Peace to you,
PinSeeker wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 4:16 pm
tam wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 3:06 pm
We CAN exist into eternity future, but that is not automatic.
Yes it is, because God made us in His image. I mean I'm not sure I'd say "automatic," but, well, a given.
I was going to say that it is not a given... but eternal life is
given - it just is not given to everyone. So I changed it to automatic.
tam wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 3:06 pm
That is a gift (and does require eating from the Tree of Life).
No, eternal
life is a gift ("...the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" [Romans 6:23]), and that does require having access to the tree of Life, which we believers will all have when Christ comes back, ushering in eternity and the kingdom in its fullness. Eternal life and eternal existence are two different things, and both are realities. Existence in eternity will be a reality for all, but eternal life will only be experienced by God's elect.
Eternal life is from God (through His Son).
Eternal
existence is a doctrine of men, an interpretation of various things, but never taught by Christ and no distinction is made between eternal life and eternal existence. Life and death, yes. Life and existence, no. Equating existence and death is something man has done.
tam wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 3:06 pm
PinSeeker wrote:And there will be no more sin, no more suffering, every tear will be wiped from our eyes, and all sorrow and sighing will flee away. Forever.
If there are humans who exist in an eternal state of despair and suffering, weeping, sorrow, then that promise (that I bolded in your post) will never come true.
No, because that promise is only for those redeemed by Christ and residing in the new heaven and new earth with Him.
That promise is not qualified. There is no need. Because there are not going to be people existing eternally in sorrow, misery, weeping, suffering. Even if those who received life were somehow unaware of this - God would not be unaware. He would know that there is misery and suffering and agony and weeping for the rest of existence, never to end, always always, millions of trillions of years and not one second closer to relief.
That is
abhorrent.
For a person to be aware of that - you don't think that will affect their own peace, their own joy, their own happiness, love?
We exist in a world of cause and effect; action and reaction. If something that negative exists in torment, there will be an effect on the rest of creation - certainly on those who know that there are people experiencing such misery without end. Ever.
There is no point to this. There is no need for this.
Even in the world of the dead now, that kind of suffering does not exist; the dead know nothing; they are sleeping - awaiting a resurrection. But for some reason (some) men have decided that they must be awakened so that they can then exist in conscious suffering for all eternity? Weeping, mourning, gnashing teeth - for all time, never ending. Ever.
At the very least no one can deny that God would have known the possibility that not everyone would come to life, that there would be enemies, that some would choose and receive death. Yet man thinks that God did not plan a failsafe to keep people from eternal conscious suffering? That He did not know how to plan for that possibility/actuality? His plan is much better than what (some) men have interpreted it as being.
Peace again to you,
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy