Musings.. The notion "Unconditional Love"? Does not preclude punishment and even severe Judgement for some sins.. In the past, some false teachers would spread theological lies to that effect..
Absolutely True. And how we need to demonstrate our acknowledgement of this Divine gift from dear God is to always seek to forgive those who rattle our own cage. No matter what we suffer, we need to forgive for Jesus sake, so we can aim to outdo the Lord in mercy and forgiveness. Of course we know dear Jesus will never be outdone in generosity, so it is a divine love exchange to aim as high as heaven itself in order to be reassured our confessed, repented sins, transgressions and failures will be consumed in the all consuming fire that burns in the most Sacred Heart of Jesus, our Saviour. To forgive is a conscious act of our free will, it does not mean we HAVE to forget; but in time and with practice old wounds and injuries fade and die, all by the grace of God. As for punishment, I like to think of Purgatory like 'Boot Camp.' We can't just expect to march in the pearly gates with all our uncouth behaviours learned here in exile. We will no doubt have to be instructed in the ways of heaven when in the presence of the Most High. And that learning curve comes after we have expiated any blemishes left as a result of our sins and transgressions here in exile. We just hope we don't end up becoming the fuel in the camp fire in God's Boot Camp. Now, that would be hell. Praised be Jesus and Mary.
Could it be said that God's Unconditional Love is the guarantee that there are no circumstances, no conditions, that would lead to contamination of His Heaven and those who inhabit It by sin?
During the first several decades of my life, I never heard the phrase, "Unconditional Love" I first heard it when some Jesuits began preaching the OxyMoronical notion of LOYAL OPPOSITION (to Rome, Doctrine, Vatican, Pope (JPII).. AKA "DISOBEDIENCE!" Now they vehemently support Obedience to the Jesuit pope~ above even Doctrine. They pitted the "Mean Old Testament God" against the Gentle as a nursing human mother Jesus - who could never ever punish anyone.. No Punishment. No Sin .. Anything goes.. All go to Heaven God who IS LOVE - LOVES US.. WE MUST STRIVE TO BRING THAT CEREBRAL TRUISM INTO OUR HEARTS. HIS COMMAND ORBITS AROUND LOVE - LOVE THY NEIGHBOR IN ACTION whom we see, ... ergo, LOVE GOD whom we do not see. Yet . With OBEDIENT FAITH IN JESUS' TEACHINGS - WE BECOME PURIFIED REPLETE WITH TANGIBLE HOPE>. We can approach God in Confidence - as and actual Child of His .. same as JESUS, Son of Mary and GOD the Father. Our eldest Brother: Lamb and HIGH Priest of God.
Our Lord, Jesus Christ mentioned Hell more than anyone else in either Testament. He laid down many conditions, despite loving us sufficiently to die for us. Still, he only promised Paradise to one of the thieves on the cross. The other didn't meet the conditions. That's an initial 50% damnation rate. I've said it here before, Universalism isn't just a highly dangerous heresy that threatens the salvation of many souls, it also effectively portrays God as a monster, by teaching that He has put us all futilely and for no good reason in this universe of suffering, when He could just as easily put us directly into Heaven. Of course, in this universalist context, the Fall and the Crucifixion would be absurdities.
+ Yes.. Thank you! ... And in line with what you say, I quote - replete with Scriptural Refernces: "Few truths are more often or more clearly proclaimed in Scripture than that of the General Judgement!. To it the prophets of the Old Testament refer when they speak of the "Day of the Lord" (Joel 3:4; Ezekiel 13:5; Isaiah 2:12), in which the nations will be summoned to judgment. In the New Testament the second Parusia, or coming of Christ as Judge of the world, is an oft-repeated doctrine. The Saviour Himself not only foretells the event but graphically portrays its circumstances (Matthew 24:27 sqq.; 25:31 sqq.). The Apostles give a most prominent place to this doctrine in their preaching (Acts 10:42; 17:31) and writings (Romans 2:5-16; 14:10; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 2 Timothy 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:5; James 5:7). Besides the name Parusia (parousia), or Advent (1 Corinthians 15:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:19), the Second Coming is also called Epiphany, epiphaneia, or Appearance (2 Thessalonians 2:8; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1; Titus 2:13), and Apocalypse (apokalypsis), or Revelation (2 Thessalonians 2:7; 1 Peter 4:13). The time of the Second Coming is spoken of as "that Day" (2 Timothy 4:8), "the day of the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 5:2), "the day of Christ" (Philippians 1:6 and 2:16), "the day of the Son of Man" (Luke 17:30), "the last day" (John 6:39-40)." +
Thank you for this honest, clear reason for your concern over the use of the phrase "Unconditional Love" I can see why you would have a concern with the phrase when we remember the two thieves who died one either side of Jesus. We know one was saved, and we think the other rejected Jesus and was lost. The Church has never spoken on this so we are not allowed to make a judgement. But if God allows bets, I would be putting my bet on the unrepentant thief winding up IN the camp fire pit. So based on that assumption it would incline one to say Unconditional Love does not extend to the unrepentant. But in fairness to dear God I would rather say His Unconditional Love is rejected by the unrepentant sinner who at death casts himself into the pit.
God has given us free will, a concept that many atheists go to extraordinary lengths to deny. Of course, no free will, no responsibility.
Yes... Because of what I'd witnessed when as an adult - I'd _first_ ! heard the phrase, "unconditional love" - and then? It was used in a manner to be the foundational basis of a false theology.. of No Punishment (no Sin!) All go to Heaven - Jesus and God are the opposite! a la Satan's teachings! Yes.. God IS Love. His Two Great Commands to All - which are emphasized at Judgement by Jesus are: Love God, Love Neighbor - and show thy love of God VIA loving thy neighbor! What it intends to eradicate is: God's Mercy is Conditional! +
Julia, your excellent post put me to thinking, a near-novel occurence on my part! You are betting on the fate of the second thief, while I had simply assumed his damnation. You have the right of it. Just as Universalism is wrong, so it is for me, a mere man, to assume the damnation of another. God's job, not mine. I thank you for the reminder.
Yes. And to the best of my knowledge, the Church has never definitely Declared that e.g., Judas Iscariot is going to HELL. . AND whether he is or not .. is not a weighty concern of mine.
