Featured Should we care as to who goes to Hell?

My first thread response was hyperbolic, but I do grasp reformed theology well; all varieties of it.
High Calvinism my have an emotional response to a loved one dying in sin, but they do not mourn their loss in a manner of "I could have done more,
Or I only I had done....".

 

The answer is really simple to your question, Salty. We do not know which specific individuals that God has elected for salvation and given to His Son as His bride, as the satisfaction for the travail of His soul. We do know that God has called on His people who He has already regenerated to life in Christ to be His ambassadors and proclaim the gospel, God's word of reconciliation throughout the world, to reach His elect. So, yes, we care about spreading the gospel as we follow the Father's command to do so as His ambassadors.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

 

Thank you for the clarification. I agree. One can only live this life, attempting to walk in step in with the Spirit of God and share the gospel in obedience. Should those around us die in their sin, it is according to God's providence.
This does not mean we do not grieve the death of the unreconciled. We do. But, we sit in silence, knowing God has been fair and just.

Matthew 23:37-39

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate. For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

 

why preach this, according to reformed theology, when it says that only the elect can be saved??? This is then a LIE!

 

God Himself WEEPS for the lost, and Calvinists who think that they no better, could not care less!

 

Both verses, as do many others, that clearly teach God's love and concern for the entire human race, to desire their salvation, are WRESTED by the so called "reformed/calvinists", to teach their PERVISION of their own "gospel"!

 

Actually, I just thought that we should not over react to hyperbole. Jesus said to pluck out our eye as hyperbole.

Deleting the hyperbole from the original post as potentially offensive seems appropriate to me.

Vilifying Reynolds and burning him at the stake as a heretic for the hyperbole seems an over-reaction. (Note MY use of hyperbole in this example … a bit of subtle dry humor thrown in for anyone that might notice and appreciate).

 

Do you share the Gospel with each and every person you encounter during your day? (I don’t.)

1. So why didn’t YOU share the gospel with the checkout girl at the supermarket when you bought groceries?
   
   
2. Why don’t we share the gospel with all of the people trapped in an elevator with us as we ride up to our floor?
   
   
3. Why don’t we make an announcement to all of the people riding on the bus with us? Shouldn’t we stop driving our car and use public transportation to create more opportunities?
   
   
4. Why don’t we visit a synagogue on Saturday and tell them?

The missed opportunities are endless. If the goal was really to tell everyone, we would be going about it different and doing a much better job.

So you really want to know why we don’t … lots of reasons, but most commonly:

• fear,
• self-doubt (lack of confidence)
• busy life crowding out the thought.

“Hate” is probably very low on the list of reasons.

As a layman converted to Christianity, the training in evangelism in the Church (capital ‘C’ deliberate) generally sucks. The teen at McDonalds gets better training to make fries than most churches offer in evangelism. To learn to make French fries, you read the directions, then you watch someone else make fries as they explain the process, then you make fries as someone oversees you, then you are trained and experienced enough to make fries on your own.

For evangelism, 30 people listen to a lecture and are sent out to try it on their own. Most try a few times, grow discouraged and stop trying. What ever happened to Paul and Barnabas taking Mark and Timothy alongside to teach them at least as well as the teen that makes French fries.

But what do I know about anything.

 

FYI, "people going to hell" and who's responsible for it is the very reason of the tension between "CALVIN VS A".

 

Serious Question Salty. Outside the doors of the church, when is the last time you shared The Gospel with someone? You done gone all high and mighty on me, so I am wondering if you are doing any better. I am not doing great, about 8 weeks ago was the last time I witnessed to someone outside church. (Internet don't count )

 

Typical evangelical gross misapplication.

 

I think this is main problem.
Now some might not know how.
Too often we are too busy or just do not want to make the time.
A list of openning questions can be made.
Some are quite simple.
"By the way, . . ."
"Do you go to church anywhere?"
"May I ask you a question?"
"Do you know for sure if you were to die . . . ."
"I am not selling life insurance . . . ."
"Are you a Christian?"

 

Why ask why when your King commissions? Your fight is against God who both elects and commissions his elect to go and make disciples.
Just because you are personally ignorant of God's plan and method, do not call God a liar.
sbg, there are multiple passages teaching the choosing and election of God to a particular person. You cannot deny this as it is clear in scripture. In Hebrews 9 we see that the New Covenant acts as a last will and testament where the names of those who inherit salvation are written into the will. To ignore all that is utter foolishness.
We also see God commissioning us to go and make disciples and preach reconciliation with God. This paradox seems contradictory to you and you cannot reconcile it, none the less they are both true.
For me the reconciliation is this:
God uses his children to speak his word so that the other children, living in ignorance, will hear his voice and believe that they were born to be redeemed.
Jesus tells us, "my sheep here my voice and follow me." (John 10)

Your complaint and assertion is against God, not me. Be very careful with your complaint. Pray our King is merciful to your ignorance.

 

If everyone going to Hades and Gehenna was predetermined from creation, and there is nothing any human can do to alter that predestined outcome, why should a Calvinist care, except to pay lip-service to the commands to beg the lost "to be reconciled."

 

Easy peasee lemon squeezee …

[Eph 2:1-5 CSB]

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously lived according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!​

We care about the people in verses 1-3 because we were once there and some of them may be destined for verses 4-5 just like we were. Therein lies …

“How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.”

… and Calvinists want to have “beautiful feet”.

 

Pay no attention to Calvinist denials, to be concerned about those God sovereignly chose to consign to Hades and Gehenna is to rebel against God in their minds...

 

Vanism

 

Yet another Calvinist denying Calvinism. False teachers rely on falsehood to hide false doctrine.

God ordained whatsoever comes to pass, thus according to Calvinism, God ordained before creation all those going to Hades and Gehenna. They can deny this till the cows come home, it is still their false doctrine...