Bible Study Notes 20/08/25- a difficult but necessary topic.
. Oh we love talking about God's love and that is indeed great to reflect on but that is not God's only attribute- his wrath is found everywhere too.
. Black cloth makes jewellery shine brighter- so too does mentioning God's wrath make his attributes like his grace and mercy shine brighter.
. Christian: "God loves you" Friend: "Cool story bro"
Christian "Like me, you are a sinner deserving of eternal hell for our sin against an eternally, thrice holy God but Christ (God the Son) died and had his blood shed on the cross and God's wrath poured out on him on the cross so that if you believe on this you can avoid the hell you rightfully deserve" Now you'll get a reaction!
. Unlike our sinful anger God's wrath is calculated and necessary- making this attribute the more terrifying!
. If you are outside of Christ, his wrath is upon you at this very hour- contrary to some Christian posters here- if you are outside of Christ, he does not have a perpetual smile on you! Read John 3:36 and the book of Romans.
. The great awakening preacher Jonathan Edwards had two analogies if you are outside Christ.
1. You are walking above hell on a rotting wooden bridge and every step you take that bridge is getting weaker and soon it will give way and you will fall into hell
2. There is a dam of God's wrath constantly hanging over your head it's peaceful now bht when you least expect it the dam of God's wrath will burst over you.
. Read 2nd Thessalonians 1: 7-8 Christ executing judgement on those who do not believe on the Gospel and flaming fire does not seem to be the cuddly care bear many Christians on here portray Christ as does it?
. During the Great Awakening in America the most gifted preachers could make their Congregationalist/Presbyterian audiences cry out and collapse with their descriptions of hell. But those were only words- no language can describe the infinite horrors of hell.
A heavy thing for me to write too, but there is good news to be had!
If you see yourself as the sinner you are before an eternally glorious, thrice holy God then call to mercy to Christ. He shed his blood on the cross and had God's wrath poured out on him on the cross for your sins so that if you come to him in mercy, believing on him and his sacrifice for your sin, you will be saved from the hell you deserve. But if you die or Christ returns, it will be too late and you will have an unimaginable fate.
If you are a proffesing Christian but you live contrary to your proffesion- you post NSFW images or you live a lifestyle contrary to God's word, check your state before it's too late. If you are not a Christian after all, his wrath is hovering over you for your mentioned sin.
I do not write this as someone who is better than you, but as a beggar telling over beggars where the bread is.
@BritishFailedAesthetic according to you it is rocket science because you seem incapable of offering a legitimate rebuttal of any of my points. Simply pasting up sections of my replies serves no purpose. What kind of special relationship (or love) for God justifies eternal torture if we fail to abide by His will? It's a pretty simple question. Whatever way you term it, God says love me or suffer eternal damnation. I'm hoping for you to explain why that's a legitimate theological position that you think places the God of Love in a positive light. Don't try to offer me ridiculous arch comments that don't actually answer anything. He created us, He says He loves us, yet he's willing for us to suffer ETERNAL damnation if we displease Him. That's your God of Love?
@BritishFailedAesthetic the Bible anthropomorphizes God by offering His mind in an understandable format that you can comprehend, otherwise what's the point? His pronouns are He and Him.
To tell mankind the "punishment" is eternal damnation definitely IS a threat, it just is, it's undeniable. Your soul will burn in hell. How is that not a threat?
Effectively, this is demanding faith, devotion and love for God - or else.
Do you think it healthy to believe that your God requires your faith or you'll be damned for eternity to the most heinous torture imaginable? What kind of pact is that? Love me or you'll suffer abject pain forever.
Seriously? We're supposed to think that's love?
You're married, maybe you have children. Can you imagine offering them that deal? Go to your wife and say, "Love me or I'll torture you for the rest of your life. Every day will be a living hell if you don't love me."
Would you even torture your wife if she cheated on you or left you? Would you punish her with your wrath? Don't try telling me God is a different case. He offered us love in a fashion we understand. There's no mystery to that love, we can't say, "Ah, it's something we can't properly grasp because we can't comprehend God's mind." We understand fully what love means. We understand love isn't offered under the threat of punishment or damnation.
@Richard65 Bad description- I should've mentioned family love as well.
This is about the infinite consequences of our sin against an infinitely holy God, not a "love me or else" situation.
Please get a more biblical view on God's love, not a cereal box description from a 'dark matter' YouTube cartoon (which are actually quite funny in how pathetically they portray God).
@BritishFailedAesthetic your sorry sarcasm doesn't mask your pitiful lack of defence. Why was the Bible written? So it can offer mankind an understanding of God's mind, His plan for us and how we should live. You said to me previously that God's mind can't be comprehended, despite the fact you study the Bible in a literal attempt to understand God's mind. You attempt to fudge the issue with waffle about infinite consequences. Yes, the infinite consequences are eternal damnation for failure to love God. You actually wrote that yourself, but you seem to lack the understanding of your own statements. What other interpretation can there be to the theological notion that failure to love God and lack of faith results in eternal torture in hell? Quit with your ludicrous deflection about YouTube cartoons or people might think you simply lack any coherent answer to my question.
Yes, the infinite consequences are eternal damnation for failure to love God. You actually wrote that yourself, but you seem to lack the understanding of your own statements.
Err.. also.....
Like me, you are a sinner deserving of eternal hell for our sin against an eternally, thrice holy God but Christ (God the Son) died and had his blood shed on the cross and God's wrath poured out on him on the cross so that if you believe on this you can avoid the hell you rightfully deserve
Why was the Bible written? So it can offer mankind an understanding of God's mind, His plan for us and how we should live. You said to me previously that God's mind can't be comprehended, despite the fact you study the Bible in a literal attempt to understand God's mind
Yes it gives us an understanding of God but we can never fully comprehend God or his glory. It's not rocket science.
@BritishFailedAesthetic I didn't say the Christian life was a cakewalk. But just getting salivation is easy. I also don't think God sends people to hell any more than big pharma infects people w/COVID. Both will standing in opposition to the threat, but neither cause the threat.
