Whew.

1Ch 16:8  Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. 

Not sure how to explain it, so let me summarize:

My car broke down.  I had to get it towed to the dealership.  I just happened to have the money for the towing and repair bill.  I didn't have to finance another car.  I had savings to be used for moving out.  That's pretty much gone.  What's also gone is the return to worldly indebtedness (Proverbs 22:7, Romans 13:8).

I thank God.

(based on my knowledge of game shows, I recall this phrase: "Close calls...narrow escapes...split-second decisions...", and in this instance, over $600 in cash, paid in full.  "A combination guaranteed to make you say...")

 

Honor Thy Father and Mother, Your Life Depends On It!

“For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.” (Matthew 15:4, KJV)

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:1-3, KJV)

The Bible proclaims the following:

If you honor your parents, which also means obedience to them, wellness and long life are promised to you.  If you curse your parents, or even hit your parents (Exodus 21:15), you deserve to die.

Honor your parents.  Your life depends on it!

On Maintenance-Based Salvation

So, I signed up for Discord because I'm learning Japanese, and I wanted to find some native speakers to practice with.  This was then I also decided to look for Christian Discord servers to see if I could find some fellow believers (as we all should, suggests Hebrews 10:25).

Unfortunately, I'm still disappointed in what I found.  When looking at the rules of one Christian Discord server called /r/Christians, there is the garden-variety core tenets of the faith, one of which I have started to question because of the concepts of "seven spirits" (Revelation 4:5), God appearing as a man in many places (especially in the OT, see Genesis 32:24-30 for an example).  I'm talking about the Trinity doctrine, where God is one God in three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).  Now, I still believe that God is one (I Timothy 2:5, James 2:19, etc), and that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are indeed one God (I John 5:7).  Yet I don't believe that these three entities are the ONLY ones that can rightfully be called God.  As I've said, there's the God that wrestled with Jacob in Genesis 32:24-30, the three men called the LORD in Genesis 18, there's even a possibility that Jerusalem itself is God in Psalm 48:12-14:

Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following. For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.

(Psa 48:12-14)

At the very least, it's worth it to re-evaluate the doctrine of the Trinity, with a plain reading of Scripture approach, also considering the verses above.

Then there was this rule:

"Promotion of works-based or maintenance-based salvation is a first-time bannable offense."

To many believers, believing in any of these is instant anathema and instant heresy.

Works-based salvation? Yeah, I'm against that. Obviously salvation is not by works (Ephesians 2:9, Titus 3:5, etc.).

Yet, I tend to believe in the latter kind of salvation, maintenance-based salvation, for the following reasons:

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 

Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 

Heb 3:6  But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. 

The Bible makes it clear that a type of maintenance is required to go to Heaven.

What about this passage:

Act_14:22  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

And what about this:

Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

(Heb 10:38-39)

Wow. Because this doctrine flies in the face of modern OSAS and “faith alone” theology, I am certainly a minority, if not a huge minority in this world. (It's quite lonely, to be honest.) I'm simply taking the Bible as it is, and taking God at His Word. And yet, questioning “sola fide”, OSAS, and even the Trinity (how dare me!), is enough to call me a heretic, when I'm simply reading the Bible like an atheist, with next to no filter.

We who profess faith in Christ have allowed ourselves to believe, without question, everything the modern church tells us, without going to the Scriptures for study (see Acts 17:11), and without testing different theologies, even the extreme ones, if they come up (I Thessalonians 5:21).

Now, am I saying I don't believe that faith is enough to be saved?  Not at all!  To endure to the end, to not draw back, to not fall away, AND to perform good works, etc.  IS faith, as James tells us:

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

(Jas 2:20-26)

James sums it up this way:

Jas 2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 

Perhaps it takes a church that is called a "cult" by the world, whether or not they are in the Truth, to have a more honest conversation about these topics, because at least they use Scripture that most stings the conscience.  And honestly, this position is not unbiblical:

Mar_13:13  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Side note:  I also found that their Reddit page (of which the Discord server is based on), adheres to the doctrine of "In Essentials, Unity, in Non-Essentials, Liberty, in All Things, Charity".  This is heresy, because it is suggesting that there is some doctrine in Scripture that is non-essential, which is a lie.  If Scripture itself does not deem it non-essential (Romans 14:1), then it is essential to be saved, PERIOD:

Luk 4:4  And Jesus answered [the devil], saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. 

How To Spot A Fool According To The Bible

 The Bible has a lot to say about fools.  The book of Proverbs are chock full of verses that talk about the contrast between the fool and the wise.  It is implied that it is not good to be a fool.  It is implied that folly does not lead to anywhere pleasant, but rather trouble.

But why are we as Christians to spot fools anyway?  What practical purpose does that serve?  For starters, you will know who NOT to preach to:

Pro 23:9  Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

Yes, it's true:  The Bible commands us NOT to preach to fools.  So who is a fool?  Here are some ways to tell:

1. They are atheistic in their heart:

Psa 14:1  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. 

Psa 53:1  To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. 

Anyone who is a devout Atheist, especially one who openly proclaims it, is called, by Scripture, a fool.  Penn Jilette is one who openly proclaims his atheism.  I have once seen a video of actor John DeLancie speaking at an Atheist rally, and also one where he proclaims himself to be "Openly Secular":

Again, these are just a couple of famous examples of atheists who are proud and open about their lack of faith.  And the Bible confirms that you can trust the fact that what they plainly say is coming from their heart:

Luk 6:45  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. 

However, I myself do not call them fools, for it is written:

Mat 5:22b  ...but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 

I may be taking it out of context, but what is not out of context is the fact that, to me at least, the word "fool" is no light word in light of the above text.

2. They utter a slander:

Pro 10:18  He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool. 

3. They despise their father's instruction:

Pro 15:5  A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent. 

4. They have no delight in understanding:

Pro 18:2  A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself. 

The ESV renders that verse as this:

Pro 18:2  A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. 

5. They trust their own heart, or "follow their heart":

Pro 28:26  Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered. 

To "trust your gut" is also following your heart, according to the context.  Make your decisions based on truth and wisdom!

6. They always say what's on their mind:

Pro 29:11  A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back. 

7. They talk constantly:

Ecc 5:3  For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words. 

Ecc 10:14  A fool multiplies words, though no man knows what is to be, and who can tell him what will be after him? 

There are probably many more ways a fool can be spotted, but these are seven ways that I know of that directly connect to the word "fool".

Why Is It Called the "Gospel"?

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

(1Co 15:1-8)

 

I've been taking a look at my Christianity page and noticed that one aspect of the faith wasn't quite emphasized, the fact that JESUS DIED FOR OUR SINS AND ROSE AGAIN.

(Funny how it being the "Easter" season according to the catholic calendar gives us reminders, even when its christmas)

Yet, it's not as if I deny that Christ died and rose again.  I will gladly tell anyone and everyone who asks why Christ's death and resurrection is so important.  It's because of this:  Without Christ's death, we have NOTHING and NO ONE to defend us on the day of Judgment because of our own sins, even the tiniest being enough to throw us into Hell.  Without Christ's resurrection, how can we as sinners ever have life?

Consider these texts:

This is why it is important for Christ to die for our sins:

Heb 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. 

(In other words, without the shedding of blood, NO SIN CAN BE FORGIVEN.)

This is why it is important for Christ to be raised from the dead:

Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

(1Co 15:12-18)

(In other words, without Christ being raised from the dead, THERE IS NO HOPE FOR US TO GO TO HEAVEN.)

So, back to my initial question:  Why is called the "gospel"?  In Greek, it literally translates to a "good message".  Many call it "good news".  This is also why the catholics call this day "Good" Friday, for it is GOOD that we have a payment for our sins!

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

According to The Century Dictionary, propitiation is another word for appeasement, that is, appeasing God:

that which furnishes a reason for not executing a punishment justly due for wrong-doing; specifically, in the New Testament, Christ himself, because his life and death furnish a ground for the forgiveness of sins.

We owe a debt because of our sin.  This debt, if paid on our own, is paid by our eternal torture in Hell.  Christ came to pay off our debt in full, thus satisfying God's judicial mandate for eternal life.

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

(Rom 5:6-11)

This is why it's good news.  We're let off the hook for an eternal punishment we deserve.

"propitiation".  Wordnik.  https://www.wordnik.com/words/propitiation. Accessed 29 March 2024.

The Grace of God Is Reversible

 This is a long study based on Matthew 18:21-35.  Here's the text, maintaining each verse label from e-Sword:

Mat 18:21  Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 

Mat 18:22  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. 

Mat 18:23  Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. 

Mat 18:24  And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 

Mat 18:25  But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 

Mat 18:26  The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 

Mat 18:27  Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 

Mat 18:28  But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 

Mat 18:29  And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 

Mat 18:30  And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 

Mat 18:31  So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 

Mat 18:32  Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 

Mat 18:33  Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 

Mat 18:34  And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 

Mat 18:35  So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. 

First of all, what do I mean by "grace"?  What is "grace"?

For those with student loans, you're probably familiar with the term "grace period".  This is a period of time in which the lender didn't require you to make any payments.  The usual grace period for student loans was six months.  However, once the six months were up, the "grace" was gone, and payment was due.

This was just an illustration of the definition of "grace", not an illustration of God's grace.  Nowhere in Scripture does it say the grace of God expires after a certain time.

So, let's go through this passage.  v. 21-22:

Mat 18:21  Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 

Mat 18:22  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. 

Given the context of the passage, Jesus wasn't teaching Peter to stop forgiving someone upon the 491st offense, and you'll see why those who stop forgiving upon the 491st offense go to Hell.

The point was that Jesus is teaching us to continue to forgive those who sin against you, no matter how many times it takes.

v. 23-27:

Mat 18:23  Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. 

Mat 18:24  And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 

Mat 18:25  But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 

Mat 18:26  The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 

Mat 18:27  Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 

To give an illustration on what 10,000 talents is, many sources cite the talent as weighing 75 pounds, or 1,200 ounces.

1,200 ounces of silver, just silver, costs around $30,000, presuming $25 per ounce of silver.

And that's just ONE talent!

The debt was for TEN THOUSAND talents!  Now you're talking about a dollar equivalent of $300 million!  It would take you 5,000 years on a median family income in the U.S. (presumed to be $60,000) to pay it off, presuming you used up all of your money to do so, over 70 lifetimes worth, from cradle to the grave!

The servant begged the king to forgive him of the huge debt, and grace was granted to him.

So far so good.  Then...

v. 28-30:

Mat 18:28  But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 

Mat 18:29  And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 

Mat 18:30  And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 

The King James Version uses "pence" to illustrate the small size of the fellowservant's debt.  The Greek word is "denarion", meaning that the fellowservant owed 100 denarii.

According to the Wikipedia article, a denarius was a silver coin weighing 3.9 grams (this was the accepted measurement in Jesus' time).  At $25 per ounce of silver, a denarius being 0.1375685 ounces, was worth about $3.44.  100 of these was worth about $343.92.

In this era of inflation, nearly $350 is still a trifling sum.  Yet, the one who was forgiven the huge debt CHOKED the fellowservant over essentially an X-Box.  The fellowservant received no grace from him who received much grace.

Read what happens next, v. 31-35:

Mat 18:31  So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 

Mat 18:32  Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 

Mat 18:33  Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 

Mat 18:34  And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 

Mat 18:35  So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. 

The king reversed the grace (v. 34) because of the unforgiveness of the man.  The man owed the 10,000 talents again.  And get this:  v. 34 says that the man was delivered to the tormentors, and would continue to be tormented until the debt was paid in full.  Now, remember what v. 25 said?  "forasmuch as he had not to pay", meaning, he couldn't pay it off!  The man was bankrupt!  Yet, the man is to be tormented until the debt that the man can't pay is paid in full.  That's forever!  The man is to be tortured FOREVER!

It is similar to what happens to someone who is sentenced to a kind of debtor's prison in the Sermon on the Mount:

Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

(Mat 5:25-26)

Such a man is in that prison FOREVER, because you can't pay off debt in prison!  

Now look at v. 35.  Jesus says the Father will treat such unforgiving people the same.  Thus, grace is reversible. 

In other words, you must forgive others when they sin against you, or you're going to Hell:

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

(Mat 6:14-15)

Wikipedia contributors. "Denarius." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 5 Feb. 2024. Web. 15 Mar. 2024.

Why Is It Called "Salvation"?

A thought popped in my head:

"Why is it called 'salvation'"?

The church always talks about "being saved".  Yet, has any of us pondered why we use that word, salvation, saved, etc.?

A rational person would rightly ask, "What does Jesus save us FROM?"

You see, for there to be a concept of salvation, there must be a reason TO be saved.  There must be a danger that we need saved FROM.

Some people say that we are being saved from being separated from God.  This is what they call the fate of the unbeliever.  Suppose that is true, that if I was an unbeliever, and I died as an unbeliever, the only thing that would happen to me is that God would be out of my reach.  That's it?  That's really kinda vague.  Is that a good thing?  Is that a bad thing?  "Oh, it's a bad thing, it really is a bad thing!"  OK, then HOW is it a bad thing?  Give me details!  Convince me to believe other than, "If you don't believe, you'll be separated from God."

In the story of Christ's nativity, the angel told Joseph to name his son JESUS for this reason:

Mat 1:21  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 

OK, so what Jesus ("The LORD saves") saves people from are our sins.  Now, by itself, it's still kinda vague.  Yet, God doesn't stop there.  He does explain why being saved from our sins is necessary.  Paul says:

Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

(Act 13:38-39)

So our sins are forgiven through Jesus.  OK, getting warmer (figuratively).  Yet God doesn't stop there.  By itself, to say one's sins are forgiven implies that having sins on your account is a bad thing.

But let's dig deeper.  What does the word "sin" mean?

The Greek word for "sin" is 'hamaratia", literally meaning "to miss the mark".  So, "sin" is an "error", a "misstep", a "mistake", a bend in a straight path, etc.

And what is forgiveness?  Simply, that such things that you are forgiven of won't count against you.

Count against me?  What are you talking about?  

Here's what I'm talking about.  As I've said before, in the end of days, there will be a final judgment:

2Co 5:10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

(Rev 20:11-12)

It is a final accounting of everything we have done in our life.  Everything we do, everything we say (Matthew 12:36), and even everything we think (Proverbs 24:9 calls foolish thoughts sin), will be up for audit.

If ANY sin appears on your record, this is what Jesus says will happen to you:

As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

(Mat 13:40-42)

(There are more passages that speak of this, but in my opinion, this passage drives down the point most clearly for the sake of this post.)

And what is the "furnace of fire"?  It's HELL!

So, to sum it all up, we all will be judged on EVERYTHING we have done in our life.  If we have SIN on our record, we go to HELL.

So, why is it called "salvation"?  Why does Jesus come to save those who believe from our sins?  It's because the sins take us to eternal punishment.  Thus, Jesus saves us from eternal punishment.  Jesus saves us from Hell.  What are being saved from, ultimately?  HELL!

And all we need to do to be saved is to trust Jesus.  Not just the man Himself, but the entire Word of God, for Jesus IS the Word of God (John 1:1, John 1:14, I John 1:1, I John 5:7, Revelation 19:13).  All this IS trusting in Jesus.  If you do so, you are saved.  If you don't, the Bible says the wrath of God abides on you (John 3:36).

Acts 16:31 of the King James Version uses the word "on", which well illustrates what faith in Jesus is:

Act 16:31  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 

You see, it's not just believing Jesus exists, as the modern definition of believing in something says.  James 2:19 says:

Jas 2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 

(devils being "demons")

So demons believe that God exists, they believe "in" God, and specifically, "one God".  Yet, are they saved?  Surely not!

In fact, Acts 2:38 says about the condition of salvation (here, called "remission of sins"):

Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

This is still compatible with "faith in Jesus", meaning "faith in Jesus" also means repentance of sins, and baptism (side note:  I don't yet have a solid theology on whether water baptism [by immersion, see Acts 8:39 and "out of" the water] is the source of salvation, yet I do have a solid theology on the command to be water baptized, whether it saves you or not; honestly, it's easier just to do it in the name of obedience and move on.).

So trust Jesus.  He will save you (see Luke 10:20) from the lake of fire (see Revelation 20:15).