Is God Fluffy?

[Andyindauk]

Jude 1:3‭-‬7 NKJV

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.
And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;
as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

I've noticed a couple of TJ posters slip into this forum, for all intents and purposes looking very righteous in their writings but actually what they write is what they want to believe, rather than what is written by the contributors of the Bible. They search the Bible diligently looking for verses that if they take out of context or tweak, appears to to support their theory that there's no such thing as judgement, no such place as Hades and hell and that God is far too nice a guy to send anyone there, even if there were.

Be warned, these people are false prophets and heretics that denigrate our Saviour's rescue from an inevitable and unthinkable, dreadful end by Him exiting Heaven, coming to Earth, suffering on the cross a horrific death, going to the dead for 3 days and then crushing death by resurrecting on the third day, and then ascending into Heaven to take His place at the right side of the Father, our God to await believers who accept His salvation and follow Jesus to join him there and live forever in the presence of God, glorifying, worshipping and serving Him.

If that was going to happen anyway because God is too nice and too fluffy to be able to judge people and send unbelievers to Hades and Hell, then that whole exercise becomes pointless to the point of being a publicity stunt and a con.

Jude reminds us that that is not the God that I serve and worship. I really was doomed, heading inexorably towards Hell but God's love rendered Him unable to sit back and do nothing, He reached out and rescued me from my inevitable fate, and at huge cost sent his son to die to take on my punishment for my poor choices. I had to do my bit and say sorry to God (repentance) and accept that rescue.

Jude quotes some examples in the Old Testament of the fate of some of those who rebelled against God and pursued their own agendas and lifestyle, having no regard for God. These and other examples make for pretty gruesome reading.

To end on a happy note, that is not my fate, that is the fate of those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus and persuade others that there's there's no no need to need to repent because there's no such place as Hell. By believing and accepting, my fate is everlasting life in the company of my god, his son Jesus, my brothers and sisters in Christ and the Heavenly host. WOW - BRING IT ON!

 

[Fragrant Grace]

I've noticed a couple of TJ posters slip into this forum, for all intents and purposes looking very righteous in their writings but actually what they write is what they want to believe, rather than what is written by the contributors of the Bible. They search the Bible diligently looking for verses that if they take out of context or tweak, appears to to support their theory that there's no such thing as judgement, no such place as Hades and hell and that God is far too nice a guy to send anyone there, even if there were.

Greetings @Andyindauk

Thank you for your post which I have no doubt will be thought provoking.

Please can you bring to the Mods attention any post that you believe have been taken out of context or tweaked. Just use the report button.
In that way we can deal with them and be more aware

Thank you


@ladylovesJesus @Christ4Ever @Br. Bear

 

[Sosthenes]

I think everyone should read Hermeneutics by Dr. Walter Martin.

Given time, I can present my views as I have spent hundreds of hours trying to present and defend the same issues and revisiting them from different angles. I spent over 300 hours on the doctrine of hell, thought I was done only to meet people with stronger arguments causing me to revisit the arguments and make me present stronger arguments only to be ignored. This not mean I am great but it means that if the average Christian works at it, they too can have some success.

The reason for it is because the sin of man is he wanted to be God and has been fighting with Him ever since.

Keep in mind that no amount of apologetics will save everyone because those opposed to God will make excuses why they don't want to follow.

Any text can be made into a pretext and ignore the whole context of scripture. Ask God to reveal things, ask God to illuminate His word, ask God to speak his word to you. Go into a room, stop talking, be silent and let the word talk to you and I think verses will start coming to your remembrance.

And if you feel inclined, form a group of Christians who are likeminded to help you with scripture. I have been been working alone because some pastors feel this is too costly.

But I recommend getting some notebooks and a thumb drive (usb drive) and develop your own scripture tools. Save your work so you don't have to reinvent the wheel and sometimes you have to chip away and chip away for years and some of the work you do becomes breakthroughs. Save what you write and encourage this forum to have a trashcan for deleted posts so you get a chance to save your work.

Not everything is logical because we are following scripture and logic can give us false conclusions and we don't want to be causing errors in the process.

I have made many mistakes and we just have to correct them. No one said this process wouldn't be messy.

But I think bible reading is safer than listening to people. I really recommend sticking to the page and finding out what it says because people are ignoring and arguing over basic Christian doctrine.

And if you find someone presenting the truth, we don't need Cheerleaders but we need to be backed up because we are the church. It hurts to be opposed and I felt like I developed symptoms only soldiers get. People can get PTSD. I have had people threaten me with physical harm. I have been hacked. I have people ask for my address and felt like they were ready to sue me. People have asked me to change what I wrote. How do you handle being called a bigot and all sorts of things? I watch parents make things personal to the school board because they feel like they aren't listened to so they become louder until they get their way.

Whatever you do, stick to the issues and do not allow the conversations to turn personal because you don't want it to be that kind of fight. Steer the conversation and ignore hijacking of the truth.

Another tool is to ask questions and listen because we are learning about the issue and the way to discern is to get as much information as possible. And use truth as our authority or we have no right. We are trying to help and we are just offering information because we just want to help you.

 

[Br. Bear]

Is God Fluffy?

Is God Fluffy?

Is God Fluffy?

Andy,

what a powerful message in those three words!

I hear exactly what you are saying but/and i would like to extend that to ALL. (me included).... Is God Fluffy?

I don't wish to derail your thread, so please pull me up if you feel i do.

Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
2Timothy 1:6-7

=========
Is God Fluffy?

It goes deeper that the symptom that we see. Meaning, people get thinking along some line of error often because of sin. Bending the Gospel and trying to make God fluffy makes it so much easier to cope with the knowledge of sin in their lives. Who wants to perish? But let us see some more of the problem. Who makes people feel they might perish and who puts fear into them... and timidity?

God has given us the Spirit of Power and Love and A Sound Mind.... but the accuser can discredit the Power side of God, if we give place to the temptation to do so and, as a follow up post touched on, lack of knowing the promises of God in Scripture leaves a person very vulnerable...BUT I must add, that often it is those who have got leaning too much on their study that get entangled, meaning, the new born tend to be bombproof and fully convinced that there is a definite line between Salvation and Damnation and the ones that get too indoctrinated, this way or that, leave the simplicity and forget the severity as they often sin a little here and there, but try to boost up their faith getting as much knowledge of Scripture as the devil had, when tempting Jesus in the wilderness.... because that is all it amounts to if we chase after more info instead of get remembering from where we came and the condition that the un-fluffy God of our Salvation placed upon all. There is NO Excuse, we are told, so trying a different slant on God and getting overly hung up on the Love aspect, and forgetting the Power of God will not endure the fire.

What does it say? (and this is for all to take and eat) ...
Having a form of godliness but denying the Power thereof
from such.... turn away (them), avoid, have nothing to do with them.
2Timothy 3:5
For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
2Timothy 3:6-9

so who are we talking about AND (everybody) does this speak at all to us....?....

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Timothy 3:1-4

Is God Fluffy?

We HAVE to grasp the LOVE of GOD
But never should we forget nor let another forget that this same GOD is very much to be feared and has every right to be. Read through the Scriptures and see the Power of the ONE Who can destroy AS WELL as heal, can send armies and angels to defend, and be victorious as well as show gentle kindness to widows and orphans, can send a flood to destroy all living things, save Noah and his family and animals of His choice, as well as send the dew to water the flowers and grass..... Yes, the LORD we serve is MIGHTY and to be praised, He is to be feared BECAUSE He is fearsome and we have NO right to any of His pleasures.... there is NONE righteous, no, not one, all have sinned and the wages of sin IS death and in righteousness and justice the LORD Who made Heaven and Earth, will be acknowledged for Who He is.... every knee will bow and conceed that He alone is Holy and from His Throne do come Lightnings and Thunderings and Voices.. Who can stand before the LORD when once He is angry?

But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and eternal King. The earth quakes at His wrath, and the nations cannot endure His indignation.
Jeremiah 10:10

Who knoweth the power of Thine anger? even according to Thy fear, so is Thy wrath.
Psalm 90:11

Is God Fluffy?

God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him.
Psalm 89:7

Is God Fluffy?

Who can stand before His indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by Him.
Nahum 1:6

and...

it was/is Jesus Christ the Son of God; Who is the True Witness; ever Faithful, Who said/says
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10:28

============
even when we pray, do we really remember Who GOD is? or do we let fear and timidity rule over us and our faith be HIDDEN under a table or chair?

much talky talky but not much power?

What have we become?

Do we remember,
But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner's fire, like a launderer's soap.
Malachi 3:2

Is God Fluffy?

============

thank you Andy
@Andyindauk

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
!Peter 1:3


Bless you ....><>

 

[Hekuran]

Many serious and faithful scholars question and reject the doctrine of eternal conscious torment. There s a brief list of proponents and detractors on both sides on this helpful wkipedia page Annihilationism - Wikipedia

You can see good people on each side of the list, so it's best not to rush to judgement.

 

[Sosthenes]

Many serious and faithful scholars question and reject the doctrine of eternal conscious torment. There s a brief list of proponents and detractors on both sides on this helpful wkipedia page Annihilationism - Wikipedia

You can see good people on each side of the list, so it's best not to rush to judgement.

Good doesn't mean they know their Bible.
There is none good but God.

Lots of people believe they know something but its based on nothing.

I already started a thread on annihilationism. I have my own posts that haven't been posted yet.

Have you read "The Doctrine of Eternal Punishment" by William Shedd?

William Greenough Thayer Shedd - Wikipedia

William Greenough Thayer Shedd - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Will the Unbelieving Dead Become Non-Existent? (Annihilationism)

Will the Unbelieving Dead Become Non-Existent? (Annihilationism)

Annihilationism is a popular belief, even among Christians, and it has been growing more popular in recent years. Those who hold the position of

www.blueletterbible.org

 

[Hekuran]

Good doesn't mean they know their Bible.
There is none good but God.

There are people on both sides of that list who know the Bible extremely well.

 

[Sosthenes]

There are people on both sides of that list who know the Bible extremely well.

They love evil and won't agree with the truth if they found it.

 

[Hekuran]

John Piper, NT Wright, John Stott, Tim Keller, Francis Chan, I Howard Marshall, Greg Boyd, Jim Packer all lovers of evil?

I've learned something new today.

 

[Andyindauk]

Many serious and faithful scholars question and reject the doctrine of eternal conscious torment. There s a brief list of proponents and detractors on both sides on this helpful wkipedia page Annihilationism - Wikipedia

You can see good people on each side of the list, so it's best not to rush to judgement.

Hi Hekuran,

I think your going a bit off-topic here. The OP was about those who claim that there'll be no judgement, no Hedes or Hell and so no need or reason to repent.

The details of the actual fate of those foolish virgins, party invite snubbers, wicked tenants and anyone else who doesn't accept God's redemption through His son's death and resurrection is another issue altogether.

 

[Hekuran]

Ok. The nature of God's final judgement is a subject of legitimate debate.

But there can be no doubt at all that from the first to the last page the Bible teaches God will judge and deal with all evil.

 

[Sosthenes]

John Piper, NT Wright, John Stott, Tim Keller, Francis Chan, I Howard Marshall, Greg Boyd, Jim Packer all lovers of evil?

I've learned something new today.

When we're all beyond the grave, we can all reflect on that question because some will feel really burned up about that question.

I knew a child in the 4th grade who told everyone he's smarter than everyone in the whole school. The reality is only some things can be known by age and experience but that's not what this discussion is about.

I end up working and defending the faith because some people have diahreah of the mouth, can't be wrong and only wish to cause problems. I would like to have some time off.

 

[Reba1]

God is not Fluffy.