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Point of emphasis. Joel Send a noteboard - 28/01/2011 05:52:28 AM
I understand your concerns, actually. I think they're valid ones. I just think that Hell is a more valid concern.

My universalism is more a very firm faith that God will work it all out, somehow. Or rather, God will let us work it out somehow; I very much believe in grace as God enabling us to do things ourselves. There's an important distinction there.

Well, yes, God HAS worked it out, somehow; I just went over that. But Grace isn't entirely about what we accomplish, using Gods gifts or otherwise, and it's vitally important to realize that while that's no license to sin, it's still first and foremost a God centered thing. We're offered salvation by Grace through faith, and that not of ourselves, "it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them".

God lets us accept His Grace, but He also lets us refuse it; to do otherwise would be tyrannical, which God is not. Confronting us with our need for Him in this world or another very much forces the issue; at that point whether Hell exists in any sense is largely irrelevant, because we face the undeniable fact that we depend upon God for our very existence, both its inception and its continuance. It's possible, automatic, I think, to then choose God, but for our own sake, not His, which is the wrong motive, because that's once again human oriented rather than God oriented.
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This message last edited by Joel on 28/01/2011 at 10:41:44 PM
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Ted Haggard Would Be Bisexual If He Was a Hot 21-Year-Old - 27/01/2011 05:01:12 PM 1388 Views
OK *NM* - 27/01/2011 06:10:10 PM 558 Views
Not sure what the point of this post was *NM* - 27/01/2011 06:50:59 PM 521 Views
It was something that made me laugh? - 27/01/2011 06:53:09 PM 904 Views
yeah you were only insulting people's religion, no reason to get worked up. *NM* - 27/01/2011 09:24:55 PM 527 Views
Er, pretty sure just laughing at what one guy said, plus a pun on the word "hard" - 27/01/2011 09:40:29 PM 836 Views
I am an athiest so I don't care - 27/01/2011 10:10:26 PM 895 Views
Re: I am an athiest so I don't care - 27/01/2011 11:10:21 PM 864 Views
bullshit - 28/01/2011 03:54:41 PM 1099 Views
Moron. *NM* - 29/01/2011 03:48:35 PM 485 Views
Well put. - 29/01/2011 04:48:00 PM 1189 Views
Or he'd still be closeted because of twisted, hateful strains of Christianity. *NM* - 27/01/2011 06:56:04 PM 425 Views
If your religion states homosexuality is wrong, then it is a position of principle... - 27/01/2011 06:59:04 PM 964 Views
Wow, you really don't understand what it is to be human - 27/01/2011 08:51:17 PM 878 Views
I'm sure you'll agree that a religious debate is not really called for here... - 27/01/2011 09:10:38 PM 922 Views
Homosexuality =/= homosexual sex. - 27/01/2011 09:16:50 PM 846 Views
Err...no. - 27/01/2011 09:23:54 PM 1099 Views
Re: Err...no. - 27/01/2011 09:42:00 PM 1034 Views
You seem to want to argue about what is allowed and what is not allowed... - 27/01/2011 10:08:10 PM 915 Views
So I am curious on your thoughts of Matthew 5:28 *NM* - 27/01/2011 10:30:50 PM 455 Views
What about it? - 28/01/2011 03:26:19 PM 936 Views
not really - 27/01/2011 10:15:32 PM 1102 Views
I completely and utterly disagree - 27/01/2011 10:39:10 PM 846 Views
Replace "Christian Faith" with "hardcore Calvinism" and I'll go away. - 28/01/2011 12:35:36 AM 810 Views
Brush up on your Romans and Corinthians - 28/01/2011 03:30:24 PM 1230 Views
I think that covered it pretty well. - 27/01/2011 11:23:13 PM 967 Views
Is it possible to have faith, but not agree with your church's stance on subjects?. *NM* - 27/01/2011 09:15:14 PM 477 Views
Of course. Faith is a broad concept. But... - 27/01/2011 09:20:54 PM 989 Views
Absolutely. - 27/01/2011 11:17:19 PM 776 Views
Nicely said *NM* - 27/01/2011 11:19:54 PM 477 Views
Agreed. - 28/01/2011 12:26:38 AM 816 Views
Re: Agreed. - 28/01/2011 01:48:22 AM 973 Views
Well, at least you're not disputing the nature of my claim. - 27/01/2011 10:23:24 PM 855 Views
I thought acceptance meant rejecting anything with which you're uncomfortable? - 27/01/2011 11:39:48 PM 989 Views
Don't even know what that means. - 28/01/2011 12:31:23 AM 771 Views
Actually, that first line is my problem with Universalism - 28/01/2011 01:54:00 AM 965 Views
"Carnal flesh" is redundant, you know. - 28/01/2011 04:27:30 AM 841 Views
Point of emphasis. - 28/01/2011 05:52:28 AM 944 Views
Agreed. *NM* - 28/01/2011 06:33:55 AM 452 Views
...I can't believe of the three posts, this is the only one with replies - 27/01/2011 09:48:14 PM 776 Views
I read it, if that's any consolation. *NM* - 27/01/2011 10:00:31 PM 529 Views
It is nothing new, there are always people "who protest too much" - 27/01/2011 10:26:49 PM 819 Views
TAHT'S BECAUSE IT'S GAAAAAAAAAAAAY. *NM* - 27/01/2011 11:01:15 PM 485 Views
I thought that was quite humorous - 27/01/2011 11:38:31 PM 898 Views

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