I guess my reasoning is a result of God's master plan. If God preordained me to be in heaven with him, no one or no action can change that. Therefore, Jesus didn't need to die to save me from a place that didn't exist in the first place. If Hell in not real or an option for me from before the world was created, then there is no other place that I could have gone anyway. If God has preordained me to be in heaven no matter what I do in life, then from what did Jesus save me?
For Jesus to be a Savior, He has to save someone from something. Since, in your opinion, Hell does not exist or at least I can't go to hell anyway because God
preordained it otherwise, who is Jesus saving and what is saving them from? There is nothing to save me from. I can't go to Hell either way because God has already determined my fate.
In order for Jesus' crucifixion to have any value or meaning, humanity would have to be condemned to something that they need to be saved from, a punishment of some sort, or an isolation from God. But if God has already arranged it that we ALL are going to heaven before creation, we haven't been condemned to anything other than, eternity with God.
Let me use this analogy. If my son is in California and is coming to visit me by train and I already have foreknowledge that he is going to arrive safely, why would I need to send someone to make sure that nothing will happen to him along the way? I already know that it won't. So if God already knows that I am coming home to him no matter what, why would he need to send someone to make sure I get there? Especially if their is NO OTHER PLACE to go?
Thank you for your kindness and generosity in sharing your insights.
God Bless you Ray
William
Dear William: You are not thinking this enigma through. Yes, God KNOWS (for sure)
what you and everyone else in the world will or will not do. If God knows that someone
is coming to visit you by train, then that person absolutely WILL VISIT YOU. He also
absolutely WILL TAKE THE TRAIN!! How pray tell, can God KNOW that he will
visit you by train, IF HE DOES NOT TAKE THE TRAIN?
It is Christ's sacrifice that saves. It saves ONE, it saves TWO, and it can save ALL, but unless the Sacrifice takes place NO ONE WILL BE SAVED. Therefore God saw to it that His Son WAS SACRIFICED. God has provided a plan, a purpose, and ways and means to accomplish all that He wishes to accomplish. And nothing will prevent those "ways and means" from taking place to accomplish all that He desires. God doesn't "magically" save people. He saves them THROUGH A SACRIFICE, and therefore that sacrifice MUST HAPPEN. Surely you can see this? When God told Israel that they would win a battle in war, He did not say that they would win the battle WITHOUT GOING TO BATTLE. God saves us from SIN AND DEATH. All have sinned and all will die. God will save us from the condition. Jesus died for our sins. But we are not saved from our sins UNTIL WE SIN. We are not saved from death UNTIL WE DIE. That is why there MUST be a resurrection from the dead (despite the stupid contradictions of Christendom). All humans SIN AND WILL DIE. Jesus and Jesus ONLY will save humanity (all humanity) from that destiny or all sinners would remain DEAD ETERNALLY. Hope this helps yours understanding.
God be with you,
Ray