For Those Who Have Lost Someone

This song was written by two people who lost their son at a very young age.




I hope it helps to comfort those of you who have lost someone close to you.

 

[Steven Bobb]

Good to know that a Christian can find comfort in a loved one being in Heaven, and there's probably an age of accountability.And you're presenting it with the intent to help others,which is also good.But when Christians say,"we don't grieve on as the world does"/ they]re leaving out one thing__what if an unsaved loved one dies?We can't use the line,"We know they're in a better place".We all have unsaved loved ones who died.I guess the best I can do is say"In time you'll get over your grief".

 

[Newbie]

8 hours ago, Steven Bobb said:




Good to know that a Christian can find comfort in a loved one being in Heaven, and there's probably an age of accountability.And you're presenting it with the intent to help others,which is also good.But when Christians say,"we don't grieve on as the world does"/ they]re leaving out one thing__what if an unsaved loved one dies?We can't use the line,"We know they're in a better place".We all have unsaved loved ones who died.I guess the best I can do is say"In time you'll get over your grief".


​

My personal opinion is that even if someone dies without being saved, that isn't the end. The Bible says, "Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) I believe that means that even in the next life, God is able and willing to save them, if only they are willing to accept His salvation and forgiveness.









The Bible does say, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" (Hebrews 9:27), but I personally believe that even after that God is willing to save them, if they would only accept His offer of forgiveness, love, and salvation.









I think the problem is that they aren't willing to repent and accept the love of God, and not that God is unwilling or unable.









But this is just my opinion.

 

[Steven Bobb]

2 hours ago, Newbie said:









My personal opinion is that even if someone dies without being saved, that isn't the end. The Bible says, "Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) I believe that means that even in the next life, God is able and willing to save them, if only they are willing to accept His salvation and forgiveness.









The Bible does say, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" (Hebrews 9:27), but I personally believe that even after that God is willing to save them, if they would only accept His offer of forgiveness, love, and salvation.









I think the problem is that they aren't willing to repent and accept the love of God, and not that God is unwilling or unable.









But this is just my opinion.


​

Well, here again comes the situation where different Christians have different opinions.Most say this life is your only chance, and there is no chance after death. 2 Peter reads," God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should attain to repentence".But also in the Bible, in Revelation, is "and whosoevers name was not written in the Book of Life was hurled into the lake of fire"It is a persons free will to get saved,but whether or not that applies to after death, most Christians say no, but who knows?Of my loved ones,they seem to be drifting in the opposite direction of salvation.I seem to be the only one chosen for salvation, and accepting it.Possible exception may be my father, after due time he started talking about "Christian things",like once he said "Let's watch Billy Graham" , and volunteered to give money to a tv evangelist!Also said, "All those people believe in Jesus Christ,who's to say they're wrong?"Also, while the others were into séances,he said,"no way, you could summon up demons."(Now how would an unsaved person know they were summoning up demons<unless th Spirit showed them?)He also was against abortion,and gay marriage.Then later he died from complications of Parkinsons disease, and the only thing I'm not certain of is if he "sealed the deal" before death.When I visited the gravesite,I got a strong feeling that he was in Heaven.(more than once.)When I brought this up to other Christians, they said it sounds like he is in Heaven.The only thing I don't know is if he "sealed the deal" before death.The Spirit telling you anything on this?It's not impossible that he's in Hell, but then why would God lead him that far(and he accepted it), only to throw him under the bus? Who knows?

 

[Newbie]

12 hours ago, Steven Bobb said:




Well, here again comes the situation where different Christians have different opinions.Most say this life is your only chance, and there is no chance after death. 2 Peter reads," God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should attain to repentence".But also in the Bible, in Revelation, is "and whosoevers name was not written in the Book of Life was hurled into the lake of fire"It is a persons free will to get saved,but whether or not that applies to after death, most Christians say no, but who knows?Of my loved ones,they seem to be drifting in the opposite direction of salvation.I seem to be the only one chosen for salvation, and accepting it.Possible exception may be my father, after due time he started talking about "Christian things",like once he said "Let's watch Billy Graham" , and volunteered to give money to a tv evangelist!Also said, "All those people believe in Jesus Christ,who's to say they're wrong?"Also, while the others were into séances,he said,"no way, you could summon up demons."(Now how would an unsaved person know they were summoning up demons<unless th Spirit showed them?)He also was against abortion,and gay marriage.Then later he died from complications of Parkinsons disease, and the only thing I'm not certain of is if he "sealed the deal" before death.When I visited the gravesite,I got a strong feeling that he was in Heaven.(more than once.)When I brought this up to other Christians, they said it sounds like he is in Heaven.The only thing I don't know is if he "sealed the deal" before death.The Spirit telling you anything on this?It's not impossible that he's in Hell, but then why would God lead him that far(and he accepted it), only to throw him under the bus? Who knows?


​

Yes, those that reject God, (e.g. those not in the Book of Life), will be thrown into the lake of fire. The Bible describes this as "the second death". (Revelation 20:14) But nowhere does it say that after you have been thrown into the lake of fire, there can be no salvation. It doesn't say that you can be saved, but it doesn't say you cannot be saved. This is a grey area, where I can only offer my opinion. I believe that hell is eternal only for those who refuse to accept that they are sinners in need of God's salvation. God wants everyone to be saved. I believe that eventually even Satan will be saved, but that might take quite awhile. I believe that when the Bible says that He is unwilling that any should perish, it really means everyone, including Satan and all his demons.









From the way you describe him, your father sounds like an atheist who wanted to believe, but for his own reasons, couldn't bring himself to. Many atheists are like this, they would like to believe, but for one reason or another, they simply can't bring themselves to believe. I believe that God will give these people a second chance, because they haven't rejected Him, they simply have their doubts. And who among us has never doubted or questioned our faith? We are human, we want proof, and faith is an alien concept to us. I think many of us are like Thomas, he wanted to see in order to believe. He didn't reject Christ, he simply wanted proof. My personal opinion is that God gave your father a second chance, because God is also a God of mercy, He wants us to be saved, and if after their death, someone wants to accept God, I do not think God will reject them. God doesn't reject us, it is we who have the choice (free will) to reject Him.

 

[Steven Bobb]

19 minutes ago, Newbie said:









Yes, those that reject God, (e.g. those not in the Book of Life), will be thrown into the lake of fire. The Bible describes this as "the second death". (Revelation 20:14) But nowhere does it say that after you have been thrown into the lake of fire, there can be no salvation. It doesn't say that you can be saved, but it doesn't say you cannot be saved. This is a grey area, where I can only offer my opinion. I believe that hell is eternal only for those who refuse to accept that they are sinners in need of God's salvation. God wants everyone to be saved. I believe that eventually even Satan will be saved, but that might take quite awhile. I believe that when the Bible says that He is unwilling that any should perish, it really means everyone, including Satan and all his demons.









From the way you describe him, your father sounds like an atheist who wanted to believe, but for his own reasons, couldn't bring himself to. Many atheists are like this, they would like to believe, but for one reason or another, they simply can't bring themselves to believe. I believe that God will give these people a second chance, because they haven't rejected Him, they simply have their doubts. And who among us has never doubted or questioned our faith? We are human, we want proof, and faith is an alien concept to us. I think many of us are like Thomas, he wanted to see in order to believe. He didn't reject Christ, he simply wanted proof. My personal opinion is that God gave your father a second chance, because God is also a God of mercy, He wants us to be saved, and if after their death, someone wants to accept God, I do not think God will reject them. God doesn't reject us, it is we who have the choice (free will) to reject Him.


​

Wait a minute ,about Satan being saved?Revelation states, "And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire ,where the beast and the false prophet already are.And THEY WILL BE TORMENTED FOREVER AND EVER."Tormented forever and ever" doesn't describe someone who eventually gets saved."Forever and ever"decribes eternity.You're entitled to believe what you want, but that's in the Bible.God is not willing for any to perish, but He also gave us free will."Many are called, but few are chosen".Also,how about "depart from Me, ye workers of inequity,into the EVERLASTING fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."Jesus didn't say,"Into the temporary fire prepared for the devil and he angels."Also, those who take the Antichrists mark,"The smoke of their torment ascends up forever and ever'",not temporarily.

 

[Newbie]

4 hours ago, Steven Bobb said:




Wait a minute ,about Satan being saved?Revelation states, "And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire ,where the beast and the false prophet already are.And THEY WILL BE TORMENTED FOREVER AND EVER."Tormented forever and ever" doesn't describe someone who eventually gets saved."Forever and ever"decribes eternity.You're entitled to believe what you want, but that's in the Bible.God is not willing for any to perish, but He also gave us free will."Many are called, but few are chosen".Also,how about "depart from Me, ye workers of inequity,into the EVERLASTING fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."Jesus didn't say,"Into the temporary fire prepared for the devil and he angels."Also, those who take the Antichrists mark,"The smoke of their torment ascends up forever and ever'",not temporarily.


​

My fault, I explained poorly.









Yes, the Bible does say, forever and ever. But it also says, God is love and mercy.









The question I ask myself is this, if Satan were to repent, and perhaps he never will, would God forgive him? I think that God, in His unending love would even forgive Satan, if he were to repent. Though as you pointed out, perhaps the fact that the Bible says, "forever and ever" is indicative of the fact that he will never repent. At this point however, this is merely theoretical, and perhaps I arrived at the wrong conclusion.

 

[Steven Bobb]

2 hours ago, Newbie said:









My fault, I explained poorly.









Yes, the Bible does say, forever and ever. But it also says, God is love and mercy.









The question I ask myself is this, if Satan were to repent, and perhaps he never will, would God forgive him? I think that God, in His unending love would even forgive Satan, if he were to repent. Though as you pointed out, perhaps the fact that the Bible says, "forever and ever" is indicative of the fact that he will never repent. At this point however, this is merely theoretical, and perhaps I arrived at the wrong conclusion.


​

Well, the problem I would have with that, if God did that, I think it would send a wrong message to other sinners, like,"Ah, we could murder 5 people, then repent, God will forgive us, then murder 5 more people., then repent.God is a" softy" after all." If He's TOO soft, I would think it would send a wrong message to the other sinners.

 

[Newbie]

46 minutes ago, Steven Bobb said:




Well, the problem I would have with that, if God did that, I think it would send a wrong message to other sinners, like,"Ah, we could murder 5 people, then repent, God will forgive us, then murder 5 more people., then repent.God is a" softy" after all." If He's TOO soft, I would think it would send a wrong message to the other sinners.


​

Just because God forgives us, that doesn't mean there will be no price to pay for our actions. God's salvation has saved us from damnation, but not from the consequences for our actions. Just as for every action there is a reaction, for every sin there is a consequence, a price to pay.









If we commit sin, we will not go to hell, Jesus paid that price, but there still will be consequences for our actions. Otherwise, as you said, we could simply continue committing sins and thinking that "what does it matter? Christ forgives all." Yes, God forgives all, but that doesn't mean that there will be no consequences,









That being said, my theory about the possible salvation of Satan is just that, a theory, and I might very well be wrong.