Comments on: Would Jesus send someone to Hell? http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/02/20/would-jesus-send-someone-to-hell/ Thoughts on faith and culture from the community of NewLife Christian Fellowship, Glastonbury, CT Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:05:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Eric Stillman http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/02/20/would-jesus-send-someone-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-52 Eric Stillman Mon, 26 Feb 2007 17:20:37 +0000 http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/02/20/would-jesus-send-someone-to-hell/#comment-52 Thank you for your thoughts, Seeker... your thoughts may be too deep for me! I'd be interested to hear what some others think, though. You talk about people having the concept of "hell", or being without God, as part of our consciences. I think you are probably right, in that whether or not someone believes in a literal Hell after death, they know to some degree what it is like to experience the absence of love, purpose, justice, etc. from time to time in this life. Whether it is being involved in the horror of war, or the deep despair of seeing dreams shattered, loved ones die, and little hope for the future, there is probably a real taste of what Hell is like - the absence of God and all that He is - goodness, love, joy, truth, meaning, justice, etc. Certainly no one would CHOOSE this in their right minds; rather, I think people choose against God because they want to be free, and they believe God limits their freedom. Unfortunately, without God's good limits placed on freedom, we wind up bringing even more Hell into this world through our selfish ways. Thank you for your thoughts, Seeker… your thoughts may be too deep for me! I’d be interested to hear what some others think, though. You talk about people having the concept of “hell”, or being without God, as part of our consciences. I think you are probably right, in that whether or not someone believes in a literal Hell after death, they know to some degree what it is like to experience the absence of love, purpose, justice, etc. from time to time in this life. Whether it is being involved in the horror of war, or the deep despair of seeing dreams shattered, loved ones die, and little hope for the future, there is probably a real taste of what Hell is like – the absence of God and all that He is – goodness, love, joy, truth, meaning, justice, etc. Certainly no one would CHOOSE this in their right minds; rather, I think people choose against God because they want to be free, and they believe God limits their freedom. Unfortunately, without God’s good limits placed on freedom, we wind up bringing even more Hell into this world through our selfish ways.

]]> By: a seeker http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/02/20/would-jesus-send-someone-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-51 a seeker Sat, 24 Feb 2007 14:06:58 +0000 http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/02/20/would-jesus-send-someone-to-hell/#comment-51 I forgot the most important part. Part of our conviction of sin as we come to Christ includes that idea of eternal separation from God without Christ. Just as God's love becomes real to us, that idea of separation from God becomes real, as well. I forgot the most important part. Part of our conviction of sin as we come to Christ includes that idea of eternal separation from God without Christ. Just as God’s love becomes real to us, that idea of separation from God becomes real, as well.

]]> By: a seeker http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/02/20/would-jesus-send-someone-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-50 a seeker Sat, 24 Feb 2007 14:00:30 +0000 http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/02/20/would-jesus-send-someone-to-hell/#comment-50 Just some thoughts on conscience, or whether the concept of hell is intrinsic to our minds if we only let ourselves think about it. Hell at its very worst is eternal separation from God. Yet God created man with a yearning for Himself. If that is true, wouldn't it follow that the concept of being without God--whether we call it "hell," or not--is also part of our consciences, which God created to guide us? Even unbelievers have ideas about hell that they come up with on their own, just as they have ideas about God that they come up with. Also, people will say they don't believe there is a hell. Then why are they talking about it in the first place? It kind of makes me think that we all consciously or unconsciously make a choice about God AND hell during this life because we have all been given this knowledge (Romans 1:18-20). Now I am really speculating--but could the first sin, giving Adam and Eve the knowledge of good and evil, reveal hell to their consciences and also to us? Any thoughts? Just some thoughts on conscience, or whether the concept of hell is intrinsic to our minds if we only let ourselves think about it. Hell at its very worst is eternal separation from God. Yet God created man with a yearning for Himself. If that is true, wouldn’t it follow that the concept of being without God–whether we call it “hell,” or not–is also part of our consciences, which God created to guide us? Even unbelievers have ideas about hell that they come up with on their own, just as they have ideas about God that they come up with. Also, people will say they don’t believe there is a hell. Then why are they talking about it in the first place? It kind of makes me think that we all consciously or unconsciously make a choice about God AND hell during this life because we have all been given this knowledge (Romans 1:18-20). Now I am really speculating–but could the first sin, giving Adam and Eve the knowledge of good and evil, reveal hell to their consciences and also to us? Any thoughts?

]]> By: Eric Stillman http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/02/20/would-jesus-send-someone-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-47 Eric Stillman Fri, 23 Feb 2007 18:57:15 +0000 http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/02/20/would-jesus-send-someone-to-hell/#comment-47 Aileen - Thank you for your thoughts. One of the "punishments" Jesus refers to in his teaching is being sent to the place where there is "weeping and gnashing of teeth." It is not clear whether this is Hell or not, but the message seems to be along the lines of what Rabbi Paul is saying - after we face God's judgment and realize all that we have wasted and missed with our lives, some will be left weeping and gnashing their teeth with a devastating regret at what could have been. The only question is whether this is eternal torment (as Rabbi Paul says) or just purgative, stripping away what is not of eternal value and leaving the person entering heaven as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:15, "as one escaping through the flames." Either way, you are so right - may we make the most of every opportunity while we still can (Ephesians 5:16), so that we will be able to look back without regret. Aileen – Thank you for your thoughts. One of the “punishments” Jesus refers to in his teaching is being sent to the place where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” It is not clear whether this is Hell or not, but the message seems to be along the lines of what Rabbi Paul is saying – after we face God’s judgment and realize all that we have wasted and missed with our lives, some will be left weeping and gnashing their teeth with a devastating regret at what could have been. The only question is whether this is eternal torment (as Rabbi Paul says) or just purgative, stripping away what is not of eternal value and leaving the person entering heaven as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:15, “as one escaping through the flames.” Either way, you are so right – may we make the most of every opportunity while we still can (Ephesians 5:16), so that we will be able to look back without regret.

]]> By: Aileen Collins http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/02/20/would-jesus-send-someone-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-44 Aileen Collins Fri, 23 Feb 2007 00:53:56 +0000 http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/02/20/would-jesus-send-someone-to-hell/#comment-44 Rabbi Paul Saal of Shuvah Yisrael made a statement about Hell that I will always remember. We all know that Hell is an eternal separation of ones soul from God. It is a choice one made while alive. This we already know from church teachings. What Rabbi Paul suggested is that,. being eternally tormented in Hell might be a separated soul going over and over in his mind , "If only I had listened, If only I had believed, If only.... If only... If only... " We can say these things in our lifetime now and learn from our mistakes, Can you imagine reliving these mistakes in Hell for eternity and never being able to rectify them? Talk about eternal torment. Rabbi Paul Saal of Shuvah Yisrael made a statement about Hell that I will always remember. We all know that Hell is an eternal separation of ones soul from
God. It is a choice one made while alive. This we already know from church teachings. What Rabbi Paul suggested is that,. being eternally tormented in Hell might be a separated soul going over and over in his mind , “If only I had listened, If only I had believed, If only…. If only… If only… ”

We can say these things in our lifetime now and learn from our mistakes, Can you imagine reliving these mistakes in Hell for eternity and never being able to rectify them? Talk about eternal torment.

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