Ray,
Again, you prove my point about free will when you want me to read your work on how we don't have free-will. You remind me of so many calvinists I have argued with. They all love to debate and they are all very intelligent, but I always find it so funny that they want to argue with me about my lack of free will. That's like a huge irony. Why even argue. Anyway, they always love to use Romans 9 about vessels prepared for wrath, etc. when if they would just look at the cross reference in their Bible they would see 2 Tim. 2:20-21 "But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work."
Anyway, you conveniently did not respond to my second email concerning Jesus' parables. It's easy to go on some 25 page rampage about grammar, but Jesus clearly talks about eternal damnation in more than one parable. You say that I am whistling in the dark, but think about it, why in the world would the church adopt such a sacred cow concerning eternal damnation? Who wouldn't want to believe what your saying. Secondly, why are those who don't believe in eternal damnation on the fringe? The Bible so clearly teaches eternal damnation.....it's even in red letters. And thirdly, let's say that I'm wrong and there isn't eternal damnation, that's no biggy because everybody is saved in the end anyway so maybe during the course of my life I just have offended some people. But on the other hand, if you are wrong, then people are in for a big surprise when Christ does not save them out of the flames. Isn't it better to be on the side of caution. Just because you don't believe in gravity does not mean that it doesn't exist and like I said, you would be a fool to jump off the eiffel tower and causes other's to do so. Mathew 18:3 you must be converted.......Mathew 18:6 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea,".......now what in the world would that be better than?.....hell maybe? I mean I can't believe you don't believe in eternal damnation. The principle of the just and unjust, eterna l reward and eternal damnation are everywhere. Revelation 20:11 "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them
And they were judged, each one according to his works. The Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Listen whether it's actual fire or not is not the issue, people don't weep and gnash their teeth cause they lost a basketball game. It's eternal torment and you have to jump through hoola-hoops to try and prove otherwise. But like I said, don't get mad at me, God has caused me to have this belief anyway.
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Blessings,
Chad
Dear Chad:
So you think that II Tim. 2:20-21 is "FREE WILL" in action, do you? That you can by your own free will change from a vessel of dishonour to a vessel of honour? And that it is possible to do this and to "work out your OWN salvation through fear and trembling?" (Phil. 2:12), do you. But only if throw away verse 13: "For it is GOD [who? man? no, GOD] which works in you both to WILL and to DO of His good pleasure." II Tim. 2:20-21 and phil. 2:12 does not take precedent over Phil. 2:13. Man can ONLY change if it is "GOD which works in you both TO WILL AND TO DO of His good pleasure."
God be with you,
Ray