Originally posted by FMF
Yes, but if you personally don't get to your "heaven" but are instead consigned to burning torture for all eternity, will you continue to love Jesus? Or are you telling us that you think you are already definitely going to your "heaven" regardless of the "sins" you commit?
I have not mentioned heaven at all, I don't believe.
Because I have Jesus Christ dispensed into me I also have eternal life.
I consider my destination more of a Person rather than of a place, even a very happy place.
Because you seem not to get this I have to "regurgitate" it from the New Testament, if not for you then for others reading my reply.
" ... God gave to us eternal life and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life, he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life." (1 John 5:11b,12)
Because I have the Son, and I know that I know that I have the Son, I cannot but have the assurance that I have the eternal life. The life is in the Son. And to have the Son is to have the salvation.
I think your line of questioning will lead to a dead end.
It is something like - "Well suppose that you were not born. Would you still love your mother?"
I would rather tend to the real problem we human beings have with eternal damnation. That is that we simply cannot stand that Someone other than ourselves could have the last word. And that is really what this eternal perdition indicates.
Now the distance from me to the last word may be very far. Maybe it is not as easy to reach that point of no return as some religious thinkers portray. They may give the impression that it is only a mile away. Maybe it is many light years away. (I speak metaphorically).
But eventually, out there is a terminal point. And there God has the last word and not us. Apparently, there is a point in which there is no protection against His terminal and final displeasure. And He warns that He has the power to inflict unending misery on the rebel that will not be reconciled to His righteous law.
God's patience and longsuffering are evident. There is no possibility to convince me that God is an arbitrary despot or tyrant. This line of reasoning will not work with me in light of the history of God's interaction with His creatures.
But, there is a final and terminal point with Him. And eternal punishment means that no being, but no being, but
no being can have the last word. God will have the last word.
Now Satan knows that and hates God more than he loves himself (in a proper way). He knows where he is going and accepts it because he hates God more than he loves existence. Why should we join him.
Rather we should be joined to Christ and share His glorious eternal destiny.