Are There People in Hell Because of You?

[jimmyjimmy]

Is it true that God so loved the world that He left the proclamation of the gospel up to flawed people who imperfectly delivered the message?

If so, they really didn't do such a great job because billions of people have lived and died without ever hearing the message, many millions didn't understand the message well enough to respond, and millions more saw Christians acting in some hypocritical way, so they were "turned off" to Christianity by Christians.

All of these people God loved so deeply and dearly, yet they are all in Hell. That's the "gospel" according to most of evangelical Christianity.

Are you and your "witness" all that stands between a sinner and Hell?

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Should we change the text of John 3:16 to read: For God so loved the world that He left its resident's eternal destiny up to a bunch of incompetent nincompoops (like me)?

 

[joinfree]

Is it true that God so loved the world that He left the proclamation of the gospel up to flawed people who imperfectly delivered the message? ....

The Angels and God do speak directly to the mind and heart of the people. Nobody goes into hell in unawareness.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

There are people in Heaven because of me, one being my poor patient Mother who went the extra kilometre for me every day.
I'd hate to think there were people in Hell because of me. Its a scary thought actually. That I am responsible for someone's eternal damnation. Might some enjoy the power trip? Not I, say I. Well the only way to find out is to go there one day and find out. Can you just go on a tourist visa? I promise I wont overstay the allocated time .

 

[joinfree]

.....
I'd hate to think there were people in Hell because of me. Its a scary thought actually. That I am responsible for someone's eternal damnation. .....

Look how hard one must try to save the atheists to have not guilt feeling:
Some Thoughts on Faith and Knowledge (Ходящий По Лжи) / Проза.ру

Who can do better try?

 

[Tigger45]

God utilizes us in His plan to evangelize others but ultimately those that come to Christ do so by the Father drawing them.

 

[Dave G.]

We give a witness and testimony, we might be the seed planter and the next one of us who comes along the waterer. Don't get too heavy on the guilt trip on ourselves though that we didn't do a good enough job, because we plant the seed, but God does the work from there, he didn't say we had be a certain kind of eloquent or some such thing. Each human is responsible for themselves, all we can do is deliver a message, if they reject it it's on them not us.. I may be wrong but I've been taught that if we aren't sufficient for the need the Lord will provide another.

I had what I thought was a chance to witness to a woman who was around us for two years. I thought it was my mission but the Lord never gave me that sense ,it was mine and so I held back. She now is not in our lives, I fully believe she already believes but has weak flesh or God will provide the right person if she is not saved. Our group did pray for her health condition though, which was terminal and she kicked blood cancer of some kind. Each ambulance ride to the hospital we figured might be the end, sometimes gone for two weeks , life support you name it.. But the cancer is gone now and so is she. Go figure ! She was here with us for a reason, maybe not salvation but healing. THey gave her 6 months to live and two years later the cancer is gone.

 

[timewerx]

Well, you can't discount the fact, unless you're 100% sure of your theology....

Are you???

With many denominations and dogmas and creed all disagree with one another with sometimes contradicting beliefs. Can't be all correct. At least one of them is probably false.

So there is always a chance we are believing in the wrong things and may have shared that knowledge to a poor soul and have unintentionally deceived someone.

 

[section9+1]

No. I find it capricious that God would pin a person's destiny upon the performance of someone else. Spreading the gospel is God's will. In America, that's largely been done. The information needed to be saved is already out there and people know about it. If I don't take a class in nutrition and never learn about how to eat right for my health, is that your fault? Just because someone neglects to learn of Christ, when the information is already available, they cannot blame someone else. And if someone hears and rejects him, that is their choice and both me and God will respect it.

 

[sdowney717]

God gives the increase, Christ adds to His church.
We are not anything in this matter, only God.
We only live by every word He speaks to us.
Don't get on a guilt trip regarding eternal salvation of others.
All you can do is plant and water. God uses people to preach, but gives the ears to hear what He (God) says.

The Holy Spirit is the one drawing and teaching, and all those drawn by Him will come to Christ.

Matthew 4:4
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

1 Corinthians 3:6
I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

1 Corinthians 3:7
So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

Acts 2:46-47 New King James Version (NKJV)
46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
47 praising God and having favor with all the people.

And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

 

[Dave G.]

Well, you can't discount the fact, unless you're 100% sure of your theology....

Are you???

With many denominations and dogmas and creed all disagree with one another with sometimes contradicting beliefs. Can't be all correct. At least one of them is probably false.

So there is always a chance we are believing in the wrong things and may have shared that knowledge to a poor soul and have unintentionally deceived someone.

You can bet for 100% sure that they all have a mistake written in someplace, or has woven it's way in. The Word of God is true, Jesus Christ is true. I don't know if you have any experience with being born again but as such the Holy Spirit inside you is a very good barometer for recognizing truth and Untruth. As humans, even in the spirit we still drag around some fleshly garbage and can make mistakes. But He is pretty quick at pointing that out as well.

We must be careful with our doubts and prove them out by the Word. And prayer.

 

[Radrook]

The ancient Greeks invented deities that were thieves, murderers, liars, rapists, pedophiles, vindictively cruel, adulterers, etcetera. This was a reflection of their own tendencies and general mentality. Unfortunately professed Christians have fallen into the same snare by describing their god as one who sends people to be roasted alive forever despite the fact that we are clearly told in the Bible that the penalty for unrepentant habitual sin is death.

BTW
Curiously and paradoxically, such professed Christians would vehemently refuse to punish another human or even an animal by roasting it alive and keeping it alive so it can helplessly suffer because they consider it barbaric.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

The Angels and God do speak directly to the mind and heart of the people. Nobody goes into hell in unawareness.

How have you come to that conclusion?

 

[jimmyjimmy]

God utilizes us in His plan to evangelize others but ultimately those that come to Christ do so by the Father drawing them.

Without the proclamation of the gospel, or church involved?

How have you arrived at that conclusion?

 

[jimmyjimmy]

We give a witness and testimony, we might be the seed planter and the next one of us who comes along the waterer. Don't get too heavy on the guilt trip on ourselves though that we didn't do a good enough job, because we plant the seed, but God does the work from there, he didn't say we had be a certain kind of eloquent or some such thing. Each human is responsible for themselves, all we can do is deliver a message, if they reject it it's on them not us.. I may be wrong but I've been taught that if we aren't sufficient for the need the Lord will provide another.

I had what I thought was a chance to witness to a woman who was around us for two years. I thought it was my mission but the Lord never gave me that sense ,it was mine and so I held back. She now is not in our lives, I fully believe she already believes but has weak flesh or God will provide the right person if she is not saved. Our group did pray for her health condition though, which was terminal and she kicked blood cancer of some kind. Each ambulance ride to the hospital we figured might be the end, sometimes gone for two weeks , life support you name it.. But the cancer is gone now and so is she. Go figure ! She was here with us for a reason, maybe not salvation but healing. THey gave her 6 months to live and two years later the cancer is gone.

How do you explain the billions of people have lived and died without ever hearing the message?

 

[jimmyjimmy]

No. I find it capricious that God would pin a person's destiny upon the performance of someone else. Spreading the gospel is God's will. In America, that's largely been done. The information needed to be saved is already out there and people know about it. If I don't take a class in nutrition and never learn about how to eat right for my health, is that your fault? Just because someone neglects to learn of Christ, when the information is already available, they cannot blame someone else. And if someone hears and rejects him, that is their choice and both me and God will respect it.

There are many more countries than the US, aren't there? There are billions of people have lived and died without ever hearing the message.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

There are people in Heaven because of me, one being my poor patient Mother who went the extra kilometre for me every day.
I'd hate to think there were people in Hell because of me. Its a scary thought actually. That I am responsible for someone's eternal damnation. Might some enjoy the power trip? Not I, say I. Well the only way to find out is to go there one day and find out. Can you just go on a tourist visa? I promise I wont overstay the allocated time .

Apparently, God loves people who are currently dead and Hell-bound so much, but the Church failed to deliver the message to them, or did so inadequacy.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

And if someone hears and rejects him, that is their choice and both me and God will respect it.

What if they heard when they were going through teenage rebellion phase? What if that caused them to quickly dismiss anything an adult said?

 

[miknik5]

Well, you can't discount the fact, unless you're 100% sure of your theology....

Are you???

With many denominations and dogmas and creed all disagree with one another with sometimes contradicting beliefs. Can't be all correct. At least one of them is probably false.

So there is always a chance we are believing in the wrong things and may have shared that knowledge to a poor soul and have unintentionally deceived someone.

No.

There's only ONE CHRIST.

 

[miknik5]

Apparently, God loves people who are currently dead and Hell-bound so much, but the Church failed to deliver the message to them, or did so inadequacy.

Who is it that makes alive?
Men?
Or GOD?