The thing I don't get is, how did God know in advance how much Jesus should suffer for all our collective sins before we had even commited them. I mean, what if somebody goes and does something really, really, really BAD that God didn't anticipate when the deal was negotiated? Will Jesus have to suffer some more for this naughty person?
136767
Chuh yeah!  Every time you swear, it makes baby jesus cry.  We ran out of credit in the 70's.
439867
Interesting scripure. But I'm also interested in this: the term 'last days' has been mentioned, and keeping in mind two things: the lord's overwhelming power to stretch and shrink time, combined with the fact that the last 2000 years there have been scoffers like mentioned above, when exactly will these 'days' end? This could take thousands of years, or be in a minute. But in that very minute a 'scoffer' *could* convert to the true faith, so if the lord is truly patient, he'd wait that minute too, or those thousands years, else it wouldn't be fair, I'd say.\n\nAnd tell me this: I am no scoffer, but in your eyes I'd probably be. But which of my desires are actually evil? My strongest desires are that people all over the world be stopped by blind judging other people, that people actually think before they act, that they take other people in mind when they take decisions that might effect them, in short that they respect other people and let them be. Another desire of mine is that helping people develop themselves, seek out their potentials, and enhance them, that they enjoy living in this beautiful world, and teach other people to enjoy too.\n\nBut since I don't need Jesus to actually do this, I am truly an ungodly man and I shall be destroyed by your lord.\n\nIf I'm to be judged by someone who doesn't look at my actions or my desires behind them, but at my lack of faith, and still wants to destroy me, please, let him do his thing, for I have nothing to be ashamed of and I rather live in hell knowing I have done right, than living in heaven for being a hypocrite.
665156
HOW MISIMFORMED ARE YOU HONEY... GOD SON JESUS CAN FORGIVE HES THE ONE THAT GAVE OF HIMSELF ON THE CROSS ON CALVARY FOR YOUR SINS AND FOR MINE AND FOR EVERYONES SINS... AND THERE IS ALWAYS A NEED TO HAVE FORGIVENESS BUT YOU MUST MEAN IT AND STICK WITH IT AND NOT DO THE SAME THING AND JUST EXPECT THAT YOU CAN BE FORGIVEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN FOR THE SAME MISTAKE...
198698
I don't think God's wrath was turned against His Son, Who was doing His will.  Jesus was the perfect, sinless sacrifice for sin.\n\nI guess the rest of it sums the gospel up in a nutshell.
463909
I see where you are going with this, but your logic is faulty.\n\nYes - He is saying that some people will claim to know Him, but as he just got done saying a few verses earlier, they won't have been doing the will of His Father, and which means they don't truly know Him, they only think they do.\n\nTwo observations:\n\n1)  That does not mean that all Christians will not be acknowledged by the Messiah - only that some who claim to be Christians won't.\n\n2)  That does not mean that there are any other ways to God.  Jesus was also very clear about that:\n\n  * John 3:36 "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."\n\n   * John 14:6 "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me"\n\nI see that you honor Jesus as a Prophet, when you write "PBUH" (Peace Be Unto Him) after His name.  How do handle the knowledge that Jesus claimed to: 1) have the authority to forgive sins (something only God can do), 2) said He and the Father were one (John 10:30), and 3) claimed God granted him the authority to lay down his life  - and - take it up again (John 10:17-18).\n\nIgnoring whether or not He proved those things with the Resurrection (and there is evidence He did), these claims are very bold.  I can see two possibilities.  Either 1) These were not true (in which case you should not be saying "Peace Be Unto Him" every time you mention his name, for he was a Blasphemer, or 2) What he said was true, and he was God in human form come to save mankind.\n\nAs a Muslim, how do you handle that?
378264
Everyone has a choice, God does not "make" Muslims, etc. He may know someone will make choices that turns them into a Muslim, but God values our choices. Look, if God wanted to just let everyone into heaven that loved him, and cast away the rest into hell, he can do so WITHOUT putting us on earth first. But why would he let us be on earth when he knows we wont serve him anyway? Well imagine if you were created straight in hell... You could easily argue, "God I never had a choice to follow you!", but since you were on earth you DID have choices, and so you get to understand why you go to heaven or hell. Remember though, no one goes to hell if they doesn't deserve to be there according to God's judgement. So why didn't God create just Christians? Well, firstly that would be a form of force since we'd all be destined to go to heaven. Secondly, God might use the life of a non-believer to somehow affect another person into believing. If no one was criticising the Bible, for instance, you probably wouln't have historians and archeologists who back up the Biblical claims with as much evidence as possible. If you didn't have those scholars defending the Bible from skeptics, you might not have as many people who believe in the Bible. At the last, remember that God's knowledge and foresight exceeds are own, and what we may not think is "woth it" he does. Plus think about it, do you think us mere humans are worth the sufferings Jesus undertook? I don't want anyone suffering for me, but it just goes to show how sometimes God might do something we think is wrong, but to him it is extreme mercy and love.
45592
For the first part it is simple ...\nThink about this: we are all God's creation and one way or another we carry on God's will. One of the assets given to us is free-will, the will to do as we choose. God's purpose now is to guide us on the right path, but it is us who must walk it. Judas did not know God's will at the time, it was much later that people were aware of what Jesus' death actually ment.\nThe fact that God intended it doesn't excuse Judas' act. It was Judas' choice to betray his teacher and this alone makes his act evil, just like any treason. God doesn't mind-control anyone. He chose to betray Jesus to the romans, thus he is a traitor and his treachery is ten-fold since we are talking about the Son of God (something Judas really believed or he wouldn't be an Apostle).\nAlso the fact that he's a traitor doesn't mean christians should hold a grudge against Judas. After all, he was forgiven for his actions did lead on the right path.\n\nAs for the accusations against the Jews, whatever they had done then, it's all done and it subscribes to the same things I've said above.
558500
That is an often-asked question, and a fair one.  The distinction that needs to be made is that God is not somehow uncaring about suffering.\n\nSuffering comes from the original sin.  Sort of a snowball effect.  It began with the fall of man in the garden of Eden, and has gathered speed throughout thousands of years.  Illness, sorrow, death; all sin, are fallout from sin entering the world.\n\nThere will come a time when these things will be no more; when Jesus comes to rule and reign on earth.  Until He does, as He told us "you will have tribulation on this earth"..meaning, we will suffer.\n\nGod cares about us and our hurts, that is why, first and foremost He sent His son to redeem us...and it is also why we have God's spirit to comfort us, in all circumstances.
108982
In the first place, it was our mistake that we did not pay any heed to His advice.  By giving that advice, He made us aware of the fact that He was in a position to give advice and we would be better off to follow that.\n\nHowever, we are human beings and we may commit mistakes and God does not punish us for our mistakes but forgives us.  Just think how many mistakes you have  committed since your birth and still you are enjoying life.  What we csonsider as punishment are just reminders from the Almighty that we must learn from our mistakes and do not commit the same sin twice.
324352
God loves us and has given us second chances a ton of times, hey, He even sent his son to die for us. I truly believe that people will be given a second chance after Christ's second coming and will be able to go to Heaven. I'm sure your friend was a good person, and in the end I believe that's what matters most. God loves us and doesn't want us to suffer, so why wouldn't he help those who were good, but a little misguided?
83637
"Why then do you judge your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God;" Rom 14:10.\n\nThose who have scruples are not to sit in judgment on those who know that the gospel has liberated them from such ordinances.\n\nThere will be one judgement on the last day for all mankind: Following in the steps of the prophets and John the Baptist, Jesus announced the judgment of the Last Day in his preaching. Then will the conduct of each one and the secrets of hearts be brought to light. Then will the culpable unbelief that counted the offer of God's grace as nothing be condemned. Our attitude to our neighbor will disclose acceptance or refusal of grace and divine love. On the Last Day Jesus will say: "Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me."
285782
First of all, I apologize on behalf of Donald Shaw.  I thought his response to your question was absolutely terrible, and very un-Christian.  \n\nI was dismayed that, instead of sharing his faith with you and trying to bring Christ to you, he chose words that would serve no other purpose than to alientate you and push you away.   Trust me, not all of us Christians are like that.\n\nNow, in response to your question:\n\nGod can (and does) effect His forgiveness in any way He wishes.  He's God.  He can do whatever He wants.\n\nSo why did He have His Son suffer and die for our sins?  \n\nOne reason is that this was predicted in the Old Testament.  The OT speaks of a "suffering servant," a human Lamb of God who -- like the lamb sacrificed each year by the ancient Jews on the Day of Atonement -- would die for us and take our sins with Him. \n\nSecond, human nature being what it is, it's not enough for us to read something (like "your sins are forgiven") and then believe it.  We human beings need visuals.  We need proof.  For us, seeing is truly believing.  \n\nAnd seeing Christ suffer and die the worst form of execution in the history of capital punishment -- for us! -- is truly believing.  \n\nWhy else would anyone, let alone the Son of God, willingly put Himself through that?   He certainly didn't do it for nothing.  He definitely didn't do it for Himself.  \n\nHe did it to conquer sin and death.  And for those who believe in Him, that's what He accomplished.
181704
It was part of God's plan for the human race for Jesus Christ to die for the sins of the human race.  He was the Last Adam (the last perfect man born as Adam was created) so He was the only One qualified to die for our sins.  Fortunately for us He didn't disobey God as Adam did and He was able to do what He did or we wouldn't have the opportunity to believe in Him that He paid the penalty for our sins.
579839
According to Christians, God is all-knowing - he knows all the past, all the present and all the future. If this is so, then God must know everything we do long before we do it. This means that our whole life must be predetermined and that we act not according to the free exercise of our wills but according to our predetermined natures. If we are predetermined to be good we will be good and if we are predetermined to be evil we will be evil. We will act not according to our will or choice but according to the way God has already foreseen we will act. Although Christians will insist that we do have free will, God's omniscience simply makes this logically impossible. And that people will act only as God determines is verified in the Bible \n\nIf people are evil it is because God has chosen to make them evil (Rom 1:24-28) and caused them to disobey him (Rom 11:32). If they do not understand God's message it is because he has made their minds dull (Rom 11:8) and caused them to be stubborn (Rom 9:18). God prevents the Gospel from being preached in certain areas (Act 16:6-7) and he fixes long before it will happen when a person will be born and when he or she will die (Act 17:26). Those who were going to be saved were chosen by God before the beginning of time (ii Tim 1:9 Eph 1:11). If a person has faith and is thereby saved, their faith comes from God, not from any effort on their part (Eph 2:9-10). One may ask "If a person can only do what God predetermines them to do, how can God hold them responsible for their actions?"
165689
God set the price - long before Adam and Eve sinned.\n\nWhy a price? Why sacrifice? That is what I will ask Him first thing after I settle in Heaven. \n\nFor now I am thankful He did pay the price He Himself set and we can freely get to Him.
274067
because he was human, he got temptations and everything, and it was worse for him because as the christ, it would be his first real experience of pain. Besides, look at the human race, were a waste of space, why should he go through all that for us? WOuldn't u hide, they are going to whip you and nail you to a cross, come on, you arent going to walk right up and be like "ok, here i am", at that time he was human, remember that
276679
hmm... this was years before Christ.. how could you blame Christianity? Ever hear of Sodom and Gomorah? The flood?these are old testament judgements against the world. The wages of sin is death. But through the sacrifice of Christ all men who accept him can have eternal life.Some things in the bible have spiritual meanings and call for greater understanding than many here are ready for.and some things can be taken out of context. Read the bible pray about it have faith in Jesus and God will show you many things. The simple Gospel is clear and it really is all anyone would need to know to be saved John 3:16. its a great place to start.... take your first steps first...your wanting great bible understanding before you have the basics.