When is a good age to start telling your children about hell?

[miamited]

Yeah, except most peope read that as "Scare the hell out of your kids while they are young." That way they will blindly follow all the things they are taught and never think for themselves."

Hi again ultima,

You know, your icon says that you are a seeker, but that's not really true is it? You have already made up your mind what is the truth and have now set your goal to fight against the goads. While you may certainly enjoy some success at that in this life, well... you know what's coming. The fool says in his heart there is no God, and while I doubt you consider yourself a fool, that means that you are shaking your fist at God knowing what's in store for you.

God bless you.
In Christ, Ted

 

[seekingsister]

The one thing about Hell that I know for sure is that it is separation from God and God's followers for all eternity. That is all that children need to know. Besides much of our understanding of Hell - being poked with sticks by red demons in a fiery cave - is from Dante's Inferno and not Scripture.

Whether it is fire or ice or water, if it's not with God that's a bad place to be. That's what I will teach my family.

 

[DiscipleHeLovesToo]

My encouragement to you would be to likewise not be anxious about how you are going to tell your children about hell, but be mindful of how you are going to tell your children about God's great love for them and the promises that He has in store for them by knowing and believing the truth.

God bless you.
In Christ, Ted

WELL said!!! major on the GOOD news and their motivation will be a response to Love (God) and the GOOD things God has for them, not fear of bad things

 

[homeofmew]

Depends on the child.
12-13 seems like a legitimate age.
Some people may disagree with me and think a 5-7 year old can handle Christianity, far from the truth.

 

[Ultima4257]

Hi again ultima,

You know, your icon says that you are a seeker, but that's not really true is it? You have already made up your mind what is the truth and have now set your goal to fight against the goads. While you may certainly enjoy some success at that in this life, well... you know what's coming. The fool says in his heart there is no God, and while I doubt you consider yourself a fool, that means that you are shaking your fist at God knowing what's in store for you.

God bless you.
In Christ, Ted

What exactly do you mean by that statement? If you are implying I am an athiest, then that is by no means true. I do believe in God and I do believe in the God of the bible. I just don't understand how it is justice to punish someone forever for something they did within a limited span of life, not to mention subject them to being burned with fire. It makes no sense to me. Why did God design hell with fire, why not simply cause us to not exist anymore which in essence would be death?

 

[DiscipleHeLovesToo]

i'm going to suggest that we don't focus on accusations - real or perceived - because that will lead only to strife.

you are asking a valid question; but will you receive the answer from God's word?

wrong actions do not send people to hell; rejecting God by not believing Him is what sends people to hell - hell is a place created for the angels who rebelled against God by attempting to overthrow Him and rule the universe (no i didn't get that from a sci-fi flick; they got it from the Bible )

God gives you a choice; will you enter into fellowship with Him by believing what He says (that you understand), or will you reject Him by putting your own judgment above His? if you do the latter across the board in every area of your life, God will honor your choice out of respect for His own word - He will not go back on or change His word even to save you from hell because to go back on or change His word would be to lie, and the universe would self destruct (Heb 1:3) - including you

all wrong actions have been paid for by Jesus (see my previous post in this thread on this if you haven't already); so no one goes to hell because of something they did in this limited span of life - everyone in hell is there because they rejected a personal relationship with God; and they did this by refusing to believe Him across the board

(Rev 20:14) And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
(Rev 20:15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

many might disagree with me, but it seems to me that those who go to hell will eventually cease to exist.

the word transliterated as 'hell' in the NT is defined by strong's as:

G1067
γέεννα
geenna
gheh'-en-nah
Of Hebrew origin ([H1516] and [H2011]); valley of (the son of) Hinnom; gehenna (or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem, used (figuratively) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment: - hell.

(Jer 7:31) And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.
(Jer 7:32) Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place.
(Jer 7:33) And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.

i believe that this same valley became a trash dump for Jerusalem, where trash smoldered continuously...

having said all of that, let's don't loose sight of God's instructions about what to think on (which results in what we speak of):

(Php 4:8) Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

tell your kids about the goodness of God; the badness of hell never motivated anyone to trust God; it is the goodness of God that causes us to change.

 

[hopeless99]

WELL said!!! major on the GOOD news and their motivation will be a response to Love (God) and the GOOD things God has for them, not fear of bad things

Isn't that like basic, basic, basic human psychology? It's amazing some people are so blind they can't even understand such a simple concept.

 

[miamited]

What exactly do you mean by that statement? If you are implying I am an athiest, then that is by no means true. I do believe in God and I do believe in the God of the bible. I just don't understand how it is justice to punish someone forever for something they did within a limited span of life, not to mention subject them to being burned with fire. It makes no sense to me. Why did God design hell with fire, why not simply cause us to not exist anymore which in essence would be death?

Hi ultima,

First, why not cause us to not exist? Well, because we are each endowed with an eternal soul. Every angel and every human has been endowed with an eternal soul. It cannot be destroyed and that is just how God created us. Why? Well, that's going to be a question that you'll have to ask Him. He didn't give us the answer to that.


Second, I'm not fully convinced that you really understand hell. God's only punishment is that He is going to take those who have believed Him, in both our realm of flesh and the realm of angels, and set them apart from the one's who have not. The torture, punishment, suffering, that are all described as what those who are separated from God will experience is not any punishment from God. That will be their own punishment wrought upon themselves by their own hands as they claw and scrabble to satisfy their insatiable lusts.

Stand back and take a good long look at what the final chapters of the Scriptures say about the ultimate fate of every living soul. We are told that on God's day of judgment Satan and the angels who followed him into his battle against God and all the unbelieving, liars, fornicators of men will be set in one place. Now, I'd just like you to consider what life is going to be like for 50 years living in that neighborhood. You've got demon angels who are more powerful than any man forcing their will upon you. You've got the likes of James Gacy, Timothy McVeigh, Adolf Hitler, etc., etc. living right along side you and your life for the next 50 years is going to be like living in the worst prison on this earth that you could imagine. You will always be in fear.

Now, imagine that existence for 100 years, 200 years and on and on into eternity. No one has any hope. The only one who could have offered hope has removed Himself. He's gone. He's enjoying eternal existence with those He created who love Him and those who love Him are enjoying their eternal existence with Him. I'm sorry, but I am not at all assured that when Jesus and the Scriptures speak of the eternal torment of those cast out of God's presence as coming from the hand of God. God has just set all the wicked, lying, murderous, hating, vile men and angels together and removed Himself. The torture, anger, hate and pain - that's the result of the work of those like that who live there.

Now, you might have been a pretty good person, but just didn't know God or believe His truth. How long do you think you're going to hold up with those who have no hope. Those who would just as soon kill you as to look at you, but you can't die. The worm never dies. But it isn't God's fault and it isn't God's doing beyond His just separating the sheep from the goats.

Let's set an example. You've got a 6 year old child and you're going away for a month. You find someone who will watch over him for the month. This person that you have entrusted him to slaps him everytime he opens his mouth. He chains him to a bed and gives him an aluminum pot to pee and poop in and he curses him and starves him every day that you are gone. What do you think your sweet little angel of a child is going to be like when you pick him up in a month? What if you're gone two months or six months? What if you're never coming back?

Well, this may well be what 'hell' is all about. It's not about God causing anyone to suffer, but rather those that are there with them that causes all the suffering and pain.

Keep in mind that if we believe the word 'fire' must mean licking flames of heat, then every believer will also burn because the Scriptures tell us that we will also be purified in the 'fire'. I believe the 'lake of fire' is merely a description of a place where the insatiable lusts of the godless will burn within their souls forever and ever. Kind of like being a really hard core addict. Your very spirit and soul burns with the desire for a fix. Your skin crawls with spiders and bugs in it's desire for a fix. You scream and you writhe in agony in your desire for a fix. Your body convulses and you wretch for a fix. And then you get that fix, but it only gives temporary relief and in a couple hours it all starts all over again.

God bless you.
In Christ, Ted

 

[miamited]

Now, that you have hopefully absorbed that understanding of hell, let's talk about why it is fair.

God has made a promise. Did you know that? It's written to you in chapter 3 of John's gospel, verse 16. "... that whosoever believes in him may have eternal life."
It's repeated in a couple of other places of the Scripture, but basically the promise is that for those who believe God, He will give unto them eternal life. A good life! A life filled with blessing and gladness and satisfaction. A life where He has promised there will be no pain, no suffering, no tears. Friend, God cannot promise that life unless all those who receive it recognize His authority. If God could promise a life of blessing and gladness and a life with no pain, suffering or tears on this earth He would have already done it, but the problem is that it is the very consequence of sin and rebellion to God that causes pain, suffering and tears.

So, simply put, for God to be able to uphold His promise to those who are faithful to Him, He must separate them from those who would cause pain, suffering and tears. It must be eternal because if He ever brings them back together there would be pain, suffering and tears in the life of those whom He has promised there will not be pain, suffering and tears. Friend, just trust that God is wiser than you or I will ever be and His plan is a righteous plan. Trust that in order for God to keep His promise that He has made with men through the shed blood of His Son, it must be eternal and it can only be accomplished by separating the sheep from the goats.

God bless you.
In Christ, Ted