The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Eternal Conscious Torment vs Conditionalism

Today's "christianity" is nearly devoid of biblical truth which is substituted with "personal gratification". Many will use lots of "god words" but they are vacuous and have no real meaning. The 'by-word" is invariably, "God is LOVE" and "he LOVES everybody without exception" and "Jesus wants to be your friend.", ad nauseam. Fact, God is love, but if one actually reads/studies Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, GOD is overwhelming described as HOLY. A simple consulting of a concordance will reveal that incontrovertible truth. The God of the Bible is infinitely HOLY and the slightest deviation from that perfect holiness invokes His endless and terrifying hatred and wrath. You are 100% correct. One miniscule sin is worthy of eternal damnation. But, even further, due to Adam's sin as the Federal Head of the human race, the penalty that was given by God upon him was physical, spiritual and eternal death. Thus that guilt incurred was passed on to ALL (cf. Rom 5:12-19). And thus, all men from conception are destined to physical, spiritual and eternal death. Now, for reasons unknown to us and known only to God, and which are alien to us as those created in His image, He from all eternity determined to shed His love and mercy upon a remnant of this fallen race and with an incomprehensible cost, redeemed them by the giving of Himself and suffered our sins that we might be made holy and not have to pay the ultimate price ourselves.

To diminish God's holiness and the vicarious substitutionary nature of the atonement and the imputation of Christ's righteous, biblical truth and the very foundation of Christianity becomes a fanciful wisp of smoke which cannot save. God does not and cannot "wink at sin" but He must and does deal with it in only one way; all and any sin must be punished. This is the essence of the Gospel... "and you shall call his name Jesus for He will save His people from their sins. (Matt 1:21).

When this truth actually penetrates not just the mind but becomes fiduciary and moves one's very soul, the love of God begins to be understood and overwhelming. Such questions such as, "How could God hate Esau?", are discarded as juvenile and the true question painfully becomes in bewilderment, "How could God love Jacob???"... no!! How could God actually love anyone????"