Finding Your Way

The penalty for breaking Gods laws is death, and since we all have broken His laws at one point or another we all stand guilty before a Holy God, condemned to an eternity in Hell. What Jesus did on the cross was not to sacrifice Himself to Himself but to take our place, in other words He substituted Himself for us. Yes it was a sacrifice as well but not like the sacrifices of bulls and goats,or the human sacrifices that the pagans would offer;

(Joh 3:16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.

it's like this your standing before a judge you have been found guilty of some serious crimes and the judge is about to pass sentence on you when someone you don't even know steps into the court room and says your honor because of my great love for this person I will take their place and pay the penalty for their crimes. It works like this;

(Rom 5:12) Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to everyone, because all have sinned.


(Rom 5:13) Certainly sin was in the world before the law was given, but no record of sin is kept when there is no law.

(Rom 5:14) Nevertheless, death ruled from the time of Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the same way Adam did when he disobeyed. He is a type of the one who would come.

(Rom 5:15) But God's free gift is not like Adam's offense. For if many people died as the result of one man's offense, how much more have God's grace and the free gift given through the kindness of one man, Jesus Christ, been showered on many people!

(Rom 5:16) Nor can the free gift be compared to what came through the man who sinned. For the sentence that followed one man's offense brought condemnation, but the free gift brought justification, even after many offenses.

(Rom 5:17) For if, through one man, death ruled because of that man's offense, how much more will those who receive such overflowing grace and the gift of righteousness rule in life because of one man, Jesus Christ!

If Christ had not taken our place and offered Himself in our place we would all end up in Hell, because we are all guilty. We have either lied, cheated, stolen, blasphemed Gods Name (taken the Lords Name in vain or in place of a curse word)or murdered and God considers hatred the same as murder and to look with lust the same as adultery I mean if we are honest with ourselves we all would realize how far short we fall of the slandered that God requires. Further more if we were truly good there would be no need for the law in the first place, truly good people would not need a law that says do not steal because t would not be in there heart to steal. If we were truly good or cold be good enough then Christ died on the Cross for nothing.
But as it is we are all guilty and have broken God's commandments and since God is perfectly just and perfectly good He must punish us for breaking His Law's. However it is because of His Love toward us that Christ died in our place. God's justice demanded our death but His Love demanded a solution!
(Joh 3:16) "For this is how God loved the world: He gave his unique Son so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but have eternal life.

(2Pe 3:9) The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some people understand slowness, but is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to perish, but wants everyone to come to repentance.

So we see God's Love for us demonstrated through Christ, but the scripture also says;
(Joh 3:36) The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who disobeys the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.

The wrath of God abides upon those who do not obey the Son or believe in Him because they are still in their sin and stand guilty before a Holy God. Please take a moment and consider what I have written, ask yourself if you will be innocent or guilty when you stand before God.

God gave man one commandment, Do not eat of the fruit of the Tree of The Knowledge of Good & Evil and he could not obey it. Hell is the place of punishment for those who break God's commandments or sin; it is not a rule but the consequence of our sin.

And yes God is omniscient, and He gave man free will, the ability to choose for himself. And I am sure that God knew Adam & Eve would sin and He still allowed them to choose. Adam could have said no to Eve but he didn't. I don't claim to completely understand why God allowed this but I think that part of it may have to do with giving us freewill but freewill without options is not freewill at all, I mean if God did not give man the option to obey or disobey then freewill would not be freewill at all it would be meaningless.

Did God know Adam & Eve would sin and the consequences of that sin yes He did? Does that mean that God wanted them to? No, I don't think so. I believe that God loves us and that He has a plan and purpose for His creation and that as creator He could destroy us all if He wished, because that is what we deserve but He doesn't because of His Love toward us.

There is one other thing you need to consider as well that is that even though God Loves us He is Holy, Just, Pure and completely Good and must punish sinners for their transgressions, does He enjoy doing this no, is it His will? NO, but He must otherwise He would not be good would He, I mean if He just let murderers and rapists and liars, fornicator's, blasphemers and adulterers go free and allowed them into Heaven would that be just? No.

So God gave man the freedom to choose and man chose to rebel and be disobedient even until today man still is rebelling against God and as a result the consequences of that are sickness, suffering, death & Hell.
And just as I believe that God is Holy & Just, I believe He also loves and Merciful, He sent His Son to pay the penalty for our crimes against Himself in the ultimate demonstration of His Love;
(Rom 5:6) For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

(Rom 5:7) For it is rare for anyone to die for a righteous person, though somebody might be brave enough to die for a good person.

(Rom 5:8) But God demonstrates his love for us by the fact that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.

(Rom 5:9) Now that we have been justified by his blood, how much more will we be saved from wrath through him!

As I said I do not completely understand why God chose to do things this way, but I do believe that He is omniscient and being omniscient if there were another way or better way He would done it that way.

Either way He is God & Creator, we are His creation therefore He has the right to as He pleases, and I praise Him and thank Him that it pleased Him to be merciful not only to the world but to a sinner like myself, I deserved Hell and He has given me eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ.

I would like to ask you a couple of questions; how can you a man sit in judgment against God? Are you greater than Him? Do you have more Knowledge then Him? Because that is what it appears that you have done by your comments. Don't you know that one day we will all stand before His judgment seat to be judged by Him? You see we have to answer to God, it's not the other way around.

Where will you spend eternity?

I stand corrected Thank you for pointing out the verse, I was using the ISV. I dont think I will use that one anymore! I am a Christian as well. God Bless!

That is right you will not be punished for Adams sin, you will be punished for your own sins, for we have all sinned. Also He gave man the choice obey and live or disobey and die.

Sorry for the typing error, I meant to write that we would not be punished for Adams sins, but for our own (I corrected it). We are sinners as a result of Adams sin because we have inherited his fallen nature, because Adam died spiritually that day.

I believe in Intelligent Design.

No I mean God gave Adam one rule and told him that if he disobeyed the result would be death. Now we know that Adam did not die a physical death the Bible clearly shows that Adam and Eve were still alive after eating the fruit. They died spiritually that day and since they were our parents we inherited there fallen condition, so now we sin because it is in our nature to do so.
God in the beginning created everything good and it was not until man's disobedience that sin and death entered into that creation and began to corrupt it.
(Gen 1:31) And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

And as far as God being a mugger in the sky, the only thing that comment proves is your lake of knowledge of God, so I will say it again God does not send people to hell if they are innocent, only the guilty end are sent to Hell. Furthermore the scripture is quite clear when it states that;
(Eze 18:30) Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord Jehovah. Return ye, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

(Eze 18:31) Cast away from you all your transgressions, wherein ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

(Eze 18:32) For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord Jehovah: wherefore turn yourselves, and live.

so the comment about God being a mugger is ridiculous and as a matter of fact He has gone out of His way to demonstrate His Love and mercy through Christ. He could have let us all perish in our sins and still have been perfectly just in doing so since that is what we deserve, but He didn't.

Your welcome thedawgfan, and thank you again for pointing out that verse. About the ID Debates, perhaps someday I will God willing. God Bless!