Maybe I know less than you think I do.
Fair enough. But hey, listen, you're in good company because I'm no theologian, either. I know just enough to ask intelligent questions, to draw settled conclusions, and to competently argue an opposing position.
What about conditional salvation? To me, it seems possibly unjust.
I don't know why you are talking about conditional salvation. We were talking about theological anthropology, not soteriology. If I confused you with my reference to conditional immortality, I would be happy to clarify it. Basically, it means that immortality is not an inherent property of all humans, but is rather a gift of God (who alone has immortality, 1 Tim 6:16) which he gives to all the redeemed (cf. 1 Cor 15:53). It is mortality that is inherent, as it was even for Adam and Eve who came to know this personally when they were denied access to the Tree of Life. "This perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality." On that great day, the redeemed will put on immortality. How can anyone suppose we have something now that we don't receive until then? It is especially presumptuous of those who are perishing. I mean, that's why they are described as "perishing," after all: There is no resurrection to life and immortality awaiting them (2 Tim 1:10).
Suppose that it's true and that I get away with mass murder. Then my mental life ends when I die in my sleep. How will that possibility deter me if I'm a licentious sociopath?
Because there is a resurrection unto judgment awaiting all unrepentant sinners (Heb 9:27-28). "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (10:29-31).
Having said that, I am not an advocate of "fire insurance" evangelism at any rate. I don't believe in scaring people away from hell-bent lives of sin (deter them) but in captivating them with the glory and majesty of God's amazing grace.
In 1991, when I nearly killed myself, I wanted to die because I thought death would end my emotional pain. After all, nonexistent people don't suffer.
I am truly sorry to hear that you experienced such deep anguish. I hope you came to realize, as so many of us have, that only the healing grace of God does that.
---
I moved the real meat of our discussion to its own thread (
here), as per your request.
