Is it Possible That No One Will Go To Hell?

Question:

OK, hear me out.
God has infinite love, wisdom, and mercy. He is everything good. As Christians, we know this. The thing I can't comprehend is that God would ever allow his any of His creation to be eternally damned. How does that make sense?
If someone is sent to hell, and they suffer for years, how could God not accept their repentance? And if someone is sent to hell, that means Satan has won. And if God is all-powerful, then Satan cannot win permanently, right?
I know this isn't in the Bible, and yeah, this is an unconventional idea. All I'm asking for is a well-reasoned response. I'm not criticizing Christianity or any religion.
Granted, an atheist can say, "No one will go to hell because it doesn't exist." But I would rather you look at this from a Christian perspective.

My Reply:

This is actually a belief by many who call themselves "Christians"...and it's also wrong:

1. Jesus talked about separating the good from the evil, children of God and children of Satan, and a place where many will go where there will be gnashing of teeth, torture, and fires some 1000 times hotter than anything we can imagine here. To say there's no hell or that nobody will go there is to call Jesus a liar.
2. Most of all, if there's no hell, then Jesus' death on the cross was in vain, His resurrection was pointless, and there's no reason to believe in, follow, or witness about God (an atheist's point, I'm sure). Also, the Apostle Paul said that if Jesus hadn't been resurrected, then we'd all still be dead in our sins and our ministry would be void (and we'd be worse off than atheists, for we'd be preaching something that puts us deeper in debt).

Although you are correct when you say that God doesn't wish for any of His creation to perish in Hell, for Hell wasn't even created for humans, but for Satan and his demons.  In fact, God's love for all of His creation is what led Him to die for us in the first place.  But with that same love, God also gave us a choice...spend eternity with Him, or without Him, and our decision must be made in this life.

So if one is to say that they're a Christian, but they don't believe there's a hell, then they can't actually be a Christian, for such belief is a contradiction of the Gospel, as well as the whole point of it.  To believe in no hell, no judgment, and no condemnation is to believe there's no reason for salvation.  For them, the account of Jesus' death and resurrection is not "Good News", for they don't believe that because Jesus saved them from anything.

---Pastor Andy G.

Why Will Some People Go To Hell?

Dear Pastor Andy, why do Christians say that anyone who isn't a Christian or doesn't believe in Jesus is going to Hell?  Christians also say love thy neighbor and be civil or something along those lines.  Saying anyone who doesn't believe in Jesus is going to hell is not loving and not civil.  Explain yourself. 

My Reply:

Here's the thing.

God loves you...He REALLY does. In fact, God loves you SO much that He died (as Jesus) for you, and He died for you not to lay a guilt trip on you, but so that you could be with Him for all eternity. All you have to do is accept Him now (during your lifetime) by accepting Jesus as your Lord and God, and you will spend eternity with Him. This place where He is is Heaven.

God REALLY wants you to join Him there, and He's opened the door. But if you don't walk through the door, which is Jesus (John 14:6), then you obviously won't go join Him there. And since there are only 2 places to go when you die, you'll go to the other place.

You say it's not loving? God doesn't force you to love Him back. He gives you the choice to believe in Him, have faith in Him, accept Him, get to know Him, love Him...He says that if you truly seek Him, you'll find Him. But if you choose not to seek Him, then He won't force you...that's love. If He forced you, then that wouldn't be love.

God gave you the choice...the ball's in your court. Will you choose God who's in Heaven, or not God, which leads to the other place (Hell). Either way, it's your choice, and that's love...and it's also fair.

Description of Hell?

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Question:

I'm sure you may have heard, or have told someone yourself, that hell is best put as "eternal separation from God." Most believing Christians, to my knowledge, do not strictly adhere to the literal interpretation of a fiery dungeon called Hell. 
With that said, what do you think of the condition of being separated from God eternally? Is it possible that this condition (this state of being completely severed from the living God) is not much different from the state of non-existence? After all, what type of life is it that exists separately from God?  Is there a possibility that hell (eternal separation from God) is actually banishment from humanity as well as divinity? Could it be the very diffusion of the conscious soul into the sinful nature? Could hell be the subtraction of that which makes us human, that which makes us more than animals? Could it be the subtraction of the breath of life and the return to dust? 
What is the nature of the second death that is spoken of in scripture?
I am not debating key doctrines here; I am just looking for a different and more educated insight.

My Reply:

You're thinking too much into it.
Hell is described, yes, as eternal separation from God, but it's also described (by Jesus) as a very hot place, filled with eternal torment, no humidity at all, and the gnashing of teeth.
In the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, Jesus describes hell as very hot, even to the point where the rich man begged for Lazarus to even dip his smallest fingertip into some water and place it on his (the rich man's) tongue. Jesus also explained a chasm between heaven & hell that couldn't be crossed (torture to see those you hurt in paradise while you're burning eternally).
C.S. Lewis described the difference by saying that in hell, everybody's sitting at a banquet table with all this great food in front of them. But their arms are locked straight out in front of them, so they can't get the food into their mouths. Then in heaven, it's the same situation with the arms, only there, they're feeding each other.
Either way though, hell is continuously described as a place we shouldn't wish to go. It's not the same as not existing though, for we're beings that were created to live forever...there are 2 places where that could take place, and it's our decision now while we're here to make as to where that place will be.
Also, if you've ever had a run-in with Satan or one of his demons, you've gotta figure that hell is where they're going, and they know it. Anyplace where they are is definitely not a place where anybody should want to spend the rest of eternity.

---Pastor Andy

What If...?

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Question:

Born again Christians believe that those who do not believe in Jesus will be tortured for all eternity by a loving God. Suppose someone never had the opportunity to learn about Jesus. For instance they are in a remote African tribe and simply never heard of Christianity or Jesus. Are they damned for all eternity?

My Reply:

Ya know, people often mention the "what about this guy in remote Africa who never heard the gospel" question. But "hypothetically" speaking, if you really cared about what would happen to that one guy in remote Africa, you'd travel out to him and tell him about Jesus so that there would be no "what if" issues. But all honestly, you really don't care about him, but just use the question to justify God's fairness.

Yes, God is a loving God...He died so you don't have to. What else do you want from Him? Eternal life in Heaven? Sure! That's why God raised Jesus from the dead...so you CAN be with Him in heaven for all eternity. All you have to do is:

1. Receive the invitation...tell Him that you want to receive eternal life (by this, you're acknowledging Him as Lord and Savior, for you're asking Him for something that only He can give you)
2. Repent of your ways (let me give you a head start...you've questioned His faithfulness, denied His awesome gift, lived selfishly, etc...)
3. Put your faith into Him (you're doing this even as you're taking the time to talk with Him), and you'll receive it. Why is that so difficult to do?

Then begin reading the Bible, communicate (talk) with Jesus regularly, find a Church to fellowship with His other believers, and begin to learn from and follow Him.  

Then, if you still wonder about and begin to really care about those people in the remote parts of Africa who don’t know about Jesus, travel out to them and tell them about Him.  Then you won’t have to wonder, “What if…?”

---Pastor Andy

A Muslim's Afraid of Death

Dear Pastor Andy, I am a Muslim. I pray five times in day, I read the holy Quran, I listen to hadith, I follow the sunnah of the prophet...but one thing I fear, and that is death. When people talk about death, I get scared. When we die, do we still have thoughts and feelings? I need to know...I need advice.

My Reply:

As Christians, we understand that everybody was made to live eternally...conscious and everything (yes, thoughts and feelings). Only thing is that where we spend the rest of eternity depends on what or whom we choose to follow now.

Your confusion and fear could be due to your image of God. As Christians, we believe that God is a loving God who loves His creation, and INVITES us to spend the rest of eternity WITH Him. Being a Christian also means having a relationship (friendship) with God through Jesus Christ, who we believe was not just a prophet, but God Himself in the flesh, come down to communicate His Word and die (then be risen) in order to reconcile us to Him, We just need to accept His gracious invitation. If we refuse, then we will spend the rest of eternity in the other place, which is in complete isolation from God, and also a good reason to fear death.

It could be that God is trying to communicate Jesus to you in this fear of death. Check out this video for more information on Jesus - the main one I suggest you watch is called "The Jesus Film", but there are other great videos and resources there, also. Scroll down to your chosen language and give it a chance, if not to believe, but then to help answer your question.

Also, feel free to email me if you like.

---Pastor Andy

Who Really Deserves Eternal Torment?

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Question:  

I am curious as to who in the history of the whole world deserves eternal torment. For this, we will leave Satan out of it. So in other words, "Who really deserves eternal torment besides Satan?" I think Satan is just metaphorical for the side of people that is prone to sin and makes bad decisions, but if you would please leave your religion too because in a way I am making a poll. I won't disrespect your beliefs and I hope you will do the same. I personally don't even think Hitler deserves such torment.

So far in my research, some people said that there is someone in the world that deserves this. So I ask, how do you feel about a human being more forgiving?  If it’s true that God would not forgive someone for his/her sins and I, as a mere mortal, would (and I believe I would be more forgiving, actually, and if you think about it, more just too. Although I am not saying that I am better than God, I want to get that clear right away). Think about this: Have you ever been seriously hurt? If not, think of a time that you were scraped up. Remember the pain…go back to the pain that you endured and then imagine it 10,000,000 times worse and it will never end nor go numb. Think about this. Does anyone deserve that for something as little as not believing?

My Reply:

Who deserves eternal torment?  We all do.  Seriously! I mean, look at us:

• God tells us not to do something and we do it. 
• God tells us to do something and we don't.  
• God calls us to be holy, as He is holy, and we choose to be secular.
• God sends His love, and instead of receiving it, we debate whether God even exists or if His love is sufficient.
• God tells us to make every effort to be at peace with one another, and we choose wars.
• We were given the planet to care for it, and we litter and pollute it.
• We were given authority over the animals, and we abuse them.  
• We were given emotions to feel, and we abuse substances in order to feel numb. 
• God sent His Son and we killed Him. 
• We threw away God's standards and replaced them with our own cultural standards, then complained that God's not fair.  
• And we continue to commit the same sin that Adam & Eve committed that got us here in the first place...we try to live our lives (or certain parts of it) without God. 

Dude, we all deserve eternal torment.  But praise the Lord, He's given us another option! :)

---Pastor Andy

All Religions Are False!!!

All religions...are they true, or are they false?  What is the possibility that everyone's outcome (after death) relies only on their own views. Possibly, there is no right way or wrong way to worship 'God' (if you believe in him) or fear hell (if you believe in it).

 A lot of people say: "Well what about murderers"? Well, who's to say they won't live peacefully as well? The important thing is not that we're punished for our mistakes, but rather that we learn from them and progress. Surely God (or whatever's out there) is willing to forgive them for learning a lesson. Weren't we all sent here to learn lessons?

Please answer this question with an open mind.

  

My Answer:

You're right...all religions are false. I say this as a Christian, for Christianity isn't a religion, but a RELATIONSHIP with God through Jesus Christ. So the possibility of all being right is several billions (of religions) to 1. And I am saying this with "an open mind".

Religions are all about "what I need to do" in order to be "happy", at peace, or obtain righteousness from God or a god, to be a "good person", or to change. But the Bible tells us that righteousness can only be obtained through faith (which is also entering into a relationship with God through Christ), not works.  But religions are about works. So when faced with the Truth of God, anything else can only be false.
The Pastor at the church we're frequenting said it another way: "Religion tries to change you from the outside-in.  But Christianity changes you from the inside-out."

In terms of punishment, the important thing isn't that we're punished for our mistakes, for often times we're punished even in our innocence. What about murderers? We can ask about their salvation, but to say that we're punished for our mistakes is to say that the people he murdered deserved it, and if so, then the murderer shouldn't be punished, right? But he/she is, right?

We learn and progress, yes, and there IS a God out there willing to forgive them, yes, but they have to repent and accept His forgiveness. Sounds pretty easy, right? Yet so many choose not to and instead follow a religion.

Finally, why were we sent here? To glorify God. If you choose not to glorify Him, then why would you want to spend all of eternity with Him? Because that's what Heaven is...God's home. Good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, left vs. right, yin vs. yang, yes vs. no, heaven vs. hell. God didn't create hell for us, but for Satan and his demons. But as a loving God, He's given us the freedom to choose where we wish to go when we die. We could go to be with Him, or not.  Check out my blog for more on this topic.

---Pastor Andy

Type of Music In Heaven and Hell

Question: Is Christian music the only style of music that is played both in Heaven and in Hell?

My Answer:

We're told that in Heaven, constant praises to God will be sung.  I also like to think that there will be all styles of praise, like Third Day, Kutless, P.O.D., Deliverance, Pillar, Sinai Beach, and such, too.  :)
 
As for Hell, that's a place of complete separation from God. Also, Christian music gives hope...in Hell, there's no hope, only torment. Therefore, my guess is that even Christian music wouldn't be present in Hell.

But what type of music will you hear in hell?  That's a good question...a scratching record? Constant repeats of the B-52s? Maybe your favorite song cut off just before the best part?  Some say Lucifer was gifted with music, so maybe you'd be stuck listening to "Satan's greatest hits".  Either way, if there even is music in hell, it wouldn't be enjoyable.

---Pastor Andy

Non-Christians in Hell?

Question:
Christians: Why do you say that anyone who isn’t Christian or doesn’t believe in Jesus is going to hell? You also say "love thy neighbor" and "be civil" or something along those lines. Saying anyone who doesn’t believe in Jesus is going to hell is not loving and not civil.  Explain yourselves!

My Reply:
Here's the thing:
God loves you...He really does. In fact, God loves you so much that He died (as Jesus) for you, and He died for you not to lay a guilt trip on you, but so that you could be with Him for all eternity. All you have to do is accept God now (during your lifetime) through Jesus Christ, and you will spend eternity with Him. This place where God is, is Heaven.
God REALLY wants you to join Him there, and He's opened the door. But if you don't walk through the door, which is Jesus (John 14:6), then you obviously won't go join Him there. And since there are only 2 places to go when you die, you'll go to the other place (Hell).

You say it's not loving? God doesn't force you to love Him back. He gives you the choice to believe in Him, have faith in Him, accept Him, get to know Him, love Him...He says that if you truly seek Him, you'll find Him. But if you choose not to seek God, then He won't force you...that's love. If God forced you, then that wouldn't be love.

God gave you the choice...ball's in your court. Will you choose God who's in Heaven, or not God, which leads to the other place (Hell). But either way, it's your choice, and that's love, and it's also fair.