Heaven or Hell: where did he go?

[Allen12210000]

I’ve done research on a particular fellow who sinned gravely in private but acted religiously in public.

This person’s name probably isn’t important, so I don’t think it’s necessary to provide that detail. However, I will say this: He passed away decades ago, and is living in the after-life.

Being a young person, I still have much to learn about God and the way He works. I wanted to know whether or not a particular person went to heaven or hell, but I probably don’t have enough knowledge to figure it out by myself, so I thought I’d ask here.

This person appeared to be a heroic Christian in his public life, but he was a grave sinner in his private life. He knowingly had extramarital affairs with a lot of women, and this was while he was married.

With that in mind, it leads me to this conclusion: This man was a deceitful sinner who used the benefits of God and Christianity for his own interests, but he failed to abide by the laws of God and Christianity.

Now, this man could have asked for forgiveness every time he indulged in extramarital affairs; but that would make him weak-minded, and this man was not weak-minded: he was very intelligent—a genius, in fact—and he was probably strong-willed. In fact, I think it’s safe to assume this man felt justified in the participation of extramarital affairs, because he knew he could just ask God to forgive him shortly afterwards.—What would God say about that?

According to what I’ve said, how would God judge this person when God is standing face-to-face with him? To what degree would God punish him?

 

[hlaltimus]

It is quite true, we cannot positively determine with absolute sureness if this man is currently in hell for his hypocrisy as he may have honestly repented before death. One thing does appear certain to me though, and that is that he traveled the "broad path that leads to destruction" and not the narrow one which leads to life. I have an awful fear that the souls who have truly repented at the end of that long and wide thoroughfare are very few indeed.

 

[ShepherdsServant]

It's not our place to judge. We cannot see inside his heart, and how we really felt or what he really thought. Perhaps he even repented and asked forgiveness on his death bed, we cant possibly know his true relationship with the Lord. Let's allow God's business to stay God's business and not ours.

God Bless

 

[MikeMcK]

I’ve done research on a particular fellow who sinned gravely in private but acted religiously in public.

This person’s name probably isn’t important, so I don’t think it’s necessary to provide that detail. However, I will say this: He passed away decades ago, and is living in the after-life.

Being a young person, I still have much to learn about God and the way He works. I wanted to know whether or not a particular person went to heaven or hell, but I probably don’t have enough knowledge to figure it out by myself, so I thought I’d ask here.

This person appeared to be a heroic Christian in his public life, but he was a grave sinner in his private life. He knowingly had extramarital affairs with a lot of women, and this was while he was married.

With that in mind, it leads me to this conclusion: This man was a deceitful sinner who used the benefits of God and Christianity for his own interests, but he failed to abide by the laws of God and Christianity.

Now, this man could have asked for forgiveness every time he indulged in extramarital affairs; but that would make him weak-minded, and this man was not weak-minded: he was very intelligent—a genius, in fact—and he was probably strong-willed. In fact, I think it’s safe to assume this man felt justified in the participation of extramarital affairs, because he knew he could just ask God to forgive him shortly afterwards.—What would God say about that?

According to what I’ve said, how would God judge this person when God is standing face-to-face with him? To what degree would God punish him?

"Depart from me, for I never knew you."

 

[ShepherdsServant]

Not all sins are equal. That's why several of them have different punishments.

As for eternal torture... I really don't see where people go to hell and are physically tortured for all eternity. Besides as soon as the eternity starts, all that is unrighteous is cast into the lake of fire, and will cease to exist completely.
Let's look at Lazarus and the rich man, it states the rich man is in hell but he can also look across a great gulf which they are seperated by to see Lazarus in Abrahams bosom.
The rich man was in torments.
3600 odunao od-oo-nah'-o from 3601; to grieve:--sorrow, torment. see GREEK for 3601

He was given the sorrow of God, he was tormented in the flame.

Christ speaking of different sections of Heaven:
John 14
2 "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. "

Soul returns to God when you die:
2 Cor 5
6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight
8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord

As well as Ecclesiastes 12
7 shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

So back to the main question. There are different kinds of hell if you include the abyss which is just for fallen angels/supernatural, as well as where the rich man went. It seems as though there are different sections of Heaven, which includes some part of hell.

Hope that helped

God Bless

 

[MikeMcK]

As for eternal torture... I really don't see where people go to hell and are physically tortured for all eternity. Besides as soon as the eternity starts, all that is unrighteous is cast into the lake of fire, and will cease to exist completely.

I'm curious, if people in Hell cease to exsist, then why does the Bible tell us that their suffering lasts for eternity?

"And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the eternal fire," (Matt. 18:8).

"And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life" (Matt. 25:46).

"And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power," (2 Thess. 1:9).

"Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example, in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire" (Jude 7).

These men are those who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever," (Jude12-13).

If the sinner's Hell is not eternal, then why does the Bible use the Greek phrase, aionas ton aionon, which means, literally, "ages of ages", a collquialism for "forever and ever", eighteen times in describing Hell and the punishment sinners face?

Let's look at Lazarus and the rich man, it states the rich man is in hell but he can also look across a great gulf which they are seperated by to see Lazarus in Abrahams bosom.

The problem is that this is not referring to Hell, as we are discussing here, but the pre-atonement place of the dead, which was divided into two parts, one for the wicked, and one for the righteous.

So back to the main question. There are different kinds of hell if you include the abyss which is just for fallen angels/supernatural, as well as where the rich man went. It seems as though there are different sections of Heaven, which includes some part of hell.

I see. So then, Hell is really a part of Heaven?

 

[crumbs2000]

quoted by ShepherdsServant: As for eternal torture... I really don't see where people go to hell and are physically tortured for all eternity. Besides as soon as the eternity starts, all that is unrighteous is cast into the lake of fire, and will cease to exist completely.


Maybe people burn in fire or are eternally damned to listening to Kenny G.

Maybe if that person in question asked for forgiveness they would be pardoned by Jesus.

 

[Diven]

For this specific person, try not to worry about his eternal destination.

6But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) 7"or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
- Romans 10:6-10

As for what God thinks of people in general how does he view things.

When you claim this guy to be a heroic Christian, I presume he is teacher or pastor of some sort, if not certainly a visible role model. Those who are teachers are held to a higher account.

Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
James 3:1

Its also clear here that God cares more about a persons heart then their outward appearance.

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
- 1 Samuel 16:7

So for those living this kind of hidden life they should recognize, confess, ask for forgiveness, and do what ever is necesarry to change right away. Even if they do earnestly confess at the last moment they are merely escaping through the flame.

10By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
- 1 Corinthian 3:10-15