What exactly happens to the unsaved?

[Gary51]

I'm interested in the opinions of Christians on the fate of those that are not saved.

 

[PROPHECYKID]

LAKE OF FIRE

We are saved from the penalty of sin. If you are not saved then you must pay the penalty of sin which is death.

 

[PaladinValer]

They experience hell, which is spending the everlasting life surrounded by God's Grace and Presence and hating it, even gnashing their teeth and wailing because, having rejected it, it is anathema to them, though they cannot get away.

 

[adamscott71]

Hell, usually. However, one need not necessarily be Christian to be saved, at least according to those who taught me. In his eternal grace, God looks past the cards we carry and directly into our hearts and souls. If you act and think in a manner worthy of saving, you will be, regardless of who you are.

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

Hell, usually. However, one need not necessarily be Christian to be saved, at least according to those who taught me. In his eternal grace, God looks past the cards we carry and directly into our hearts and souls. If you act and think in a manner worthy of saving, you will be, regardless of who you are.

How very Orthodox! Christ God saves whom he will.




As for the O.P.'s question.

We will all stand before God as if standing before a pilar of flame, eternally. Some of us are not going to enjoy the flood of warmth but rather, because of the sin they have carried into eternity, they will feel the burn. An unending torture because of what they have brought with them, failing to repent and leave it behind in this life.

We, as humans, tend to add some of the properties of "time" to eternity. This is a bad understanding of eternity. Time has no meaning. There is no next, for there is no next moment to produce a next. When the Angels had their war it was eternal. When Satan fell it was eternal. When Christ God died for us... it was eternal. There is no begining and there is no end. There is only the now of eternal.

So the correct question becomes not "what happens next" but rather "what happens eternally". We have the opportunity to set ourselves straight now, in time, and set ourselves for eternity.

We will stand before God being what we have made of ourselves.

We do this by ridding ourselves of the passions as The Church teaches.

Forgive me...

 

[PROPHECYKID]

Hell, usually. However, one need not necessarily be Christian to be saved, at least according to those who taught me. In his eternal grace, God looks past the cards we carry and directly into our hearts and souls. If you act and think in a manner worthy of saving, you will be, regardless of who you are.

We can never think or act in a manner worth saving. The bible says that all our righteousness is like filthy rags. We are saved by grace but only those who stay connected to God will benefit from that. God would not cover you with his blood and shower his grace upon you if you care nothing about him and don't love him. God gives us a choice to accept him as our saviour. He does not shove salvation down our throats.

 

[mont974x4]

eternal punishment/torment in hell

 

[Tonks]

you sure you're not orthodox, pv?

you are, of course, 100% correct.

 

[JacktheCatholic]

Hell is everything God is not.

God is Love and Hope and Mercy and Light and Life and so much more.

Take the opposite of these few and you have a pretty good understanding of Hell and those there.

 

[cobweb]

I been thinking about this a bit. (Not that my opinion counts much)

IMO, Hell is God's presence without the grace to endure it.

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

I been thinking about this a bit. (Not that my opinion counts much)

IMO, Hell is God's presence without the grace to endure it.

Ooooh!

Very Orthodox.

I've never heard it so easily stated!

Forgive me...

 

[SnapCount]

I don't know with absolute certainty.

But whatever happens, it will be just. our God is all powerful and all knowing, and when it comes to judging the human race, we have to have faith and trust in him.

 

[LonesomeTexan]

I been thinking about this a bit. (Not that my opinion counts much)

IMO, Hell is God's presence without the grace to endure it.

I always kind of thought of hell as a place void of God's presence. A place where God flat out ignores those cast to that place. A place where God has allowed Satan to rule completely.

Which makes me wonder, will a person that has been cast to hell ever be able to acknowledge their sins, their need for forgiveness, and truly repent? And if they did, would God come for them? Or are the hearts of those in hell so hardened, that they would choose to suffer for eternity instead of submitting to God's love?

I guess it really doesn't matter what we do and don't know about hell, judgement, or the afterlife. What I do know is that God is perfect and he doesn't make mistakes. So I take comfort in the fact that God knows the hearts of men better than we will ever even know our own. Thus, no matter what happens, it's all in God's hands. I'm so thankful for my faith. When I keep things in perspective and offer praise to all I have, it brings peace and tranquility to my soul.

 

[PROPHECYKID]

I always kind of thought of hell as a place void of God's presence. A place where God flat out ignores those cast to that place. A place where God has allowed Satan to rule completely.

Which makes me wonder, will a person that has been cast to hell ever be able to acknowledge their sins, their need for forgiveness, and truly repent? And if they did, would God come for them? Or are the hearts of those in hell so hardened, that they would choose to suffer for eternity instead of submitting to God's love?

I guess it really doesn't matter what we do and don't know about hell, judgement, or the afterlife. What I do know is that God is perfect and he doesn't make mistakes. So I take comfort in the fact that God knows the hearts of men better than we will ever even know our own. Thus, no matter what happens, it's all in God's hands. I'm so thankful for my faith. When I keep things in perspective and offer praise to all I have, it brings peace and tranquility to my soul.

The word hell in itself has different meanings. When speaking of hell in relation to punishment it is the lake of fire.

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

I always kind of thought of hell as a place void of God's presence. A place where God flat out ignores those cast to that place. A place where God has allowed Satan to rule completely.

It boggles the mind doesn't it. A place without God? Hmmm... The creator of all things not being present in what he created?

Which makes me wonder, will a person that has been cast to hell ever be able to acknowledge their sins, their need for forgiveness, and truly repent? And if they did, would God come for them? Or are the hearts of those in hell so hardened, that they would choose to suffer for eternity instead of submitting to God's love?

I think the story of Lazarus and the rich man answers much of you question.

Luk 16:19-31 ¶ There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that [would come] from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

I guess it really doesn't matter what we do and don't know about hell, judgement, or the afterlife. What I do know is that God is perfect and he doesn't make mistakes. So I take comfort in the fact that God knows the hearts of men better than we will ever even know our own. Thus, no matter what happens, it's all in God's hands. I'm so thankful for my faith. When I keep things in perspective and offer praise to all I have, it brings peace and tranquility to my soul.

The trust in God's divine Providence.

Forgive me...

 

[PaladinValer]

you sure you're not orthodox, pv?

you are, of course, 100% correct.

I'm an orthodox Christian...I'm simply not a member of the (Apostolic and noble) Eastern Orthodox Church.

 

[HypoTypoSis]

What exactly happens to the unsaved?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.


3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

 

[PROPHECYKID]

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.


3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

Mat 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

 

[HypoTypoSis]

quote]What exactly happens to the unsaved?[/quote]


Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

shall be gathered all nations

Completely irrelevent.

The quoted passage refers SPECIFICALLY to JEWISH end times prophecy.

Also, among those "NATIONS", ISRAEL is NOT to be found because God promised they would not BE INCLUDED.