Understanding the truth about hell can be difficult. On the third part of a 3-part series, we analyze particularly difficult texts to explain that were specifically asked of us on our social media accounts (cqbiblepodcast)
Our world is not peaceful. How should we handle those who disagree with us (or with others) in our own center of influence? Is peace ever more valuable than principles? Can we do better? How can we be a peacemaker?
If as we discussed in Parts 1 of this series, there is no burning eternal torture in hell, then why does the New Testament hell talk about "unquenchable fires" and "smoke of torment"? It seems so plain at first reading. In this second of 3 parts, we talk about the what these mean in context.
The image of "hellfire" has stirred dark imaginations and scared people for centuries. What if it could be proven that what many churches have taught for centuries is one of the greatest misrepresentations of God that the world has ever seen?
Mercy or justice? We want people we think are "bad" to be punished and people we think are "good" to receive mercy (and normally that includes ourselves!). Too often our judgments are based on emotions. Is God both merciful and just, even though everyone around us suffers and dies?
For most of us it’s simple. God is good, Satan is evil. They fight and God wins. God destroys Satan and all evil with him. It is simple and reassuring until we think a little more deeply about it. Where did evil actually come from? If God created all things then He must have created evil – why would he do that? If God wins the battle between good and evil and then destroys evil, would He be destroying one of His creations? If God truly is stronger than evil then we need to ask if God is even paying attention because one look around our world and it is obvious that evil is handily winning. So, are God and evil really a compatible pair – opposites that need each other to exist? Could God ever truly destroy evil or is the ultimate destiny of our world and our universe to be subject to both?
In today's digital world, there are "internet trolls" that can insult, hurt and make fun of us anonymously. And the real world is hard enough! Is the teaching of Jesus to "turn the other cheek" still as relevant and powerful as it was centuries ago?
Are there consequences to the way we live from God's standpoint? Take the example of King David in the Old Testament. He had some whopper sins and yet he was described as a "man after God's own heart" and God loved and blessed him. How does that work with us today?
Prayer probably won’t change the lives of most people because they do not understand the basic fundamentals of prayer. But humans are tuned to opening their minds to some kind of external power or tranquility and this opening of the mind provides a sense of security and peace as they feel heard, accepted and cared for. What should you pray for? Does it really make a difference in the outcome of any circumstance?
What has happened to us? We live in an age where ego and emotion are more important than virtue and values. An age where personal preference outweighs personal worth and “I want it now” trumps integrity. We live in an age where absolutes aren’t (unless we decide they fit into our personal plan) and standards are only something to customize and remodel to our personal satisfaction. Ours is an age where the ancient principles of sin and objective morality are being relegated to the trash heap of history. So, what are we supposed to do? Should we go along with the flow of thoughts and emotions that are reshaping our social structure? Should we abandon what is considered to be the old and worn out moral thinking of the past and embrace the new and vibrant personally-based principles of the present?
