On Heaven: Who Gets Into Heaven
Gwen Writes:
re Wed p.m. question of who gets into heaven.
1. It's not my business or job to decide. I can only work on myself. I believe God wants all of humanity to join Him for eternity and accept his unconditional love and forgiveness. I do believe that there are people who have blatantly rejected this. I would like to think that even after death and before "Judgment Day" that there would be an opportunity for those who have not experienced God's love here on earth, that they would still have a chance. On the other hand, is the parable of Lazarus. But, that is a parable. How is it understood today? When Hitler was mentioned, the thought immediately came to mind, that Hitler could not have done what he did without a climate of hate and scapegoating. Those that helped him and turned a blind eye were just as guilty. Those in other countries who refused boatloads of Jews escaping and refused to acknowledge the horror were just as guilty. I am just as guilty when I turn an eye on the injustices going on today. It is certainly possible for Christians to commit horrible crimes - look at the Catholic priests. Addictions, whether they are drug, alcohol or sexual or otherwise cause people to behave in ways decidedly adverse to their professed faith. To me, the basic difference between me and those who have rejected the love of God, is not that God loves me more, or I am better than they, but that I have experienced the unconditional forgiveness. As such, the more I am transformed, the more God twinges my conscience to things I was previously blind to. As Paul writes, I have to die to sin daily.
I do believe that we have to accept the love of God. It is a gift. The gift of grace. By grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your own. I believe God is placing the gift in everyone's hands. All we need to do is unclench our fists of hate and resentment just a little bit in order for him to place this glorious gift in our grasp. Sometimes I have seen pictures of God reaching out to us or humanity reaching out to God - 2 points of view - we reaching up to the heavens to a distant God who is only close when we strive to reach vs God reaching down from the heavens to us. I don't picture God reaching down. I picture God as next to us. It is hard for me to remember, whatever you do to the least of these, you do it unto me. When there is a "screamer" in the nursing home, it is easy to ignore and focus on those people whose minds are a little more "with it". It's also easier to deal with a "difficult" student who is in this condition, when I have had a relationship with them over the course of time.
Back, to whom I would have a difficult time seeing in heaven. There are names of people who have done me wrong and I still hold some resentment. It has lessened. It is continual work not to let certain folk eat me up from the inside. Certain people I have made personal peace with and that is always a burden lifted. I would have to assume that if I were to meet any of these people in heaven, that God's forgiveness would have already taken place. It would not be up to me to negate that. I would also like to imagine heaven as a place that if there were resentments on earth, that if we carry that into heaven, we would be reconciled with one another.
I know there are millions who have never heard of the love of God or only the wrath of God and have not embraced His message. I can't imagine them turned away. There are many of different faiths who are truly longing for a relationship with God. I can't imagine rejection.
I do however believe there are those on earth who have actively rejected and "spit upon" the love of God. I am not God. It is not up to me to figure out what happens. I would hope that God has made provision for another chance. I guess that's why the idea of purgatory was so popular - not in the sense of being prayed into heaven or racking up enough brownie points, but another chance to receive and accept the gift of God to freely given, and yet given at such a high price.
I believe I can condemn certain acts as not right - murder, rape, etc. I cannot play God and condemn someone else. That is not my job description. I have enough work just keeping track of me.
If God didn't want us to accept his love and he was going to let us all in anyway whether or not we accepted his gift, it wouldn't matter how we were on earth, and whether or not we tried to obey His Word. I believe that ultimately, there needs to be acceptance of this gift of God even if it is "as small as a mustard seed".
Hope this makes sense.
Gwen
re Wed p.m. question of who gets into heaven.
1. It's not my business or job to decide. I can only work on myself. I believe God wants all of humanity to join Him for eternity and accept his unconditional love and forgiveness. I do believe that there are people who have blatantly rejected this. I would like to think that even after death and before "Judgment Day" that there would be an opportunity for those who have not experienced God's love here on earth, that they would still have a chance. On the other hand, is the parable of Lazarus. But, that is a parable. How is it understood today? When Hitler was mentioned, the thought immediately came to mind, that Hitler could not have done what he did without a climate of hate and scapegoating. Those that helped him and turned a blind eye were just as guilty. Those in other countries who refused boatloads of Jews escaping and refused to acknowledge the horror were just as guilty. I am just as guilty when I turn an eye on the injustices going on today. It is certainly possible for Christians to commit horrible crimes - look at the Catholic priests. Addictions, whether they are drug, alcohol or sexual or otherwise cause people to behave in ways decidedly adverse to their professed faith. To me, the basic difference between me and those who have rejected the love of God, is not that God loves me more, or I am better than they, but that I have experienced the unconditional forgiveness. As such, the more I am transformed, the more God twinges my conscience to things I was previously blind to. As Paul writes, I have to die to sin daily.
I do believe that we have to accept the love of God. It is a gift. The gift of grace. By grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your own. I believe God is placing the gift in everyone's hands. All we need to do is unclench our fists of hate and resentment just a little bit in order for him to place this glorious gift in our grasp. Sometimes I have seen pictures of God reaching out to us or humanity reaching out to God - 2 points of view - we reaching up to the heavens to a distant God who is only close when we strive to reach vs God reaching down from the heavens to us. I don't picture God reaching down. I picture God as next to us. It is hard for me to remember, whatever you do to the least of these, you do it unto me. When there is a "screamer" in the nursing home, it is easy to ignore and focus on those people whose minds are a little more "with it". It's also easier to deal with a "difficult" student who is in this condition, when I have had a relationship with them over the course of time.
Back, to whom I would have a difficult time seeing in heaven. There are names of people who have done me wrong and I still hold some resentment. It has lessened. It is continual work not to let certain folk eat me up from the inside. Certain people I have made personal peace with and that is always a burden lifted. I would have to assume that if I were to meet any of these people in heaven, that God's forgiveness would have already taken place. It would not be up to me to negate that. I would also like to imagine heaven as a place that if there were resentments on earth, that if we carry that into heaven, we would be reconciled with one another.
I know there are millions who have never heard of the love of God or only the wrath of God and have not embraced His message. I can't imagine them turned away. There are many of different faiths who are truly longing for a relationship with God. I can't imagine rejection.
I do however believe there are those on earth who have actively rejected and "spit upon" the love of God. I am not God. It is not up to me to figure out what happens. I would hope that God has made provision for another chance. I guess that's why the idea of purgatory was so popular - not in the sense of being prayed into heaven or racking up enough brownie points, but another chance to receive and accept the gift of God to freely given, and yet given at such a high price.
I believe I can condemn certain acts as not right - murder, rape, etc. I cannot play God and condemn someone else. That is not my job description. I have enough work just keeping track of me.
If God didn't want us to accept his love and he was going to let us all in anyway whether or not we accepted his gift, it wouldn't matter how we were on earth, and whether or not we tried to obey His Word. I believe that ultimately, there needs to be acceptance of this gift of God even if it is "as small as a mustard seed".
Hope this makes sense.
Gwen
posted by Father Bob+ at 2:27 PM
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