Hello, so glad you replied. I will take your answers one at a time and do my very best to show you from the words of God himself the answers. This is going to be very long, but please I beg you take the time to look through it. There is nothing that is more important in your life, and there never will be.
You said – “I believe in something bigger than myself and bigger than
humanity, yes. Is it God, I don't know. If so, it is only a glimmer of God. It gives comfort and hope, but not forgiveness, peace, or joy.”
Is there a God –(Heb 11:3) “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” (Act 17:24) “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth); just by using common logic we can easily see in the world that nothing never makes something. It can not mathematically or physiologically happen. When in life we see things that have been created we know with out ever seeing him who created it, that there is a creator. Therefore when we look at the creation as a whole we know there must be a creator, even though we see him not. If I where to go on a walk through the woods and came upon a painting the last thing I would ever say is, that painting just evolved into a painting. No no! I would say well then a painter was here. If I came upon a building in the woods, though I saw no man it would matter little, I would no doubt say a builder was here. So, we look at creation and say, a creator must exist. The first words of the bible say , (Gen 1:1) “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” We must believe this before we can even read another line and get anything from it. If we read that and say, “well im not sure but ill read on” it will almost always be a waste (not always because the word is quick and powerful able to give life). Hebrews says “for he that cometh to God must believe that he is” and “for with out faith it is impossible to please him”. Ok so before you can really truly worry about anything else you must believe that he is.
The glimmer –
John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
When God created man he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (I will touch on this again), God gave man a living soul so that we are in his image. God is one being in three persons or parts. We are one person in three parts. body, soul, and spirit (do not let this confuse you or get to stuck on the difference between the soul and spirit right now as it is not something you should focus on yet). The point is he has put something in you to be a kind of witness of himself. We have something in common with him and so we are sort of tuned in to feel God around us and in the world. Sin is the problem, it cuts the line of communication from God. (Rom 5:12) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
Moreover; God has written his law upon your heart so that you are with out excuse. Did you ever notice how that no matter where you go in the world all of man kind have almost the same morals (on the grand scale that is), things like don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t rape. Even an island in the middle of the ocean will have people who know and try to live by the 10 commandments almost to the letter. Why is this? (Rom 1:20) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” (Rom 2:15) “Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
Romans 1:20 says that we are made in a way that when we look around us we should know that God is there, “clearly seen” is what it says. And so we who never give him the glory, honor, and credit for it are without excuse. Romans 2:15 says that we all have his law within us and this is why men are different from dogs. We care about morals because God does and has made us to care. If we came from the earth and just evolved over time this would not exist. I’m off topic sorry. So to recap, you feel a glimmer of God because he made you that way. Jesus is the light that is lighting you, God made you able to see the creation and see him in it, and put his law in your heart.
You said – “I believe in the
soul, but I'm not sure I believe that my soul is a single, discrete thing. More like... maybe, hopefully, there's this miasma of Soul-ness (if you will) from which I and all others came, and to which I will maybe hopefully return. But then again, I have felt the presence of a soul I know to be a single being, so what does that mean?”
Man, a living soul – (Gen 2:7) And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” We are a very specific being created in such a way that we mirror God. I hear people talk of the spirit world and how all things are one, that all is connected and so on. This is an eastern religious belief. Reincarnation and so on, It is very far from the teachings of God’s reviled word. We are given one soul and it is an eternal thing that never goes away. we shall go with it to death eternal in hell, or life eternal in heaven. (Psa 86:13) For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell” )Pro 23:14) “ Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell”. (Mat 10:28) “ 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.”
There is an afterlife, and it will be spent in hell, or in heaven. All who die in trespass and sin shall see destruction in hell. As we said, God has given his law to us, we are without excuse. The judgement looms over us everyday, (Jas 4:14) “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” We are not promised one more day, and (Rom 14:12) “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”
(Rev 20:11) And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
(Rev 20:12) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
(Rev 20:13) And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
(Rev 20:14) And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
(Rev 20:15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Please do not be confused when it says he judges according to works, that is only for the lost who are being judged for all their sin.
Will you go to heaven? –
You said -
As for Heaven... No one gets a free pass there. So no, I will never believe that I
am going, because to believe that is to grow complacent, and complacency leads to
sin. Now, whether or not I believe in Heaven at all is a different question. I've
always tried to take a kind of Pascal's Wager view of religion, but it's never
worked for me because you can't truly Believe if you're only doing it to improve
your chances…..and - Heaven is not a goal in my opinion. It
is a reward for a life well lived…..and - you earn it….
Please do not take this the wrong way, im not trying to be mean, but! You could not be more wrong. Wait! Don’t get mad!
1st no one gets a free pass? That’s just what it is! A free gift of God
2nd complacency leads to sin? That’s a catholic view, its called the sin of presumption. It’s false, or the apostles where is sin.
3rd believing to improve your chances – your right in a sense, but you can improve your chances, and go a step farther by knowing for sure by believing.
4th you earn it? Oh no my dear, this is your most deadly mistake. Everyone and every religion in one way or the other thinks this way. They only earn their way straight to hell.
1 – men are fallen we can not do anything good in God eyes until we are reborn. Rebirth is a free gift, salvation is free!!! Rom 6:23 “ For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Rom 5:15 But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”
2- can we know we are going to heaven? 1Jn 5:13 “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” John 20:31 “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
3 – this will answer it’s self in the others.
4 – can you earn it? No.
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by (grace ye are saved;) this is saying you are dead in sin, but he can make you alive forever through Jesus by his grace.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. You see it’s a free gift from God, not of anything I can do for if I could do anything I would boast of my salvation in myself and not in God. I boast, but only in Christ for he saved me for free! It cost me nothing. It cost Jesus everything!!
Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: all are the same without Jesus, under sin! But!
Rom 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”
Amen amen amen!!!!
This is what it all comes down to right here, we are dead in sin. We can feel God only because of his grace and love towards us in that he made us this way. Still, we must respond to him. We are not able to work our way out of the sinful state we have worked our selves into, so. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him shall not parish but have everlasting life!!!!!!!! There is nothing we can do of our selves, Jesus did it all on the cross. His blood paid the price of sin for all the world. All we must do is trust in him, confess, repent (turn from sin to God, fight sin everyday and draw closer to God through his word and prayer and going to worship at a bible based church), tell him we trust in his sacrifice for our salvation. Call out to God today and tell him you’re a sinner who needs salvation, call out for mercy and he will give it!
(Rom 10:13) “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
I do hope this has helped, I know its long but it is the most important thing you will ever do in your life!!!! Please reply with any questions, or comments. And may God bless you as you seek him!
Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
1 comment:
I like the idea of a personal tract, you wrote that to a specific person, addressing their specific issues...awesome!
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