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CONDITIONS FOR “ETERNAL LIFE” AND “ETERNAL PUNISHMENT” AND THE REALITY OF GOOD AND BAD REPENTANCE7/3/2015 The word “eternal” is an interesting word. It has a definition range where it can be used for never beginning or ending or an age that has both beginning and end. It can mean perpetuity. It has to do with the lifespan of something. It can mean perpetual going into the future. In some cases, it is uncertain as to whether the thing it describes will come to an end or not.
“Eternal life” and “eternal punishment” in the Bible are described in several places and the ideas associated with them are throughout Scriptures. In many scriptures, it is apparent that those who have eternal life are faithful to God. If a person is faithful, loving truth, they have eternal life. If a person is an evildoer, God’s wrath and indignation is against them. These ideas can be seen in Romans 2:4-11. So the condition is: for a person to have eternal life in the present, they must be loving truth. For a person to be punished by God, they must be an evildoer at the time of their punishment. If a person repents out of evildoing into righteous living, they will no longer be punished for their former evildoing. That is good repentance. Bad repentance is if a person repents out of righteous living into sinning. They will no longer be rewarded for their former righteous living. They will be being punished for evildoing. If a person is doing both good work in part and evildoing in part, the response of God will be appropriate for both. These conditions for blessing and judgment as well as if a person changes course after they committed to doing either good or evil can be seen in Ezekiel 33:1-20 and Jeremiah 18:1-10 in the Bible. These principles are important for all people who exist, those living on Earth and in all of the heavens. It is important for people who are in Hell and such places. God always responds appropriately to how people choose to live. He does not wrongly reward or wrongly punish. He loves. He is love. He is careful. It is His supernatural course of action to judge rightly and do justly, loving mercy, being humble and “walking” with the humble on the path of life. God and His Kingdom are always inviting everyone in the Universe into righteous living. Even if the invitation is rejected, it is always extended to all people who exist. No one is excluded from the invitation. This is done by God and His Kingdom speaking the truth in love. If the truth is believed by someone, that person is being righteous and having eternal life. If a person is believing lies, they are deceived, but the truth is still preached to them. The message to all sinners who exist is always, in essence, “repent, the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” God loves you. He loves everyone. His Kingdom is like Him. To the extent that people are active citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, they are joyful and merciful and kind and not rude. They rejoice with the truth and not in unrighteousness. They think well and love actual truth. All people are invited into loving the truth and so being part of God’s eternal Kingdom, which will never end. The increase of God’s government and of peace will know no end (Isaiah 9:7). God’s everlasting arms are wide open welcoming people back who had deserted Him in the past (Luke 15:11-32). He will never refuse the righteous (Psalm 84:11). If you have been away from God in your heart, He is always ready to welcome you back into His arms. He loves you very much. He loves you with all of His heart, soul, mind, and strength. He promises to never fail to do this. You are loved. Everyone who imitates Him (genuinely) is like Him in a way. He commands everyone who exists to imitate Him.
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November 2015
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