True_KeN said:
One of the reasons why I ask this question is because I am curious about the role ignorance plays in heaven and hell. I gave my brother a question to ask his theology professor from last year. My brother goes to Boston College, a catholic institution. My question was not originally in regards to ignorance itself. Here is the question I had asked:
"According to John 3:18, " 'He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.' According to the bible, what happens to a man that, through his own epistemically responsible reasoning, is unable to believe in the bible and the Christian God? What will happen to him when he dies if he is unable to have faith and believe in God?"
His response was as follows:
"The short answer is that God does not condemn anyone, but that when
given an informed decision, one chooses heaven or hell, accepts God or
rejects God. We're responsible for searching for the truth, and according
to Scripture, Christ says seek and you shall find. If we choose not to
search we're culpable. Whether this condemns us is another
question---what happens the other side of death is unknown, but surely our choices,
habits, and actions play a role in preparing for what is a final
decision. At any rate, at that final moment, God will not condemn because of
ignorance, but because of choice."
I was curious if this answer could be generally agreed upon by other Christians. I have been unable to find a source from the bible itself that proves or substantiates this answer that I received. While I think a theology professor would be a good citation nonetheless for the paper that I am writing, I would ideally like actual quotes from the bible or atleast to understand why this answer is accepted among Christians. If it is not accepted I am also curious as to why this professors answer is incorrect, or possibly insufficient.
P.S. On a sidenote, it bothers me a little that the bible could be silent on such an important topic. To humans, the possibly of life after death for eternity is an infinitely significant one and I do not understand why the bible seems to be silent on this issue (unless it is simply my ignorance of the bible). So many things in the bible seem to be written about ideas that are much less important than this one.
Thanks for any help!
Hello Ken. The Bible doesn't really focus on hell so much because that is not God's will that any perish. You will find that there is a huge controvery among Christians about salvation - whether it a man's choice or God's choice on who will be saved.
God is, of course, sovereign, and has the perfect right to destroy His own work in creation and start all over, but that is not what He did. We are told that He loved mankind enough to suffer the death and punishment for mankinds fall by going to the cross in the flesh of a man and stand in our place - bearing our shame, condemnation, and fallenness there. God chose loving mankind over destroying it by giving Himself to us in the flesh of a mortal man, yet still being God, in Jesus - the lamb of God.
Somehow, both exist - predestination and yet responsibility for one's own choice. I think there is a huge gap with perspective, between how God sees man and we see ourselves in relation to salvation, time, just about everything, as we look through a glass darkly when it comes to the spiritual. God's perspective stands outside of time while man is without the omniscient and all seeing ability of God. Many verses in the Bible point out to us predestination which would be God's sovereign perspective, but then we also see the verses that encourage us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling which is quoted from Philippians 2:12, and be in the humble position we should take as God's creatures when seeking God and finding truth about Him and His plan. Verses such as these are surely not fatalistic, but encourage us to chose the right and narrow path - not only with our lips, but with our actions and in truth. It's easy to say and not do.
The verse you have in John 3:16 does speak of God's love as a motive for salvation being made available to the world, and 2Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord isnt really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent."
God says that He is love and that it isn't His will that any perish, so those who go to hell will go for many reasons, but one reason will not be that God is unjust or unloving. We should not limit God's love or attack His character and diminish His grace given to the world, IMO, and should believe the best for those that only God has the right to judge - His own creation.
Indeed, God has chosen us and we have not chosen Him. The Holy Spirit is like the wind and we do not know from where it comes or where it goes, but sense Its presence. God has an invitation in the Bible:
Re 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
God bless you as you seek Him