Quote:
Originally Posted by yossarian  Part of the disconnect between you and I is that I have a very nonstandard view of reality compared to mainstream Christians. Maybe it makes this discussion a pointless discussion, but whatever. We can probably both learn something 
God is merciful and loving, and endlessly forgiving. God respects our free will, and often our free will puts us in a place of suffering. God will not abridge our right to choose suffering, but neither will he ever leave us or forget us or give up on us.
Matthew 20:16, "So the last shall be first, and the first last" |
Okay, I'll leave you to your beliefs, although I don't see all of that in the Bible. But we can never go wrong trusting in the mercy of God which it seems you are basing your beliefs upon. And either way we are talking about Jesus, and that's always good.
I am more literally based in my beliefs and think that the things that we don't know are just things that haven't been revealed to us yet...as it is with Isaiah 53 being about Him and some people couldn't see that. The disciples sometimes didn't get the meaning of what he was saying and they were face to face with Him, so a lot of the sticking points between us on earth are probably not really worth debating.
I have some rather non-traditional beliefs myself. I just can't say they are supported by the Bible. So many people have near death experiences and from what they describe, it's the same Jesus I know . They say they have a feeling of being offered a choice of whether to come in or go back and that seems like Him also. And I personally believe hell is not eternal and it is destroyed in the second death in Revelation but I can't sat that for sure
"God is merciful and with every temptation has made a way of escape", so maybe it will be as you say. I assume you think the drop of water on my tongue thing was a parable also.
If we are His child and open to His spirit and we are in error, He will guide us to the truth.