As far as any of us are concerned this life is our eternity. Its all that is tangible, so to deprive someone of it is an eternal punishment. Eternal in the sense that you cannot return from it to enjoy the state of being that your killer deprived you from.
I agree that our life is our eternity, as I am persuaded that
we are eternal beings, but this isn't contingent upon having
a physical body. Our true selves, our spirit, exists whether
or not we're wearing an 'earth-suit' at any given time.
So the government—or any human being or establishment—
is incapable of punishing someone for all eternity. They may
take actions that change the course of one's existence, i.e. put
them to death (or, more accurately, shut down their physical
body), but that doesn't necessarily mean things have changed
for the worse for that individual.
I'm also curious as to how you believe in God but disbelieve in hell if you don't mind me to ask such a personal question
I don't mind at all.
Actually, not everyone who believes in God believes in hell.
In fact, the greater God has been in my estimation, the less
need for a hell in my theology. He's just too competent to
settle for such a barbaric solution to mankind's (perceived) ills.
I used to believe in hell, but over time and looking further
into it, it ultimately ended up making very little sense, at
least in combination with an all-powerful, all-knowing God
who not only has love as one of His attributes but is
actually Love it's very self.
Needless to say, though, this is a subject in which one's mileage
may vary, and the above is just my own conclusions, at this time.
How is this verse to be understand when measured up to the idea that we are under grace and not law
Well, I think that's just it. It's no longer about law, but grace.
At least, that's the way I read it. How the other 30,000
denominations read it might be another thing altogether.
My God is omnipresent and according to His revealed word the truth is that sin brings separation...But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. Isaiah 59:2
Again, I think that such scriptures are articulating the
sense of being separated from God when one feels one has
done something to "upset" Him. No actual separation occurs.
If the bible were saying that one could be separated from
Someone Who is everywhere, it wouldn't make any sense.
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