God is severe?

[InJesusItrust]

I’ve been reading up on the four last things. I am starting to feel overwhelmed with sadness at the thought of how severe God might be. When I read some of the things that the saints wrote, God seemed kind and merciful. Now I am feeling scared at the thought of judgement: catholicmatters.com/deat05.htm

 

[stevekehl]

A righteous judge is to be feared by the unrighteous.

 

[KLJM12]

I’ve been reading up on the four last things. I am starting to feel overwhelmed with sadness at the thought of how severe God might be. When I read some of the things that the saints wrote, God seemed kind and merciful. Now I am feeling scared at the thought of judgement: catholicmatters.com/deat05.htm

Good. Every single person alive ought to fear their own judgement. However, we must hope that God will save us (assuming we are not in a state of mortal sin).

However, do not be overwhelmed. He DIED for you. You do not have a friend or family member on this earth who loves you more. I assure you.

We are told that we have to work out our salvation by FEAR and TREMBLING, as is dictated in Phillipians 2:12.

This is why we go to confession every single time we fall into mortal sin and before Mass. This is why we do everything that we can to remain free from the stain of sin and gain indulgences. This is why we beg our Blessed Mother to pray for us at the hour of our death.

It is good to fear your own judgement. But always hope that you will be saved and accepted into heaven. However, when one is in a state of mortal sin, there is no hope of his or her salvation. To believe contrary is named “The sin of presumption”. Therefore, always make sure to go to confession if you fall into mortal sin.

God bless you.

 

[Shin]

A righteous judge is to be feared by the unrighteous.

Good to read!

 

[jimmy]

These are comforting and hopeful replies.

 

[Carolus_Martell]

Be grateful, fear of the Lord is a gift of the Holy Spirit.

 

[Julia_Mae]

I’ve been reading up on the four last things. I am starting to feel overwhelmed with sadness at the thought of how severe God might be. When I read some of the things that the saints wrote, God seemed kind and merciful. Now I am feeling scared at the thought of judgement: catholicmatters.com/deat05.htm

Don’t be. There is no love greater than God’s, He understands all our weaknesses and wants us to be with Him. He wants us - that’s such a mind-blowing thing. No one is getting lost unless they actually run away.

You aren’t doing that, right?

The self-righteous, perfect, law-abiding guys weren’t the ones Jesus was having dinner with.

Go read Saint Faustina again.

 

[fred_conty]

I’ve been reading up on the four last things. I am starting to feel overwhelmed with sadness at the thought of how severe God might be. When I read some of the things that the saints wrote, God seemed kind and merciful. Now I am feeling scared at the thought of judgement: catholicmatters.com/deat05.htm

There is faith, hope and charity.

It is healthy to fear but not to the point of losing hope. Fear in the extreme is despair and we know doing this whose hands we have fallen into.

Hope is very important. With hope we count the days till heaven just as some count the days till Christmas. Hope in the extreme is presumption and we know doing this whose hands we have fallen into.

It is a fine balance between despair and hope and presumption. Too much fear is a lack of trust and hope in Jesus. Not enough fear is too much pride and trust in ourselves.

This is where prayer comes in, to give us light and strength. For thru prayer, we receive proper perspective of ourselves and of God. And thru prayer we receive the light of Christ, and his strength to follow thru to the end.

“Have mercy on me O Lord, for I am a sinner.” The proper balance.

And the one other shinning ray of hope we have is, “Hail Mary, full of grace…”

Just some thoughts.

 

[BobCatholic]

I am starting to feel overwhelmed with sadness at the thought of how severe God might be.

Might be?

We are held temporally responsible for the sins of Adam and Eve.

We are already dealing with some of that severity now.

 

[InJesusItrust]

Don’t be. There is no love greater than God’s, He understands all our weaknesses and wants us to be with Him. He wants us - that’s such a mind-blowing thing. No one is getting lost unless they actually run away.

You aren’t doing that, right?

The self-righteous, perfect, law-abiding guys weren’t the ones Jesus was having dinner with.

Go read Saint Faustina again.

I desire nothing more out of life than to someday be with God. Sometimes uncharitable thoughts pop out and I block them away and pray for forgiveness. I recall how Jesus forgave an adulteress and told her to sin no more.

But then I read these old school Catholic texts, and God seems completely different. Like the slightest failing may cost us a century in purgatory. Are the old school Catholics right or the new school ones? Has our understanding evolved better over time or are we fooling ourselves to be permissive in this society?

 

[BobCatholic]

He wants us - that’s such a mind-blowing thing. No one is getting lost unless they actually run away.

If God wants us, why won’t he takes us away to heaven NOW? Or the Garden of eden at least to bide our time until heaven?

 

[Julia_Mae]

I desire nothing more out of life than to someday be with God. Sometimes uncharitable thoughts pop out and I block them away and pray for forgiveness. I recall how Jesus forgave an adulteress and told her to sin no more.

But then I read these old school Catholic texts, …

That’s why they’ve replaced them with new texts! . You know, I was reading the section of the Catechism today about the story of the fall and noticed that the sin of Adam and that “original sin” we all have, refers to not trusting God’s mercy.

Don’t fill your brain with ugly b negative thoughts that block your view of the outrageous love and mercy of God.

Are the old school Catholics right or the new school ones?

Jesus is right. Just Jesus, Who is our Lord and our God. “God wants mercy, not sacrifice.”

 

[Julia_Mae]

If God wants us, why won’t he takes us away to heaven NOW? Or the Garden of eden at least to bide our time until heaven?

Because no matter how much you want your child to get a good Ivy League education, you don’t enroll him at Harvard when he is 9.

 

[John_Russell_Jr]

I’ve been reading up on the four last things. I am starting to feel overwhelmed with sadness at the thought of how severe God might be. When I read some of the things that the saints wrote, God seemed kind and merciful. Now I am feeling scared at the thought of judgement: catholicmatters.com/deat05.htm

My dear friend,

The way I see it personally is death, judgment, heaven and hell is not quite perfect for an explanation. It is true but can be seen another way which I feel reflects this reality better. If you have come before God in a state of rebellion then it is death, judgment, hell. This of course is severe. But it does not have to be that way. If you leave this world in Gods friendship ( in a state of grace ) then it is death, heaven – and that is it. Just do Gods will always and all will be well. It is simple really. If you fail to do Gods will you will have imperfect love and this must be purified in purgatory before you go to heaven. So even the absolute most imperfect sinner goes to heaven if they just repent and keep repenting until the end. Then it is death, purgatory, heaven. Judgment is for those that hate God and reject Him only. Just do Gods will and all will be ok. That is all that matters. Hope this helps dear friend.

Merry Christmas to you and all

Blessings and Peace +++

John

 

[BobCatholic]

Because no matter how much you want your child to get a good Ivy League education, you don’t enroll him at Harvard when he is 9.

God can make someone “ready for Harvard” at any age. It is called His Grace. Which He gives freely.

So the question still remains.

If God wants us, why won’t he takes us away to heaven NOW? Or at least to the Garden of Eden to bide our time until heaven?

 

[CrimsonThorn]

I think we see a lot of God’s wrath and judgement in the Old Testament because He had to respond to the sins and actions of the people during that era and also because Christ, the King of Mercy, had not yet come and died on the cross in atonement for man’s evil and sin yet. This is just my speculation.

I think a healthy fear of offending God can be good and I go through the same thing and I’ve learned to accept it as a blessing, because it is a constant reflection and reminder for us to stay vigilant and to stay on the right path so that we don’t get caught off guard by death, who is like a thief in the night, and takes us away unprepared.

I’m afraid of myself really and the wrong choices I may make at the wrong time and be caught off guard, but then I read this and have some consolation and confidence that I won’t make mortally wrong choices, especially at the hour of death…

“Never will anyone who says his Rosary every day be led astray. This is a statement that I would gladly sign with my blood.” -Saint Louis de Montfort

 

[Julia_Mae]

God can make someone “ready for Harvard” at any age. It is called His Grace. Which He gives freely.

And which people reject.

This place is the only way we get to that place and we are responsible for what we choose. It’s only by choosing God here, over and over and over again, that we ever get strong enough to withstand His absolute and Eternal Presence.

God didn’t make robots, He made us, and freewill is sacrosanct. If God were to overcome you in the manner you suggest, it would destroy you. We need to thank God for keeping us here, not complain about it. And we need to make someone else’s being here easier.

We need to choose Faith, chose Truth, choose acceptance and humility for this is how we become strong.

“My power is made perfect in weakness.” (Jesus Christ to St Paul)

 

[InJesusItrust]

That’s why they’ve replaced them with new texts! . You know, I was reading the section of the Catechism today about the story of the fall and noticed that the sin of Adam and that “original sin” we all have, refers to not trusting God’s mercy.

Don’t fill your brain with ugly b negative thoughts that block your view of the outrageous love and mercy of God.

Jesus is right. Just Jesus, Who is our Lord and our God. “God wants mercy, not sacrifice.”

Thank you. I feel better.

 

[stevekehl]

If God wants us, why won’t he takes us away to heaven NOW? Or the Garden of eden at least to bide our time until heaven?

Who would go into the world with the Good News? Who would visit the sick and imprisoned, clothe the naked, feed the hungry? We are Christ’s ambassadors to the world, and the world needs Christ more than ever.

 

[BobCatholic]

And which people reject.

Which is stupid. Then again, some people are created stupid, and don’t stand a chance of doing anything other than stupidity. Their free will is reduced or eliminated by their stupidity.

This place is the only way we get to that place and we are responsible for what we choose. It’s only by choosing God here, over and over and over again, that we ever get strong enough to withstand His absolute and Eternal Presence.

And why didn’t God just say “OK you chose me and now I give you the strength to withstand…”

He did that with the Angels that did not fall. Why didn’t He do that with us? Because we do not have as much value to him as they did.

God didn’t make robots,

No, he created imperfect people. If you write a buggy program, and it crashes, does it have a choice in the matter? Of course not.

When people, due to imperfections, fail, how do they have a choice in the matter?

The guy in the wheelchair cannot under any circumstances run the Boston Marathon.
The severely mentally retarded guy cannot earn his PhD, much less a high school diploma.

Imperfections limit, reduce, or eliminate free will.

He made us, and freewill is sacrosanct.

If free will were sacrosanct, it would be equally easy (or hard) to choose God or not to choose God. Instead, it is incredibly easy to lose God and extremely hard to keep him.
It takes a great deal of horrendous suffering to keep God. But do nothing and you lose him.

Also, if free will were sacrosanct, we would have been created perfect, without defects. Any imperfections reduce or eliminate our free will. Can’t have something “sacrosanct” while reducing it, limiting it, or eliminating it at the same time.

We need to thank God for keeping us here, not complain about it.

I don’t think it is fair to temporally hold us responsible for the sins of Adam and Eve. So I do complain about it.

And we need to make someone else’s being here easier.

And God won’t do this?

We did not create this world in such a mess, yet we are held temporally responsible for it. That is not just at all.