THE SIMPLE LIFE

CONTINUATION OF COMMENTS

I started to reply and realized it was too long so decided to make it into a post. We can continue our discussion here instead =P

Ivan, here's the link to the magazine: http://www.sbts.edu/resources/publications/magazine/2005Winter.pdf

It's interesting that Ivan should mention a skit with that storyline because I saw a similar one in undergrad. I have to admit that the idea that someone doesn't go to heaven simply because they weren't exposed to God didn't sit well with me either and IS taking me a while to come to terms with it.

From where I stand at this point, I think the whole idea is not that some people will be exposed to God, some will not and we will be judged according to this. More that we, as individuals, have been exposed to God, to Jesus, to His death and ressurection, and to the Holy Spirit.

We're not in the category of people that has never heard of the gospel and so we have the CHOICE to believe that He died for our sins or not, to have faith so to speak. For those who fall in the category who have not been exposed to God, who knows? Honestly, we're not God...who are we to say who's going to heaven and who's not when Jesus returns.

And I believe that the forgiveness of sins is central to ANY Christian doctrine. The whole point why we believe in Jesus is because we recognize that we're sinners, fully understand that this displeases God and are in need of Jesus' salvation.

I always think back to the Apostles' Creed that we learnt as a kid when I think about what it is that I believe. Although I never fully comprehended the part that said " I believe in the holy catholic church: the communion of saints".

Kind of along the lines of what Cam & Simon said; why would we pray to the church when it's an institution created by mankind? And it's the same idea as praying to the saints. We're all humans, it'll be like me praying to my parents...they're not God. Just things that I wonder about. Now that I think about it, praying to the saints was one thing that I never noticed that we did as Catholics until high school.

Anyway, maybe I should clarify. There's a danger of thinking that 'if I'm a good person I will go to heaven' just as there's a danger to SAY that you believe without ACTING out what you believe.

I say that there's a danger of thinking that we're good people and therefore will go to heaven because I question our reasons for doing good deeds. If we honestly ask ourselves, I believe that a lot of times, we do good things for selfish reasons...at least I do. I do good things because I want others to like me, so that people would admire me and think highly of me or I do good things because it helps me achieve my own goals and I get satisfaction out of it.

How many times do I do these good deeds because I just care? Or an even a higher standard would be, how many times do I act in this way because GOD expects me to? I say this is held higher because I find it very difficult to have God be the motivating force behind the way I act.

At the same time, I don't want to be someone who is all talk and no action. This verse from the book of Matthew has been on my heart recently. Jesus said:

"Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers." ~Matthew 7:21-23

It kind of scares me because I know that I do this. I call Jesus my Lord, my Saviour and yet, I wonder if doing the things that I think are good and godly is what I really should be doing. Am I doing the will of my Father in heaven? Will He turn me away on judgement day? Do you guys ever wonder like this?

Yikes! Don't you think that this is all the more reason that we need to have a closer relationship with Him and read the Bible more? Otherwise, how else are we suppose to know? I need to pray more consistently throughout the day...that I may trust and obey - to have that kind of faith that we speak so highly of.

Dust: it's really purgatory first ;) Don't Catholics get to go to heaven only if enough people are praying for them? I vaguely remember learning that accumulation of prayers is needed and that's why we pray for our dead.