Jesus didn't die for ANY religion. He died for you and me...for the world.
I'm not religious. To me religion is man-made philosophy. What I have is a personal relationship with my God, my best friend. Religion did not suffer and die on the cross for my sins. Jesus did, my precious Savior.
Anyone can know Him. He did not die for religions. It was much more personal than that. He died for you and me, so that when our time is over here, we could be with him forever in a place where there's no more tears, sorrow, nor death. He's there 24/7, wanting fellowship with His creation. Wanting to help in any way he can. But that takes your willingness to receive Him into your heart and life. He won't force it. How do you know when someone loves you? They come freely to you, because they do. When we come to Jesus of our own free will, that tells him we love him, too.
He loves all the same, no matter who they are, what they have done, or where they have been. Doesn't matter. He loves each and every one, the same. He shows no favor to any one person over the other.
That's all He wants to do is love people. Never once does he even condemn, and we know that from scripture, when he met the woman at the well and knew her sins. He loved her anyway. On another occasion, when he found the woman cringing against the wall before a crowd of haters for her adulterous ways. Just waiting to be stoned. Jesus walked up and he saw one that he loved, though she had sinned. He did not scold her, he did not even yell at her. He walked up to her with loving eyes and had mercy upon her. Then he turned to the crowd and he said, "Let the first one who has no sin, throw the first stone."
None could do it, as they knew they had sin in their own lives that needed attending to before they could accuse others. One by one they dropped their stones to the ground, and left.
Jesus then turned to the woman and said, "Woman.... where are your accusers now? Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more." This Is Love.
And what does he want in return? Only your love. Is that too much to ask? After all he did for us?
Lady Grace, have you seen the movie "The Shack"? It's a really beautiful movie, and sums up this post and how I feel about Jesus. And honestly, after watching that movie and being "slapped in the face" with some hard questions, I'm starting to think that the pope had a point when he said there is a possibility that nobody ends up in hell (I'm not Catholic for many reasons, but that stood out to me). And coming to that realization makes me even love Jesus so much more, and realize how sinful I am and how much I don't deserve this Love that he keeps giving me in spite of how depraved I am. I was really humbled.
@LadyGrace Hey I read through this all and I agree with you, and the Pope probably does too! I think I need to make a clear distinction!
He never said there is no sin and no hell, NO! But he said it is possible that ALL shall be saved! And the Bible says so too- see Phillipians 2:10-11!!! That, and many others, like Luke 3:6! 1 Corinthians 15:22!! It is POSSIBLE. Will it happen? Only God knows for sure- but it is POSSIBLE. All we know is that Christ died for our sins.
Sìn is definitely a problem and the Pope never said it isn't. But the mystery of God is that only HE knows whose name is in the book of life. If God says everyone, even those who you think are sinners can be saved, then who are you to judge? The criminal crucified beside Jesus sums that up perfectly- I'm sure that everyone in his time, the Pharisees, saducees, and even common people like you and me judged him as someone doomed to hell, just as we judge the people around us, and even the worst of the worst, including people as terrible as Adolf Hitler. But who are WE in comparison to God's goodness?? Has he made US the judge? No! God is the ONLY one who truly knows what it means to be good. God is the ONLY one who knows everyone's story.
The movie "The Shack" teaches how God shows a man to forgive- he can't help but be filled with hatred for someone who murdered his daughter. Hatred for his father, for being a drunkard. And then God, the only One who is omnipresent and omniscient, shows him some things and asks some very thought provoking questions. I'd suggest you watch it if you can!!
We judge people and sometimes change our minds when we come upon new information about them. How much more God, who knows everything about everyone and everything.
The Pope's message in that statement was not to say people should be comfortable in their sin, but to realize that we are all sinners and undeserving of God's Love that he so freely gave to us through Jesus Christ. When you truly recognize how undeserving you are, the natural conclusion is to feel immensely humbled and very hesitant to judge!
On the other hand, you gave varying degrees of Christian eschatology (annihilationism, purgatory, etc) which every Christian denomination disagrees on who is right and who isn't. But that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about recognizing the fact that if God wants to save everyone, even the most stubbornly sinful, he can. "No one can come to (Jesus) unless the Father draws him". And he has clearly drawn us all to Him through his sacrifice on the cross. Or Peter, who denied Christ- and was still made the rock on which the Church should stand. There is no limit to what God can do, including softening the most hardened heart to come back to Him.
There are many other things the Pope has said that I strongly disagree with, but this isn't one of them.
He never said there is no sin and no hell, NO! But he said it is possible that ALL shall be saved!
That means and says something completely different from what you said the first time. Huge difference:
I'm starting to think that the pope had a point when he said there is a possibility that nobody ends up in hell.
Does he know his bible? Even then he is wrong and he should know that, because even the Bible says that Hell has enlarged itself, because of all the unbelievers that will go there. Isaiah 5:14 If what the pope said was true, then Jesus would not have had to even come to Earth to die such a horrible death. So we could have heaven.
If God says everyone, even those who you think are sinners can be saved, then who are you to judge?
I'm not judging I'm going exactly by what the Bible says and it does not say that all shall be saved, in any way, shape, or form. The short answer is no! Neither first Timothy 2 nor any other teaches that all people will be saved regardless. 2 Timothy says it is the will of God that all should be saved but God knows that not all, will. He knows which ones were saved and which ones weren't. And that does not mean he predestined it. It just means that being who he is, all knowing, he knows ahead of time who got saved and who didn't. It is up to us as individuals to either accept Jesus as Savior or reject him.
"Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my father, which is in heaven. Matthew 7:21
And hell would not have had to enlarge itself if everyone was going to be saved. It is important we don't misinterpret scripture and say things that it doesn't mean or even say. Sure, the Holy Spirit does call to every person to be saved, but that doesn't mean they listen.
Can you go to heaven if you don't believe in jesus? Well, Pope Francis assured atheists, "if you don't have to believe in God to go to heaven." That is an outright Devil's lie. Who does he think you have to believe in, then? What does he think John 3:16 says, if not, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him, shall not perish but have everlasting life. People shouldn't twist God's words around. And preachers shouldn't lie. That is false teaching what the pope said and people should run the other way and find a church that teaches the pure word of God and it's truths.
Here's another one for you.
Who won't inherit heaven?
"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of god? Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." 1 CORINTHIANS 6:9 Now, tell me everyone is going to heaven. Not one person will reject Christ right? That's just not true. Sadly, it's just not true. Even Paul said the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God.
As for the movie, The Shack, that was an insult to God. I would never endorse that movie. This is the way Satan makes things look all fine and good. How dare someone portray God as a woman? Throughout the whole Bible, it refers to Jesus and God in the male gender. And that was only so that we as readers, could I identify with him more easily. But the Bible certainly didn't say that God sent his daughter to die on the cross for our sins, did he?
On the other hand, you gave varying degrees of Christian eschatology (annihilationism, purgatory, etc) which every Christian denomination disagrees on who is right and who isn't.
Say what? Don't put words in my mouth. I didn't say anything about that. Show me where I did.
There's no argument that God can save anyone he wants to but don't forget about free will. Not everyone wants to come to God! And obviously, not everybody will.
"Jesus Christ, Our saviour is the living God" , this I read somewhere and that place in itself was peaceful, quiet, beautiful and magnificent. Watching that place passing by, I just could imagine why this place was meant to be the most beautiful place. I wanted to get down there but could not do so.
Wanted to share something. Our God is an awesome God.
Where is the proof that Jesus existed? Even if Jesus did exist as a living person in human form, where is the proof that said person was on a 'direct link' with the sky fairy that Christians refer to as a male god?
@butterflybaby75 Read “The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel. Or just look up how Strobel, a hardcore atheist came to Jesus. They even did a movie on this
