Hello,
As an outsider, I am unfamiliar with many aspects of general Christianity, so please keep that in mind as you read this post.
In many sects of Christianity, the teaching is that if you do not accept Jesus Christ as the lord and savior, you will go to hell. I have a few questions regarding this concept.
1: Can someone point me to the direct quote(s) from the new testament where this idea is written.
John 14:
1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 In My Father’s house are many mansions;
[a] if
it were not
so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
[b] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am,
there you may be also.
4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
2: What happens to a person who was righteous with their deeds in life, but was unsure about Jesus?
No such person exists:
Romans 3:
All Have Sinned
9 What then? Are we better
than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.
10 As it is written:
“ There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”[b]
13 “ Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;[c]
“ The poison of asps is under their lips”;[d]
14 “ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”[e]
15 “ Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And the way of peace they have not known.”[f]
18 “ There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[g]
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law
is the knowledge of sin.
3: What about a righteous person who has no idea who Jesus is, or has no knowledge of the Christian faith?
He will be judged as outlined in Hebrews 4:
12 For the word of God
is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things
are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we
must give account.
We will all have to give an account as to the amount of exposure of Christ we have been given. After been rightly divided by Christ/The Word as in John 1:1 there will be no excuses.
4: What happens to a very sinful person, whose deeds were very harmful, yet accepts Jesus Christ?
The will be forgiven, so long as they themselves forgive those who sin against them.
Mat 18:
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.
26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’
27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.
28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took
him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’
29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet
[d] and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’
[e] 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.
31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.
32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.
33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’
34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.
35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”
[f]
I appreciate your input. Please, if there are any direct quotes from the bible addressing these specific question, I would greatly appreciate the verses. Thank you for your responses.
It is refreshing to see someone ask a biblically based question and in turn expect a biblically based answer.
