I have no idea what you're referring to.
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A "Loving" God
- Thread starter 12_13
- Start date
Jesus says about that eternal punishment:
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. ..
Matt. 10:28
Unrighteous are utterly destroyed, so, I don’t see any reason to believe they will live eternally.
Yes, it is necessary to be righteous. But being righteous is not same as doing something. Person can’t do anything to gain/earn eternal life, but person must be righteous to get it as a gift. And if person is righteous, he also does righteous things, which is why I believe righteous person can have life. Not by works, but by what person is.
Deeds matter, because they are like fruits of a tree. If tree produces good fruit, it is good and can live, if tree produces bad fruit, it will be cut down. Same is with people, if person is righteous, he produces good fruit and can live and if person is bad, he produces bad fruit and is not allowed to live eternally.
I hope you understand, what you are, is the crucial thing, not what you do, because what you do is only a result of what you are. If you are righteous person, that is good and desired, because then you also do righteous deeds. But the deeds are only a result, not the main thing, or the thing that determines what you get. Deeds can be used to see who is probably righteous.
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
That verse is open to interpretation. What does "destroy" mean within the context of that verse? The last sentence in the following passage explains what it means according to the Baha'i Faith:
“Thou hast asked Me concerning the nature of the soul. Know, verily, that the soul is a sign of God, a heavenly gem whose reality the most learned of men hath failed to grasp, and whose mystery no mind, however acute, can ever hope to unravel. It is the first among all created things to declare the excellence of its Creator, the first to recognize His glory, to cleave to His truth, and to bow down in adoration before Him. If it be faithful to God, it will reflect His light, and will, eventually, return unto Him. If it fail, however, in its allegiance to its Creator, it will become a victim to self and passion, and will, in the end, sink in their depths...”
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 158-159
So, when a soul becomes a victim of self and passion it sinks into the depths of hell, which is a state of the soul, not a place. I believe that those souls continue to exist in the spiritual world, because all souls are immortal, but they will be far from those children of the Kingdom.
So are you saying that belief in Jesus is how a person gains eternal life, not by works, but a person must be righteous to get it as a gift? What you are saying is that belief is not enough, a person must be righteous.
Of course, Jesus said that about fruits, and that is also a belief I hold:
“The essence of faith is fewness of words and abundance of deeds; he whose words exceed his deeds, know verily his death is better than his life.”
“Man is like unto a tree. If he be adorned with fruit, he hath been and will ever be worthy of praise and commendation. Otherwise a fruitless tree is but fit for fire.” Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 156, 257
I do understand and I fully agree. Character and righteous deeds go hand in hand.
“Be pure, O people of God, be pure; be righteous, be righteous…. Say: O people of God! That which can ensure the victory of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, His hosts and helpers on earth, have been set down in the sacred Books and Scriptures, and are as clear and manifest as the sun. These hosts are such righteous deeds, such conduct and character, as are acceptable in His sight.” Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 287
Noted
In Biblical point of view eternal life is a gift for righteous. I don’t think it is gained, because I understand “gain” means that person achieves by own actions something. So, what I have understood Bible tells is, sins can be freely forgiven, no actions required. But, to have eternal life, person must be righteous. Righteousness is like state of mind, right understanding, which leads to right actions.