Shaner

Is anyone in hell?

Posted on 02/06/09, 05:51 pm

So, my girlfriend and I often have very good discussions about God and how we both know God in different ways. This is very healthy as she brings things to the table that I hadn't thought about and I do the same for her. One discussion that came up recently has me thinking a lot. I decided to release it on the "masses" (you guys) to see what others opinions on the matter are. We have had some great discussions thus far and I don't see why we should continue. I once brought up the fact that I think hell is packed with people. My girlfriend challenged me saying, "If God is all forgiving, then how do you even know there is anyone in hell, or that hell even exists". So, now comes the $25,000 question. Do you think anyone is in hell and if so what is your take on the fact that God is all forgiving to do with this matter. This should be another good discussion. Remember people, respect for all opinions please. God Bless

• Reply #1 02/06/09  5:52pm
  
  Shaner
  I meant to say "I don't know why we shouldn't continue" Not should. Sorry people.
• Reply #2 02/06/09  6:10pm
  
  kitkat101
  Hmm.. good disscussion topic.
  If no one was in hell, then wouldn't that be contradicting to the fact that the bible says that who ever doesn't believe in Him would go to hell?
  Just something that that came to my mind.
  Then again, God is a god that represents love and forgiveness, so you would think that hell wouldn't exist.I believe in heaven more than hell.
  Those are my veiws.
  =)
• Reply #3 02/06/09  7:01pm
  
  Shaner
  I agree with you Kitkat, I too, believe in heaven more than hell. I will never be in hell because of my belief in Jesus and God, but I thought it would be a great topic to discuss.
• Reply #4 02/06/09  7:56pm
  
  PenguinPeru
  Sadly, there are people that will be going to hell and yes, it is a literal place. You're right, it does contain many, many souls. The people that denied the Lord are right there right now.
  
  So, does God forgive? Yes and no. He forgives those who allow His Son into their lives. The only sin God does not forgive is one where the person knows the facts and don't accept Christ.
  
  Now, shaner, I'm sorry that I MUST argue this point. You're wrong. You're very wrong in the fact that it's not the "$25,000 question", with inflation, I'm going to say it's the "$125,000 question". So there! LOL!! :)
• Reply #5 02/06/09  8:49pm
  
  aikijedi
  I completely believe in hell, and don't believe that it is contrary to forgiving and merciful God.
  
  God OFFERS forgiveness and mercy to those who will repent and receive it. But receiving it is an act which a person must participate in. Free will gives a human being the opportunity to "opt out" if you will... to choose to remain in the throes of a self-inflicted hell.
  
  WHy would a person choose to do this? Hard to say... but people do CHOOSE suffering, more often than we realize. Gluttons for punishment? Is the familiarity of suffering more comfortable that the suggestion that one could exist without suffering and not lose ones identity as we have come to know it? Do we not typically assign our identity and our past pains, our sufferings, our job descriptions, all to the same slate and call it "ME".... WHo would I be if I dared to shed the suffering that I have become so intimate with that I can't discern where "I" end and the sufferings begin? Do people ever revel in their sickness and misfortune? Do people ever thrive on the drama of trauma? Sure we do. Do we create hell in the process... I think we do... right here...
  
  When Jesus taught about The Kingdom of Heaven, He spoke very much in the present tense... it is at hand... it is within... leading me to believe that Heaven is a state of heart/mind/spirit... right here, right now... and that when we are operating as Kingdom dwellers, we are manifesting Heaven as we bring the will of the Father into this realm. Why not the same with hell...
  
  On another note though... possibly to contradict my first...
  
  In the bible, as far as I know, the word hell is actually a translation of the word "gehenna" which was basically the dump outside of town where all of the trash was burned... things didn't live there, but were destroyed there... utterly and completely DESTROYED... Now... the concept of humans being eternal causes some confusion, because how can something which is eternal be utterly and definitively destroyed? Can it? NOT if it is eternal... which, being made in the image of the eternal God, we believe ourselves to be, right? SO what is it that is destroyed in the fires of gehenna? IS it the actually BEING, the spirit along with the flesh, or is it just the essence of sin which had permeated the BEING, and did it release off the eternal nature and essence of the person once it had been purged by the cleansing fires?
  
  Furthermore... there is a biblical backup for the notion that no one who has seen the grave is YET anywhere but asleep in the grave until the final day of judgement comes, when they will then be called forth and sentenced to either eternally reside in the presence of God, or destroyed and stricken from eternity. As much as people may want to believe that their loved ones who have passed are already in the presence of the eternal reward, there is biblical evidence to suggest that they are not dead but merely as if asleep, awaiting that day when Jesus comes to call. Perhaps that day happens over a timeline, and perhaps it has already happened for those who have passed... but the suggestion in the scripture is that IF that judgement day is the same point in time for all of us, then there is no one in heaven or hell until that time.
  
  No matter what we think of heaven or hell, and how it plays into the timeline of earth days, one thing remains decidely true according to the teachings of the bible... FORGIVENESS is available to ALL... but must also be actively received through repentance and the willingness to reach out and say yes to God. Personally, I believe that people can receive this and say yes in different ways, personal and intimate ways, and I would even go so far as to say that there could possibly be a point after the spirit has left the body when one could realize that they had totally missed the mark where God is concerned... I believe that God would accept a repentant spirit who had already shed their skin... but then... thats just my thought, and has no real basis in any specific. Is the spirit asleep in the grave too? I don't know.
• Reply #6 02/06/09  9:19pm
  
  moorea944
  i was going to write something on Hell, but found this great website explaining it. one is on hell and the other is about an immortal soul which i think goes hand in hand for some people. hope these webites help.
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zE...
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkH...
• Reply #7 02/06/09  9:50pm
  
  CampPrincess
  Yes, God is loving and forgiving...there is no question about that. However, what everyone wants to leave out is the fact that He is also JUST! He can't and won't allow sin to go unpunished...it's just not right. If someone murdered your whole family and you stood in a court before the judge and he/she said, "Well, I think they are probably sorry so I'm going to let this guilty person go free just because I feel like it today...I'm a nice guy you know" you would be outraged. There is no justice in that. Basically because of the fall in the Garden of Eden we are all born with a sin nature. We are born separated from God. He is so holy that He can't look at sin. He states in His word that all sin requires a blood sacrifice. And before Jesus came to earth, sacrifices were made regularly in the temple to forgive sins. But this "forgiveness" only lasted for a set time. The sacrifice had to be repeated over and over and over again by the high priest. Until the Great High Priest, Jesus, came that is. He became the once-for-all perfect sacrifice. His death and resurrection satisfied God's requirement for a blood sacrifice. Anyone who puts their trust in Christ as their Savior is washed clean by the blood of the perfect, sinless Lamb. All sins-past, present and future-are forgiven. The slate is wiped clean and a right relationship with the living God is restored. It's fairly simple. However, the sanctification process is just that...it's a "process" of becoming more Christ-like. It's a work of the Holy Spirit living inside believers changing them from the inside out. Sinful behaviors don't necessarily disappear overnight. Life doesn't just get easy all of a sudden. But what does happen is that now when God looks at you, He sees Jesus. It's as if Jesus stands between you and God and mediates on your behalf. Now that you are a believer, and your sins are forgiven, you are considered holy and righteous, but it doesn't mean you have a license to sin. We are called to repent of our sins. We can't continue to sin without consequence. God disciplines those He loves. Because He knows that is what we NEED. He is much more concerned with our character than with our happiness. The punishment for sin is death...spiritual death. Spiritual death means separation from God. (I previously said we are born "separated from God"...therefore, we are born spiritually dead!) We are "born again" (spiritually) when we accept that Christ died in our place for our sins. We must believe that He is the Son of God AND God the Son. It's not rocket science, people. You either believe that and can then spend eternity in Heaven in the presence of God, or you don't and you will spend eternity in the absence of God...in Hell. Yes, there is a hell. A real, literal, lake of burning fire....eternal damnation...hell! As far as the "sleep" thing goes...the last entry was half right. There is absolutely no evidence in the holy (inerrant) scriptures that says you can choose heaven/Christ after death. If that is the case, Jesus didn't need to come and die at all. If there is no hell, He didn't need to come either. So, you either believe the Bible to be truth or you don't. And, Christ, when hanging on the cross said to the repentant theif, "Today, you will be with me in paradise!" He didn't say, you will fall asleep and one day go to heaven. Hell is slightly different. At the final judgement...which by the way is not for BELIEVERS...every soul which didn't follow Christ will be condemned to eternal damnation in Hell. The lake of fire was actually created for Satan and he will be cast there first. Hell is a place of constant torment. It is not a place where sin is burned up or purged. That is ludicris. Satan will be destroyed altogether (but his followers will not) after the 1,000 year rule of Christ. During that rule, Satan will be bound in a pit--but he won't be destoyed until after he is forced to watch Christ rule supreme for a very long time (1,000 years). He already knows his fate. However, he will do everything he can to drag as many people with him before that day comes.
  
  The Kingdom of God is not a term that replaces Heaven. They are not one and the same. Like hell, Heaven is a place. The Kingdom of God is more of a "state". It exists when/where the will of God is done. In the Lord's prayer..."thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven"...God's will is completely and perfectly done in heaven, but it could be done on earth. When we do what God asks of us, we bring the Kingdom of God to earth. It's not perfect or complete here...b/c there is still sin. And obviously not everyone is doing the will of God at all times. But in heaven we will. There never will be any sin in heaven. Yeah!!! Personally I can't wait, but for now I know God has work for me to do right here where I am.
• Reply #8 02/07/09  1:29am
  
  stillcruzn
  I struggle with this because there is a certain person that I believe should live eternity in hell however I have been assured that if he asks for forgiveness that he will get it. Does that mean he won't go to hell? How do I live in heaven (if I get there) knowing that he will be there to greet me? From what I have learnt in my miniscule time of believing in God, is that if you sin and ask for forgiveness then it will be given. Therefore if there is a hell then it will only be filled with non believers - tell me if I'm off track here because as I said, this really bothers me.
• Reply #9 02/07/09  2:22am
  
  moorea944
  i'm just curious that if there really was a hell, then how come we havent found it yet. We have so much modern technology that we can find anything. why haven't we found that place?
• Reply #10 02/07/09  11:31am
  
  PenguinPeru
  I've got my posting here cut out for me today. O.K., this one is for CampPrincess. Although your post was long, it was very insightful and good. I agreed almost with the entire post. However, at the end, you say Satan will be destroyed, but I don't think so. I believe he will also be at the final judgment or Great White Throne Judgment where all unrepentent souls will go eventually.
  
  Yes, he will be locked up for a time (1,000 years) and he will be freed just for a short time. The Bible indicates he will have a massive following and that him and his followers will be suddenly burned up in fire that God will send from heaven. Just after that is when the Great White Throne Judgment takes place and all who are there will be thrown into the eternal lake of fire forever and ever. That includes Satan.
  
  So, he and his followers will be suffering for eternity future. Personally, I believe if Satan is destroyed, it would be too kind of a punishment for him. He will live in torment forever and ever and he wants to drag as many human beings to share in that torment.

We all know how Jesus' blood has cleansed us, now we continue to be blessed by His actions when our sins were erased by His blood. Thank you Jesus!