Hi all,
My name is Bill and i live in Massachusetts.
First i would like to thank Gary, Michelle and all at Tentmaker for all that they have and continue to do on this site :)
Briefly, i have been what i would call a "hopeful universalist" for 20 some odd years, but have always had some uncertainties in regards to certain passages of scripture, the legitimate issue of justice and the question of what true justice is and how that will all ultimately play out at the time of restoration.
That being said, i could never reconcile a loving God sending/consigning/allowing children He supposedly loved to a "place" of eternal torment/pain. (which rationally speaking, isn't even just).
This erroneous and contradictory belief is, in my opinion, one of the biggest, if not THE biggest, obstacle to anyone truly believing that God IS a God who is love, that He loves us and that our call is to live in that love relationship and so be truly empowered to love one another as He loved us.
I very much look forward to sharing with you all :)
Bill
"With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. "
Amen , that is awesome ! Welcome Bill ..
Looking forward to your sharing with us .
Rose
Welcome, Bill!
I think you are going to love it here!
D.
Thanks Rose and Dandelion :)
And i already do love it here dandelion :thumbsup: I actually came across this site several years ago, and have periodically read a bunch of the articles, etc over the past several years. All of which i found to be well thought out and helpful.
Welcome Bill! :welcome: Just lately I've been thinking a lot about that very thing - justice. And righteousness, which if I'm remembering right is closely related in the Greek.. perhaps the same word, when speaking about His righteousness. I find that very interesting! And right along the lines of what you were saying. And now I remember reading just the other day how "He will judge righteously" and, or, "judges righteously". Which is only logical! (Root word, logos?)
I think you're right, and I totally agree, the bad, fearful image of God does a good job of hiding the truth. But praise the Lord! "Every tongue will wholeheartedly confess Jesus is Lord" Philippians 2:11 ..taking the Greek into consideration - I love how we have such good study tools and materials at our fingertips these days!!
Welcome Bill and God bless!
Quote from: Bill K on June 16, 2018, 04:44:31 PM
[T]he legitimate issue of justice and the question of what true justice is and how that will all ultimately play out at the time of restoration.
Justice = Revenge, true or false? Discuss (and while you're at it calculate the number of the beast)
When you ask the question the answer is obviously false, but when people practise justice they tend to practise it as if it's true. This causes the problem you raise because people have been practising it in this way for so long they have expectations that lead to an accepted misunderstanding of justice and the belief that it is the precepts of this misunderstanding that must be realised.
Amen, our/the little mind, while in the carnal character, is in a box, and that little mind perceives things/reality/'truth' through that prism. God, of course, through Jesus, is our only hope, and it is of course an ongoing thing.
:banana: :dsunny:
Quote from: Bill K on June 16, 2018, 04:44:31 PM
I could never reconcile a loving God sending/consigning/allowing children He supposedly loved to a "place" of eternal torment/pain. (which rationally speaking, isn't even just).
This erroneous and contradictory belief is, in my opinion, one of the biggest, if not THE biggest, obstacle to anyone truly believing that God IS a God who is love, that He loves us and that our call is to live in that love relationship and so be truly empowered to love one another as He loved us.
Amen!
I.M.O to learn the true love we have to see the false love and futile attempts that claim to be love.
He has put our sins so far away for us; as far as the east is from the west.
His love for us cannot be measured.
Christ came to sets us free and did not fail.
Perfect love casts out ALL fear.
We are God's children thanks to the work of Christ.
All pretty positive and glorious for a future which goes beyond our imagination.
...Amen! :cloud9: