Eternal salvation is not about a life-long believing in Jesus as Savior. It's a one-time event in a person's life. So yes I believe there will be people that are eternally saved, because at one point they believed in the Subtitution, but at some point later in life totally refused the "Christian" religion.You are saying here, that one can stop believing in Jesus Christ and still be saved but lose their reward?
But when I talk about stop believing I am meaning stop believing in a present sense, meaning like the children in the wilderness were destroyed because of unbelief. God said the land was theirs for the taking, but they didn't believe Him.
Does that make more sense?
Thankfully no you have not done either of these in any of our conversations that I can remember. That's why I don't mind visiting with you.A) Name calling. Have I done this?
B) lying. Have I done this?
This you have, because this is the line of questioning that sparked the last several posts.C) Asking "How much can I get away with"? Have I done this?
I guess you could say in theory they may be the same, but a 1,000 years of condemnation is not something that I would want to go through. So yes there is a big difference between our two views. Ever thought about how long a thousand years is to be miserable, wailing and gnashing your teeth.If that is my view then how much different is it then your's? And your view is that one can serve two masters and still receive all heaven has to offer only after they spend 1000 years in punishment. Correct! Either way, either view, the Christian gets to serve two masters and still be in heaven in the end. So why even point out there is an "incentive" in your view but not in mine? My view would have an incentive also (rewards).
So in your view you go from paradise on earth to paradise in heaven and all is well and there is never anything negative that comes down your pike. Again I see this as a HUGE difference.
But your doctrine is very popular these days and there is no wonder why.
Well it may be weak in your mind but it is Scripturally very strong. And Scripture says to seek the Kingdom, so it must be worth seeking and it is certainly a better option than a 1,000 years of wailing and gnashing of teeth in outer darkness.Like I said, you make a weak argument because your view also allows the Christian to serve two masters and receive all that paradise has to offer only after a 1000 year prison term. I guess your view is more attractive because it would spare one from 1000 years of torture, but even so in the end they get to have all that heaven has to offer.
So at WORST I miss out on 70-plus years of pleasure in this life if I am wrong. I can live with that. that's if I live that long and if the Lord doesn't return. So if Scripture really does teach this, and I believe it does, that's not a whole lot to give up in return for being spared a 1000 years and ruling and reigning with the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
Hey what do you know we actually agree on something(BTW, we are not using the term "heaven" correctly here. Heaven is where all saints go until the ressurrection and then when we come back to earth, earth is where we will stay with Jesus) .
I have thought a lot about these questions and I don't have an answer for you. I'm not sure what has happened and what will happen to those that have died as disobedient, unbelieving and unfaithful.Are those who have already died and gone to heaven not all enjoying paradise right now? Are those who died with unworthy works happy right now and then when the ressurrection comes up they will go into torment then? If your view is correct I would have to think that you would also have to believe in "soul sleep" unless those "bad" Christians past are enjoying themselves right now or are having a longer prison sentence than 1000 years.
But again Scripture lays out the ground rules for running the race and so I am more concerned that I die in the right state and then I don't have to worry about what happens to the other side. Those folks should have been more concerned when the time was right
THER group to deal with!