Sunday, October 06, 2013

Spirit School: Part 2

After reading some of the comments from my first post about Spirit school, I realized that there are some things I didn't make clear in my writing.  Maria made some comments that helped me to realize that I needed to clear up some things.  She made some very good points, with which I agree.

In our religion, we believe that those who have died without a knowledge of God's gospel will be given the chance to hear it and accept it in the hereafter.  We learn a little about this from the Bible.  Consider this scripture in 1 Peter 3:18-20:  "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:  By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;  Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water."  So obviously, according to the Bible, some preaching goes on in the Spirit world.  But I agree with Maria that those of us who know God's gospel in this life, will be judged with the full judgment.  We have no excuse for disobedience.  If we do not repent in this life of our sins, we have to receive the full judgment for them. 

But consider those who never had the opportunity to hear the gospel.  What about those tribes in far off lands who never knew God?  What about little children who died in innocence before they were old enough to understand about God?  What about those people who understood some things, but not enough to accept the gospel?  God' mercy extends to them, and they will have the chance to hear and accept God's word.

Now let's consider those who did accept the gospel, and lived it, and repented of wrongs they committed.  While they may not have broken the commandments, they still might have developed poor behaviors and personality traits.  These are the ones who can benefit from further education in the hereafter!  :) 

I'm in no rush to find out for myself, but it is interesting to speculate about what the hereafter will be like.  I think that it will be more familiar to us than we now realize.  And I firmly believe that our loved ones who passed away before us, will be waiting to welcome us.  That certainly takes away the sting of death!

3 comments:

Rummuser said...

Why speculate? Do you remember as to what it was like before you started to remember things in this life? The same thing will happen if there is another life in store for you. You don't have to speculate. Just live this life to its fullest potential.

Maria said...

Children who died in innocence - that's a topic which has bedevilled Christians since time immemorial. I saw a movie once where John Wycliffe, a great Christian reformer, consoled a sad couple who had lost a son in infancy before his baptism and he told them how King David, after fasting and praying to save the first son he had with Bathsheba, and failing to save the boy through penance, said 'one day I will go to him, but he can never come to me.' He used this scripture to counsel the couple that they would surely see their not yet christened son in the afterlife. God gives everyone the chance to be saved, I truly believe that.

Maxi said...

…given a chance to hear and accept the gospel in the hereafter. I love this.

How wonderful for those who missed the opportunity in this life.

blessings ~ maxi