With full understanding that the bible uses allegories, parables, similes and such...
I choose to take what "IT" says on face value and not so much on what countless biblical scholars (so called) say it says.
Matthew 18:2-4
2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
VS
Matthew 7:22-24
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Where do you start and stop with the "parts of the Bible are not to be taken literately stuff"
No Great White throne
No Lambs book of life
No new glorified bodies
No Book of Seven Seals
No pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb
No tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month
No Lake of Fire
and on and on and on...
On judgment day... I guess I would rather be like a child that just found out that I missed something... rather then the really smart intellectual at the gate pounding my chest about all the things that I said and did in HIS name.
It is hard for me to fathom the LORD wagging his head saying "I cant believe that you believed all that stuff I said"
Please do not get me wrong... I am not saying, that you will be one of the fellas at the gate pounding his chest but just that I don't want to be.
So I just keep it simple...
If it is there, I believe it.
If it is not there or needs to be massaged, interpreted or tortured to be there then I don't.