"Letter From Hell"

[jabcat]

A friend of mine posted a link to a video of a supposed "letter from hell" on his facebook site.  I'm considering how to respond.  Anyone heard of this?

[shawn]

A friend of mine posted a link to a video of a supposed "letter from hell" on his facebook site.  I'm considering how to respond.  Anyone heard of this?

I viewed it on Youtube just now.  Quite disturbing.  What can you say to something like that?  For UR believers you could allow a couple Bible verses to stand on their own merit. 

[Shadow]

There have been many such videos on the net, in fact such videos were the cause of my near nervous breakdown due to the ET doctrine, I'm still trying to recover from it

It seems as if some people get a kick out of preying on people's fears, here is a good website that addresses NDE's

http://www.near-death.com/about.html

[WhiteWings]

James, what's the url of that asbestos letter?

[legoman]

If its the one I'm thinking of, I watched it at least 2 years ago.  I think there were a few versions of it.

Basic fear tactics.  Its a fictional letter of what someone might say if they went to hell.  Stuff like "Why didn't you tell me I would end up in hell - its your fault I'm here burning forever cause I never knew about it".  Pretty shameful guilt/fear based stuff.

How to respond.... hmmm that's a tough one.  But the first thing I would say is that God is sovereign and salvation is in His control - its NOT up to us.  Is this video so vain to think that another human can mess up God's plan to save someone?  Don't you think if God wanted to save this kid in hell - He would have found a way to do it?  Or is God impotent?  Obviously it wasn't the kids "free will" to be there, since he didn't even realize there was such a place.  Don't you think God wants to save him?  Why didn't God save him?

Oh yeah its fiction- God will save Him!   :winkgrin:

[jabcat]

Thanks for the responses.

Tony, the link I have is a facebook one, not sure it will work but here it is;

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/video/video.php?v=142231529129695&ref=mf

To everyone;  I'm NOT recommending it.  Please be aware of possible disturbing content.

[WhiteWings]

Thanks for the responses.

Tony, the link I have is a facebook one, not sure it will work but here it is;

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/video/video.php?v=142231529129695&ref=mf

To everyone;  I'm NOT recommending it.  Please be aware of possible disturbing content.

I was waiting for something. All I can say....booooring :mblush:
Not even the slightest attempt to prove something is made.

[jabcat]

If its the one I'm thinking of, I watched it at least 2 years ago.  I think there were a few versions of it.

Basic fear tactics.  Its a fictional letter of what someone might say if they went to hell.  Stuff like "Why didn't you tell me I would end up in hell - its your fault I'm here burning forever cause I never knew about it".  Pretty shameful guilt/fear based stuff.

How to respond.... hmmm that's a tough one.  But the first thing I would say is that God is sovereign and salvation is in His control - its NOT up to us.  Is this video so vain to think that another human can mess up God's plan to save someone?  Don't you think if God wanted to save this kid in hell - He would have found a way to do it?  Or is God impotent?  Obviously it wasn't the kids "free will" to be there, since he didn't even realize there was such a place.  Don't you think God wants to save him?  Why didn't God save him?

Oh yeah its fiction- God will save Him!   :winkgrin:

legoman, I've seen some really nice UR apologetics from you on another site or two.   :thumbsup:

[Lefein]

It is Christ who does the drawing of men to himself.  If indeed Eternal Torment is the destiny of Man, their destiny is determined by God alone who orders the steps of men.  If it is God who is Judge, God who is Saviour, God who draws men unto himself, God (The Holy Spirit) who speaks to the spirits of the unbeliever, and only God who can do the saving - God who is Creator; then it is certainly not the fault of a mere mortal man who can no more save himself without the drawing of God, than save another.

I listened/watched the video, and I am not too happy that people are using fear in order to whip Christians into sharing the Gospel.  The Gospel is the good news, the good news of God, and God's salvation for mankind.  In essence, to share the Gospel, is to share God.  God is Love, if we are to share the True Gospel, we MUST share it through Love, NOT through Fear, God is NOT Fear, he is not the Spirit of Fear, and to share the Gospel through Fear is to share a false Gospel, and a false God.

God did not give us a spirit of Fear, he gave us a spirit of Peace; That spirit of Peace is Himself.  He gave us his own spirit to dwell inside us, the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Peace.  Of all the gifts he gave us, in the Holy Ghost, Fear is not one of them, and infact the Spirit of Fear is excluded, and mutually exclusive, the very opposite of the Holy Ghost: The Spirit of Peace.

We can only share the True Gospel by the witnessing power of the Holy Ghost inside us, only God through us can witness to anyone; God alone is the author of our Salvation, which is by grace through faith, not of works lest any man should boast.  Salvation has only one source, and one channel; Christ, nothing man does will ever save anyone, that includes man sharing the good news, or any work of man. It is only God, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost; Christ, the incarnation of the fullness of God, the Godhead alone who saves, and draws men unto himself; it is not by the works of men that men are saved, not in saving ourselves, and not in the saving of others!  Sharing does not save, Christ alone saves, and the will of God is not hindered, or stopped by the will of man.  If you will not be the tool through which God shares the Gospel, then he'll find someone else, or do it himself...if his will can possibly be hindered at all, which it can't...But for the sake of argument...

Even if "Your friend went to Hell because you didn't share the Gospel", here is the thing!  It isn't your fault that he went to Hell (Eternal Torment), anymore than it is your virtue for going to Heaven!  You didn't save yourself, and you certainly didn't condemn your friend, because you CAN'T it isn't your PLACE, you don't have the POWER, you don't have the AUTHORITY!  You aren't the Judge!  God alone is the Judge of the hearts of men!  NOT YOU!  Not to save man, or to damn them!  To try to save man under the premise that only by your sharing will he be saved, is to say that man is saved by works; by the your work, by your act of sharing: In essence, it is to claim indirectly that Salvation is by your own power of action, not the might, and grace of God!  It is rebellion to take the place of God, it is anathema to take his place as Saviour by indirectly claiming that it is by your own work and power that Salvation reigns: To do that is to claim to be Christ, and that is to be an anti-Christ.

To Damn man, is to rebel against God by sitting on his judgement throne, which belongs to him alone.

If you cannot then save, or damn a man, because you have neither power, place, nor authority; Then it is not your fault if he is damned to Eternal Torment, and it is certainly not your virtue if he is saved: For Salvation is indeed only by the power, and unto the Glory of God.

But, even for the sake of Argument: If you where to be held responsible, or subject to the guilt of the eternal destiny of your friend for not telling him about Jesus, then you are not to do it under the cloud of fear, or a guilt trip, because through that motive-cloud of guilt, or fear, you taint the True Gospel, and you are not then sharing the True Gospel in the first place!  And you are still under the condemnation of not sharing Jesus!

To share the True Gospel is to share God: To share God is to share Love; for God is Love.  You must share the Gospel through Love, in order for it to be the True Gospel, sharing it in the gifts and power of the Holy Ghost; The Spirit of Peace, The Spirit which seals our Forgiveness, The Spirit of God who cleanses all guilt, and sin!  Removing it as far as the east is from the west, utterly abolishing Guilt!  To share the Gospel because you feel guilt, or fear!  Is to share a false Gospel, and a false god!  To share the Gospel through the power and leading of the Spirit of Fear and Guilt, is to blaspheme The Holy Ghost, by rebellion, and by defaming the character of The Spirit of Peace by raising up a spirit of fear and guilt in its place!

The Gospel -must- be shared through -Love-, which does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth, the Truth sets you free! Fear is BONDAGE! For Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father!

To share the Gospel because of guilt, and fear, instead of Love - to minister due to being whipped by fear, or guilt tripping - "Its your fault he went to Hell"...is to minister Fear, by the spirit of Fear, which is not from God.  It is to minister Fear, instead of God - Fear does not save: God does.  To minister Fear, is to preach a void, and ineffective, false Gospel that will not work!  If you then where to be held responsible for the Eternal Torment of your friend because you didn't share the Gospel as this video states...Not only would you be held accountable for your friend's eternal fate, but you would be held accountable for preaching a false Gospel, and for rebellion against God Almighty; which is to be a child of Satan by your rebellious fruit - you shall know them by their fruit.  It is to commit idolatry by setting up a caricature of God, who is Love, with a false god who is Fear: And worse than setting up this idol, it is witchcraft: Working through the power of this false god!  And the worst of these...it is ---Blasphemy--- against The Holy Spirit, for defaming, and degrading the Spirit of Peace which is given of God, into the Spirit of Fear, which is NOT given of God.

[jabcat]

It is Christ who does the drawing of men to himself.  I am not too happy that people are using fear in order to whip Christians into sharing the Gospel.  The Gospel is the good news, the good news of God, and God's salvation for mankind.  In essence, to share the Gospel, is to share God.  God is Love, if we are to share the True Gospel, we MUST share it through Love, NOT through Fear, God is NOT Fear, he is not the Spirit of Fear, and to share the Gospel through Fear is to share a false Gospel, and a false God.

God did not give us a spirit of Fear, he gave us a spirit of Peace; That spirit of Peace is Himself.  He gave us his own spirit to dwell inside us, the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Peace.  

:gthumbsup:

The bolded part is what my struggle is with.  This is an old childhood friend who now lives away, a dear brother in the Lord.  I don't want to offend him, I'll probably end up doing something very gentle, just declaring the Lord's goodness.  But I agree...

[Lefein]

Well, this certainly isn't targeting a single individual, it is targeting a whole sphere of people who teach this sort of sharing.

Though...I wrote it so that it would be "applicable and acceptable" to the mind of an ET/Sharing=Salvation; Arminian believer.  So...it has the highest warning they know about - Blasphemy of the Holy Ghost.

[jabcat]

I really meant "I'm not too happy about it" either - it really bothers me, and I'm considering what to say.  Maybe more later, right now I'm posting this;

God has turned all to disobedience, so that He may have mercy upon all.  Romans 11:32

With my soul have I desired you in the night. Yes, with my spirit within me will I seek you earnestly; for when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.  Isaiah 26:9

We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. James 5:11

[shawn]

I really meant "I'm not too happy about it" either - it really bothers me, and I'm considering what to say.  Maybe more later, right now I'm posting this;

God has turned all to disobedience, so that He may have mercy upon all.  Romans 11:32

With my soul have I desired you in the night. Yes, with my spirit within me will I seek you earnestly; for when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.  Isaiah 26:9

We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. James 5:11

Perfect.  Let the Bible speak for itself.   :bigGrin:

[WhiteWings]

Even if "Your friend went to Hell because you didn't share the Gospel",

If you shared it and that driend didn't accept it, statistically very likely, that friend will get a worse hell. Rejecting Jesus is worse than not knowing Him.
According to that same doctrine

here is the thing!  It isn't your fault that he went to Hell (Eternal Torment), anymore than it is your virtue for going to Heaven!  You didn't save yourself, and you certainly didn't condemn your friend, because you CAN'T it isn't your PLACE, you don't have the POWER, you don't have the AUTHORITY!  You aren't the Judge!

No, but you can teach people ways the Judge likes.

God alone is the Judge of the hearts of men!  NOT YOU!  Not to save man, or to damn them!

The question is: Can man chance the heart of others?

To try to save man under the premise that only by your sharing will he be saved, is to say that man is saved by works; by the your work, by your act of sharing:
.......
The Gospel -must- be shared through -Love-, which does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth, the Truth sets you free!

Isn't that the same sharing? Works. Maybe not works to save yourself but being saved by works of others.

[jabcat]

I really meant "I'm not too happy about it" either - it really bothers me, and I'm considering what to say.  Maybe more later, right now I'm posting this;

God has turned all to disobedience, so that He may have mercy upon all.  Romans 11:32

With my soul have I desired you in the night. Yes, with my spirit within me will I seek you earnestly; for when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.  Isaiah 26:9

We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. James 5:11

Perfect.  Let the Bible speak for itself.   :bigGrin:

Quick and powerful..sharper than any two-edged sword...cutting asunder...