Understanding Christianity

[Malificent]

I am not here to offend, but to learn, so if you have anything negative to say to me, please think before you say it! Thank you:

Question number one: "Thou shalt not judge." This being believed, how come when I tell a Christian I am not a Christian, they tell me I am going to hell. I thought only God could judge me!

And question number 2 (I'll just leave it at this for now...): God gave his creations free will, correct? Well if you have to be a Christian (basically) to get into heaven, what if you choose another religion? You go to hell? Seems more like bribery to me: believe what everyone else believes, or suffer eternal damnation.

*shrugs*

Please help me understand! Again, not trying to offend so just teach me please. Thanks guys!

*MaLiFiCeNt*  

(PS I am a good person despite what images you may conjure with my screen name. Please don't point it out that it connotates evil, for only the human mind does that).

[Whitehorse]

First of all, we have to learn what the Bible says when it says not to judge. Because there are many places in which we are called to make judgments. For example, let's take a look at Matthew 7, the chapter you are referring to. If you keep reading, Jesus tells us to make a judgment about false prophets. He says we will know them by what they do. So, what does He mean by judge? I'm including the whole section below.

7:1Judge not, that ye be not judged.

7:2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

7:3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

7:4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

7:5Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

7:6Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

7:7Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

7:8For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

7:9Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give * him a stone?

7:10Or if he ask a fish, will he give * him a serpent?

7:11If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

7:12Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

7:13Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat *:

7:14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

7:15Beware * of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

7:16Ye shall know them by their fruits *. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

7:17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

7:18A good tree cannot * bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

7:19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

7:20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

7:21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

7:22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

7:23And then will I profess unto them *, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Clearly He is not referring to making discernments, because we are also to implement church discipline when that is called for. That is scriptural also-there are several examples in the epsitles where church discipline is described, and prescribed. So it doesn't mean we do not notice sin or that we do not call a spade a spade. We have a measure in the ten commandments.

Jesus is also not calling us to tolerate sin. Because God commands us to turn others gently away from sin, and to restore when repentance is evident. Also, if we tolerate sin, it spreads through the church. If you read the first three chapters of Revelation.

It also does not mean that we should be silent about God or the truth or His commandments or the way of life, because that is doing His work and being His servants. He gave us what is called in Christianity, The Great Commission, which is to go out and make disciples of all men. [Matthew 28:10]

Also, we are commanded to make our light shine before men so they can glorify God in Heaven, even though the Holy Spirit also uses it to convict people. This is His job, not ours. Matthew 5:14-16.

So what then does He mean? He means we are not to regard ourselves more highly than we ought, but that we are to esteem others above ourselves. We're not to take the haughty attitude when we see others in sin, but know that if it weren't for God's grace in our lives, that would be us. It means we should be more concerned with cleaning our own hearts and getting right before God than condemning others. We are not to condemn true Christians, but are to gently help each other into the Kingdom by encouraging, edifying, correcting, rebuking, loving, supporting, and in essence, being our brother's keepers.

It's the attitude of the heart that Jesus is getting at. Can you see the difference?

Question: if you're intentions are benign, why would you choose maleficent as a screen name? Why would you want to represent yourself as being evil? If you're just looking to learn, we will discover this on our own, in time.

[Forrest]

I am not here to offend, but to learn, so if you have anything negative to say to me, please think before you say it! Thank you:

Question number one: "Thou shalt not judge." This being believed, how come when I tell a Christian I am not a Christian, they tell me I am going to hell. I thought only God could judge me!

     Hell is where is you condem yourself to by not accepting the the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
     PHIL 4:3 And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and [with] other my fellowlabourers, whose names [are] in the book of life.
REV 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
REV 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
REV 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
REV 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
REV 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither [whatsoever] worketh abomination, or [maketh] a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
REV 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this book.

And question number 2 (I'll just leave it at this for now...): God gave his creations free will, correct? Well if you have to be a Christian (basically) to get into heaven, what if you choose another religion? You go to hell? Seems more like bribery to me: believe what everyone else believes, or suffer eternal damnation.

  Answer is same as for 1.

[Malificent]

Well about the screenname, I am not representing myself as being evil; just different. That's all. I like the way that name sounds to be honest with you. I didn't want to pick something gay like "qtpie" or "gurliegurl." Ya dig?

;P

But it kind of makes sense. The bible is really hard for me to translate sometimes, but after all the decifering I did I figured out what it means. I don't agree with it, but I don't have to; I came here simply to figure some stuff out. Thanks so much guys!


Also I was wondering something about the feeling you have as a Christian. And I mean one who seriously believes in it, not one who says they are for fear of going to hell if they don't say they are (hehe)... I am happier than I've ever been in my entire life. Happier than when I was a Pagan, happier than when I was a Christian. I am not really an Atheist right now. I have beliefs that no one else would probably understand. I don't have a set religion right now. So why do I feel so free and happy without God in my life? Am I SUPPOSED to feel this way?


Wandering, but not lost

[Whitehorse]

Happiness can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on why you are happy and what your actual condition is before God. If you're happy because you've received eternal security through the blood of Jesus Christ, you truly have good reason to be happy. But if you are happy because you're living the way you want to, your happiness will be very short lived. And in truth, we all know that nothing down here can truly satisfy. Only God can bring true satisfaction.

But being a Christian isn't about how you feel, because whoile we are spared many terrible griefs because of how God teaches us to live, we also face persecution and we enter the realm of spiritual war. But the satisfaction of Christ fulfills us to the point where those hurts can't really get to you anymore, because every tiny thing you do as a Christian, from tying a little kid's shoelace so he doesn't fall to swabbing the bathroom takes on meaning. It is a service for Christ. And there is nothing that satisfies like close fellowship, close communion with Him.

[Symphony]

Where's Malificent?