11 - If Jesus died on the cross and spent three days in hell to pay for the sins of the world, then why would we have to go to hell ourselves and pay for them again? God is then, in essence, being paid for our sins twice. With that said, was Jesus' sacrifice not worthy enough? If that is the case, why should we care that he died for our sins if his sacrifice means nothing at all?This is the tell tale sign of what ideology this man is using as a straw-man as if it were the true biblical world view. And of course, it is the Word of faith teachings of Joy Meyer and other who propagated this silly myth about Christ going to hell.
We may note one example of this kind of teaching from Joyce herself in one of her books called "the most important decision you'll ever make" we read:
"He became our sacrifice and died on the cross. He did not stay dead. He was in the grave three days. During that time he entered hell, where you and I deserve to go (legally) because of our sin. He paid the price there.” (The most important decision you'll ever make, by Joyce Meyer, second printing, may 1993, page 35)This kind of teaching is not even biblical founded; it is an example of speaking something that has no truth to it. And then proclaiming God spoke it through you. It is pure heresy. Christ dies for the elects sin, those God chose in him. Those whom go to hell because they were passed over and let in their sin. They choose to live in ungodly fashion and ultimate sow what they reap.
Christ's sacrifice meant everything to those for whom it was made on behalf of. However, those whom chose a sinful rebellious life, it means nothing to.. it is a foolish ideal to those already perishing says Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:18.
This man by his question has revealed what his background was in his form beliefs; he never was a truly repentant, and regenerate person. He was a false believer of a false teaching.
Interesting. But at this point, how can one anticipate an objection from true Christians, when he has no idea about Christianity act teaches. And neither the bible as the text of Christian truth? I will not give a full answer her as question 13 is connected to this one.
12 - If God wants us all to follow and worship him, why didn't he create us as such? *Your expected answer will be addressed in the next question.
13 - What good is it for us to have free will if the intention is for us not to use it? Sure, we can use our free will, but we will burn in hell for eternity if we do. Russian roulette, anybody? It sounds like a set-up to me.So his answer to the last questions anticipated answer he does us a favour and dismantles the idea of free-will. And I thank him for this fact. As I personally to do believe in this Trojan house; it is a Greek pagan myth.
As I have previous stated in the answer to question 10, I am a Calvinist and I believe God is sovereign in all things. He perfectly saves whomever he wills, and passes over whomever he wills. Would you rather have God who is in control of everything or man who believe he is in control of every; but really is not.
Another point that needs to be consider is this: Since God decrees everything that comes to pass, and he intimately knows all will take place. Then in the case of this gentleman's former beliefs as a Word of faith adherent and currently someone who is a truth suppressor and a out right blasphemer.
The New testament answers this question for us, therefore, I will provide it here:
14 - In the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, why would God kill Lot's wife, Sarah, by turning her into a pillar of salt for simply looking in the wrong direction? *Warning of impending sarcasm.* God is a merciful God........... right.
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.The point here is this: Lot and his family were wealthy people and had made a life for themselves in this sin filled location. They had a lot of different possession in that place, and for some it maybe harder to let go and learn to fully place their trust in God. Therefore, the most like explanation is that her heart was not fully trust in the Lord a new hope for the future; because her heart was back there in Sodom.
So it not simple "for walking in the wrong direction" it is more the case, that She was still attached to that place in which God's judgement had been dispensed.
15 - What purpose does hell serve? If it is punishment for sinful actions, shouldn't it be used for correctional purposes? Seeing as though you burn forever, you will never get out of hell to show that you have learned your lesson. Would it make sense to live a faithful Christian life glorifying the Lord and to accidentally sin by saying a curse word the instant you smash your car into the back of a tractor-trailer, thereby being condemned to burn in hell forever?In this question we have two fundamental issues being brought together; in an effort to push the idea of Hell aside, as if it does not exist. Let us consider each one separately to carefully draw out some true points.
And in so doing, we will hopefully answer this question with some needed information.
Firstly, the question of "What purpose does Hell serve?" or "How will you be able to show that you have learned your lesson?" The kind of question completely miss the point behind why Hell exists. It is not to just punish sin but to punish the sinner who chose to rebel against God.
Of course, the question of "when hell was brought into existence" is one that no one can answer; but what we can know is that it was for the Devil and his demons. And therefore, the decree of everything that comes to pass; including Satan's rebellion was a necessary part of redemption of man.
Second, then the person provides an example where "a Christian" who in a moment of stupidity; does something which leads to some devastating outcomes. But as I have continually pointed out everything happens according to God decree and it all has purpose in it (regardless if we know it). So if the Christian does this, and then repents and seeks Christ forgiveness.. Christ will be faithful to forgive him.
Also in this is the fact that all things that happen in this life are predetermined to take place; but I am not sure how "crashing a car into a tractor trailer" will be an evil thing or will lead a person to hell. But then again, these questions seem to be hypotheticals, and do not really change or effect reality.
This is the most interesting question, as it open some important questions about the "faith" which he claims to have once held too. Was he never taught on either the human soul or the physical bodily resurrection of all people at the day of judgement.
16 - We know that we feel physical feelings through electrical impulses that send information to our brains through our nervous system. Once we die, we no longer feel pain due to the lack of a physical nervous system and, oh yeah, a brain. How could we 'feel' the excruciating flames of hell for eternity? Does God make you feel this torment for all eternity out of pure malice because you wouldn't worship him?
First, the human soul is what makes us who we are, it is in fact, what gives us the ability to live and breath. Of Couse the organ play key roles, but that just instruments which the soul animates the body with the district ability to live. This is seen in one of the most crucial passages comes from Psalms 139:
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.It is clear that God is intimately connected to the very formation of each and every human being while they are being created in the mother's women at conception. And for any human to deny this obvious fact, would result in absolute absurdity such as "a human life being label as a non existent being" until a certain point in the pregnancy. It is ludicrous.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
Every human has a soul and is a living soul as the words clear state, "My soul knows it will" I don't need no scientific text to tell me what I am. God as my creator has told me what I am. I like every other human is a living soul, a living person from conception.
Second, the question is asked, How could we 'feel' the excruciating flames of hell for eternity? Simple, the reality is that all human will be resurrected and judge based on what they done with their lives. If they were in Christ, then there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1) But if they were rebellious then they will be judged upon that course.
The following text makes this a sure reality that we will be resurrected at the day of judgement:
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. (Matthew 25:31-33)This judgement scene will happen after all things have passed away; Christ will resurrect all human divide them into two groups: the first, the sheep (the regenerate believers) and the goat (the unregenerate sinners). And there judgement will be based on their actions in this world and how they responded to Christ's gospel and then to each other.
Other text which help us with this truth come from many places such 1 Thessalonian, 2 peters, and revelation, and the previous chapters of Matthews gospel.
God never failed. He is perfect in all things... every act was and is apart of his decree for human history. It is important for us to consider the reality of this matter, Man fails God. hence why He judged people Noah's time, he judged people in the days of Nimrod. And he will judge all evil that is perpetrated by man.
17 - If God is perfect and his creations perfect, why did he fail several times? He had to impose suffering upon the human race because Adam and Eve defied him by eating of the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Failed! He had to flood the planet 1,600 years later wiping out all but eight humans. Failure! He had to confuse human language after Nimrod and the Tower of Babel incident so that they could not effectively communicate with each other. Failure! How is this a track record of a perfect being?
Now let us just make it clear that it was decreed that man should fall, just as everything that has and will happen is apart of his decree. This does not make him culpable for the actions of man. No they themselves are at fault in that matter.
Read the answer to questions 12 and 13 on the issue of free will. As for temptation, God has a purpose even in temptation existing in this world. Jut that we as finite beings who are limited in knowledge do not know the full purpose God has assigned for it's existence.
18 - If God is omnipotent, why does he not just show himself to all of us, all at once, thereby ending this game of free will and temptation?
Interesting question. But there is a serious issue that lies at the heart of it; and that is you as a human has no basis to question God on his purpose in this world and his creation. For you are a nothing but a sinner under his judgement. Don't you forget that.
19 - If, in the beginning, there was only God and he created everything, why would he create angels that had the propensity to defy him? This very fallacy led to Lucifer challenging his authority because he desired to share the same power as God. This led to the rise, or fall depending on how you look at it, of Satan, the most notorious enemy of God and his followers. Failed, again!
Consider for a moment the following things which render this question or objection as essentially useless.
First, Indeed, God created everything before there was even a thing called time. But he God as to his very own nature was not alone. I as a Trinitarian, who believe the bible consistently and fully attests that the one being of God has existed as three persons. The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. They have had an eternally communion with one another always.
Second, as I have continually made it clear evil exists only because God decreed it to exist. So Satan's rebellion has just as much roots in God decree as mankind existence and fall. And Redemption has its roots in his decree and his very being.
Third, I have one simple question: What is your justification for calling something a fallacy, and how do you know what a fallacy is from your worldview. Hell, I don't even know how you can even define and justify evil from your worldview. For any of these things to be what you want them, you need an objective standard and God is the only one who gives them. In other words, you cannot even reason apart from God, to reason reveals that God must exist or you are left with nothing but absurdity.
Again, I refer to the above answer. In order for this objection to even makes sense, you need to first start with a premise of a god who never fails; in order to justify that the one true God has failed. But of course, for one to even contemplate such a thing, it would require one to abandon atheism. For even atheism cannot account such a being.
20 - Why would you trust 'God's plan' given his track record of many failures?
two issues arise from this: (1) he would have to actually demonstrate that the fall of man was not apart of his decree. And since he seems like he cannot even begin to rationally defend his view from a biblical perspective; for his was a false belief system called the "word of faith." (2) And for him to really know God has indeed failed in his purpose on any level; it would require him to be omniscient. In other words, the justification he need is that he would have to be God himself.
Therefore, this charge like the last one is based on false information about God as a being. And since he never knew God personally; his objection is in reality the failure here.
