Personally I'm offended by your comments. Your reply seemed more like a scare tactic than anything else. I don't want to feel as if I am choosing Christianity to save my own skin. If God is as you say he is, then I have no desire to worship him at all. It's this fire and brimstone attitudes focusing on hell that make people think you guys are nuts.
If he is an understanding and loving God, he won't punish me for not believing in him. Threatening me with hell won't make me worship him any faster.
Nicely done Pebosworth.
Evo-Pride, I could have told you exactly what you wanted to hear and you probably would have given this Christianity thing a try, but it would be false hope and I would have done you wrong. God doesn't want us to just give him a try, he wants us to come to him with a repentent heart (because we are all sinners) and accept the gift he gave us, to believe on the One He sent and to worship him in Spirit and in Truth. When you come to Christ, there is also persecution, trials and tribulation. The difference is if you accepted Him for the right reasons (to flee the coming wrath) then you will be able to cope with the persecution, perhaps not even notice it but if came to Him for a better lifestyle then not only won't you be able to cope with the persecution, trials and tribulation, but you would give up on Christianity all together, turn from Jesus and will be back at square one - spiritually lost and at risk of eternal punishment.
What I told you is the FULL gospel, not only the good ending like most people will tell you. Maybe it comes across a bit offensive because it is text and not a verbal conversation. No offense was intended, a genuine concern for soul is what I have and everything was said out of love for you. You see the 10 Commandments is impossible to keep because we are not perfect. God knows that. That is why He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to take our punishment so that we don't have to go to hell. Would you give your life for your best friend? I'm sure you would do your best to save their life. But would you give your life for an enemy? Well Jesus gave His life for everyone, the whole world, his friends and enemies, good and bad alike. Then he left the choice up to us. Will we choose to believe Him and follow Him or will we continue to sin and follow our own ways? In the end we are the ones who decide where we will spend eternity, not God.
God is not unjust, infact the reason he punishes sinners makes Him just. Look at this analogy:
Let's look at the civil law. Pretend you are in the court of law about to be judged for a serious crime that you've commited. All the evidence is against you, you know you are guilty because you know it was against the law and there is no way proving otherwise. Before the judge passes sentence on you he asks you if you have a last words. You say "Yes your honour, I believe you are a good judge, a just judge and therefore I believe you will not send me to prison. I am a good person and there are a lot of worse people out there than me. Please do not send me to prison." The judge will probably say something like this: "You right about one thing, I am a good judge and because of my goodness I have to send you to prison. You broke the law and it is my duty to keep you off the streets and punish you for what you have done."
You see, the fact that God punishes sinners does not make him unjust. He would be a corrupt God if he didn't punish murderers, rapists, thieves. But He won't stop there, He will also punish adulterers, fornicators, liars etc. If He is just, then by nature He must punish sinners! He will not judge us by comparing us to other people, he will judge us according to His standards - the 10 Commandments.
Let's go back to the court of law. The judge is busy passing sentence on you. You have been sentenced to 10 years in prison or $1 million bail. You know you don't have the money for the bail and are about to be taken away when some stranger steps in and says He has paid your bail for you. The judge can no longer put you in prison because justice has been done, your fine has been paid for you breaking the law. What would your attitude to this stranger be? One of heartfelt gratitutde, I am sure.
In the same way, Christ paid our fine so we don't have to go to hell. So either you can continue in your ways and face God on judgment day or you can choose to be grateful for what He has done for you, repent and follow Him and have eternal life.
Romans 8:8 "Those controlled by sinful nature cannot please God."
John 8:23,24 "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, if you do not believe that I am the One I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins."
John 8:24 "I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins: for if you believe not that I am he, you shall die in your sins."
Jesus is the only way. The choice is yours. Your anger against God will not save you from hell on judgment day nor will your goodness. This life here on earth is short compared to eternity.
My friend, I hope you will look into everything I've said and that the Holy Spirit will come upon you and reveal the truth to you. You have many chances here on earth but once you die (and that could be at any time) then your chances are finished. You don't have much time to delay. If you just looking for peace and happiness while you live out your short lived life then by all means go get your false sense of peace through buddasim or another religion, but if you are concerned not just about this life, but the life hereafter then you owe it to yourself to investigate Christianity. All I did was tell you the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The choice in the end is yours.