Why does there have to be a hell?

[gav1nzdad]

I was asked this question in another thread and wanted to address it here. Before, I start, I want to make it clear that I am no scholar and I am only giving my understanding of my reading of God's word. If anyone who reads this finds an error that can be backed up by biblical references, please feel free to correct me. I promise, I will not take offence!

In any discussion of hell, the first thing you have to acknowledge is that God IS real and He is righteaous and holy. If this is not a concession you are willing to make, then you will no doubt, disagree with almost everything else in this post.

Hell was created for Satan and his angels that rebelled against God. God does not want anyone to go to hell.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance .

But God IS righteous and holy, sin can not abide with Him. God created us with free will. He wants us to come to Him by our own choice. If we do, He removes that sin through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, thereby placing His holiness adn His righteousness on us. This is what makes us "acceptable" to Him. He calls us all to Him, but some will ignore, or choose not to come to Him. And by the way, He may call a person many, many times. But ultimately, if we do not choose Him, we are in fact choosing Satan.

If we choose Satan, whether by default or not, we inherit eternal damnation, or hell. God doesn't choose that for us, we choose that for ourselves.

Now there are some who will say that hell is not a literal place, but that is just not biblical. However, i do see the importance of associating hell with eternal separation from God.

Any thoughts are welcome.

 

[bling]

You may want to look up threads about hell in the Christian only section. There is lots of Greek textual information that would say people do not spend eternity in help, but are burned up. Eternal life is reserved for those in heaven.

If the punishment for sin is a slap on the hand than to forgive us of that little debt for our sins is pretty insignificant, but if the debt of sin is huge as hell would suggest than “…he that is forgiven much will Love much…” and since Godly type love is what we are after, Godly type love comes automatically with accepting God’s forgiveness.

 

[Faulty]

Scripture states hell was made for the devil and his angels. Are you thinking they don't deserve it?

How about those who follow him as their god? Don't they deserve to go be with their god when they die?

 

[ViaCrucis]

I was asked this question in another thread and wanted to address it here. Before, I start, I want to make it clear that I am no scholar and I am only giving my understanding of my reading of God's word. If anyone who reads this finds an error that can be backed up by biblical references, please feel free to correct me. I promise, I will not take offence!

In any discussion of hell, the first thing you have to acknowledge is that God IS real and He is righteaous and holy. If this is not a concession you are willing to make, then you will no doubt, disagree with almost everything else in this post.

Hell was created for Satan and his angels that rebelled against God. God does not want anyone to go to hell.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance .

But God IS righteous and holy, sin can not abide with Him. God created us with free will. He wants us to come to Him by our own choice. If we do, He removes that sin through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, thereby placing His holiness adn His righteousness on us. This is what makes us "acceptable" to Him. He calls us all to Him, but some will ignore, or choose not to come to Him. And by the way, He may call a person many, many times. But ultimately, if we do not choose Him, we are in fact choosing Satan.

If we choose Satan, whether by default or not, we inherit eternal damnation, or hell. God doesn't choose that for us, we choose that for ourselves.

Now there are some who will say that hell is not a literal place, but that is just not biblical. However, i do see the importance of associating hell with eternal separation from God.

Any thoughts are welcome.

It entirely depends on what we mean by "Hell" in the first place.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ebia]

In any discussion of hell, the first thing you have to acknowledge is that God IS real and He is righteaous and holy.

If you want to start there then you need to decide first what it means to say God is righteous and God is holy.

Then what do you mean by hell.

 

[Emmy]

Dear gav1nzdad. We all have free will to choose God and Heaven, or go our own way, which will end up in Outer Darkness, without God`s Love or Light.
( there are different names for hell, but it is always without God`s Love or Light) We know what God wants from us: 1) Love God with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds. 2) Love our neighbour as ourselves. Jesus told us in Matthews 22, verses 35-40. AND Jesus pointed out a great truth: " On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prohets."
Jesus is our Saviour, and Jesus is The Way, and Jesus is always ready to help and guide us back to where we came from. Those of us who are Christ`s followers, (Christians) will return to God, but what about those who want to go their own way? what else is there? ONLY Outer Darkness, WITHOUT God.
I say this with love, gav1nzdad. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[FutureAndAHope]

Hi,

The bible says God is a jealous God. I have experienced Jealously in my own life, it is a strong love for some one that when denied makes you angry. God is love, but it is a jealous love. When a person rejects God fully and completely it makes him angry. He also can't tolerate evil, when a person is willfully evil, doing bad things to others it makes him angry.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Heaven = eternal life.
Hell = eternal death.

 

[gav1nzdad]

thanks for these responses. All very good. But my opponent, for which I began this thread, will not come this area of the board to discuss my reasons with me. But, keep 'em coming.

 

[Elioenai26]

One transgression against a Holy, Righteous, Eternal God merits eternal consequences. Only one.

Now, seeing as how humans are born into sin and from their youth commit sin not only in word but in deed, and not only in deed but in thought, and not only of commission, but of omission, numerous upon numerous occassions of sinful lawlessness committed by even those who appear to be somewhat good in the eyes of men, it is not unreasonable, in fact very reasonable in keeping with God's Holy standard: "Be Holy for I am Holy", if one wants to live a lawless sinful life, they may certainly do so. And they shall spend eternity apart from God for their choices. But make no mistake, we all shall live forever either with Christ or without Him.

 

[ephraimanesti]

Any thoughts are welcome.

MY FRIEND,

There being a Heaven necessitates there likewise being a hell. Simply put, heaven is being in the presence of God's Light and experiencing His Love beginning now and extending into eternity; hell is being absent from God, in darkness and estranged from His Love.

Each situation is, of course, freely chosen by the person him/herself. God doesn't send anyone anywhere--they choose their final destination by choosing to relate or not to relate to their Creator. No one to blame but the willful self if the wrong choice is made.

ABBA'S FOOL,
ephraim

 

[OldWiseGuy]

But make no mistake, we all shall live forever either with Christ or without Him.

The wages of sin is death (the second death), not eternal life in torment.

 

[Elioenai26]

The wages of sin is death (the second death), not eternal life in torment.

This has been spoken on numerous occasions in other posts. The scripture you supplied to support your view is one that must be read within its context and must be interpreted in light of every other scripture that directly speaks on the subject. This passage is not didactic with regards to the nature of one's destiny after they die. It therefore cannot be used to establish sound doctrine on the subject of eternal punishment.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

This has been spoken on numerous occasions in other posts. The scripture you supplied to support your view is one that must be read within its context and must be interpreted in light of every other scripture that directly speaks on the subject. This passage is not didactic with regards to the nature of one's destiny after they die. It therefore cannot be used to establish sound doctrine on the subject of eternal punishment.

I agree, and believe that the preponderant weight of scriptural evidence is that the judgement of those not saved is eternal death. The passage presented encapsulates that evidence. Why would any Christian believe that God would torment someone forever for unbelief, unless of course they were demons. In that regard there may be many 'humans' who are more demon than human.

That would be a great theological arguement, i.e. at what point of demon influence or possession does a human become, as some of the Pharisees were, the actual child of Satan ("You are of your father the Devil"-John 8:44)?

 

[gav1nzdad]

I agree, and believe that the preponderant weight of scriptural evidence is that the judgement of those not saved is eternal death. The passage presented encapsulates that evidence. Why would any Christian believe that God would torment someone forever for unbelief, unless of course they were demons. In that regard there may be many 'humans' who are more demon than human.

That would be a great theological arguement, i.e. at what point of demon influence or possession does a human become, as some of the Pharisees were, the actual child of Satan ("You are of your father the Devil"-John 8:44)?

Do you recall the moment you came under conviction from God that you needed Him for salvation? I do, I remember feeling tremendously burden in my sould. I remember feeling a longing for God. Fortunately, God was there for me. For those who have not accepted Him, a day will come when they will also feel this weight of conviction, a fire if you will, yet God will NOT be there for them. They will be eternally seperated from the only thing that can save them from this "burning".