Do Good People Go To Hell?

[ContentInHim]

I've always wondered how people can say things like "God doesn't send anybody to Hell. People send themselves to Hell", when the Bible very plainly tells us that God will judge the wicked and send them to Hell.

The Bible also says clearly in Romans that no one is without sin - NOT ONE! Any sin separates us from God. The only way to God is through the sacrifice of Jesus - he is our savior, our redeemer and our God and King. If we do not believe that and make him Lord of our lives, we are NOT saved. My best girlfriend is a very good person. She would not willingly hurt anyone. She is generous and loving. And she does not have Jesus. So by God's law, she is lost. Am I horrified by this - YES. But it is her choice.

You don't yet have a concept of God as a JUST judge. Try reading the book of Judges to see how awful it was when everyone did what they thought was right and how wrong they were and how bad life was.

Would you truly want to live in eternity with the people you are forced to live with now on earth? I wouldn't. But I eagerly anticipate living in eternity with all the people throughout history who have turned to God, in faith, and who love Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. It's going to be a wonderful fellowship!

 

[WarEagle]

You don't yet have a concept of God as a JUST judge.

I believe that everything I've said is in line with scripture but if you don't, please feel free to show me.

 

[Gamezilla]

So our God is a good God because he created a trap in which he lets sentient beings throw themselves into eternal misery? When he could simply say, "all right, doors are open, everyone can come in".

This seems fishy. Why doesn't he just do that?

Ever heard of free will? People have the freedom to do whatever they want. God does not make us choose Him. We choose the path we want to live. We send ourselves to hell. If you follow a sinful lifestyle without repentance, then your afterlife will be a haven for sin and destruction.

 

[R3quiem]

I think that there is no way that God can be so cruel as to send good people to hell. Isn't doing good deeds doing God's work, and also those who do God's work, if they have never excepted God in there hearts are they realy going to hell? And what about tribes and other countrys that never herd of God. Just because they never herd of God is God realy going to send them to hell? Not only that, but what about native americans? Are they realy worshiping the wrong God? They worship the great spirit in the sky. Wouldn't that be the same thing? They were just never eduacated on God in those days. They worshiped what they believed to be a great spirit in the sky that created all life. Just because they didn't know the whole story did they go to hell? That is awful to think God would do that. It's the same with others that don't know the facts about God but worship him the way they think is right.

And what about the great Steve Irwin, aka The Crocodile Hunter, he did God's work every day. He made his living saving God's creations and education people about them so that would understand them and grow to love them as much as he loves them. He peobaly saved several species from extinction not to mention all the animals lives he had saved. I don't know if he was a religious man but if he wasn't did he go to hell? Did God send to hell one of the greates animla rights activist? Did God send to hell the man that saved the lives of thousands, maybe millions of his precious creations? I don't think so.

Good question. Questions like this come up quite often and I do think about it a lot.

Steve Irwin is a good example of someone who was really good but maybe not religious. I think the best example would be Gandhi though, he lived a beautiful, loving, humble life and he liked Jesus a lot but was not Christian.

It's important to remember though that while they may be very good by our standards, they still are not free from sin and therefore fall short of the glory of God. They are not "good" by his standards.

That being said, I hope that these "good" people will be alright in the afterlife. There have been billions of non-Christians over the course of human history who have been very "good" people. Some of them were more loving and more pure than some Christians are. I don't know who will be in heaven and who will not, but I've always been taught that God is merciful and loves all humankind, and I trust in him.

Anyone here who claims to know who is going to hell is wrong. It's not for them to decide, it is for God alone and he is wise. We are not to judge, lest we be judged. Instead, just pray for them.

(As a side note, I don't see why some people believe we send ourselves to hell. Salvation is in grace alone, we can't earn our way into heaven so God can choose to let us in or not. When the bible references punishment, it doesn't mention that we send ourselves there. For example, it says that some will be CAST into the lake of fire, not that they will cast themselves in.)

 

[AvgJoe]

Isn't doing good deeds doing God's work, and also those who do God's work, if they have never excepted God in there hearts are they realy going to hell?

Your not the first to ask the question, "What is the work of God?" In John 6:28 the crowd ask Jesus, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" In verse 29, Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."

You see, the very work of God is belief in Jesus.

 

[united4Peace]

I dont believe in a fiery hell...

But I do believe in a Hell...
I believe we all go through Hell here on earth while we are alive...we have our own struggles...God gets us through them....or God is with us while we go through our hell...helping us through it...our Rock...
Maybe its good...maybe it has a purpose as we come out stronger...wiser....lessons learned...

Just my thoughts and beliefs...and Im entitled to them

 

[dayhiker]

I see heaven as living in God's presense. Hell then becomes not living in God's presense in some way. So I think its possible for "good people" to not want to live with God. I can't for the life of e understand why tho.

dayhiker

 

[Ben12]

Ever heard of free will? People have the freedom to do whatever they want. God does not make us choose Him. We choose the path we want to live. We send ourselves to hell. If you follow a sinful lifestyle without repentance, then your afterlife will be a haven for sin and destruction.

For this very reason hell makes no sense; the very people who swear by the Bible never bothered to look up the word freewill in scripture. Oh sure you can find the word Freewill in the OT when it comes to the Hebrew Freewill offering; BUT that feast has nothing to do with basic salvation.

Freewill is just another doctrine to put man in the driver’s seat; this is God’s will; His Word and all of God’s it will be accomplished. It is not a matter of freewill; (we are saved by grace not freewill) free will is a non scriptural word that religious men use to make men feel guilty) for the only freewill we have is to sin; God call/calls/draws/drags people which is totally contrary to the religious man made doctrine from Rome. God draws us or if you dig a little harder He drags us; there is NO FREE WILL when you are being drawn or dragged in fact it totally to the contrary.

Romans 3:11

There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. ​

John 6:44

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws
(drag Greek) him, and I will raise him up at the last day​

1670 helkuo (hel-koo'-o); drag ​

Jeremiah 18:2
Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.
3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.​

​

Romans 9:12
It was said to her that the elder [son] should serve the younger [son]) 13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated (held in [1] relative disregard in comparison with My feeling for Jacob).) 14 What shall we conclude then? Is there injustice upon God's part? Certainly not! 15 For He says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion (pity) on whom I will have compassion.) 16 So then [God's gift] is not a question of human will and human effort, but of God's mercy. [It depends not on one's own willingness nor on his strenuous exertion as in running a race, but on God's having mercy on him.] 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, I have raised you up for this very purpose of displaying My power in [dealing with] you, so that My name may be proclaimed the whole world over. 18 So then He has mercy on whomever He wills (chooses) and He hardens (makes stubborn and unyielding the heart of) whomever He wills. 19 You will say to me, Why then does He still find fault and blame us [for sinning]? For who can resist and withstand His will? 20 But who are you, a mere man, to criticize and contradict and Why have you made me thus? 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same mass (lump) one vessel for beauty and distinction and honorable use, and another for menial or ignoble and dishonorable use? 22 What if God, although fully intending to show [the awfulness of] His wrath and to make known His power and authority, has tolerated with much patience the vessels (objects) of [His] anger which are ripe for destruction? ) 23 And [what if] He thus purposes to make known and show the wealth of His glory in [dealing with] the vessels (objects) of His mercy which He has prepared beforehand for glory, 24 Even including ourselves whom He has called, not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles (heathen)? 25 Just as He says in Hosea, Those who were not My people I will call My people, and her who was not beloved [I will call] My beloved. ) 26 And it shall be that in the very place where it was said to them, You are not My people, they shall be called sons of the living God. 27 And Isaiah calls out (solemnly cries aloud) over Israel: Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, only the remnant (a small part of them) will be saved [[2] from perdition, condemnation, judgment]!

 

[Ben12]

I dont believe in a fiery hell...

But I do believe in a Hell...
I believe we all go through Hell here on earth while we are alive...we have our own struggles...God gets us through them....or God is with us while we go through our hell...helping us through it...our Rock...
Maybe its good...maybe it has a purpose as we come out stronger...wiser....lessons learned...

Just my thoughts and beliefs...and Im entitled to them

Amen you are so right.

These etenalhellist should do a study on fire in the Bible and they might learn fire is simbolic of the very thing you speak of.

Fire was first used with the sacrifice of Able. Our flesh must be sacrificed to be in the presence of God. The sweat of Cain was not sufficient and was not an acceptable offering unto God for sin. All flesh (self) must be burnt by the fire of God.

You know Jesus God a dove when He was Baptized in the river Jordon; on the day of Pentecost believers got cloven tongues of fire. Jesus is perfect; we are not. The word fire comes from the Greek word “pur’ which we get our English word pure, purify, purge and the good old catholic purgatory.

Gehenna: Referring to the Valley of Hinnom, or Gehenna which is the city dump outside the walls of Jerusalem; a place of constant burning of refuge. Those who go to Gehenna are not sinners of the world; but are sinners of God’s people. (how precious is this a type of purification outside of God’s holy city. All things that are not of God will be purified in God’s holy judgment. The point is simple in the 12 or 13 times that the Bible is referring to the word Gehenna it is directed towards God’s people and how important is to overcome sin.

Matthew 5:22 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
21"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, `Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, `Rica' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, `You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell (Ge-hen-na).

Matthew 5:29 It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell (Ge-hen-na).


Matthew 10:28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Ge-hen-na)

Matt 18:8 If your hand or your foot causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell (Ge-hen-na).

Matthew 18:9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. (Ge-hen-na)
Matthew 23:15 15"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell (Ge-hen-na) as you are.




In my study of the lake that burns with fire and brimstone I was very much helped and impressed by the understanding given by Charles Pridgeon and I would like to quote from his scholarly work on the subject of BRIMSTONE. He says: "The Lake of Fire and Brimstone signifies a fire burning with brimstone; the word 'brimstone' or sulphur defines the character of the fire. The Greek word THEION translated 'brimstone' is exactly the same word THEION which means 'divine.' Sulphur was sacred to the deity among the ancient Greeks; and was used to fumigate, to purify, and to cleanse and consecrate to the deity; for this purpose they burned it in their incense. In Homer's Iliad (16:228), one is spoken of as purifying a goblet with fire and brimstone. The verb derived from THEION is THEIOO, which means to hallow, to make divine, or to dedicate to a god (See Liddell and Scott Greek-English Lexicon, 1897 Edition). To any Greek, or any trained in the Greek language, a 'lake of fire and brimstone' would mean a 'lake of divine purification.' The idea of judgment need not be excluded. Divine purification and divine consecration are the plain meaning in ancient Greek. In the ordinary explanation, this fundamental meaning of the word is entirely left out, and nothing but eternal torment is associated with it" -end quote.

 

[MidnightCandel777]

Good people? All of human righteousness is like filthy rags in the sight of God. We are all stained with our own putrid sin, which can only be purged by the blood of Christ, whom God sent for us even though we deserved nothing. That's God's love.

 

[*Starlight*]

Well, if God is just, then I don't see how anyone can get more punishment that they really deserve and need so that they realize that they caused harm and should change.

 

[Epiphoskei]

All sinners, thus all humans except the incarnate Christ, deserve infinite punishment.

Who did Christ choose to lead his church in the beginning? The worst of sinners. The worst of sinners have been shown the richest part of grace for the duration of the church. If the deepest dregs of sinners have been redeemed and set with Christ in glory, is it not ironic justice when those who believe they deserve better than the rest recieve the worst?

 

[*Starlight*]

All sinners, thus all humans except the incarnate Christ, deserve infinite punishment.

I don't know any infinitely evil person.

 

[irateional]

I don't think hell is a punishment.

If hell is a place without God, it sounds like it's basically just Earth. Continuing on and on, for eternity. Eh.

 

[Ben12]

God is just; it is our job to seek and find the truth beyond what religion has showed us. Many would love to have us limit God to their understanding, to their local body, pastor or system; My God is a lot bigger then that.

Look at the word punishment in the Greek it means to prune, chastise; did you know that the Tabernacle of God was built on a threshing floor; the chaff will be burnt up; this is very true. Did you ever notice that chaff is as much as a part of the wheat as the wheat is until the time of harvest? You cannot separate the chaff from the wheat in its immaturity; only when it’s mature it must be shaken, and the separation process begins. Our flesh is the chaff; the wheat is the hidden spirit with. What happens to the wheat it becomes bread.

 

[WarEagle]

I don't think hell is a punishment.

If hell is a place without God, it sounds like it's basically just Earth. Continuing on and on, for eternity. Eh.

What verse says that?

 

[KarrieTex]

I think that there is no way that God can be so cruel as to send good people to hell. Isn't doing good deeds doing God's work, and also those who do God's work, if they have never excepted God in there hearts are they realy going to hell? And what about tribes and other countrys that never herd of God. Just because they never herd of God is God realy going to send them to hell? Not only that, but what about native americans? Are they realy worshiping the wrong God? They worship the great spirit in the sky. Wouldn't that be the same thing? They were just never eduacated on God in those days. They worshiped what they believed to be a great spirit in the sky that created all life. Just because they didn't know the whole story did they go to hell? That is awful to think God would do that. It's the same with others that don't know the facts about God but worship him the way they think is right.

And what about the great Steve Irwin, aka The Crocodile Hunter, he did God's work every day. He made his living saving God's creations and education people about them so that would understand them and grow to love them as much as he loves them. He peobaly saved several species from extinction not to mention all the animals lives he had saved. I don't know if he was a religious man but if he wasn't did he go to hell? Did God send to hell one of the greates animla rights activist? Did God send to hell the man that saved the lives of thousands, maybe millions of his precious creations? I don't think so.

God doesn't send anyone to hell. People send themselves to hell by NOT EXCEPTING CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOR.

 

[LJSGM]

God is just; it is our job to seek and find the truth beyond what religion has showed us. Many would love to have us limit God to their understanding, to their local body, pastor or system; My God is a lot bigger then that.

Look at the word punishment in the Greek it means to prune, chastise; did you know that the Tabernacle of God was built on a threshing floor; the chaff will be burnt up; this is very true. Did you ever notice that chaff is as much as a part of the wheat as the wheat is until the time of harvest? You cannot separate the chaff from the wheat in its immaturity; only when it’s mature it must be shaken, and the separation process begins. Our flesh is the chaff; the wheat is the hidden spirit with. What happens to the wheat it becomes bread.

Matthew 7

13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

I respect universalists in that, yes they know that eternal suffering is not in God's nature, the worst man on earth would not do that to their worst enemy, so why would a holy God do that to someone that has never heard the truth? There are a million and one of these threads simply because people do not understand the whole gospel message. It's actually disappointing that most in rejecting the concept of eternal suffering end up rejecting a lot of what the bible says as well, and goes to the extreme opposite of eternal suffering instead of trying to understand the whole bible by asking the Holy Spirit to reveal it to them.

Universalism and eternal suffering are not the only two options of interpretation. There is also the final death, and to be honest, it's so obvious to me that I don't understand how people do not see it. It's so simple. Belief in Jesus (the simplest thing) gives us eternal LIFE. Without life you are DEAD. The second death means actually that, that you are DEAD, not resurrected, DESTROYED. What is the opposite of Created, but destroyed? And no, we are not ETERNAL beings, only God is, and only God can give his eternal life to us. I could go on with the rest of the gospel, but I'll stop here, too much writing involved.

 

[WarEagle]

God doesn't send anyone to hell. People send themselves to hell by NOT EXCEPTING CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOR.

Please see Matthew 25:41. Does this verse say that Jesus is going to cast them into Hell, or that they will cast themselves into Hell?

 

[KarrieTex]

Please see Matthew 25:41. Does this verse say that Jesus is going to cast them into Hell, or that they will cast themselves into Hell?

I know what it says. However, the choice still satnds with us. If we do not except Christ then God does follow through with what He has said and that is hell.

It again boils down to our acceptance of Christ as Lord and Savior. If we do not then God does follow through with what He said would happen if we did not.