1st message and a question -- Why believe, why be saved, why be good?

[jabcat]

I do not think that belief in universalism should have the above effects.  Here it is important to note that universalism -- at least the position I've been referring to by the term -- does not imply that it is unimportant whether one accepts Christ in this life, or sooner rather than later.

I think the UR people are deserve a bit of the blame....
CUR would be better I think. There are Universalim teachings that have very little/nothing to do with Jesus.

Absolutely!  There are groups of UR'ers (not to sound self-righteous) I would very convicted about having any sort of fellowship with.  I believe some of the stuff they teach and advocate are shameful.  I like Christ-centered UR, Christian UR, Biblical UR, etc. descriptions.  I do not like AT ALL the Gospel of Inclusion term, due to its implications, including the actuality of Carleton Pearson's version... IMO, if any of our beliefs we teach don't line up with the scriptures, we could be doing more harm than good.  It's a bad witness.  :2c:
 

[Lefein]

This is why I simply prefer to say that I am a Christian, who does not believe in the doctrines of Eternal Damnation/Torment/Annihilation.

[Beloved Servant]

A
C O M P E N D I U M
OF
R E P E N T A N C E.

www.iinet.com/~passtheword/Jacob-Boehme/compend-repentnc.htm

[Aleax]

I also have questions, in response to your questions

a) According to the bible everything is predestined anyway, so what difference does it make what one believes as everything as set in stone anyway :Romans chapter 9 and Rev 13v8 (as well as trillions of other verses)

I'm not a very "advanced" Christian at all, and the moment I become a fully convinced UR believer is probably the moment I personally see the last sinner being pulled out of the Lake of Fire.

However, I believe it has been given to me "predestinated" doesn't mean "destined either to eternal happiness or eternal damnation". Instead it means "destined [to be with God] ahead of time". That is, before the usual time. And that if some are predestined then we all are destined. But each in his own turn.

I'm not confident enough to state "Holy Spirit revealed it to me" but this explanation just popped in my head very powerfully and totally out of the blue on one of these days.

[Aleax]

I especially appreciate jabcat's referral to Dora Von Assen's article at Lighthouse Library.  Agreed, jabcat ... an excellent article that I will re-read many times (at least once more today).  I suspect that I will spend many more hours studying and discerning other articles at the Lighthouse.  I was not familiar with that resource before and I thank you for pointing me in that direction.

Yeah it's an excellent article, and if you study the chart of the vision you'll see places like Hell, Bottomless Pit, Outer Darkness and Lake of Fire in the bottoms of the circles that represent the different Eons. Whereas I don't believe these places are like what traditional Churchianity has taught us neither do I believe they are anything like a picnic on the beach. A really good reason to believe now and to not procrastinate it.

[Cardinal]

 :cloud9: Well, Aleax, all I can tell you is seek and ye shall find. There is probably not one person on this board who has not had one of those moments when something regarding this topic has not "popped" into their minds, leading them to question what they always heard or were taught. No man told me of this, the Spirit did, and I had the same reaction as everyone else, initially.  :mshock: :winkgrin: Blessings....

[lomarah]

I also have questions, in response to your questions

a) According to the bible everything is predestined anyway, so what difference does it make what one believes as everything as set in stone anyway :Romans chapter 9 and Rev 13v8 (as well as trillions of other verses)

I'm not a very "advanced" Christian at all, and the moment I become a fully convinced UR believer is probably the moment I personally see the last sinner being pulled out of the Lake of Fire.

However, I believe it has been given to me "predestinated" doesn't mean "destined either to eternal happiness or eternal damnation". Instead it means "destined [to be with God] ahead of time". That is, before the usual time. And that if some are predestined then we all are destined. But each in his own turn.

I'm not confident enough to state "Holy Spirit revealed it to me" but this explanation just popped in my head very powerfully and totally out of the blue on one of these days.

:thumbsup: Thanks for sharing that, what a great explanation!