Hell

[Vix]

This was touched upon in another thread, but I wanted to ask christians what they thought. Do you believe that everyone that doesn't believe in God goes to hell when they die?

I know some amazing, wonderful, good people (including my husband) that don't believe in God, and I can't believe that that they will go to hell just for not believing in God. It seems an incredibly cruel punishment.

Any thoughts?

 

[dumpsterdiver]

If the person never had the chance to believe in God then no they won't go to Hell. Sadly if your husband never comes to know God then he will. I'm sorry if this upset you. I really am.

 

[heron]

Vix,
There was an interesting thread a couple pages back on purgatory
http://www.christianforums.com/t1596733-what-where-is-purgatory.html with a link to an interesting near-death experience account.

I personally don't see scriptural backup for purgatory...which was also discussed on a thread about Hell...but the thread is interesting.

 

[Vix]

'If the person never had the chance to believe in God then no they won't go to Hell.'

Dumpsterdiva,

How do you work out if someone has had the chance to believe in God or not, and more importantly how would you know whether my husband has had the chance or not - and why would you automatically believe that he will go to hell?- I'm not upset, just a little angry.

I cant help but believe their must be a tiny bit of scaremongering attached to this.

I want to accept Christ into my life, I really do, but I cannot accept that people that dont do that go to hell. There's too many genuinely good people in my life that always put others first, and I just can't accept what you're saying. Sorry.

Heron,

Really interesting thread. Thanks!

 

[heron]

Even though Jesus says that anyone who believes in Him will be saved, He doesn't say "anyone who knows the whole Bible," or "who lives a perfect life," or "who participates in a good church weekly." It's a simple choice to yield to God and accept forgiveness.

There are additional things to do--admit your beliefs publicly through baptism, seek God out through prayer and study of His Word, care about others...you know many of them. But most of these relate to quality of life, rather than destination at death.

We don't know how much time or opportunity is given at death.

"The gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!"

Romans 5:15

 

[Bizzlebin Imperatoris]

It's entirely up to the person whether they experience Heaven or Hell. They are not forced to go to one they don't want to. Unfortunately, most people would rather choose Hell.

 

[Carri20]

This was touched upon in another thread, but I wanted to ask christians what they thought. Do you believe that everyone that doesn't believe in God goes to hell when they die?

I know some amazing, wonderful, good people (including my husband) that don't believe in God, and I can't believe that that they will go to hell just for not believing in God. It seems an incredibly cruel punishment.

Any thoughts?

Well, what makes someone a good person? Has your husband ever in his life told a lie? Has he ever stolen anything? Has he ever looked lustfully after a woman he wasn't married to, including you before you were married? Has he ever deliberately disobeyed his parents? Has he ever gotten drunk? Has he ever had sex outside of marriage? Has he ever experimented with drugs? Has he ever used God's name in vain? Has he ever used words of profanity? Has he ever called anyone a fool, or told them to go to hell? Has he ever judged someone? Has he ever gambled? The list could go on and on...but the point is, we've all done at least ONE thing wrong, and unless we repent of that one thing, it will stick with us all the days of our lives and keep us out of heaven when we die. Because the Bible says no sin can enter heaven. The good news is that all God requires of us to be free of that sin and have eternal life is to repent and accept Jesus Christ as our savior. This is because the payment for our sins has already been made by him on the cross. But the ball is in our court now, and we have to decide whether to accept it or not. (If we choose not to, then yeah...we willingly take the payment for our sins upon ourselves and serve an eternity in hell.)

Every person has two options--accept that Jesus paid your debt, or pay it yourself.

 

[Vigil]

Greetings and Blessing be upon you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This was touched upon in another thread, but I wanted to ask christians what they thought. Do you believe that everyone that doesn't believe in God goes to hell when they die?

I know some amazing, wonderful, good people (including my husband) that don't believe in God, and I can't believe that that they will go to hell just for not believing in God. It seems an incredibly cruel punishment.

Any thoughts?

This is somewhere along the lines of “Why do good people go to hell?” idea.

Now, I can answer this many different ways, however, I’ll just address what I believe is something you need to realize as salvation.



Belief in God is not as important as many people make it out to be, I can tell you about a very famous person, that knows God, on a level none of us could, Not only does this person believe in God, this person has met God, we know this person as “Satan” or Lucifer. Does Belief equal salvation? The answer is No.



You see, the point is Salvation, not just simple belief. Now, Indeed you need to believe in God before you can receive salvation, But belief is just the first step.



The step the truly matters is the asking for Forgiveness, for, as good and loving as your husband is, I am sure he has committed his fair share of sins, we all have, it’s not just the one we perceive as major, but involves the ones we perceive as minor ones as well.



For example: Telling a Lie. How many of us have told a Lie? Everyone, since the day we speak, we have lied.



So, Truth be told, we need the Cleansing Blood of the Christ to remove our sins so that we may be found worthy to enter heaven.



That is repenting of our sins, and seeking Gods Grace, to allow us into his throne hall, to enter everlasting rest and contentment.



So, Simply because your Husband does not believe, is not the issue, it’s the lack of being able to repent of his past, present and future sins that is the problem.



Because he does not believe, he can not seek the forgiveness that is freely offered him, that is what condemns Him in the end of things.



Have I cleared this issue up with you?









God Bless.

Vigil.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1 Peter 5:8)

 

[NothingButTheBlood]

Belief is just one step in spending eternity with God but I have to say how can someone expect to enter Heaven if they don't even believe it exist?

 

[Edial]

This was touched upon in another thread, but I wanted to ask christians what they thought. Do you believe that everyone that doesn't believe in God goes to hell when they die?

I know some amazing, wonderful, good people (including my husband) that don't believe in God, and I can't believe that that they will go to hell just for not believing in God. It seems an incredibly cruel punishment.

Any thoughts?

All that received Christ will go to a place where Christ is after they die. This is their afterlife before the Judgement Day.

All that truly rejected Christ to "his face" will go to the afterlife called the Hades or the Sheol. This is a world of the departed dead where there are cities and the conditions are much worse than here. (Just picture Ethiopia and compared to the United States, for the argument sake). These will continue rejecting Christ even in there. That is if they truly rejeted him here. And only God knows. They might just find that Christian truly annoying or will stumble upon a Calvinist who would say that God predestined him for hell. You see what I mean.

All that never heard of Christ (babies in the belly, some Chinese farmer and the proverbial Ruben on the deserted island), they will also go to Hades, that same world of the departed dead.
However, they will yet have an opportunity to be saved from there by the gospel.

Does this help?
Thanks,
Ed

 

[£amb]

This was touched upon in another thread, but I wanted to ask christians what they thought. Do you believe that everyone that doesn't believe in God goes to hell when they die?

I know some amazing, wonderful, good people (including my husband) that don't believe in God, and I can't believe that that they will go to hell just for not believing in God. It seems an incredibly cruel punishment.

Any thoughts?

My brother-in-law is a great person. He would give his left arm if it was needed. He can talk to anybody and make them laugh. Overall, he's a good person. There's one problem to this. He is not a believer. I know that one day when he dies without God in his life...he will end up in hell. It is a biblical truth. As a believer, you can't ignore the clear message in the bible that if you knowingly reject God...you will be in hell. If you separated yourself from God in this life...then God will keep you eternally separated after your dead. God has given you every opportunity to accept him. My family prays often for my brother-in-law. He's surrounded with a very religious family, yet he knowingly rejects God. I'm very sad for him and for my sister because she's a believer also.

 

[Vix]

So, Simply because your Husband does not believe, is not the issue, it’s the lack of being able to repent of his past, present and future sins that is the problem.


QUOTE]

Vigil,

Thank you for your response. My husband does repent for past mistakes, but would not look at it in the same way as a christian would. He feels guilty for things he's done in the past and will openly admit blame for his own mistakes, and try to be a better person as a result of learning from his mistakes but would not attribute that to God.

NothingButTheBlood,

Maybe I didn't make myself clear, it's not my husband that expects to get to heaven, how can he if he doesn't think it exists? It's my fear that if I'm to accept what your all saying and I believe in Christ and repent my sins and my husband, and the rest of my family and friends don't see things that way then they will go to hell, and I will be without them. It's an incredibly hard thing to accept.

Bizzlebin,
Why do you think most people would choose hell? It sounds like a horrific place.

Sorry, I know this isn't supposed to be a discussion thread, but I've found I've wanted to ask more questions as a result of your answers.

 

[Vigil]

Greetings and Blessing be upon you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Vigil,

Thank you for your response. My husband does repent for past mistakes, but would not look at it in the same way as a christian would. He feels guilty for things he's done in the past and will openly admit blame for his own mistakes, and try to be a better person as a result of learning from his mistakes but would not attribute that to God.

Of what worth is Guilt to a Man (Human)?

Will it add a day to their Life?

Guilt is a Prison, a virtual Hell on Earth, we trap ourselves in our Guilt and our Mistakes. This does not please our Almighty.



Of what worth to God, if we feel Guilty for what we have done.

Do you believe God would be happy that we feel guilty, when he loves us, and only wants to redeem us?



God came to Forgive us, and we have to seek the Forgiveness that he Offered. That is the problem, from whom, or to whom, do you say, “Forgive me” when you have sinned?



How does your husband ‘repent’?



God Bless.

Vigil.

 

[Ellethidhren]

Jesus talked about hell in great detail. Who will go there and why? Must read info here:

http://www.laststophell.com

 

[Vigil]

Jesus talked about hell in great detail. Who will go there and why? Must read info here:

http://www.laststophell.com

is that serious?

God Bless
Vigil.

 

[NothingButTheBlood]

Jesus talked about hell in great detail. Who will go there and why? Must read info here:

http://www.laststophell.com

Didn't you get the op. Even though it's titled Hell, that's not the issue. The issue is accepting those that aren't saved will go to Hell and she will not. Geeeezzz.

 

[joasheli]

Sad to say but thats the truth.. God hated to see these good people to go to hell.. but he just cant ignore the sin we have commited. if we dont believe that Jesus died for us and he became the atonement for our sins.. then were not yet saved..

 

[heron]

This is not about one religion over another.
If you look through the Old Testament, you get an idea of what God gets upset about.

"In the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something horrible: adultery, persistent lying, such abetting of the wicked that no one renounces his wickedness."

Jeremiah 23:14


"Lost sheep, such were my people; their shepherds led them astray...whoever came across them devoured them, their enemies said, 'We are not to blame, since they have sinned against Yahweh, the Home of Justice...' Israel was a straying sheep pursued by lions....I will bring Israel back to his pastures...and he will be satisfied. In those days and at that time, Yahweh declares, you may look for Israel's guilt, it will not be there, for Judah's sins, you will not find them, for I shall pardon the remnant that I leave."

Jeremiah 50:6,7


God isn't just looking for new Christians, as if it were a recruiting system, but for normal repentance like you described your husband does, and decency and fairness among all people. Christianity is a gift. Just because the rules changed from OT laws and "saved by faith" to NT redeemed by the sacrifice of Jesus, doesn't mean that God's values changed.

He protects the innocent and "is not willing that any should perish." He is not so powerless that He would not find ways to bring your husband to himself. Our prayers are effective, and we can pray that God will do whatever is necessary to bring a good future for your husband.

 

[WashedClean]

This was touched upon in another thread, but I wanted to ask christians what they thought. Do you believe that everyone that doesn't believe in God goes to hell when they die?

I know some amazing, wonderful, good people (including my husband) that don't believe in God, and I can't believe that that they will go to hell just for not believing in God. It seems an incredibly cruel punishment.

Any thoughts?

You know, my husband is not saved and he's a "good person". By society's standards, he's loving, kind, sweet, considerate. But that's not the issue. God's standard is PERFECTION. Of that we all fall short. Not one of us is always good, always has the right motivation, etc. In fact, most people who do good works outside of a relationship with God are doing it for selfish reasons - to make themselves look/feel good, earn favor with men or God, etc.

I wish with all my heart for my husband to be saved. Sometimes I'm overwhelmed with grief and I can't stand to think of him in hell. I still have much hope that he will be saved by God's grace. I know in my heart that he deserves hell, because we all do. No mortal man can stand before God's throne except for the saving blood of Jesus applied to him.

The good news is that God knows we're helpless to save ourselves, so He provided a way back to Him through His Son!

 

[smooze]

it says in revelations that Jesus wil know us if we keep our temples clean. I believe if your husband souls is free from sin and he has a good heart I dont think this will be over looked. Alot of people go to church for prestige and adding up to others. The meek shall inherit the earth! So if you are waiting for the end then this is good. Basically it boils down to spreading the gospel it is the word of Jesus when the whole world knows HIS gospel he will return! AMEN!