Here's my philosophy about heaven: If God's as holy as I think and I must be as holy as He is like the Bible says, then anybody can miss heaven but if He's as merciful as i think and as the Bible says, then anybody can make heaven.

Na d way u c ham.

I have been a Christian, muslim agnostic, atheist.. . I have Shown interest and practice Buddhism to some extent. I am Yoruba in a typical African setting. I have SEEN men who can not be wounded by merchet, thru traditional juju. ..

I can only conclude that there is actually no Wrong or right way of religion or a best way either. Christian, muslims they all attribute what THEY THINK OF GOD. it doesn't actually mean it true cos God does not actually speak for himself(literally) . He is not a MAN. In my best view I see God as an erratic Supreme nature.

True religion just connect us to our innermost knowledge of our believe(whatever God or which ever way you choose to know God).

I am a Christian and I hardly hold the heaven n hell ideology YET, in subject to my present knowledge n opinion. I think religion is just the life you choose.

Criticise God the way you want through any religion, God doesn't even care. He didn't create any religion in the first place.

foladara777:
By God's standard if mother Theresa lies at the last second, she goes to hell... If Osama bin laden repents at last second, he goes to heaven... Any theist that can justify this should plss respond

Who cares about responding to you. Do you think your comment even deserves a response when you are in self denial?

GreyLaw:
Of course, the writer of this piece has finite guts; he wouldn't dare write stupid things about the Islamic faith, nor have the balls to dismiss the same faith summarily.

People like this OP flex their muscles at the 'Christian God', as he put it. OP, don't bother yourself insulting a whole religion. Everybody will die, including you. Then and not before can you make such crazy assumptions.

I don't even want to begin to explain to you what kind of perfection God demands of us. You do not understand it, and so long as you lack that understanding, you'll keep throwing jabs at God. It's your right, actually; go ahead.

Your argument is grossly flawed. If you think people do not have concrete experience of the afterlife and hence can't argue for its existence, you also lack the right to argue for its non-existence.

Wow... Perfection?? So it doesn't matter what good you do... As long as u make a mistake and don't have the chance to repent, it's hell. Mean while, a serial killer and rapist will go to heaven if he gives his life to Jesus one second before his death, even without doing any good deeds??

NinjaX I really just wanted to read thru and move on to other topics but felt an urge to drop one or two words here.
First you are absolutely right when you said nobody can completely overcome sin for even the Holy Bible states that 'only the sick have need of a physician' so if at any point a Christian claims that He has fully overcome sin then he no longer has need of Christ Jesus. A true Christian believes in Christ Jesus - Christ's righteousness is our righteousness cause we have no righteousness of our own, Christ strength is our strength because we have no strength of our own. There are things you should know about Christianity and one of them is that repentance can not save anyone, if it could then there was no need for Christ to come to the world and die- remember John the baptists preached repentance.
But repentance is just the first step, the conscious effort you make not to sin leads you into what is called the crises of the school master(see Roms 6)that crises is a terrible burden to bear cause now you must have tried all that you can in your own strength to do what is right, not to sin and be holy but you notice that the more you try the more you fail at this point only can one completely believe when he is told to just believe in Christ Jesus and he will be saved. Then you cry out to Jesus and your salvation comes (and yes you will know it has come cause you will feel that burden lifted and those things that you struggled to avoid becomes as easy as ABC. This is justification then comes the 3rd part which is sanctification which continues till death. P. S. I just ran thru, these topics are very expansive. But he who is sincere and willing to serve God and not easily satisfied with little knowledge will come. To know this things. And remember In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.this word is Christ Jesus the light of the world.

EyeHateGod:

You mean hell fire has Different levels?

Lol

no one will force you to believe that God exist or heaven is real, serve whatever you like including yourself. God ways and works is beyond human comprehension and understanding. awamaridi , Olodumare, Akoda Aye , Oba Aseda, Akoko orun oun aye, Kabiosi, Emi awon woli , ofi aye se apoti etise lasan, Olorun agbaye. mo fi ogo fun o.

foladara777:

Wow... Perfection?? So it doesn't matter what good you do... As long as u make a mistake and don't have the chance to repent, it's hell. Mean while, a serial killer and rapist will go to heaven if he gives his life to Jesus one second before his death, even without doing any good deeds??

Until you actually become Omniscient then can you speak. Right now you are trying to rationalize a God who dwells in eternity and knows the end from the beginning when you cannot even determine what would happen to you in the next 2 minutes.

Engage your mind and brain in things that are more your speed.

Thats ur own opinion i wont fight u bro

my God is a merciful God nobody can just person due to his or her character except God

4everGod:


Who cares about responding to you. Do you think your comment even deserves a response when you are in self denial?

So this comment is not a response to me?? Stop disgracing yourself... It's a simple question... Can u justify?? If u can't, just ignore and pretend you didn't see the comment...
Even with your twisting and turning, u and your naija friend can't justify this

All i can say is... "better to live like there's God (or heaven in this case) only to find out there isn't than to live like there is no God(or heaven) only to realise there's One"

naijadeyhia:


What happens after Death shouldnt bug you down. First live the God kind of life and death or its rewards would take care of itself. You are putting the cart before the horse



The faithless unbelieving mind would see it as speculations but the FAITH EXPERIENCED soul knows otherwise



Again you are still assuming and this is a false premise. Your assumption shows you do not believe in it so why waste your energy talking about what you do not believe or accept its reality? Its like saying I DON'T DON'T DO want to eat. Stop being confused.



Thats is not the explanation of Mathew 5:20. Lets go back and read from verse 17

Matt. 5:17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
Matt. 5:18 “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
Matt. 5:19 “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Matt. 5:20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus was speaking to the crowd in response to the Pharisees' accusation that Jesus was trying to abolish the Law of God. Jesus refuted this accusation, saying that His purpose in appearing before men was not to abolish anything. Rather, Jesus came to fulfill the Law. The word fulfill in Greek is pleroo, which is also translated "to complete." In other words, Jesus came to complete or accomplish the entire Law.

He goes on to say that heaven and earth will not pass away until the entire Law of God has been accomplished. Jesus is the One Who accomplishes God's Law by keeping the entire Law perfectly. Jesus never sinned during His earthly life, and so as He went to His death on the cross, He had accomplished or completed all the requirements of God's Law. Jesus was referring to His completing of the Law when on the cross He said, "It is finished."

The Pharisees were accusing Jesus of setting the Law aside, while they endeavored to keep it in their own power. Jesus condemned the Pharisees and anyone else who tried to follow their example by saying that unless they could keep the Law even better than the Pharisees kept it, they could not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This was a daunting challenge, because the Pharisees were scrupulous followers of the Law. If the Pharisees didn't have enough righteousness on their own to enter Heaven, then who could?

Obviously, Jesus was alluding to that answer. No one can earn their way into Heaven, because no one is righteous enough to make it through works. This is precisely why Jesus came to fulfill the Law on our behalf, so that His perfect work could be credited to us on the basis of faith.

Now that the Law has been completed by Jesus on our behalf, we are no longer obligated to keep it ourselves. That is not to suggest that the Law itself has gone away, but only that our obligations to keep it is gone, because Jesus has already kept (i.e., fulfilled, completed, accomplished) it for us. Likewise, anyone who discounts the importance of God's Word will suffer loss.

Jesus is the One Who kept and taught the Law, and as a result, Jesus will be the One Who is called great in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt 5:19). Believers are not to follow the Law out of obligation, Rather, we teach that the Law has been fulfilled by Christ's work, and we rest in His perfect accomplishment of the Law rather than in our own futile efforts to keep it.



Explained above



1 Corinthians 9:26-27
Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

If men can discipline themselves PURPOSEFULLY purging the mind of sinful thoughts is extremely easy. It is only an already perverse mind that would find this impossible or a struggle which is why the very foundation to everything is as explained above the RIGHTEOUSNESS IN CHRIST. If your foundation is not Righteous then every other product will not be. Sweet water cannot come from a bitter source. Corn cannot bring forth yam.



Are you an ex catholic? Only catholics believe in confessions in church or to Priests. True believers housing the Holy spirit in them speak with God anywhere anytime and can repent anywherew anytime so your position is wrong



Like i already said, only an already perverse mind would see it as complicated and complex. A humble PURPOSEFUL soul sees it as a life which he or she has been freely given and expected to TRAIN and BECOME.



This is solely your perspective! There is no arbitrariness with God as all He does has a purpose to it. He does not need those laws but put them in place for you IN PURPOSE. Earthly finite rulers cannot be used as a descriptive comparison with Divine infinite God.



If you were to be an ANT and i an ELEPHANT would you say you could see further or see more abundantly or be able to take in the bigger picture better than i could?

[s]Okay, imagaine if our dear president, Muhammadu Buhari is the God we are talking about, just try to picture what would happen. . .

Here's what I surmised:

- Fulani Herdsmen would kill thousands with boundless impunity.

- Favouritism will be the norm.

- He could send lightening to strike you for criticising him on social media even.
[/s]
I hope now, after some sober reflection, the implications have dawned on you? Are you kidding me? We would be done for in that event.





Tautology! If you scale through the hurdle of Sin then you would not be condemned!

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.



Again solely your opinion! I think you need to do more research to find out if the tales found in the Bible are fictitious or not because clearly you have not. Even Seun agrees to PARTS of the bible being TRUE. This is why i said this is SOLELY your opinion.

Now if you are quite done can we move on to something else?

my guy you Good.I read am from start to finish. that guy just dey argue with him feeling... more knowledge bro...u bam.

4everGod:


Until you actually become Omniscient then can you speak. Right now you are trying to rationalize a God who dwells in eternity and knows the end from the beginning when you cannot even determine what would happen to you in the next 2 minutes.

Engage your mind and brain in things that are more your speed.

I don't need to be omniscient to know that it's unfair and unjust to punish a very good person with fire because of a single lie and then pardon a serial killer and rapist because he now believes in me... If I know this, how come the omniscient and the benevolent god doesn't know this

foladara777:

So this comment is not a response to me?? Stop disgracing yourself... It's a simple question... Can u justify?? If u can't, just ignore and pretend you didn't see the comment...
Even with your twisting and turning, u and your naija friend can't justify this

Justify what? Am i God? What you should rather contemplate on is this, Why would someone serve God all the days of His life with all seriousness and humility and still sin at the end? That means that person was not as serious as he acted or was thought to be and this was why Jesus said in Luke 9:62

Anyone that puts his hand on the plough and looks back is not fit for the kingdom.

This shows he or she has been knowledgeable all along and the bible says in the days of ignorance God winked but now commands he everyone to repent.

You cannot justify going to school and getting a PHD yet reasoning like a 5yr old. Thats absolutely ridiculous so whoeever does that would be seen as wasting all his years as he never learned anything.

If another confesses and accepts Christ on his death bed after years off sin then glory be to God because it was for such that Jesus Came. That person just fulfilled scripture and proved the death of Jesus for him was not in vain.

I know you would still call my comment rubbish or any other depravity that pops into your head but that one na for your pocket. Focus on things that are more your speed.

O boy! This Op get too much time. My problem is that since I finished my final year exam, I honestly find it difficult to even read signboards/signposts, not to talk of this kind of loooong post that will definitely raise argument between those who concur and those who don't concur with the Op. So someone should help me read it and comment on my behalf please. God bless Nigeria.

Whoever invented christianity must be the greatest con man of all time.

The OP has made very salient points I also think this way atimes, that can anybody be 100% without blemish in words,thoughts and actions I doubt, Even some people who will claim righteous, their first thought seeing the topic, will be like these guys who do not believe in God have come again, which already translates to a sin, and as said, sin is sin, no big sin, no small sin, I also try to figure out those who died before religion or christianity was introduced to Nigeria, where their souls will go, there are a lot questions that do not have answers....even right in the house of God where the same scripture tells us to pray for our enemies is said, the next min another prayer is going forth to bind, kill and scatter them, all I see is we should just play our part, those most people reverence soo much as most holy, have their own sins they are battling with...may God help and open our eyes to always do our best to please his ways. Amen

Attendance in Church on sunday 1. Human beings = 85 2. Bible = 27 3. Phone Charger = 507. 4. Rechargeable lamps = 212. 5. Rechargeable Torch = 176. 6. Power banks 132. God is watching . Last Seen: *Whats app* _*1 min*_ ago *Facebook* _*2mins*_ ago *Twitter* _*5mins*_ ago *Instagram* _*10mins*_ ago *Bible* _*since 2009*_ *Beer* _*online*_ God is soaking your cane in crude oil..

SycophanticGoat:


Why are Nairaland atheists so good at ridiculing Christianity? They're quick to attack Christianity but I never see them condemn other ones (even the ones that shed blood for fun). There should be a balance if you guys aren't scared.

U are displaying d madness in ur family publicly

I Am never a saint my self but i think his GRACE should be the response to your write up

God himself knows it will be sometimes very hard to work in his path everytime thats why his Grace is there for us to exploit...since yu are an anglican...yu shud seek more digup it will help yu

naijadeyhia:


hahahahaha anger level. So says the hate filled fellow. I am actually chilling with my family, watching television with my son while typing this. Even my son would laugh at your ignorance because he is smart like that

lmao...no waste your time with am....

deathcomestoall:
Whoever invented christianity must be the greatest con man of all time.

....

4everGod:


Justify what? Am i God? What you should rather contemplate on is this, Why would someone serve God all the days of His life with all seriousness and humility and still sin at the end? That means that person was not as serious as he acted or was thought to be and this was why Jesus said in Luke 9:62

Anyone that puts his hand on the plough and looks back is not fit for the kingdom.

This shows he or she has been knowledgeable all along and the bible says in the days of ignorance God winked but now commands he everyone to repent.

You cannot justify going to school and getting a PHD yet reasoning like a 5yr old. Thats absolutely ridiculous so whoeever does that would be seen as wasting all his years as he never learned anything.

If another confesses and accepts Christ on his death bed after years off sin then glory be to God because it was for such that Jesus Came. That person just fulfilled scripture and proved the death of Jesus for him was not in vain.

I know you would still call my comment rubbish or any other depravity that pops into your head but that one na for your pocket. Focus on things that are more your speed.

Wait, we are not talking about backsliding... We are talking about sinning by mistake... E.g. anger, lust, bad thoughts that everyone has but the person has no chance to seek for forgiveness or is there anyone who it is impossible for him to sin??.. Does that type of person deserve to burn eternally, when a person like Shekau strolls into heaven after repenting one second before his death??
So a person who makes a mistake proves that the death of Jesus over him was in vain?? After doing charity, winning souls...

NinjaX:
One of the greatest mystery of the century that man has yet to unravel is the big question of what happens after death.

This question is so mind-boggling that over the years it has been accorded different answers by people from various walks of life.

So far so good, none of the speculations has been confirmed as true. And since no-one has journeyed to the land of the spirits and successfully came back on evidence, I believe I can safely assert from a resolute postion that none hold claims to possession of such knowledge in this regard.

However, for the purpose of the thread, using the Christian religion as a yardstick, let's assume heaven does exist, likewise hell.

Therefore, if heaven really exist, the question follows that what then is the ticket a person must possess in order to become an eligible candidate?

Allow me to quote from the bible at this point.

Matthew 5:20
(King James Version)

For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Summarily explaining the above verse, you must be RIGHTEOUS according to God's standard of righteousness.

According to the bible, righteousness is when one is absolutely devoid of sin. And sin can take any form - your physical actions, words and thought.

In conclusion, therefore, you must guard these 3 parts of you from sin so you can be sure of making heaven when the last trumpet sounds.

Now, here's why I believe it's more easier for me to jump into the air, visit the comfort station, have a short picnic and pen a short story while still in mid-air before landing, than for you to eschew sin completely.

I'll shift focus to the mind which is where thoughts are formed, because it is the most difficult of the three things I mentioned to put in check. My keen observation and findings have revealed that the mind, at no given point in time, can ever maintain a pure state in totality. You see a well-endowed damsel while plodding the streets, already you are having ideas. You see someone whom nature cheated facially, you say in your mind without speaking out, "damn! That guy is really ugly."

And. . . . . . . Even if you confess your sins away at church, new ones will take position almost immediately. Even before you breath your last on your death bed, you'd conceive wrong thoughts just in time before you die without wanting to. It's like a reflex action. You cannot hold it to a leash. It just happens. Unless of course you are an inanimate object, but then again, objects have no feelings at all.
It's like someone telling you to keep your eyes open yet instructs that you not look at anything. And then asks you, what do you see?
How does that sound?
"Kukuma" kill me already biko.

And this is close to what God requires from us. The sheer complication and complexity of it all. Trying to think this through can just drive a person insane.

ALSO, the biblical God exhibits a system of rule I'd like to term "arbitrary", where he solely determines the do's and don'ts.

Come to think of it, even emperors, kings, queens, rulers, in a fair system, are subject to the laws they use to govern their subordinates. If and when they (these rulers), fall short, they are confronted with those set laws.

But amazingly, It's forbiddingly not so in God's case. He's all supreme. You cannot challenge nor question his decisions. What he says is final. Yet God prides himself fairer than all.

Okay, imagaine if our dear president, Muhammadu Buhari is the God we are talking about, just try to picture what would happen. . .

Here's what I surmised:

- Fulani Herdsmen would kill thousands with boundless impunity.

- Favouritism will be the norm.

- He could send lightening to strike you for criticising him on social media even.

I hope now, after some sober reflection, the implications have dawned on you? Are you kidding me? We would be done for in that event.



Lastly, even though you somehow manage to scale through the hurdle of sin, which I think is a dead impossible feat to achieve, there's still the inescapable problem of the big bad guy having to conclude your final fate.

My dear ladies and gentlemen, the above reasons are why I strongly suggest that we do away with the thought that heaven is "makeable".

It's either this Christian God never wanted us to share his paradise with him in the first place, or he's plain confused, or we are his little experiment to fight boredom, [b]or it's high time we started acknowledging that everything about the Christian religion is indeed what it rightly is - nothing more than a fictitious sensational tale intended to thrill but was rather badly written.

short sightedness... the things of the spirit is so big for the normal human mind to understand, God is spirit and they that serve him must do so in truth and in spirit, not in human mind and logical thinking... So guy you can never understand until you're ready to understand in submission to God's spirit, if you like read Bible like novel from front to back, until you submit to the Spirit of God, nothing for you...

naijadeyhia:


Again your Opinion and i see you are not intelligent in the least to know when an argument has been thrashed. Saving face is the in thing so i am not surprised



Your opinion again. I took my time to go line by line with your post so its clear i dealt with each issue raised one after another. Any part i referred you to a previous post of mine or slashed out your post was because it was absolutely not worthy of any response





First you said i did not make sense in my response then you begin this comment with STILL which shows i actually made a lot of sense but you CHOSE to still CLAIM i did not which is like the gyrations of a drowning man as far as i can see.




You are tainted with Bad thoughts and not me as I have been bought with a Price and am no longer my own. Even my thoughts have been bought with a price.

[s]You are walking your reason through a one-sided tunnel. At least be open-minded a little. That would help.[/s]



If this was truly your position then you shouldnt have said this below quote



NinjaX There is no honour in deception and lies. Know this today!



I was born Anglican but moved away from the stink of spiritual death and self righteousness associated with it. Ceremonial worship is not Relationship!

I still wonder how people will go to heaven when the church of God is disintegrated... haha you talk ill of catholic and talk ill of Anglican when you where instructed not to judge hahaha

foladara777:

I don't need to be omniscient to know that it's unfair and unjust to punish a very good person with fire because of a single lie and then pardon a serial killer and rapist because he now believes in me... If I know this, how come the omniscient and the benevolent god doesn't know this

Do you think it is right to release a mass murderer or a mass rapist from jail? choose one

Do you think it is right to forgive someone who rapes your wife or to forgive someone who killed your child?

Do you think its right to sentence a law enforcement officer who served in law enforcement faithfully for 30yrs of his life yet planned and committed murder while in the force?

Your answers would help our discussion

Well, do something meaningful today. Check my signature

foladara777:

Wait, we are not talking about backsliding... We are talking about sinning by mistake... E.g. anger, lust, bad thoughts that everyone has but the person has no chance to seek for forgiveness or is there anyone who it is impossible for him to sin??.. Does that type of person deserve to burn eternally, when a person like Shekau strolls into heaven after repenting one second before his death??
So a person who makes a mistake proves that the death of Jesus over him was in vain?? After doing charity, winning souls...

There is no such thing as a sin by mistake. Everyones action begins with a thought! We speak or act our thoughts. There is always a premeditation prior to action. Anyone who sins had time to first think about it.

SycophanticGoat:


Why are Nairaland atheists so good at ridiculing Christianity? They're quick to attack Christianity but I never see them condemn other ones (even the ones that shed blood for fun). There should be a balance if you guys aren't scared.

have never seen them open a topic for Islam ,am sure they don't have any valid point to share...so many atheist and Muslim in here