Then the Lord ceases to love the sinner after this life? I thought you denied this earlier!
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Good dodge. Besides, I don't equate love = people in heaven. That is your definition. Without justification.
You're the one doing the dodging. You say God loves sinners in the next life and yet closes all the doors of grace to them at this time. That's a funny belief for someone who believes it's "not God's will that any perish". Is it because He "can't" save them at this time or because He "won't" save them at this time? You say God never forces anyone to receive Him to which I agree in full, but the question I ask is, "Is there ever a time where God forces people not to receive Him"? If not, then why do sinners not have the opportunity to receive Him in the afterlife? You say you don't equate love = people in heaven. Well, do you believe John 3:16?
Putting all these scriptures together tells me that all will receive Christ in the long run!
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Please look at where I answered GH's post in this thread concerning Rom. 5:17-19. You left out v. 18, by the way. Rom. 11:32 says "may have," not "will have." I am sure it is of little difference to you, but it does change the meaning. And by the way, those are not the only three verses in the Bible. Does you conclusion fall in line with the rest of Scripture?
Romans 5:17-19 (ESV)
If, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those
who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
[18] Therefore, as one trespass
led to condemnation for
all men, so one act of righteousness
leads to justification and life for
all men. [19] For as by the one man's disobedience
the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience
the many will be made righteous.
Romans 11:29-32 (ESV)
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. [30] Just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, [31] so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. [32] For God has consigned
all to disobedience, that he
may have mercy on
all .
I wasn't trying to manupulate or leave anything out! I presume you refer to the two words
"leads to" in verse 18. How in the world would these words nulify the plain words
"will have" in verse 19? And try to notice that it was the one trespass that
"led to " the condemnation for all men, as well as
"leads to" jusstification and life for all men. Now, about Romans 11:23-32, notice that it says that the" gifts and calling of God are irrevocable". This refers to the majority of the nation of unbelieving Israel, represented by the hated "Esau" in 9:13, the very people left out of God's elective purpose at this time and contrasted to the "vessels of mercy prepared beforehand for glory". These very people left out of God's elective purpose are all now all saved!
Now, in verse 32, I ask, if one verse says
"may have" and another says
"will have", doesn't common sense tell you that those who
"may have" sooner or later
"will have"?
I can come pretty close. Of course we know the fire isn't literal because it wasn't literal to Jesus!
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So you can't, right? And by the way, I haven't even mentioned the nature of hell. Are you assuming something with me?
I think the scriptures I gave reveals no one stays in any lake of fire. I'm not assuming anything about you accept what you say.
So Christ didn't take away the sin of the world? You have people paying for sins that Christ paid for? Was His sacrifice not sufficient? Or is God just being mean? Talking about being unfair!
I think you are the one who on many occasions has said that one must "receive Christ" before receiving the benifit of sins that are paid for! You say you believe Christ died for the sins of the world, that those in hell are there, not because Christ didn't pay for their sins but because they didn't receive Him, but then you say God would be mean for administering "remedial punishment" to those who fail to receive! And then you say that once they are there, they never have another chance! Try to understand that Christ paid for the "just punishment" for sins, not punishment that has no end, else Christ would still be suffering!
To say,"I told you so, now suffer"? "You had your chance when I gave it to you, so don't ask me to accept you now, there are limits on how far I can go, you know!" -----------------------------
For your first statement, I have never said that. And no, that is not the reason. As for the second, I can't help that you don't like the fact that from Scripture we can see of only one chance. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean you can change it on a whim. People are not basically good and are not innocent. They reject some knowledge of God on every level. They resist His Spirit. Why should He keep on forever?
Yes but you imply it when you say the time comes when God never gives anyone another chance to repent. I don't think there are any scriptures in the Bible that give only one chance, however multitudes already given on this thread that imply otherwise! To answer your question "why should He keep on forever?" Because he loves them. John 3:16 "