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"Who gave Himself a ransom for all" 1 Timothy 2:6.
Concerning the Extent of Salvation
We believe that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments contain a revelation of the character of God, and of the duty, interest and final destination, of mankind.
We believe there is one God, whose nature is love; are good and profitable unto men.
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Why Did Jesus Have To Die?
In 1 Cor. 15: 3 and 2 Cor. 5: 15 we read that "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures," and that "He died for all." Why did He have to die in order to save us? Couldn't He have brought to us salvation without His suffering and death? The Bible makes it very plain
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Will The Planet
Be Burnt Up?
It is not the literal heavens and the literal planet or sphere called earth that are to be destroyed. Apostle Peter speaks of "the world or 'heavens and earth' that then was before the Flood, being overflowed with water, perished."
Which Day is the Sabbath?
"And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." Genesis 2:2-3
Where Did The Bible Come From?
Many are unaware of just how we came to have the Bible we have today. An understanding of how the Bible came to be can add a new dimension to a believer's perspective of who God is and how He has chosen to work among his creation.
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Accident or Intelligent Design?
Science and the Origin of Life
The debate over human origins has intensified, hitting the mainstream media like a tsunami. The debate is really about God, and whether or not our origins are explainable without him. Atheists such as Richard Dawkins are attempting to prove that science and belief in God are incompatible. Their premise is that the material world is all that exists. And if science has eliminated God as the source of all life, then the late materialist
Universal Salvation
The Christian Universalist Association affirms the following in our statement of faith:
We believe in the ultimate triumph of divine mercy and grace: that no being ever created will be condemned or allowed to suffer forever, but God has arranged through a benevolent plan of learning and growth for all souls to attain salvation, reconciliation, restoration, and reunion with the Source of All Being, in the fullness of the ages.
The cornerstone of Universalism is belief in universal salvation, the idea that there is no such thing as eternal hell or annihilation because God has planned the universe to produce a positive outcome for all sentient beings He has ever created. Hopeful prophecies in the Bible point to a future time of universal restoration and renewal (Jer. 31:38-40, Ezek. 16:53, Mat. 19:28, Acts 3:21), when even archetypal symbols of evil such as Sodom and the valley of Gehenna will be restored by God. The end of all things is a state of blessed reunion with God, the Creator -- not eternal separation, misery, or destruction (John 12:32, Rom. 11:36, 1 Cor. 15:22,28, Col. 1:20, Rev. 21:3-5). In the early Christian church, this was called apokatastasis -- the reconciliation of all things -- and it was recognized as an important teaching of the Gospel during the first few centuries of Christianity.
Our belief in the ultimate salvation of all is based on a strong trust in God's omnipotence and benevolence. He is neither powerless to save rebellious and suffering souls, nor is He unwilling to do so. Instead, God is both powerful enough and loving enough to cause all souls to be rescued from a state of separation and returned to their intended state of unity and harmony with the divine (Isa. 46:10-11, 55:11, 1 Tim. 2:4-6). All things that are good will be preserved and restored to their fullest manifestation, but all things that are bad will perish (Mat. 3:12, 1 Cor. 3:13-14). Since no human being is totally bad, no human will perish eternally. It is God's plan to take what is good in each individual and multiply it, and replace the bad within us with an infusion of His divine goodness, until only the good remains.
God does not decide to condemn some people to hell because they sinned too much or they chose the wrong religious beliefs. Nor does God allow some people to remain in a hellish condition indefinitely because of their own free will (Phil. 2:10-11). Everything that happens to each individual is according to a perfect divine plan, which was created for that person's greatest benefit by a Mind that is infinitely larger and more powerful than our own limited human understanding (Rom. 11:32-34). Negative experiences which happen to us are designed to produce learning and growth, for the advancement of the soul. It is through purgatorial "fires" of tests and trials that the human spirit is cleansed of negative attributes and attains a character that is compatible with the Presence of God (Job 23:10, Mal. 3:2-3, Mark 9:49, 1 Pet. 1:7). This is the goal, the essence of salvation.
Salvation is not through efforts by which we must earn God's love and attention (Rom. 5:8). On the contrary, God already loves us unconditionally and is merciful towards us, and when He knows one is ready to move forward in the salvation process, He will take the initiative to help one reach the next level of development (Luke 15:4-7, Rom. 8:29). If a person wishes to succeed in growing closer towards God and attaining a fuller measure of salvation, however, one must respond to God's call and participate in co-creating a life of spiritual advancement (Luke 9:23, Eph. 4:22,24). God will make this possible for all of us -- each at one's own pace, in one's own way -- through the outpouring of divine grace (1 Cor. 15:22-25, 2 Cor. 5:19).
Souls that leave this life on earth without significant spiritual growth will have other opportunities for learning after death (1 Pet. 3:18-20, 4:6). No one will ever run out of chances to return home to their Creator. Even the most evil beings who have ever lived can still be saved -- and will be, in the fullness of time (Eph. 4:10, Phil. 2:10). That is God's promise!
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The Ten Commandments
Do we need to follow them today.
Find out now.
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Christian Books
The Valley of Vision Arthur Bennett
Draw upon the inspiration of the elegant prayers of such Puritans as John Bunyan, Isaac Watts, David Brainerd, Augustus Toplady, and Charles Spurgeon, The Valley of Vision has been prepared not to simply supply Christians with prayers, but to prompt and encourage them as they walk upon the path of others who've gone before them.
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Countering Bible Contradictions
The List
Such lists are quite common and have been around for decades. I have also encountered them on various BBSs throughout the years. My first impression is to scan such lists, noticing claims which are obviously bogus, and others which are quite challenging. Because the lists are so long I tend to rationalize that any list which would include obviously bogus "contradictions" is suspect and that the more challenging ones could probably be resolved with some effort.
The list has a psychological power in that it intimidates simply because of it's length and multitude of claims. Your average reader simply does not have the time to respond to 143 claims of contradictions! Thus, such lists often go largely unanswered, leaving the critic to believe that no one can answer it. I think a critic would do better in making a much shorter list (10 or 20) which contains what he considers to be the best examples of Bible contradictions.
