Fire Insurance

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Misty
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Fire Insurance

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Post by Misty »

I wonder if some Christians, especially those of the more fundamentalist persuasion, see their faith as fire insurance? It seems to do little else for them that is for sure. What is the point in having a faith if it doesn't make you a person others relate to, and want to know, rather than making them run a mile?

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Re: Fire Insurance

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Post by Benoni »

Misty wrote:I wonder if some Christians, especially those of the more fundamentalist persuasion, see their faith as fire insurance? It seems to do little else for them that is for sure. What is the point in having a faith if it doesn't make you a person others relate to, and want to know, rather than making them run a mile?
Oh I am sure they do. Problem is according to God's Word we will all go thought the fire.

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Post #3

Post by Misty »

What fire?

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Post by Benoni »

Misty wrote:What fire?
God's fire. You were speaking of fire insurance of fundies.

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Post #5

Post by Misty »

The Lake of Fire in hell?

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Post #6

Post by ChaosBorders »

Misty wrote:The Lake of Fire in hell?
I think he is referring to final judgment or some such. And in that regard there are certainly those who view such passages literally and think their beliefs will get them a pass through into eternal paradise. Ironically, if one reads the Bible with a literal view in mind, I suspect they would be the most likely to burn of anyone.
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Post #7

Post by OnceConvinced »

I believe once you become a Christian, Hell ceases to become an issue for you, because you're convinced your saved, no matter what denomination or cult you belong to. That's why a Christian can still see God as loving, merciful and just because from their perspective they're going to Heaven. I know for me, Hell was never a concern for me as a Christian, because I was convinced I was "A true Christian".

Society and its morals evolve and will continue to evolve. The bible however remains the same and just requires more and more apologetics and claims of "metaphors" and "symbolism" to justify it.

Prayer is like rubbing an old bottle and hoping that a genie will pop out and grant you three wishes.

There is much about this world that is mind boggling and impressive, but I see no need whatsoever to put it down to magical super powered beings.


Check out my website: Recker's World

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Post #8

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Misty wrote:The Lake of Fire in hell?
Fire (Greek) “pur� were we get out English words; “pure, purify, purge and purgatory.

I do not believe in hell for the word hell is not in the original language of scripture; nor do I believe in the Catholic word purgatory. With this being said I do believe that is what the Lake of Fire is all about.

Charles Pridgeon and I would like to quote from his scholarly work on the subject of BRIMSTONE. He says: "The Lake of Fire and Brimstone signifies a fire burning with brimstone; the word 'brimstone' or sulphur defines the character of the fire. The Greek word THEION translated 'brimstone' is exactly the same word THEION which means 'divine.' Sulphur was sacred to the deity among the ancient Greeks; and was used to fumigate, to purify, and to cleanse and consecrate to the deity; for this purpose they burned it in their incense. In Homer's Iliad (16:228), one is spoken of as purifying a goblet with fire and brimstone. The verb derived from THEION is THEIOO, which means to hallow, to make divine, or to dedicate to a god (See Liddell and Scott Greek-English Lexicon, 1897 Edition). To any Greek, or any trained in the Greek language, a 'lake of fire and brimstone' would mean a 'lake of divine purification.' The idea of judgment need not be excluded. Divine purification and divine consecration are the plain meaning in ancient Greek. In the ordinary explanation, this fundamental meaning of the word is entirely left out, and nothing but eternal torment is associated with it" -end quote.

Now the word we really need to look for is the word eternal, everlasting, forever; here is the key words tat condemns so many. I believe these words were added by the translators and should be simply mean age or ages.

God is a spirit and has no reason for literal things like fire; The Lake of divine purging is only mentioned in the Book of revelation which is the most spiritual book in the Bible.


1 Corin 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world (age) are come. example

Example: NT:5178 a : Strong’s: tupikos (toop-ee-kos'); an adverb related to NT:5179; found only in 1 Cor 10:11: as a warning, by way of example, typologically (i.e. figuratively, as a prophetic type, a typological interpretation of Scripture)

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Post #9

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OnceConvinced wrote:I believe once you become a Christian, Hell ceases to become an issue for you, because you're convinced your saved, no matter what denomination or cult you belong to. That's why a Christian can still see God as loving, merciful and just because from their perspective they're going to Heaven. I know for me, Hell was never a concern for me as a Christian, because I was convinced I was "A true Christian".

Again you assume if God’s fire is not for believers, this is the case if you are a superficial believer but if you are seeking the high calling in Christ Jesus your doctrine is lacking at the least. Your memory is also lacking for I have already refuted you claims that the “in Christ� was exclusionary to the followers of Christ, as I correctly pointed out the Greek Word “en� also means “in/with and by� and these words are interchangeable.

And then we have the glorious promise that "As in (Greek, (en) in, with, by) Adam all die, even so in (in, with, by) Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order." (1 Corinthians 15:22-23).

It is not a manner of if you go thought the fire, but when. It is interesting to note that the Greek word for fire is PUR, a derivative of which is the Latin word PYRA (pure) and the English word PYRE - the place for the burning of a corpse. PYREX also comes from the same root, PYR or PUR, meaning a fire, and REX, meaning a king - that which is king, thus ruling over the fire, hence a "heatresistant" glassware. All our English words having to do with that which is pure are related to the Greek word PUR, indicating clearly that that which is pure is so because it has been cleansed BY FIRE! Consider: PURE, PURity, PURify, PURification, PURitan and yes the catholic word PURgatory.

Fire, in the scriptures, symbolized two things - judgment and cleansing. But God is not schizophrenic in His nature - one side of His character disposed to forgive, save, heal, redeem, deliver and restore, while another part of His nature is bent on vengeful destruction and the sadistic torture of His enemies. His action in fire, as His action in grace, is pure, harmonious, and balanced, directed towards the purging that will lead to restoration.

His fire cleanses the believer that he may qualify for God's highest.
His action of fire towards the unbeliever is to the same end, conditioning and preparing that one for good results, when, having been broken and purged from pride and rebellion, he bows low before the Saviour, penitently receiving the gracious gift of life. The fire does not save him, but it removes the hindrance that separates him from the kind mercy of the Lord.

That the coming of the Lord as refining fire does not relate to His coming in the flesh two thousand years ago is clearly seen by the fact that there was no purifying of the priesthood then, and the term "the sons of Levi" cannot refer to the old Levitical priesthood but to the new order of the Melchizedekian priesthood, for the old Aaronic priesthood has passed away and the new order has come into being, the order of Melchizedek.

The Lord has nothing to do with the Levitical priesthood, for He was not of the tribe of Levi but of the tribe of Judah. He couldn't be a priest after the old order because He was not of Levi nor of the descendents of Aaron. This is made perfectly clear in Hebrews chapter seven. Malachi used this word in reference to the priesthood because there was no other order in existence then, and as the old was a type of that which was to come, the reference must be to the new order of priesthood. Christ Jesus is the High Priest of the new order, the Melchizedekian priesthood, the priesthood that is being formed now, and THIS IS THE PRIESTHOOD THAT HE CLEANSES AND PURIFIES WHEN HE RETURNS TO HIS TEMPLE.
The apostle Peter expressed the truth of it this way: "Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered by the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality, as though something strange - unusual and alien to you and your position - were befalling you" (I Pet. 4:12, Amplified). "THINK IT NOT STRANGE," the King James version says - do not be amazed and bewildered, do not be astonished, do not be alarmed as though the experience is foreign, unexpected, abnormal, a surprise. It is not an accident - it was PLANNED. It is not a surprise - it was PURPOSED.
Who may abide - endure - wait for - the day of HIS COMING? So many are content in that spiritual place where they are. The vast majority of Christians are satisfied with the forgiveness realm, the blessing realm, the gift realm where all is received by free grace through faith. Everything in those elementary realms is free! There are no conditions, no qualifications, no price - neither is there any great attainment in God. It is the realm of children, of babes in Christ. "Ask, and ye shall receive." To the spiritual children Jesus promised, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to them that ask Him?" (Mat. 7:11). The world of children receiving gifts from their parents is a blessed world indeed!

1 Peter 1:7 (KJV) That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

1 Peter 1:7 (ESV) so that(A) the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes(B) though it is tested by(C) fire—may be found to result in(D) praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:7 (WYC) that the proving of your faith be much more precious than gold, that is proved by fire; and be found into praising, and glory, and honour, in the revelation of Jesus Christ.


"He knoweth the way that I take, and when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." Job 23:10.

Isaiah. 48:10 & 11 says, "Behold I have refined thee, and I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. For mine own name's sake I will do it, for I will not have My name to be polluted." The name of God means that He will become whatever He wants to become to meet everyone's need, whenever He wants to do it. In order for us to become the expression of the name of the Lord in the earth, it is essential that we be purified from all that does not bring glory to His name. This is what the furnace of affliction will do. Affliction includes all of the adversities, hardships and trying experiences that are a part of our life. The Greek word for affliction means pressure. Paul said that we are pressed, not only from without, but from within. All of these pressures, both external and internal, are controlled by God and are urging us into Him. Paul tells us that we must through much pressure, enter the kingdom of God.

We should never view suffering in a negative way. We should always see it as a totally positive handiwork of God that will always have excellent results, without any defeat whatsoever. In all Job's suffering He did not attribute folly to God. Job 1:22. God Himself is fully responsible for all of our negative situations. The statement is true that was made by a man of God back in the eighteen hundreds: "

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Post #10

Post by ChaosBorders »

Benoni wrote: We should never view suffering in a negative way. We should always see it as a totally positive handiwork of God that will always have excellent results, without any defeat whatsoever. In all Job's suffering He did not attribute folly to God. Job 1:22. God Himself is fully responsible for all of our negative situations. The statement is true that was made by a man of God back in the eighteen hundreds: "
Once. Just once I would like to see a Christian use Job in a proper context. Yes, you're correct that Job never attributed folly to God. However, he also never saw it as positive and never expected the reward God ultimately gave to him. So though I personally agree that God is fully responsible for all of our negative situations, and also agree that it would be better to look towards the positive during times of suffering, Job is not a good book to reference to make this point. Varying passages by Paul would make this case much more strongly. Job, not so much.
Unless indicated otherwise what I say is opinion. (Kudos to Zzyzx for this signature).

“Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.� -Albert Einstein

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