It is not that I forgive myself but God forgives me - so who am I to convict the people He chooses to forgive?

Ay   was feeling blessed.

It is not that I forgive myself but God forgives me - so who am I to convict the people He chooses to forgive?

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Nashira  powerful!

Unlike · Reply · 1 · Yesterday at 02:15

Drue   Doesn't God forgive anyone that asks/says, "I repent my sins"?

Unlike · Reply · 1 · 23 hrs · Edited

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Ay   yes!

Like · Reply · 23 hrs

Drue   So a man who a man who rapes and murders say a thousand small children but after it all says "I repent my sins!" gets to go to heaven but any innocent child, born in a remote area and, through no fault of their own hasn't heard of God, dies and this God sends them to burn in hell for eternity?

That's not a God I would personally worship *shrugs*

Like · Reply · 22 hrs

Ay   Honest question Drue!

If you suspect there is a remote area where people have not heard the Gospel, what exactly is preventing YOU from going there to tell them the Good News?

Like · Reply · 22 hrs

Drue   The billions of innocents God has already condemned to an eternity of torment  ;-)

Like · Reply · 22 hrs

Ay   As for the genocidal rapist, you must remember that Jesus prayed for the salvation of the men who were torturing Him to death, in the middle of the torture. This is how much God is willing to forgive.

It may be your desire for rapists and killers to suffer and be punished, but just remember, that rapists and killers seek to make others suffer and be punished. I.e., you desire the same things but for different reasons. I empathise with you completely my friend, I really do, but I believe in God and He believe in everybody including you, no matter what you have done.

PS Be courageous. If a billion people are likely to die in a fire and you have the ability to save two, then do your best to save them. Leave nobody behind. Love you neighbour unconditionally.

_______________________________________

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' However, I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, Matthew 5:42-43

Enemies includes rapists and genocidal maniacs.

Like · Reply · 20 hrs · Edited

Drue   and I’m sure the billions of innocent children who had their short lives spent in sexual abuse then murdered and are burning in hell for all eternity just coz they didn’t know of this "God" and seeing their rapist and murderer going through the gates into an eternity of blissful ecstasy simply because right b4 he died he said 4 words "I repent my sins!" would agree with you m8.

Like · Reply · 16 hrs

Ay   And Jesus said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

- Matthew 18:2-4

Children are Heaven-bound Drue! I can imagine how relieved you are to know that adults literally have to model themselves around to children to enter the Heaven as well. He does not even qualify children with the word innocent Drue - just says children, as though child is a synonym for innocent.

So now that we are done with that... I will redirect you to my earlier question, i.e., if you suspect there is a remote area where people haven't heard the Gospel, what exactly is preventing YOU from going there to tell them the Good News?  ;-)

Like · Reply · 15 hrs · Edited

Drue   just change "child" to adult then man *roll eyes*

Like · Reply · 15 hrs

Drue   and instead of saying that those innocents would be the reason again ill spell it out --- because I would NEVER preach about such an evil and malicious "God" that condemned all previous to them, their parents, grandparents, great grandparents etc. simply because they hadn't heard of him

Like · Reply · 15 hrs · Edited

Ay   Thank you so much for this question. It been interesting to think about. I have not considered this issue for a long time. I been so grateful for what God has done for me and the world around me that I had not given a thought to people that have never heard the Gospel directly.

To be honest with you, there is so much work to do spreading the Gospel now that, at first glance, it seems "counteractive" to spend present time seeking to address things that I do not think I can influence.

I empathise with your thoughts on the topic but the truth is - I do not know. I simply do not know. However, what I do know is that God is Love. I am not love but God is Love. I have a history of cruelty towards others and myself. Racism, misogyny, hypocrisy and lies litter my history. Nobody taught me to hate others or myself - the drive to hate was innate within me. I wore a mask my whole life, to prevent others from seeing the wickedness that inhabits my flesh and bones.

Fundamentally, I valued nothing and everything was meaningless. I was a nihilist who thought the universe revolved around me. Nothing mattered to me beyond myself and if I had the necessary power, I would have destroyed or subjugated all existence (with fear) but I did not have the power so I just went to school and got a job, etc.

I am blessed to have heard the Gospel and I am eternally grateful. Had I realised my dark twisted fantasy and subjugated all life – it would not have satisfied me. I would still be mortal and mad about it. His love is all-consuming. It does not matter what I am capable of or afraid of or hate, because His love is all-consuming. Nothing else matters. There are no words to explain to you what this is.

I don’t have words to give you to convey God, Adonai, El Shaddai, He who is I AM – if you taste God you will know, you may not be able to comprehend but you will know that He is the Lord.

I am so sorry I cannot give you more - I am tired. Writing this brought me to exhausting tears for a while as I pondered what God has done for me.

God bless you Drue

Like · Reply · 13 hrs

Ay   OK so I really was tired last night, here is the rest of my response... or what I was trying to say yesterday.

Fundamentally, I am by nature "evil and malicious" and the only reason I am not now is the Love I received from God. Evil and malicious is my default setting. I am not kidding or exaggerating.

I always say that you cannot give what you do not have. Until I encountered God, I simply had not received love, i.e., unconditional forgiveness and empathy. When I got it, it undermined all my fears anger and hate - replacing it with genuine love and affection for others including myself.

Drue, how can I keep quiet about this? If anybody else is like me, i.e., "evil and malicious" like the genocidal rapists you mentioned earlier then I want them to know about God because He undermined the evil and maliciousness in me and if he can do that for me then he can do that for others. That is why it is so important for me to tell others about God.

I kept my "evil and malicious" nature under-wraps because I doubted that I would be empathised with and or forgiven if I told people the truth. I lied about and omitted that whole side of me and it sucked. If anybody else is living like I was then I want them to know that they don’t have to live like that any longer and that the is forgiveness, there is empathy, a refuge.

I am too aware of the clear and present danger I posed to myself and the world that God nullified to be offended by the thought that maybe God does not facilitate an opportunity for others to know him. If not for God, I honestly would not care about others or myself – I just do not have the nerve to self-righteously accuse God of not loving enough – considering He will forgive anybody that asks and chose to allow His Son to be tortured to death rather than allow humanity to go on separated from His Love.

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