Oct05
Retributive Punishment?
From man, as a result of karma I can see it; however, from God who created us? How does that jive with God is love? God chose eternal damnation for the majority of the world? Why would He do that? What sense does that make. Being all-knowing, He set up such a system and said, “I am love”? I simply can’t get there from what I know about God and particularly from what Jesus revealed.
Under what logic do the “unsaved” deserve eternal damnation?
Under some theory of God being JUST? Robin A. Parry asked the question, “Why is it that who is saved and who is damned is determined entirely by God’s supreme will, and we pay the price?”
My question is did He or did He not? Did Jesus pay the price for ALL MANKIND on the Cross? Did He, or did He not, meet the demands of justice on the Cross, for ALL MANKIND? Where does it say that He died on the Cross for “some“?
If the PENALTY for sin has already been paid (by Jesus), then how can justice be an impediment to His love and that event? Retributive punishment just doesn’t make sense to me, but eternal love and forgiveness sure does! 
tigersopal Mar 11th 2008 at 01:23 pm 1
God is an all-loving, generous, omnipotent, omniscient being. He is also a JUST one. He showed His love to us when His son died on the cross, bearing our sins. But for us to be saved by Him, we need to come to Him and repent- and accept His grace. His grace can forgive everything that we have ever done; but He isn’t going to let that happen to those who refuse to accept it.
Hell isn’t a punishment because Jesus only died for some. It is a result of our rebellion against God; if we cannot live in awe of Him and be living sacrifices for Him, then God’s justice will let rule. Revelation says it all!
God bless!
Ernie Mar 11th 2008 at 01:42 pm 2
So, you are thus saying that:
1-Justice is more powerful than love?
2-God’s love does not have a last word, but our free will ahs the last word?
3-We’re free to reject God’s love but God’s love can’t reject our rejection?
4-God created a FLAWED PLAN wherein 80% of His creation were destined for the trash bin- and this is love? And this was a smart move on God’s part? He saw this in advance but embraced it?
5-All decisions are final this side of deatrh and nothing prevails or matters on the other side of death. Grace ends at the grave?
That’s simply not the God I know.
tigersopal Mar 11th 2008 at 05:38 pm 3
Not all that surprisingly, that isn’t what I am saying. What I am saying is that God’s love is not FORCED on us. He doesn’t make us as robots to follow Jesus and become living sacrifices to Him. God, in His love, created us to be free, to choose how to live our lives. This doesn’t mean that our lives are consequence free!
This isn’t the same thing as our free will having the last word, it is God’s graciousness in ALLOWING us to have free will.
God did not create a flawed plan- He is perfect; He knew what would happen, but still wanted to give us that chance to get to know Him.
When we see God face to face we will recognise Him for who He is- none of us can judge who will be saved and who won’t- He will do that, in His justice.
Hope that makes sense. I am not trying to be controversial, or say that God is unloving; it is just that Jesus says himself that we will be separated as sheep separated from the goats (Matt 25)- mentioning in 25.15 that the righteous go on to eternal life, and others to eternal punishment. What Jesus says has to be right!
God bless,
< xxxxxxxx
Don R Jul 23rd 2008 at 02:25 pm 4
Here we see the typical response by the Christian who believes in eternal punishment for those who make the wrong choice. Perhaps a correct translation of the Greek word, aion would be in order from Matt. 25:15. The “separation of the sheep from the goats” can be interpreted several ways. It is a flawed plan if you create beings with built-in flaws (original sin) and expect them to make the “right”choice. I am afraid that theology is full of flaws. Check out the real origin of the hell in which you base your whole theology. http://donrogers.org/?s=hell%27s+origin