HELL
By
James B. Hartline
© 1998
All our lives we have heard people
speak of hell. Preachers warn against burning forever
in eternal hell for our sins if we do not repent. Some people use the word
"hell" as profanity. I think it is about time we sort out the truth
of what the Bible really says about hell.
In the King James Version of the Old Testament, the Hebrew word Sheowl (Sheol) was frequently translated "hell." But it was almost as frequently translated "grave."
Thirty one times in the KJV it is translated "hell," and thirty times it is translated "grave."
Why is this?
Why not a consistent rendering?
What is the definition of Sheowl?
Strong's Concordance defines it: Hades or the world of the dead (as if a
subterranean retreat) including its accessories and inmates:
Notice: "dead" not walking around in a fire!
Sheowl
Sheowl is the only Hebrew word in the Old Testament that is translated "hell," yet almost half of the times it appears in Scripture, it is rendered "grave." In the Bible, all those who went to Sheowl were dead, waiting for the resurrection, (which in the New Testament, Jesus promised "on the last day.") There is no indication in the Scriptures that they were burning in a fire. They awaited the judgment, in an unconscious state of death.
"The earth will give birth to the departed spirits (ghosts). Isaiah 28:19c. NASB.
In the New Testament, there are three different words, all translated "hell" in the KJV as well as many other Bibles.
1. The first of these is used only one time. It is "tartaroo" defined as the deepest abyss of Hades): to incarcerate in eternal torment: It is translated ". . . cast them down to hell...
2. The second word that is translated "hell" in the KJV is Hades and it means "unseen, i.e. the place (state) of departed souls (persons).” Again, the KJV translates it one time "grave," "O grave, where is thy victory?" (It doesn't say Oh hell, where is thy victory?) and ten times it is rendered: "hell." Berry's Interlinear Bible defines it as: "the invisible world," and (figuratively) of deep degradation. Sounds like the grave to me. It means the same as Sheowl in the Hebrew.
3. The remaining Greek word which the KJV translates "hell" is Gehenna (of Hebrew origin) meaning valley of (the son of) Hinnom; Gehenna (or Ge-Hinnom) a valley of Jerusalem, used (fig.) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment.
There are several good Hebrew words: "qeber," "qebuwrah," "pittuwach," and at least one Greek word: "mnemeion," all of which may be translated: "sepulchre" or "grave." So why does the Hebrew text use "Sheowl?"
Wouldn't it be a reasonable assumption that the writer intended to make a distinction in the meaning by the use of each different word?
Why does the KJV translate sheowl "hell" one time and "grave" another time? Could it be that in Old English the words meant exactly the same thing?
I believe that the accurate rendering of both "Sheowl" and "Hades" is the "grave." Since the definition of "Tartaroo" hinges on the word "Hades," it could refer to the grave as well.
I do not believe any of these three words, "Sheowl," "Hades," or "Tartaroo" are meant to indicate eternal punishment, but merely, the grave.
So that leaves us only one word that might match up with our common concept of "hell," and that is "Geenna," or Gehenna, which refers to the valley of Hinnom in Jerusalem which was a refuse dump where the bodies of criminals and other "no-goods" were typically thrown to burn up instead of having a decent burial. This, Jesus appears to have used as a type of the "lake of fire" spoken of in Revelation 20:14. Either that, or he was speaking of natural consequences that would follow their actions if they did not change their ways.
The Valley of
Hinnom
was the scene of continual (perpetual) burning and there was always smoke going
up, as refuse was being continually thrown there, so the fire
never went out.
The painting "Dantes Inferno" depicts the devil and his demons with pitch-forks and forked tails, walking around in a fire. This was his concept of hell. This is where most people get their idea of what hell is like. Of course, it is not to be found in the Bible.
Is "hell" a burning fire, or is it the grave? Can't be both.
Here's a question that demands an answer:
If the devil and his demons are already in the lake of fire, or a burning "hell," as many people believe, are they just walking around in there, waiting eagerly for people to be cast in? The Bible says they the devil and his angels are cast into the "lake of fire" to be in eternal torment. (Rev. 20:10).
If you take a futurist position, the Book of the Revelation says they are yet to be thrown into the lake of fire? Rev. 20:10. That is to be their eternal punishment! If they are already there, does this mean that the Book of the Revelation has already been fulfilled?
I suggest to you that the lake
of fire is not a natural fire, because it is designed to torment spirit
beings.
There are lots of questions that must be answered!
Eternal Punishment
I believe there is a great
misunderstanding of what "hell" really is and it is largely based
upon how we view "eternal punishment." As we said in the previous article,
we have always been taught that "hell" is a place where there is nothing but
fire and the devil and his demons live there and anxiously wait
for people to die and come there so they can be tortured for eternity
for the sins they committed during their short life on the earth. This
is a Dante's Inferno picture of "hell." It has been preached
for a long time and most folks have this picture in mind when they hear the word
"hell."
The lake of fire is not hell and hell is not the lake of fire.
If people go to hell when
they die, it must be something different to what we imagine. In the scriptures,
even David said, "thou will not leave my soul in hell." (This was actually
prophetic of Jesus.) The Hebrew word translated "hell" is "sheol"
and should have been translated "grave." It means: "thou will not leave my
soul in the grave." This indicates resurrection is to take place,
and it did, not only of Jesus, three days after he was crucified, but also
many saints of old were raised and coming out of their tombs after His resurrection
they appeared to many in the city of Jerusalem.
Wicked Dead
Isaiah, speaking of the wicked dead, said: "The dead will not live, the departed spirits will not rise; therefore Thou has punished and destroyed them, and Thou has wiped out all rememberance of them." Isaiah 26:14.
Righteous Dead
But speaking of the righteous dead, Isaiah said: "Your dead will live; their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, for your dew is as the dew of the dawn, and the earth will give birth to the departed spirits. So come, my people, enter into your rooms, and close your doors behind you; hide for a little while, until indignation runs its course. 21. For behold, the Lord is about to come out from His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; and the earth will reveal her bloodshed, and no longer cover her slain. Isaiah 26:19.
Burning Hell?
Did either one of these groups go to a burning "hell?" No, they died and went to their grave. That's what the Hebrew word "Sheol," translated "hell" in the King James Bible means. But it is only translated "hell" about half of the time. The other half of the times it is used, it is translated "grave." So which is it? Notice that the wicked dead above just didn't exist any longer, but the ones labeled "Your dead" were to be resurrected and live again. "The earth will give birth to the departed spirits."
In Old Testament days, when someone died, he was put in a grave or tomb and he slept until the Lord raised him up. This was true only for the righteous dead, according the the above scripture.
Not valid for today!
The Old Testament law of an eye-for-an-eye and a tooth-for-a-tooth (Mt. 5:38), is not valid for today. We are not judged for what we call "sins," but for "sin." The very fact of not accepting Jesus Christ as our savior is "sin." In fact, it is the sin that insures destruction. You see, when we do accept Jesus as the propitiation for our sin, it is His righteousness that saves us. When we trust in Him and following His precepts, His righteousness is imputed to us. Our self-righteousness is as filthy rags. It can never save us. Salvation by works is impossible.
As far as "sins" are concerned, the Bible says "if we judge ourselves we will not be judged" (This indicates a righteous, accurate judgment, not just an arbitrary decision). That means, when we die and face the Lord, if we judged ourselves rightly and repented of our sins, then there remains no judgment. Our sins are covered by the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
None Righteous
It is obvious that under the law no one could live a righteous life without sin. That is, no one except Jesus. He fulfilled all righteousness thereby redeeming us from the curse, but to do this, He had to die. "The wages of sin is death." He took our penalty to free us from the wages of sin. To receive His free gift, we have to believe on Him. That word believe means a lot more than we think. Strong's Concordance says it means:
"persuasion, i.e, credence; mor. conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), espec. reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstr. constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:"
Belief and faith come from the same Greek word, "pistis". It means total reliance upon Jesus for our eternal salvation, adherence to, constancy in our profession of faith." You can see that It means much more that the English word "believe," which Webster defines as "to be reasonably sure that something is true."
When we believe, in the true sense of the word, we are freed from the sentence that was placed upon us by the sin of Adam. We do not have to fear eternal punishment or being cast into outer darkness away from God.
So just what does the Bible say eternal punishment is like?
If eternal punishment for not accepting Jesus Christ was: "to live forever in a burning hell," then Jesus, in order to atone for our sins would have had to burn in hell forever, in our place.
If our punishment was to be death, He would only have had to die for us. The Bible says: "The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23. It doesn't say that the wages of sin is eternal life in a burning fire. Death is merely "cessation of life."
Is Jesus burning in hell? Of course not! Did He effectively make atonement for our sins? Of course He did! The requirement to satisfy our sentence was death and He paid it all.
Did Jesus Go to Hell?
Some believe that, when Jesus was crucified, He went to hell (a burning fire where they suppose that Satan lives) and brought out the captives from there. This is faulty doctrine. This assumes that the people who died before Christ were all in a burning hell. (You cannot find this in the Bible.) Then after He was crucified, they say, He went to hell to rescue them.
Why would they be in hell if they were to be freed from it? The Bible teaches that those Old Testament people died and "slept with their fathers." This is another way of saying they were placed in the tomb or grave and were "asleep" until the Messiah would come to free them from death (not from a burning hell). If they were wicked, they remained dead.
Sheol is the grave, so is Hades!
As I said earlier, the word "sheol" in the Old Testament is merely the grave and it is translated that way half of the time, even in the KJV. The word "hell" comes from the old English word "helan," which means to cover something over. That's where we get our word "shell." So the people who died before Christ came were in their graves, not in a burning hell. We have to base our doctrines on the Bible, not cleverly devised tales.
By His death, Jesus paid our debt and we were freed from the sentence of the second death. Of course we will all have to die the natural death (it is appointed unto man once to die...Hebrews 9:27-28) but we will not have to taste the second death of eternal separation from God. Neither will Christians sleep in the grave. Those who accepted Jesus as their savior go immediately to be with Him when they die, and are given glorified (heavenly) bodies. They no longer have need of their fleshly bodies and never will. The old body returns to the dust from where it came.
In the New Testament, we find, the words "hades," "tartaroo," and "gehenna," all translated "hell." The three words have totally different meanings. "Hades" is the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew "sheol." It means, the grave.
Gehenna refers to the Valley of Hinnom, which was a refuse dump outside Jerusalem where people not worthy of a decent burial were thrown to burn up. Tartaroo is from the same root as "hades," and is only used once as a deep recess or pit.
Of these three, only gehenna relates to fire. It is a type of the lake of fire. Jerusalem was destroyed by fire and the world of the Jews of that time burned up and they were destroyed in it. Many jumped from the walls into the burning fire. The Scriptures said: "Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, (written before A. D. 70) by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition (destruction) of ungodly men."
Fear
However you relate to the above, fear of "hell" should not be your reason for accepting Jesus as your Savior. Desire to love and serve Him is a much greater reason. I am not sure that those who are "scared" into accepting Him really do. Maybe they are persuaded by their pastor that they are "saved." Salvation is more than "fire insurance."
GATES
OF HELL
© 1998
In Matthew 16, beginning with verse 16, "And Simon
Peter answered and said, "Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17. And
Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona,
because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
18. "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My
church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it." NASB.
I have heard preachers many time say "we're going to storm the gates of hell!" What exactly does this scripture mean?
The Greek word for gates, "pule," pronounced "poo'-lay," means "entrance" or "Portal," and the word for Hell is "Hades," which means "state of departed souls, or "grave." This Jesus spoke concerning the resurrection from the dead. They no longer had to fear death, for by the resurrection from the dead all live eternally who believe in Jesus. The portals of the grave shall not prevail against the church.
"Have the gates of death been revealed to you?" Job 38:17.
These things seem very small
to take issue with, but as we continue, you will see that there are many more serious
issues which are much misunderstood. Most of it has to do with the "end-time," or
what is also called the "last days."
Name: Rev. Joseph
P. Hildebrandt Sr.
Email Address:
newkid8563@yahoo.com
Date: May 14, 2007
Time: 10:03:27 AM
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Name: William Wilbur
Email Address:
whom_seek_ye_@yahoo.com
Date: June 15, 2007
Time: 11:55:03 PM
THE WATER THE SPIRIT THE BLOOD John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, Verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. 1John 5:7, 8 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, the Water, and the Blood: and these three agree in one. In the Old Testament, the Day of Atonement revealed the future Salvation through Jesus Christ. Once a year, the High Priest (Aaron) would lay his hands on the head of a living goat called the "scapegoat." This act was to pass all the sins of Israel for that year, onto this sacrifice. The sacrifice (death) of this scapegoat would have been meaningless... if the sins were not passed onto it first. In the same respect… The sacrifice (death) of Jesus on the cross would have been meaningless... if all the sins of the world were not passed onto him first. John the Baptist, through his father Zacharias and his mother Elisabeth, was a descendant of Aaron the High Priest; John who was the last Earthly Priest to represent all mankind. met with Jesus, the Heavenly Priest at the Jordan River. Matt 3:13-15 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be Baptized of him. But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him. (for thus means… Baptism by the laying on of hands is the most appropriate, just, and fitting manner to "pass on" the sins of the world) And as in the Old Testaments' "shadow of things to come" John the High Priest passed all the sins of the world onto Jesus (the sacrifice) at this water baptism. Yes, the animal sacrifices of the old testament foreshadowed what Jesus would come and do. Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb of God, who would take on all the sins of the world... and then proceeded to the cross to pay for them with his lifeblood. It makes perfect sense for Jesus to tell John that it was necessary for him to baptize him... for he couldn’t proceed to the cross without the sins. If the Priest in the old testament didn’t put the sins on the head of the sacrifice first, the sacrifice was not acceptable to God, and its death would have been meaningless. Likewise, if John didn’t put the sins on the head of Jesus first, the sacrifice would also not be acceptable to God, and his death would have been meaningless. Matt 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up STRAIGHTWAY out of the water.... And it also makes perfect sense that Jesus came straightway out of the water as he was baptized by the hands on the head, straight down and straightway out... John the Baptist was a significant part of our Salvation!! What did Jesus himself say about John? Matt 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist (Greater than Isaiah, Ezekiel, and even Moses) Matt 3:16,17 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. After the baptism, the next day John saw Jesus again and witnessed to all; John 1:29 ...behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. John knew Jesus was now carrying the sins of the world and witnessed it aloud!! It isn’t our baptism....but the baptism of Jesus that was essential to our salvation!! For this is where Jesus would "cut-off" all sin in the world. The sacrificial requirement of passing all sins onto Jesus had been correctly accomplished. (the WATER) The Spirit of God had descended. In the form of a dove (the SPIRIT) Jesus would now proceed on to the cross, where he would accept the judgment for all sin.... IN OUR PLACE (the BLOOD) God sent his Son to save us from all sins. (past, present, and future) Jesus came to save us from all sins. (past, present, and future) When Jesus cried out: IT IS FINISHED!! Was it not finished? Did he not save all of us who by faith accept his water, spirit, and blood sacrifice? Was it not completely sufficient? Heb 10:12,14 But this man, after he had offered ONE sacrifice for sins FOREVER, sat down on the right hand of God: For by ONE offering he has perfected FOR EVER them that are sanctified All we have to do is understand how this great salvation was accomplished and by faith accept it as the truth and believe. Remember, the sacrifice (death) of Jesus would be meaningless... if he didn't take all the sins with him. Satan's plan is that we won't see the importance of the water aspect of Salvation and that while we profess to believe in Jesus, we will still have sin in our hearts upon Christ's return. For if we fail to believe by faith in the water aspect of Salvation and that Jesus took all the sins of the world upon himself at his baptism; we will be found still having our sins in our hearts and we will not be fit for the Kingdom of God. We must believe by faith, that Jesus cleansed our hearts of all sin. We are no longer separated from God the Father, but are now restored children of God without sin. Jesus took all sin (past, present and future) to the cross If a person doesn't believe this by faith and only believes in the blood on the cross.... the sacrifice of Jesus would be meaningless for that person; as that persons' sins were not put on Jesus by faith in the high priests baptism. Thus, that person’s faith would fail to represent all the necessary aspects of true salvation... the Water, Spirit, and the Blood Let's take a look at the most important Holiday for Israel… "The Passover" This was a special day to remember and thank God, for the Exodus from Egypt. God told Abraham, that if he and his descendants would enter into his covenant and be circumcised; He would become their God, and they would become his people. Circumcision was the "cutting off" of the foreskin, signifying…the "cutting off" of sin and becoming Gods' people. Only those who were circumcised became Gods' people and were allowed to eat the meat of the Passover celebration. Just as the sacrifice (death) of Jesus on the cross would have been meaningless; if the sins of the world were not passed onto him first… Participating in the Passover without being circumcised and being Gods' People; would also have been meaningless. In the new Testament we find that… spiritually… Rom 2:29 Circumcision is that of the heart. Spiritual Circumcision… is spiritually "cutting off" sin, thus becoming Gods' people. We do so by faith, and believing in the Water, the Spirit, and the Blood. We "cut off" sin, by believing in faith, that Jesus took all sins upon himself at his baptism and then proceeded to the cross. where he would pay the price (judgment) for them in our place. The moment we see, understand and believe this beautiful truth; we no longer have any sins in our hearts, as they are immediately transferred to our sacrifice... Jesus; and the separation between us and God the Father have been eliminated forevermore. If we don't believe Jesus took all sins to the cross, and just believes in the blood… We are essentially eating the Passover… without being spiritually circumcised. We are attempting to be covered by the blood of Christ; without first becoming Gods' people. Let's take a look at the book of Joshua, Joshua led Gods' people to the Jordan enrooted to the "promised land". When the Priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant, stepped into the Jordan (known as the river of death); The water was "cut off" and parted leaving dry land so they could cross over into the "promised land". Foreshadowing that Jesus was to be baptized by John at the Jordan; and would "cut off" all sin forever. So we could enter the "promised land" by the Water, the Spirit, and the Blood sacrifice of Jesus!! Let's now take a look at the Sanctuary and the Tabernacle: The Tabernacle was constructed according to Gods' commands and it surely is relevant that he used Blue, Purple, and Scarlet thread to match the Water, Spirit, and Blood. The entry gate of the Sanctuary was also constructed with these colors, signifying that one must have the correct faith in Jesus, to even enter the Sanctuary and attempt to go back to God the Father through Christ. And it is no accident that the Blue, Purple, and the Scarlet colors were all over the Tabernacle as well as on the entry to the Holy Place, to the Most Holy Place, and even on the veil between the Holy and the Most Holy Place. The outer layer of the Tabernacle was brown signifying Jesus would come as a man underneath this is the red layer signifying Jesus would shed his blood underneath this is the white layer signifying He would make us pure as snow and then, the beautiful Blue/purple/scarlet layer signifying the True Gospel of the Water Spirit and the Blood which would be the correct faith that allows us to go back to the Father, through Jesus Christ. It is interesting, that these beautiful colors are the layer between us and the Father and that this truth was hidden underneath the coverings, yet not hidden at the gate of the Sanctuary or the entrance to the Holy Place. Just a thought: In Noah’s time.... it had never rained, and the people that didn't believe in the "water".... were not saved by God, - but perished. In Jesus' time...the people that don't believe in the "water" aspect of Salvation and the "cutting off" of sin will likewise perish. Remember, the sacrifice of Jesus would be meaningless if he didn't take all the sins with him to the cross. Either he took all the sins with him and finished what he came to do; or we are saved by faith as we are sinless by his righteousness.... OR we choose…not…to believe that all our sins are gone... and when he returns we won’t be able to stand and face him; because we failed to believe the "Water" aspect of Salvation. which would mean; we were never spiritually circumcised to become Gods' people... yet, we were trying to be covered by his blood. When Jesus said: "It is finished" Was it not finished? If the Son therefore shall make you free, You shall be free indeed!! Praise, Honor, and Glory be unto Jesus Christ, the Living Son of the Living God!! Accept his free gift of Salvation by saying a prayer similar to this: Father in Heaven, in Jesus name I pray… to thank you Lord… for revealing to me that salvation is only found in your Holy Son Jesus. I confess Jesus; I am a sinner, destined for hell. I have broken all your laws and commandments. Masses of sin are in me, and I can do nothing but sin over and over again. So I call upon your Holy name Jesus, and accept and believe that you take me as I am, and that you have already taken all my sins with thee to the cross. All I have to do is believe by faith and my heart is cleansed of all transgressions; and I instantly become a child of God and thy Holy Spirit dwells within me. Thank you Lord Jesus for being a wonderful loving God and Savior. Truly You are most worthy of all Praise, Honor, and Glory. Amen. Heb 10:12,14 But this man, after he had offered ONE sacrifice for sins FOREVER, sat down on the right hand of God: For by ONE offering he has perfected FOR EVER them that are sanctified. 1 John 5:6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. 1 Peter 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth now also save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ Rejoice!! You are now a child of God… a bright Light in a dark dark world. Reborn of the water and of the spirit!! Acceptable to God the Father because of the righteousness of Christ!! Let your light so shine!! Remembering always…. that faith without works is dead and by works was faith made perfect. James 2:12 So speak ye and so do, as they that will be judged by the law of liberty. And walk ye in the Spirit… LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, GENTLENESS GOODNESS, FAITH, MEEKNESS, TEMPERANCE. Peace that passeth all understanding I....myself....have great peace within me; for now I understand.... How Jesus has taken all of my sins (past, present, and future) with him to the cross. And if you can believe it he has also taken all of yours!! We are now accounted as righteous before God the Father because Jesus not only took our sins to the cross; he has also paid the price for them... in our place!! It's so simple... If you don’t believe by faith that Jesus has taken all of your sins... when he returns you will still have your sins in your heart (mind) and you will not be able to stand before him and his brightness. You can believe your sins are gone and paid for; or you can hold on to them and perish; because you didn't accept his free gift of Salvation. If you accept his free gift of Salvation, your heart is emptied of all sin and the true Holy Spirit can thus enter. This is the "rebirth" that Jesus said you must have prior to entering the Kingdom of God. We are accounted as righteous before the Father, as we honor him, by honoring his Son Jesus and accepting his righteousness as our garment that the Father looks upon- after we believe.... The WATER, the SPIRIT, and the BLOOD In closing, We were born into sin We must be "reborn" into righteousness Where do you believe Jesus took the sins upon himself? In the Garden of Gethsemane? Did he take them at the cross? It is a very important question, as Salvation is based on your Faith; that Jesus was who he was, and did what he did. Since the entire sacrificial system of the old testament foreshadowed what Jesus would come and do; we can no longer believe just in the blood at the cross. We have to acknowledge that even though the Lord didn’t plainly tell us that Jesus took the sins upon himself at his baptism... He has given us wisdom enough to see and know; that the evidence is substantial and must be addressed by those who truly seek God. People forget how sly Satan is.... He doesn’t want us to know that Jesus took all sins at his baptism... so that our sins will remain in our hearts and never get to the cross. Jesus basically said if your mind even thinks about a sin; you may as well have done it. He was trying to show us the great "degree" in which we are all sinners. We are saturated with the disease of sin.... A person couldn't possibly pray enough to cover all their sins. and since this is so, and sin can never enter heaven.... one man said: Who then could possibly be saved? and Jesus replied, "with God all things are possible." The ONLY way anyone can be "saved" is to be completely COVERED by the righteousness of Jesus!! But we have to truly know who Jesus is, lest we fall into the lost group that says: Lord didn't we do great things in your name? Didn't we cast out devils in your name? And Jesus replies, I never knew you... The True Gospel of the Water, the Spirit, and the Blood is that close relationship that we need to have with our Lord and Savior. I believe Jesus has paid the price for all sins!! but we first have to have put all our sins on him by the Correct Faith of... the Water, Spirit, and the Blood.... Otherwise- Jesus hasn't taken YOUR sins with him to the cross, and you are still carrying them in the table of your heart!! Jer 17:1 The sin of Judah is written with a PEN of Iron, and with POINT of a DIAMOND: it is Graven upon the Table of their Heart, and upon the horns of your alters. The moment (the blinking of an eye) when one understands the "Water" part of Salvation... and SEES and BELIEVES by true FAITH... that Jesus has already taken all their sins at his baptism- That is the moment you are reborn of the "WATER" Your sins, are instantly transferred to Jesus and his payment on the cross covers them!! You are instantly a child of God from that very moment, as the Father sees ONLY the righteousness of Jesus when looking at you. What about daily sins?? Yes, you will sin until you die, or until all things are made new. But even those are blotted out... if you have the proper faith. Jesus does not have to come back again to pay for your daily sins!! Heb 10:12,14 But this man, after he had offered ONE sacrifice for sins FOREVER, sat down on the right hand of God: For BY ONE offering he has perfected FOREVER them that are sanctified.
Why did God send his Son into the world? Jesus answers this: John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the WORLD through him might be SAVED. John 12:47 ...for I came not to judge the world, but to SAVE THE WORLD. 1John 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the WORLD. 1John 2:2 And he (JESUS) is the propitiation (atoning sacrifice) for our sins: and not for ours only, but for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD. 2Cor 5:19 To wit, that GOD was in CHRIST, reconciling the WORLD unto himself, NOT imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 1Tim 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that CHRIST JESUS came into the world to SAVE sinners; John 1:29 Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the WORLD. 2Peter 3:9 The LORD is...not willing that ANY should perish, 1Tim 2:4 Who will have ALL men to be SAVED, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 1Tim 4:10 ...because we trust in the living GOD, who is the SAVIOUR of ALL men, specially (but not only) of those that believe. God sent Jesus to be SAVIOUR of the entire WORLD. Can Jesus be SAVIOUR of the entire WORLD... and NOT save the entire WORLD ? Matt 6:10 ....THY WILL BE DONE in earth, as it is in heaven.
God is: Sovereign- He is the supreme authority in total control of all things. Omnipresent- He is present everywhere always. Omnipotent- His power is unlimited; He can do whatever he wills, whenever he wills; and his will...will be done always. Omniscient- He knows all things which can be known; past present and future. GOD is: the supreme authority who is ever present has unlimited power and knows all things. Isaiah 46:9,10 ...I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me. Declaring the end...from the beginning. 1Peter 1:19,20 But with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifested in these last times for you. Would the all knowing God prepare a sacrifice for sins at the foundation of the world.... if sin was an unexpected tragedy? If a scientist creates... an experiment or a machine that malfunctions- 1. Is he responsible for the malfunction? YES!! 2. Does he hold the experiment ot machine responsible? NO!! 3. Does he hold God responsible? NO!! Why do Christians teach: If God creates an experiment or a machine that malfunctions- 1. Is he responsible for the malfunction? NO!! 2. Does he hold the experiment or machine responsible? YES!! 3. Does he hold man responsible? YES!! This is not true... God takes full responsibility for his creation and all aspects of it; including sin entering the world. Is it not possible that God intended for sin to enter the world and that man gaining the knowledge of good and evil was necessary in process of us becoming "in the image of God"? Or are we to believe that the all knowing, all powerful, unlimited God tried unsuccessfully to make a good creation... and had no idea of the disaster to come? And he lacks the power and ability to fix the situation? Christians also teach: Adam and Eve were perfect until sin entered the picture. They were as perfect as God intended for that present period of time. Rom 8:20-22 For the creature was made subject to vanity not willingly but by reason of him (God) who hath subjected the same in hope Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain until now Vanity-empty vain profitless depravity (wickedness) Bondage-slavery subjection Corruption-spoil ruin deprave defile decay destroy perish Groan-moan calamity murmur grief anguish Travail-pangs pain travail as in birth Pain-anguish starving God himself subjected the whole creation to vanity and it is God himself who will deliver the whole world from the bondage of corruption, pain, and suffering. God has a plan, a purpose, and a process for his creation. He is in total control and all is going and will continue to go as planned. God doesn’t just know what will happen in the future; He causes all that will happen in the future!! It was not possible.... for Satan not to sin- He was created for the express purpose of being Gods' adversary And so....of course he was a sinner from the beginning!! It was not possible....for Adam and Eve not to sin- They were created for the express purpose of being molded into the image of God... (an on-going process) They had to eat the forbidden fruit... As knowing Good and Evil was a required step in the process of becoming the image of God. It was God.... who created the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil. who placed it in the middle of the garden who made it desirable It was God who placed within Adam and Eve the desires that would cause them to partake It was God who placed Satan the Serpent in the garden to do the tempting. And it was God who already planned for Adam and Eve’s salvation .... through the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world!! God is the Creator......not Satan and everything created in this world- was created by God and for his plan and purposes..... This includes his creating EVIL: Isaiah 45:6,7 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me, I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the Light, and create Darkness; I make Peace and create Evil: I the Lord do all these things. And so it was God himself who intended from the beginning that Satan and Man sin. This does not make God a sinner: for sin is a mistake a missing of the mark a falling short of the glory of God And God has never made a mistake or fallen short of perfection. Man is "accountable" for his sins, because he sinned willingly from the heart, but God takes "responsibility" for man sins, and therefore had already provided a Savior before the foundation of the world.
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Name: Jill
Email Address:
jthirsch1960@yahoo.com
Date: October 16, 2007
Time: 07:35:37 PM
Hello Pastor , I am Jill Hirsch, daughter of a Jewish Rabbi. My father was a wonderful man who lived what he called a life of daily repentance. He recently passed away. He taught his entire life that God will forgive the repentant sinner - no matter how bad the person had been - as long as he repented. He had a particular chapter in the prophets that was his life-scripture. It was Ezekiel chapter 18. In it God explains that he will forgive the sinner who repents and his soul will not die but live. So he believed God and lived a life of daily repentance. Please read the chapter. Repent and live! The reason I write this is to inform you about the Prophet Ezekiel and God's Promise. Please clarify. Thank you in advance, J. Hirsch
Name: K. H.
Date: Sunday, June 15, 2008
Time: 07:06:54 AM
I think you'd better think again about what Dr. Roland T. Bird said about the footprints in Glen Rose. As a child visiting my Grandmother she took us to Glen Rose to see the dinosaur tracks way before the park was created. She talked to a older lady who owned some land that had tracks on it into letting us go there. She was a devote Christain and it took some rangling from one cattle rancher to another letting her know we wouldn't broadcast what we saw-she didn't want a bunch of trespassers to come in. My Father was making a career of the Military so she let us come in. She also had reservations because of the human footprints being near the dinosaur footprints which she knew went against comprehension of the Bible. They where the size of what Dr. Roland T. Bird described, but where clear as a bell exactly like my foot except a lot bigger and these where in hard core rock so they are probably still there today unlike the others in sandstone, etc. One thing she definately was not guilty of (unlike you) was to bare false witness (lie and try to debunk plain evidence), she honestly admitted she didn't know how such footprints could have gotten there and the land had been in her family for generations so she did not think they could have been faked. I too have no explanation as to why these human and dinosaur footprints where made in the same era, but unlike you I will not bare false witness.