'llo again all,
Schaden: There is a certain way to tell that someone is beyond redemption, namely they stop breathing and rapidly assume room temperature. This condition, known as "being dead" is the only permanent and unchangeable impediment to salvation, and not nationality, race, political affiliation, past history, sins committed, or anything else.
If Christ can save a man from the most self-righteous and self-serving political party in Judea, a man who zealously persecuted, tortured, and imprisoned innocents, and confessed to having made himself a willing accomplice to the brutal murder of holy and selfless man (Acts 22:20), and not only save him but make him into one of his greatest and most useful servants, then even the inside the beltway mob are a doddle by comparison. Forget Paul, He can save me...
Goth: It was a good question, and one that has attracted no little speculation in the past. But, as you note, the answer I gave was what the scripture teaches on the subject, and that which my conscience is bound to. A couplah brief notes though, many things God is - longsuffering, righteous, Holy, merciful, just, etc. but cruel isn't one of them. Everyone in creation, including the fallen angels will receive one of two things, either mercy or perfect justice. The punishment that Satan receives will be just and fitting considering his actions. Also, we need to remember that God is not compelled to grant mercy to anyone, in fact, we need to remember that the price of doing so, was paid for by his Son discharging their debt. Mercy is the most costly and precious gift God can give.
Eagler: As you probably know, I spent 23 years of my life playing at being the god of my own universe, making up the rules as I went along, playing mix and match with various philosophies and religions, speculating endlessly, and ultimately making my own fickle preferences, self-serving desires, and subjective opinions the final arbiter of all things. That process ended in 1993 when I became a follower of Christ (although it obviously isn't finished yet, I still have the remnants of rebellion at work in me), and in acknowledging his Lordship over my life, I said you are God, not I, and I will trust your word, not my speculations.
As a pastor, I am literally called to be an ambassador of Christ, and to deliver only the words of the King, which I strive to do, keeping in mind that I will be called to stricter judgment based on how faithfully I contended for delivered his good news which was "once for all delivered to the saints" (and that with gentleness and respect). So going over that word, no Heb. 9:27-28 says "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation."
The clear message of the NT is that we all get one go round, we are all sinners, and that even if we had a thousand lives to live we could not pay for our sins or live a sinless and perfect life - only Christ could and did that, and we are saved only through faith in Christ. It also teaches that both heaven and hell are real and that both are eternal.
I know that the simplicity of this message will sound like foolishness, it certainly did to the philosophers of Paul's day (1 Cor. 1:23, Acts 17:32) but hey, I'm one of those people who believes the word that "the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." (1 Cor. 1:25) and certainly is wiser than I.
Oh, and my sincere apologies to Beet1e for gettin' all biblical yet again...
- SEAGOON
