EMW

I think we're all confused by now!

Just starting with this forum, and very interesting questions and comments. Not sure where to start, but this one caught my attention. The concept of "mortal" vs. "venial" sin is primarily a Catholic belief, and is not biblical. All sin is equal in God's eyes. The word "sin" means "missing the mark" that is, we try to do good, but fail. Then their is rebellious sin (lawnessness) where one purposefully commits a transgression against God. In his first epistle, John makes it clear that both are the same in God's eyes when he writes, "he who commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness" (I John 3:4) God is holy and pure, and cannot be in the presence of sin. Therefore, all it takes is one sin, whether it be a lie or a murder, and then we are unable to be in God's presence, that is, to go to heaven. It is not a matter of our good outweighing our bad, or that we do not commit certain "mortal" sins, but that we are all by nature from birth sinners, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) . Therefore, no one on their own can ever make it to heaven--no one. That is why God sent His only Son to earth to die for our sins, and to provide a Way, the only Way, to heaven.

Excellent interpretation! How do you feel that purgatory plays a role with sin, seeing as a relatively large amount of people die without undergoing reconciliation, thus not dying in a state of grace?

SamuelRJ has an excellent question, that does spur on a lot of debates. There is a website, FoundationsForOurFaith.com, that has an Bible study on "Freewill" that discusses the topic of God choosing us and why a loving God would create us knowing that some would ultimately go to Hell. I would encourage your review and feedback on what is said in that study.

To briefly summarize:
1) God is outside of time, and see's the future. He chose us before the foundation of the world based on his foreknowledge that we would choose Him-- I Peter 1:2 and Romans 8:29.

2) We do have freewill, which is the ability to choose. Some people say that freewill is not in the Bible, but they are focusing on the word "freewill", which admittedly is not in the Bible, BUT the concept of freewill, that being the ability for us to choose, is in the Bible. Same as the "Trinity" and "Rapture", which are not words found in the Bible, but the concepts are biblical.

3) God created us all out of love and the desire that we would all choose Him (I Timothy 2:4, II Peter 3:9). He knew that He would loose some of us due to our choice, but He chose to endure that pain knowing the joy He would have in those that would choose Him. This concept is explained much more in detail in the "Freewill" Bible study at FoundationsForOurFaith.com.

God wants us all, but He will not force us to come to Him. He did not create us as robots with preprogrammed responses, but as living beings with a freewill. Think about it for a moment, what would bring you more joy in life, to have a spouse that is a robot programmed to say "I love you" all day long, or to have a living breathing person that chooses you and tells you that they love you?

Good question. Purgatory is defined by the Catholic church as an intermediary state where believers go to work off their sins--if you are not a believer, then they believe you go straight to hell. They got the straight to hell part correct, but missed on the purgatory.

Purgatory is not bibilical. First, when one accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, all of their sins are forgiven. All the work was done on the Cross, and to believe that we must add to His work to complete it would be sinful in itself. Thank God I do not have to look to myself in any way for my salvation, but I am completely resting in the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. As Paul writes in his letter to the Church of Galatia, "If righteous could be gained through the law, then Christ died for nothing" (Galatians 2:21)

Yes I like Sam too. He makes me think.