God opens the gates of hell for us

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mariam1976

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i just had a heated discussion with my coworker… he says that God opens the gates of hell for us…!!!

how can this be true as i always thought that HE tries to prevent us from going there and it is us who make the decision …

He said that God condemns us to Hell…

I like to think of God as a loving God and cannot imagine HIM standing at the gates of hell telling me to go in…

:eek: :eek:
 
I myself prefer C.S. Lewis’s observation that Hell is locked from the inside. We choose to go there. As Lewis also states, “Either we say to God, ‘thy will be done,’ or at the end God says to us, ‘thy will be done.’”
 
Perhaps your coworker is misunderstanding the phrase from the Creed: “He descended into hell.” What it means is that Jesus rescued the holy souls in Abraham’s bosom and took them to heaven when he returned to the Father as a part of his resurrection (the exact chronology of this event escapes me at the moment). Those in the hell of the damned can never be released because they have chosen to be there of their own free will.
 
RNRobert said:
I myself prefer C.S. Lewis’s observation that Hell is locked from the inside. We choose to go there. As Lewis also states, “Either we say to God, ‘thy will be done,’ or at the end God says to us, ‘thy will be done.’”
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Thank you SO much for that simple but very profound truth… 🙂
 
Hi.
Well…Scipture tells us that: “…I hold the keys to death and hades” Rev. 1:18. Also, see Matt. 25:31-43 for the separation of “saved” and “lost” where the lost are condemned to hell by Jesus. He IS the just judge - He has a standard, and in fairness to all we ALL have to meet that standard.

We all know what to do and what not to do - cutting corners is not fair to us, to Him who died for us, or our fellow brothers and sisters here or in heaven.

I like that quote too that says ultimately it is us who send ourselves to hell - but it is Christ who judges, and Christ who holds the key of mercy…we cannot know who is “saved” and who is “lost”.
 
PraRFLEsEkHm said:
Hi.
Well…Scipture tells us that: “…I hold the keys to death and hades” Rev. 1:18. Also, see Matt. 25:31-43 for the separation of “saved” and “lost” where the lost are condemned to hell by Jesus. He IS the just judge - He has a standard, and in fairness to all we ALL have to meet that standard.

We all know what to do and what not to do - cutting corners is not fair to us, to Him who died for us, or our fellow brothers and sisters here or in heaven.

I like that quote too that says ultimately it is us who send ourselves to hell - but it is Christ who judges, and Christ who holds the key of mercy…we cannot know who is “saved” and who is “lost”.
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The really sad thing is that sometimes people throw themselves into Hell (sin) because they don’t like themselves, feel God doesn’t either… Please pray for those (i know a few and once was one myself…).
“You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”:knight2: 🙂
 
contramundum7 said:
The really sad thing is that sometimes people throw themselves into Hell (sin) because they don’t like themselves, feel God doesn’t either… Please pray for those (i know a few and once was one myself…).
“You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”:knight2: 🙂
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Yes, I know a few as well. I do pray for them and encourage others to do so as well. I never really felt that way myself…I just felt ignored at times :rolleyes: but it was all for the best…my best as it turned out. Not liking yourself is a vicious circle that takes much time from those who see it and desire to help those trapped in it. Rosaries are powerful weapons in these cases.

Peace
 
As I have always told my kids, no-one goes to Hell by accident. They are there because that is their choice. And God, who loves us all, respects that choice.
 
PraRFLEsEkHm said:
Yes, I know a few as well. I do pray for them and encourage others to do so as well. I never really felt that way myself…I just felt ignored at times :rolleyes: but it was all for the best…my best as it turned out. Not liking yourself is a vicious circle that takes much time from those who see it and desire to help those trapped in it. Rosaries are powerful weapons in these cases.

Peace
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That was an interesting statement: “not liking yoruself… takes much time from those who see it and desire to help those trapped in it…”
A big Amen… I guess you could say that trying to help those who are trapped that way is, well, you are damned if you do, damned if you don’t… because they just don’t buy it…
But i try to always keep in mind that feeling unloved by humans can lead to the desire to feel loved by God. It is sometimes easier to believe God loves us than humans… But then again, i have also “been there” where i didn’t believe God cared… One of the biggest lies of the devil… designed to keep people away from God…
Anyway, all we can do is pray and the rosary IS probably The most powerful way to do that…
The Mass is considered prayer, so the Mass would be THE best way to pray… which reminds me, i need to have a Mass offered up for someone. Thanks for the reminder…:highprayer: :o
 
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