RE: If there was no eternal life in heaven -
06-07-2002, 10:38 AM
>Thats how you seem to be interpreting my
>question.
Sorry about that.Well then lets go on.
>Lets dwell with Job saga. The role of
>Satan in this narrative is reversed when
>compared to that which he played in
>Garden of Eden.
>
>In Eden he asks Eve.."Why Has God Given
>You This Commandment?" or "Why Does Man
>Choose To Follow You?"(paraphrased)
King James version does show satan asking this question "why" to Eve instead satan asks... "hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" Note that the bible in Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.
Hath God said......The root of all sin is doubting God's Word. Satan was successful in this approach even with one who had never sinned before and who had no sin-nature inclining her to sin. Satan merely implanted a slight doubt concerning God's veracity and His sovereign goodness. The approach so successful in this case has provided the pattern for his temptations ever since.This is the reason am saying whe question "WHY..." could have not done because it simply does not create DOUBT which is Satan's key trick.....Talk about the oldest trick in the book!!!
The "serpent" was not merely a talking snake, but was Satan himself (Revelation 12:9; 20:2) possessing and using the serpent's body to deceive Eve. Satan had been originally created (Ezekiel 28:14,15) and was given the highest post among all Gods Angels
Moreover,the physical serpent was clever, and possibly originally able to stand upright,
eye-to-eye with man, (the Hebrew word is NACHASH, possibly originally meaning a shining, upright creature).(you will noget this in the bible this are supporting books)
Reaserching alittle further it might have been that some of the animals may have originally been able to communicate on an elementary level with their human masters, an ability later removed by the Curse. More likely, God allowed Satan to use the serpent's throat (as He later allowed Balaam's ass to speak--Numbers 22:28) and Eve was, in her innocence, not yet aware of the strangeness of it.
>In the Book of Job he asks God "Why Does
>Man Follow to Your
>Commandment.?"(paraphrased)
The above question does not appear either instead.........He tries to play clever after the Lord asked him......."JOB 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?"
1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said,"Job does not fear God for nothing?"
And this was satan's The reason was.....JOB 1:10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
>In a sense we can say Satan tempts Eve
>in Genesis and then he "tempts" God in
>Job.
Although we know that he is capable of Trying to foolishly tempt God,Picture it this way.....He wants to prove God wrong an therefore thinks that if he messed Job up then Job would give God a slap on the face.This as you read on turns the otherway round,we see that Job actually holds to God despite the challenges.
>This is what I'm getting at here...
>Christianity doesnt(or shouldnt?)
>collapse when the Prize(Eternity) is
>taken away. Christendom,NOT
>christianity, is held together by this
>reward system.
I dont think so Having gone through satans coversation about Job with God and then again looking at the fact that whole bible points towards the fact that God had redemption plan for entire world.
Should eternity be taken away then it means christ death was in vain because he died for us so that we may recieve salvation both from the wrath of God and atrocities of Satan and in turn recieve eternity through confession of our sins and accepting him in our lives.Satan uses man and plans fatal elimination on them before they think of going back to christ.Instead Satan would count that as a point in his favour.Satan has been a murderer from the beginning and accomplished his murderous goal by hanging Christ on the cross. However his "victory" was short lived.....Christ rose again and put him to shame.
>I Choose To Worship God Because It Is
>That Which I Must For My Creator.
You don't choose to worship him rather you worship him because he is your creator.The bible says he chose you long time ago all you have to do is accept him and you are in.
>This is the Reason of My Existence.
Initially before the fall of man,this was the case.Hence man was immortal then old age neither as nowhere in the vicinity of man.Surely would not like regain it back?
Man has been the most Intolerable of all the creations God made and that has prompted God to flood them and sometimes turn his back on them including even drafting a constition for them.Despite this,they still went overboard and they quickly started looking at "vice as virtue".God still loved them ofcourse and realised that animal sacrifises will not wash away their sins.He then gave his son for us.
Am told this time round its the lake of fire that awaits the nasty ones.Am sure would Love to be SAVED from that!!!!
Leaving that aside shortly you find that in the previos days people had to be lured in to going to school by giving them small gitfs.In that someone would got to school the next day with higher expectations.
God therefore has promised eternity to all those that follow the right path together with is HE has left us his Holy Spirit who is full of gifts to guide us against vice.
I would rather I said that I serve my Master because he is my creator and I want get my original status back(immortal),eternity(abundunt life..that which is endless)
>This thesis has been subverted by
>various movements(I believe) throughout
>the History of the Church. Right now the
>"Prosperity Theology" that is gaining a
>huge following is at the
>forefront.........But that is another
>story.
Would you mind elaborating alittle on properity theology.
"The whole world, from President [George W.] Bush downwards, was engaged in trying to strike a power-sharing deal. If that power-sharing deal made Odinga number three, we'd have never accepted it." - Salim Lone
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