. No more sickness, suffering, or sorrow for anyone, because I don’t think divine love would be able to bear the anguished cries of those made in the divine image.
 
God loves us and therefore He honors and respects our decisions.
 
UniversalistGuy said:
I’m not in opposition to divine retribution but I hope after it has taken place God will restore everyone to Himself. If God is love, then that seems what He is most likely to do. No more sickness, suffering, or sorrow for anyone, because I don’t think divine love would be able to bear the anguished cries of those made in the divine image.
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The anguished cries of the Amalek mothers who had their babies heads smashed in by the Hebrew armies by God’s order didn’t seem to move His heart. Nor the screams of the Egyptian mothers who held thier children in their arms while God’s angel carried out His command. After reading the Bible, there is no limit in my mind of the agony that the God of love is willing to dish out to those made in the divine image.
 
UniversalistGuy said:
I’m not in opposition to divine retribution but I hope after it has taken place God will restore everyone to Himself. If God is love, then that seems what He is most likely to do. No more sickness, suffering, or sorrow for anyone, because I don’t think divine love would be able to bear the anguished cries of those made in the divine image.
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At death our will, either a) to love and serve God or b) to turn away from God, is eternally confirmed. Those who choose to love and serve God go to heaven to do so. Those who choose to turn away from God do so also. Since the will is eternally confirmed in our choice, no amount of time will alter that.
 
guanophore said:
UniversalistGuy;6810052:
If God is love I think you may be mistaken. 🙂
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You are confused about love. You seem to think it does not include justice, but it does.
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I don’t think I’m excluding justice. I’m saying I think it’s possible for God to punish the unrighteous and yet save everyone and still be just.
 
God’s love for us was so great that He made Himself into one of us just to be born to die a horrible death so that we all MAY be saved.

He didn’t even consider any such salvation plan for Lucifer and the rest of the rebellion. Angels, far superior to us, made before us, caste away. No wonder Satan is jealous and will try unto his last moment available to fight for every soul to take with him into the Lake of Fire.

Any Christian worth their salt will want everyone to be saved. Care enough to go into all the world and tell the Good News. Give of your wealth to support ministries. Do not be shy or embarressed to bring the Name of Jesus Christ into a conversation.

I share that desire that all will somehow be saved. In ways I cannot imagine but knowing that God can create a way where there is no way.

But part of faith is knowing Scripture is absolute Truth and the Word says that not all will come to Christ but willfully worship the person who reveals himself to be Anti-christ.

That done, there is no hope. God said it. There will be no mercy. And, at that Great White throne judgement, we will partake in the verdict.

Which is one reason why i say become a Chrsitian first, then, talk about denomination or various theologies and doctrine differences.
 
CARV said:
The anguished cries of the Amalek mothers who had their babies heads smashed in by the Hebrew armies by God’s order didn’t seem to move His heart. Nor the screams of the Egyptian mothers who held thier children in their arms while God’s angel carried out His command. After reading the Bible, there is no limit in my mind of the agony that the God of love is willing to dish out to those made in the divine image.
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Valid point. 🙂
 
JMJ_coder said:
At death our will, either a) to love and serve God or b) to turn away from God, is eternally confirmed. Those who choose to love and serve God go to heaven to do so. Those who choose to turn away from God do so also. Since the will is eternally confirmed in our choice, no amount of time will alter that.
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How can you be certain that this way of thinking is correct?
 
Doxiemom said:
Any Christian worth their salt will want everyone to be saved.
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Not necessarily. Calvinists proclaim themselves to be good Christians and I know some who seem to be very good Christians. They go to church and read their Bibles and even quote verses out of it at me. But Calvinists for the most part seem to believe in a God that they say creates people and simultaneously predestines those people to an eternity in hell. So Calvinists, like their God, do not want everyone to be saved.
 
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