Category Archives: eternal life

A Gentle Alternative to Punishment in Hell for Those Who Reject God’s Offer of Eternal Life—Conditional Immortality

Posted on October 22, 2018 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Some believers (like me) think it likely that everyone who ever lived will have opportunity, with a clear mind free of confusion and misinformation, to understand God’s love and his offer of eternal life. This might be during their lifetime … Continue reading →

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Posted in C. S. Lewis, conditional immortality, eternal life, hell, resurrection | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 81 Comments

Hopeful Universalism and a Gentle Alternative

Posted on October 15, 2018 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Previously, we discussed whether God will punish anyone in eternal hell; and I concluded that the misguided idea of punishment in eternal conscious torment is inconsistent with God’s character and that the Bible does not even teach such a thing. … Continue reading →

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Posted in eternal life, hell, Paul, The Father | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 121 Comments

If Most Everyone Will Have Eternal Life with God Anyway, then Why Do We Need to Share the Good News of Jesus?

Posted on June 19, 2017 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Recently we discussed whether those who have not heard the good news or who even follow other religions might receive eternal life and live in God’s community after death—even if they never became followers of Jesus during this lifetime. My … Continue reading →

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Posted in eternal life, fundamentalism, God, hell, Jesus, Kingdom of God, love, resurrection, the Good News, witnessing | 15 Comments

Hell? Conditional Immortality? Something Else? What Happens to Those Who Reject God?

Posted on June 12, 2017 by jesuswithoutbaggage

I agree with believers who suggest that God offers eternal life after death to everyone — even those who have never heard, and even those of other religions. Thus it is possible that all who ever lived could be part of … Continue reading →

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Posted in conditional immortality, eternal life, fear, hell, Kingdom of God, resurrection | Tagged , , , , | 50 Comments

Will Everyone Live Forever with God After Death? Not Necessarily!

Posted on June 5, 2017 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Recently we discussed whether people of other religions, or those who have never heard, participate in the life after death that Jesus offers us or whether this life is available to only the limited number of people who respond to … Continue reading →

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Posted in eternal life, Kingdom of God | Tagged , , , , | 18 Comments

‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life’; Is Jesus the Only Way to Life? Yes and No

Posted on May 29, 2017 by jesuswithoutbaggage

When we read of the teaching and actions of Jesus, it becomes clear that Jesus is nothing if not inclusive. He is free with forgiveness, healing, and acceptance and is not at all the sort of person who creates barriers. … Continue reading →

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Posted in Buddha, eternal life, God, Jesus, resurrection | Tagged , , , , , | 27 Comments

Isn’t it Violence for Jesus to Tell Us to Cut off our Hands to Avoid Punishment?–No!

Posted on September 26, 2016 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Does Jesus promote violent acts? I don’t think so. Sometimes those who DO think Jesus promotes violence bring up a passage where Jesus tells us to severely injure ourselves. Mark 9 reports this saying of Jesus: If your hand causes … Continue reading →

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Posted in behavior, eternal life, hell, Jesus, Kingdom of God | Tagged , , | 27 Comments

Why Did Jesus Die on the Cross?

Posted on March 7, 2016 by jesuswithoutbaggage

We talked last time about three atonement theories that I believe are woefully misguided and miss the point of Jesus’ death completely: The Ransom Theory, the Satisfaction Theory, and the Substitutionary Atonement Theory (Penal Substitution). All three are inadequate to … Continue reading →

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Posted in atonement, eternal life, Jesus, Kingdom of God, love, resurrection, sin | Tagged , , | 79 Comments

When the Good News of Jesus Doesn’t Sound like Good News At All

Posted on August 10, 2015 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Over this series, we explored various aspects of the Good News of Jesus—things that we learn from Jesus’ words and actions in the four Gospels. 1. We learned that God is not angry and harsh with us as many of … Continue reading →

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Posted in alienation, eternal life, God, hell, Jesus, legalism, love, sin, The Father | Tagged , , | 42 Comments

Death is Not the End Because Jesus Offers Us Eternal Life and Happiness

Posted on August 3, 2015 by jesuswithoutbaggage

The first four aspects of the Good News are very energizing, exciting, and fulfilling; and they impact our lives tremendously. If these were the only benefits we receive from the Good News of Jesus, then they are more than enough. … Continue reading →

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Posted in eternal life, God, Jesus, resurrection, The Father's House, the Good News | Tagged , , , , , , | 34 Comments

God is not Angry and Harsh with Us as Many of Us Thought

Posted on May 18, 2015 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Do you think God is angry, harsh, and vindictive toward us? Millions of people do, and I used to believe it myself—for good reason. All the preachers, teachers, and other church leaders taught that he is; if we don’t walk … Continue reading →

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Posted in eternal life, fear, God, Jesus, Old Testament, The Father, the Good News | Tagged , , , , | 36 Comments

What is the Good News of Jesus Anyway?

Posted on May 4, 2015 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Nearly all fundamentalists and evangelicals promote some concept of the Good News—also called the Gospel. In fact, the words ‘evangelical’ and ‘evangelism’ are taken directly from the New Testament Greek word for good news. But what, exactly, is the Good … Continue reading →

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Posted in eternal life, God, Jesus, Kingdom of God, love, resurrection, The Father, the Good News | Tagged , | 50 Comments

What is the Significance of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection?

Posted on June 17, 2014 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Recently, a reader asked me a question privately about Jesus’ death and resurrection. I plan to do a series in the future, but that won’t be for a while. But because it is such an important question, I decided to … Continue reading →

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Posted in atonement, eternal life, Jesus, Paul, resurrection, sin, the Good News | Tagged , , , | 50 Comments

What is the Good News of Jesus?

Posted on March 27, 2014 by jesuswithoutbaggage

In the New Testament are four books that tell about the life and message of Jesus. They are called the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The word ‘gospel’ simply means good news (εὐαγγέλιον)—the good news of Jesus. The English … Continue reading →

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Posted in eternal life, God, Jesus, legalism, love, The Father, the Good News, the invitation, witnessing | Tagged , , | 40 Comments

Making the Good News of Jesus Your Own

Posted on May 16, 2013 by jesuswithoutbaggage

If you are attracted to Jesus and want to appropriate his good news to your life, how do you do that? What steps must you take? What commitments must you make? It is Less Complex than Many People Think Many believers … Continue reading →

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Posted in eternal life, Jesus, love, the Good News, the invitation | 20 Comments

Conditional Immortality and Natural Death

Posted on March 27, 2013 by jesuswithoutbaggage

The New Testament has vivid warnings of potential calamity and destruction. Two Old Testament images used to illustrate these warnings are the story of Gehenna in Jeremiah chapter 19 and the destruction of the rebels in Isaiah chapter 66. In both … Continue reading →

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Posted in conditional immortality, eternal life, hell | Tagged , , | 28 Comments

Who Would Reject the Father and What Becomes of Them?

Posted on March 25, 2013 by jesuswithoutbaggage

If there is no eternal, burning hell, does everyone ultimately become part of the Father’s family, whether they wish to or not? I don’t think so. The idea that everyone will live forever with God, or as some would put … Continue reading →

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Posted in C. S. Lewis, conditional immortality, eternal life, God, hell, The Father, The Father's House | Tagged | 24 Comments

Jesus Answers Our Suffering and Alienation

Posted on February 11, 2013 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Do you experience fear, suffering, and alienation? I think we can all agree that something is wrong. We all suffer and feel alienated. Jesus came to bring an answer to our suffering and alienation. He tells us how we can … Continue reading →

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Posted in alienation, eternal life, suffering, the invitation | 3 Comments