This article was written on the day that Rob Bell and his very controversial book titled, “Love Wins” came out on the market.
For those of you who do not know about Rob Bell, he is a Christian pastor from Michigan who is trying to say that everyone will eventually end up in heaven. He is thus trying to take out the doctrine of hell and eternal damnation from our Bible.
His theory is that God’s love is so powerful and overwhelming, that it will eventually melt the hearts of every single person, thus no one will ever end up in hell for all of eternity.
He now has left the church he has been pastoring since 1999 and is seeking to spread his message of Universalism to a wider and broader audience. We feel he is going to be doing some serious damage to a lot of the people who are on the fence post with the Lord regarding their eternal salvation in Him.
With Rob now being a full-pledged Universalist, this now brings up the question that I want to address with this specific article. And that question is – can people get saved after they die and cross over, or do they have to get saved and born again before their death and departure from this world?
If Universalists believe that everyone will eventually get saved, then some of these people are going to have to get saved after they die and cross over, since many people will never find and accept Jesus this side of heaven.
As you will see in the specific Scripture verses I will give you in this article, God is making it very clear and very plain that we have to accept His free gift of eternal salvation through His Son Jesus this side of heaven, not the next. In other words, we only have this one earthly lifetime to find and accept Jesus, and we have to do it before we die and leave this world. If we think we can do it after we die and cross over, we will find out very quickly that we were sadly mistaken and will thus have to pay with our eternal lives in the most horrible place imaginable.
This is why what Rob Bell and the rest of the Universalists are preaching is so deadly and so dangerous. If someone is on the fence post with the Lord regarding their eternal salvation in Him, and then they hear a message from a Universalist like Rob Bell telling them they can still get saved with Jesus after they die and cross over, can you see what this will do to some of these people?
It will get them to put off making this life-altering decision until either later in their life or when they die and cross over. They will see no need or have any desire to want to repent since their sins will be forgiven anyway once they die and meet Jesus face-to-face for their eternal salvation. As a result, many people are going to be led straight into the pits of hell once they die and cross over as a result of putting off accepting Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior in this one earthly lifetime in which they had to do it in.
How some of these Christian pastors are falling for this demonic doctrine of Univeralsim is simply beyond me, as it goes directly against what God is telling us in His written Word on how He has the big picture set up with all of us.
Now I will go to the specific Scripture verses which will answer this question once and for all since these verses are all coming direct from the mouth of the Lord Himself.
The Scripture Verses
Study the specific wording I will now give you in these Scripture verses very, very carefully, as they will all clearly answer this question for you as to whether or not a person can get saved after their death and departure from this world.
Once again, I believe God is meaning exactly what He is saying in each one of these verses, and I thus see no room for any type of Universalistic doctrine in any of these verses.
1. It is Appointed For Men to Die Once – And Then We Face Judgment
This first verse, in my opinion, completely answers this question as to whether or not we can still get saved after our death and departure from this world. Here is the verse, and then I will point out a few key things to really grab a hold of.
“And as it is appointed for men to DIE ONCE, but after this the judgment …” (Hebrew 9:27)
Notice the following:
a) If God ever had any opening in one of His verses to let all of us know that we could still receive eternal salvation through His Son Jesus after we had already died and crossed over, this verse would be it. If this was a possibility with the Lord, then I believe He would have put that kind of statement in this verse. But notice He did not.
This verse is flat out telling us that we will only get one earthly lifetime to get our act together with Him. We are not going to be reincarnated back into another body to get several more chances to find and accept Jesus this side of heaven. We only have one earthly lifetime in which to be able to do this.
b) And then notice what it says after our one earthly lifetime is up down here – we will then all face judgment with God Almighty Himself. There is no wording whatsoever that we will get some kind of extra time on the other side to find and accept Jesus.
This verse is telling us that we are going to face judgment – and this judgment is going to be based on what we have done down here on this earth. There is nothing in this verse that will tell us that we will be judged on anything we will be doing on the other side once we die and cross over into it.
If God ever had one verse with a big huge opening in it where He could tell us that we could get saved after our deaths, this verse would be it. There is an opening in this verse wide enough and big enough to drive a mack truck through. But notice how short, sweet, and very straight-forward and direct-to-the-point this verse is.
Bottom line – we only have this one life down here on this earth to live, and after this one life has been lived, we will then die and cross over to face God for our own personal judgments on our lives. And again, this judgment is based upon what we have done down here on this earth, not for what might have occurred on the other side once we have died and crossed over.
The fact that God is completely leaving out any kind of possibility that we could get saved on the other side of heaven is flat out telling me this is not even a possibility with Him. We thus have to take this very serious verse at face value and believe what it is directly telling us. We cannot try and take this verse out, or try to discount it because it does not agree with how we think God should have the big picture all set up.
2. God Will Judge Us For the Works That Were Done in the Body
These next 4 verses are now going to add more to the first verse above. These 4 verses are specifically talking about all saved and born-again Christians. The first verse will completely set the stage for all of us.
This first verse is telling us that we will all have to appear before the Judgment Seat of Jesus, and from there, we will be judged for the things we have done in the body. The 4 keys words to really hone in on are things that we have “done in the body.”
I believe the word “body” is referring to our earthly, human, physical bodies. As a result, we will all be judged for the things we have done down here on this earth, not for what might have occurred on the other side once we had died and crossed over. And again, if there was any kind of possibility that we would also be judged for things that might have occurred on the other side once we had died and crossed over, then Jesus would have specifically told us so in this verse.
But when Jesus is specifically isolating all of the things we have done in our earthly physical bodies as to what will be judged, then you know He is talking about what we have done down here on this earth. This thus leaves no room or any kind of possibility that we can get saved on the other side of heaven.
Here are four more good verses to add into this argument:
- “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things DONE IN THE BODY, according to what He has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)
- “… and each one will receive His own reward ACCORDING TO HIS OWN LABOR.” (1 Corinthians 3:8)
- “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone ACCORDING TO HIS WORK.” (Revelation 22:12)
- “… I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you ACCORDING TO YOUR WORKS.” (Revelation 2:23)
The last three verses are all stating the same thing, that we are going to be rewarded by Jesus for the labor and works we have done for Him down here on this earth. And again, these are for works and labors that are done down here on this earth, not for might have occurred up in heaven once we had entered there.
Again, if there was any possibility that we could get saved up in heaven, then Jesus would have put that kind of specific wording in all 4 of these verses.
3. The Great White Throne Judgment
If all Christians will come before the Judgment Seat of Jesus for their own personal judgments in Him, then what kind of judgment will all of the unsaved have to face before the Lord?
This next verse will answer this question for you, and this judgment is called the Great White Throne Judgment. Here is the verse, and then I will point a few key things in this verse to really grab a hold of:
“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened.
And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-14)
Notice several key things in this verse:
a) This judgment is only for the unsaved, it is not for all born-again Christians. How do you know this? Because this passage is using the words that the “dead” are the ones who are appearing before the Lord for this final judgment.
Also note the wording that “Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them.” This phrase is telling you that all of the people who are appearing before the Lord in this last and final judgment are all coming from Hades, which is where they have all been during the 1000 year millennial reign of Jesus.
Born-again Christians are not dead, we are all fully alive, especially since we have now all died and entered into heaven, and then came back down with Jesus to rule with Him during the 1000 year Millennium Kingdom.
And then notice what the dead are being judged for? They are being “judged according to their works.” And again, these are works that were done down here on this earth, not for what might have occurred on the other side once they had died and crossed over.
b) Again, if there was any possibility that the unsaved could get saved once they die and cross over, this verse would definitely be telling us this. But once again, it does not. As such, we cannot attempt to add something to this verse that is not in there.
This verse, along with the 4 verses above about Jesus rewarding and judging us for what we have all done in the body, are all showing us that both of these judgments will be made on what we have done down here on this earth, not for might have occurred on the other side once we had died and crossed over.
How any Christian can fall for the doctrine of Universalism, when these kinds of verses from Scripture are all so clear and plain is just beyond me. If you believe that all of the Holy Bible is truly the inspired and infallible Word of our Holy God, then there is simply no other conclusion you can come to on this topic.
4. The Rich Man and Lazarus
The last verse I will leave you with that will also answer this question is the one on Lazarus and the rich man. After they had both died, Lazarus goes straight to Abraham’s bosom, and the rich man ends up going straight down into hell for the kind of life he had lived.
And then notice what happens next. The rich man is crying out that he is burning alive in a flame of fire. And then Abraham answers the rich man telling him that it is now too late. There is a great gulf separating these two places from one another and the rich man cannot cross over into Abraham’s bosom where Lazarus is now at.
Also notice the rich man says absolutely nothing about being able to make it right with the Lord after he had died and entered into hell. The implication is all there that this rich man immediately entered into hell right after his death. This verse is thus confirming the first verse listed above that we are appointed to die once, and then when we die, judgment is then set on our lives as to where we will end up going.
Again, this is another verse where there is a huge opening for the Lord to tell us that we can get saved after we die. But once again, there is absolutely no wording whatsoever in this verse that we can do this with the Lord. This verse is following the same pattern as the rest of the above verses are doing, all showing us that we have to find and accept Jesus in this one earthly lifetime.
Here is this verse, once more driving home the point that we have to get saved this side of heaven, not the next side:
“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table.
Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
And being in torments in Hades (Hell), he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then 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 in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’
And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to them, ‘If they did not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’” (Luke 16:19-31)
Conclusion
If there was any kind of possibility that we could get saved after our death and departure from this world, then I believe God would be telling us so in these kinds of verses. But since He is not, we have to take Him at His Word and believe what these verses are literally telling us.
As we have said in our article titled, “The Reality of Hell,” the doctrine of hell and eternal damnation is without question, the most gut-wrenching and heart-breaking doctrine in all of the Christian faith. But just because this doctrine may not agree with how we would have arranged for the big picture to be set up does not mean we can try and discount it or take this doctrine out of our Bible.
This is the way our God has the big picture all set up, and woe to any man or woman who will try and take this doctrine out of our basic tenets and try to replace it with the false doctrine of Universalism. With all of us only having one short lifetime in which to find and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, these Christians who are now teaching this false doctrine are treading on extremely dangerous and serious grounds with God the Father.
This false heretical doctrine is going to lead a certain amount of people into hell because they will think they have all of the time in the world to accept God’s free gift of eternal salvation through His Son Jesus, even to the point of believing they can accept this gift once they die and cross over to the other side.
To any of you who know other Christians who have fallen for this demonic doctrine, we ask that you continue to pray for them, asking God to bolt in there with His divine truth so they can get their wrong thinking straightened out on this very important issue.
We already have enough people who are going to end up in hell due to their own stupidity, stubbornness, and rebellion without making matters worse and teaching this kind of insanity, which is going to lead them even more astray from what the real truth is on how God has the big picture story of redemption all set up for the human race.
My Step dad is so convinced that you have another chance after death because he believes God can do anything. I try to tell him He can not go against His own Word. He is 80 yrs old, please help
Does this mean those who die young, having never been given the chance to know God, or even commit sin will never go to heaven because they didn’t ask God to forgive their sins? If this is so, then shouldn’t this be a number one priority from as early as possible? I am worried about pre-schoolers whose parents are teaching their children words like mom, dad and stuff like that, when their first word should be “Jesus”, and their first concept should be the love of Jesus and that he died for their sins. How do they understand this even, if they don’t understand death and sin even? How do you teach a 2 or 3 year old who is just learning to talk about that? My mother had a miscarriage, and one of my brothers died just after child birth. Are they in hell?
Do babies that are aborted automatically go to hell?
Hi there,
my name is Charles. I am a christian and have major issues with the concept of hell ( although I do believe in it )and also with the concept of the impossibility of salvation after death, Here is why.
what would happen if a man from a different faith (say buddhisme), just died but spent his entire life loving his neighbor, giving to the poor … but nevertheless never believed in Jesus Christ as his savior in his lifetime because of his culture but believed in Buddha instead ? Will he go straight to hell ? And what about the Chinese, or the Indians ? are they all burning too ?
I believe GOD is LOVE, JUST and UNDERSTANDING. I do believe in the Jugment after death, it’s just that I believe that this ultimate jugment is preceeded by an ultimate choice. So here is my theorie.
After death occurs, everyone sees Christ face to face ( everyone ), and feels all the intensity of Christ’s LOVE for their soul and also see the state of their soul in its bear and TOTAL naked truth ( as Christ see’s it ). In other words every single soul has no choice but to face its sinful nature. Then, that is when they are given the ultimate choice of accepting forgiveness for their sins, as well as recognizing Christ as the One and Only Son of GOD.
GOD being INFINITE in his LOVE and FORGIVENESS, if the person refuses, It would be impossible for GOD to send them to eternal damnation. Therefore, since GOD could not send someone to hell because of his nature ( as incredible as it may seem )It is the sens of pride and of hatred of the soul itself that would push it to want to flee away from GOD’S presence into eternity even if it meant suffering forever.
I believe that GOD’s sens of LOVE and FORGIVENESS is so great that he would be ready to instantaniousley forgive even the worst sinner and invite him to enter his kingdom; as we are not saved through our deeds but through faith in Jesus Christ. The most beautiful example of this I believe is the story of the good thief at Calvary’s cross.
GOD BLESS !
Charles
@Shawna Mann honey let me asure you small children and babies who are aborted or miscarried are in Heaven. It’s only after the age of knowing that they would have to repent and turn from sin. The age of knowing comes at all different ages for everyone, I completely understood the trinity and the Bible at around the age of 6 or 7 some know the difference earlier some not until they are teens. Babies belong to God. I had a miscarriage in 2007 and I know that my baby is in Heaven.
Jesus said: I am the Way the Truth and the Life, no one comes the the Father except through ME. The bible does NOT say I am a way, a truth, a life you can come to the Father however you want…
We are living this life to make a decision for Jesus through faith. When we are face to face with Him after death it is no longer called faith. God calls all of us He pulls at us and tugs at us to come to Him. If we can’t serve Him in this life we don’t deserve to serve Him in the next life.
If the dead are judged then there must be another chance , the body is the body if Christ or in another words ours after we are saved .Jesus says to Love , that means everyone, also believe him . Do not limit His power, have Faith, after all he gave up his perfectness and invited the world in , so he could witness to his father, what it is like for us. Also does he not show you mercy, can you not show mercy to a brother.
@April, so if that’s the case you can’t have faith in any person on earth. You can’t have faith that your partner won’t cheat. You can’t have faith that your best friend won’t tell all your embarrassing secrets. You can’t have faith in your child to make good decisions as they transition into adulthood. Just because you can see him in his magnificence and glory doesn’t change the fact that you’d have to trust and have FAITH that he will save you
Very well said April! I totally agree with you its so sad with all this New Age nonsense people are doing away with the whole doctrine of Hell and so much other stuff I believe that the Bible is the written word of God and you cant pick and choose what you like and the parts you dont just say that it was a mistake that that really wasn’t what God said. If you could go to Heaven never having repented and having faith in the Lord then what would be the point in anyone being born again? We would all go to Heaven…which is absurd.
The word hell, as far as I can find is not mentioned in the old testament. All references to hell are inferred by theologians, none of whom are infalible, and any one who claims to have the power to speak FOR God are so close to blasphemy I can smell the smoke. That being said, when Jesus said no one comes to the Father except through ME, he meant what he said. If you receive this message, then it is meant for you. This was a warning, disregard my (Jesus’) teachings at YOUR peril. It was a personal message for those who want to know him and want to know the way to where he waa going, “my Father’s house…” In language, context is important too. So, this passage does NOT answer the question about whether God never gives us another chance after death. JUDGEMENT is I believe the key word to look up in the bible when you want to know how He decides who shall enter into His house. You can whine like a Pharissee all you want and quote scripture like its a text to be manipulated to say what you want, but Jesus put them in their place, and you should keep that in mind. No, the bible does not say that we are able to make up for our bad deeds by doing something good after death, as if we could like make a plea bargain or something at His gate. However, God is judge, not you or anybody else. Read your bible, and do your best to be a good Christian is what one would think would be your best assurance of a place in heaven, but the reality is it is entirely by God’s grace, and no other’s that we be allowed there. Anybody who thinks that by being a good Christian all your life makes you more deserving than the next person should look up the word DESERVE in the bible. It appears several times in both the old and new testament, and paints an interesting picture of what God’s opinion is of who is more or less deserving. Read 1 Corinthians 15 and then look at all the other instances of the word GRACE. It is interesting to say the least. See John 1:16
So, the last part of what his step dad said seems correct, God CAN do anything. God’s grace is proof of that. Regarding his belief of whether we have another chance after death, I don’t see anything that would say one way or another in the bible clearly. The prodigal son was dead to his father and came home, does this mean anything? If there was ANY hope of redemption, I am sure that our loving father would hold it open. However, death, other than what it says in the bible, remains a mystery that only God knows, and so what it means to Him, and why he makes the JUDGEMENTS he does is purely of His domain, and I think He reveals to us only what He thinks would be useful to us for our time on earth.
Jesus died for all our sins he defeated death for all sin . Faith , believing without seeing, just because I don’t see it in the bible , I have enough Faith to believe what he has put in my heart.
Christ offered His life only to the Sheep according to Him in John 10:11, 15. The sheep are the ones that are legitimate beneficiaries of Christ”s atoment at the cross of Calvary.
Hmmm, I’ve read some interesting comments on this subject.
This is what I think: try as may we cannot wrap our puny minds around such issues as “a Buddhist having done good all his life…”and therefore deserving of God’s consideration etc. God is infinitely bigger than our level of comprehension. That’s why we are to trust and obey his instructions.
On the issue of repentance after death, I think the absurdity of this assertion is forcefully driven home by the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Abraham’s answer to the pleas of the tormented rich man were: The people still living on earth have all the information [admonition] they need from the prophets, evangelists, the bible etc…all that we will ever need to be saved is available to us. If we neglect them we cannot then negotiate on our own terms how to escape Hell.
The bible also tells us that from the beginning of life God has been making efforts to reconcile man unto himself, to have intimacy with each and everyone of us. He does not leave us in a fishbowl to grope our way around, He shows us the way, He speaks to us…all the time. We only have to listen and to SEEK Him! He recognizes that pure desire if it is really there in us! That’s what he looks out for, not our good deeds. Simply because what we consider “good deeds” don’t measure up to God’s standards. Just believe in His son, Jesus. And to love Him with all of our heart – Body, Soul and Spirit!
May He reveal more of himself to us and continue to work in us, both to will and to act, according to his good purpose.
Kofi
Yes, its very sad when we allow money, fame & fortune, along with man-made traditions to avoid reverencing salvation by Jesus Christ and the importance of correctly interpreting the word of God..We are all obligated to rightfully divide the word of truth, and if you let men’s faces scare you or their status intimidate you, then your strength is considered small to God and your honor of men in place of God, is a disgrace. WE all are held accountable for our words and actions for God is not a respector of persons…
Whitney Houston was a gifted person who started off in the church, walking with the Lord, and somehow, someway, got terribly sidetracked by the enemy, but to place her or anyone else in heaven, before the resurrection is now wise, and is unscriptural..no human being is rewarded with eternal life, to live in the New Jerusalem, in the New heaven & earth…. or condemned to be thrown into and destroyed in the lake of fire…. BEFORE God the Father’s white throne judgement and the bema seat judgement of Christ, both of which are set at God’s appointed time..All men who have ever lived on earth are earthly so they must be, RESURRECTED and we are not spirits trapped in bodies..we are flesh and blood with God’s breath of life combined..separate the two from any human being and that human being ceases to exist…we are not judged as disembodied souls …..Jesus Christ has already declared in (Rev 22:12 “And behold, I come quickly, AND MY REWARD IS WITH ME,TO GIVE EVERY MAN ACCORDING AS HIS WORKS SHALL BE” )and in (John 14:3 ” If I GO TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU, I WILL COME AGAIN AND RECIEVE YOU UNTO MYSELF, THAT WHERE I AM, THERE YE MAY BE ALSO”) ..notice both are Christ centered and not man centered.
So many people have good intentions, but are decieved as i once was, by the “immortal soul doctrine”..which is satanic. Satan is a liar…period..he lied to Eve..and he lied to Jesus face to face in the desert and he continues to lie to this very day!. Absolutely no man is immortal or has any part of immortality…YET…. only God. He alone has the power to create or destroy (read Luke 12:5), and in (John 3:13 declares that “no man hath ascended up to heaven, except he that came down from heaven, even the SON OF MAN who is in heaven) ONLY CHRIST HAS ASCENDED to heaven.. God is faithful and true..He will decide when to send Christ to earth for the second time..to give the gift, his gift of “everlasting life” to all who are & have been FAITHFUL to God, redeemed by His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ…at the resurrection of the just….to be resurrected , with a immortal, unperishable body..like Christ now has, who is the FIRSTFRUIT….but only when Christ RETURNS and not a moment sooner.
Its not surprising that many of those at Whitney’s funeral are still sidetracked and out right decieved..believing in gnosticm and rebirth or karma..blood sacrifice and all types of pagan secret rituals, for they don’t believe in the truth..they do not respect the bible or honor Jesus Christ or any of His teachings….that’s why they sing, and live the types of lifestyles they do now. They want their reward now, they do not want to BE STILL and KNOW that I AM is GOd…they want to be “busy bodies” and do like the devil does and roam to and from the earth…God is not mocked…whatever we sow, that is what we reap..Mr. Winans, Mr. Jakes, and any other minister that was in attendance who focused on themselves or were ambigous with their statements, all share the same obligation..they are all held accountable by God for their actions..
We must all learn from this tragedy and continue to be vigilant ,humble and prayerful to God by faith in Jesus CHRIST…..we don’t need to get mesmerized or brainwashed by fame, & fall into these same temptations that trap so many in hollywood and all over the world..seeking gratificaton of self(fame,focused on monetary gain), or false pagan worship (catholicsm, budhism, yoga, ascension masters, etc) instead of being a faithful servant to Jesus Christ, who alone is the way, the truth and the life. I urge all who have not yet, to please decide today, don’t wait for tomorrow, choose right now to give your life over to Christ..only He can save you.
Whether buddhist or any other religion, doing good deeds your whole life does not pay your way into heaven, only the blood of Jesus Christ does.
Jesus spoke on hell, it is a real place. To be able to displace the reality of hell in your mind you have to displace the true authority of GOD. GOD is a GOD of mercy, love and grace that is why Jesus came and died for us, GOD also doesn’t lie and doesn’t fail. He said I am the Lord your GOD and I change not, and when He says in His word that those who choose to deny Him in this life and walk with satan they will go with satan that is what He meant. There are only two paths those who follow Christ and those who walk in rebellion, if you choose to walk in rebellion then you have chosen to side with GOD’s enemy. GOD did not make hell for man and never intended for us to go there, if we do, it is a choice that we have made in this life. GOD makes a way for everyone to make a choice, His Spirit reaches out to everyone, but the choice must be made in this life. Sins are committed in the human body (and we are all born into sin) and must be repented of while we are still in body. GOD owes us nothing, yet He has given us everything to ask us to repent and follow Him so that we can walk in His presence and blessings isn’t too much to ask.
Hello. Thank you for your article. I respectfully disagree with two main points in it. I’m not a believer in universalism, but you try and reply to two very different concepts, some saved or all saved and blur the line.
1. You use the Luke 16 verses as a claim that people immediately pass into their eternal judgement. This is an error, because the Greek word for hell in Luke 16 is Hades, and Hades in Jesus’ day, and in all the New Testament, was always a temporary place, not the final hell of the lake of fire. That hell Jesus spoke of and also called the lake of fire, is always referred to with the Greek word Gehenna, never Hades.
All in Hades will be resurrected and judged, this could not happen if they were already judged and eternally condemned in Hades forever. Hades is temporary, whereas Gehenna (lake of fire, eternal hell) is not temporary. Traditionally in Jesus’ day Hades was thought to have two levels, which are also mentioned in the Book of Enoch. The upper Hades was for the souls of the saved, also called paradise, awaiting resurrection to Heaven in the future, and the lower levels were for the unsaved awaiting their judgement with some in torments depending on how they lived.
2. The second point that virtually all Christian groups miss or ignore, are the implications for the very verses you quote in Revelation 20:11-14. This is the second resurrection and it’s just of unbelievers (the saved were already raised in the first resurrection, see Revelation 20:4-6). So, if all in Hades are raised and judged on their life, this shows that some would be spared and shown mercy and given life, or why bother to mention those found in the book of life and why resurrect them if they were already all condemned before? Some will be shown mercy, or the mention of the book of life is meaningless in Rev. 20:15 if no one was in it.
Jesus said those who are spiritually blind would have no sin (John 9:41) and, will not be judged based on any law. Paul also said the same in Romans:
“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law”— Romans 5:12-14
So if sin is not charged against those in total ignorance of the existence of law or sin, and they are in total ignorance of God’s will, then they must be judged on their life and conscience. We are told that if someone thinks something is wrong and does it (even if it’s not technically wrong) this is a sin. (1 Corinthians 8:1-13) This shows us that the ignorant unbelievers with no access to God’s will (not those in our time, or those in the time of the Hebrews) of pure heart and clean conscience would be shown mercy and judged on their life. Note in Revelation 20:11-14 there is no mention of Jesus or knowing him, or repenting.
Their judgment will come from their life and conscience if they had no access to Jesus’ message or the message of Moses in ancient times. Although these will not go to heaven, there seems to be some mercy for some to be saved, maybe on the new earth spoken of, but not all unbelievers are damned to hell. Some in totally ignorance and pure heart will, it appears, be shown some of God’s exceptional mercy because they had no law, no Moses, no bible, and no Jesus, so no way of possibly knowing God unless an angel came to them, and that isn’t a common even in recorded history compared to all the billions of humanity.
There will be hope for some of past ignorant times, maybe not in heaven, but somewhere out of God’s mercy and their ignorance and if they had a pure heart and lead a sincere life.
“. . . sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law”— Romans 5:12-14; Revelation 20:11-14
However, those who hear God’s will, or have access to it, and reject it will feel the full force of his wrath and judgement and have no excuse.
@Debby Laurin, this message is coming to you exactly after 2 years since you posted your query. All things happen at its appointed time we were reminded in church last night.
If you have tried your best and all else fails, rest assured that the fact that you have a “burden” for your stepfather’s salvation allows you to “lay that burden” down at the feet of Jesus. So pray and leave it right there.
Our words as human beings are limited in effect, but the Ancient Words are sharper than a double-edged sword and will minister to him. The Word who became flesh can minister to him through His Spirit or in a dream or in a vision. God can do a multitude of things. He can send the perfect labourer for your stepfather to cross paths with your stepfather at some point and open his eyes to the truth.
Till then, you do your part. Store up your treasures in heaven; and the abundance of heaven will overflow and you will reap the blessings. Among one of those blessings is the salvation of your stepfather! Only believe! 🙂
Keep up the good work! God bless you, Debby.
Sincerely,
Mrs Vicky
read the bible please .anything else is false doctrine coming off the top of your head.stop running from GOD and see the big picture.judgement day is coming you are either ready or you are not.repentance now is important.without this you are doomed.i believe in confession .there is no sin to big to be heard by God.time is not on our side.jesus is coming soon we must be ready.
The only thing that is demonic is the teaching that God will torture billions and billions of people burning them alive for trillions and trillions of centuries and beyond for ever more. Learn about the Hebrew word sheol and the Greek word hades. They do NOT mean a christian torture chamber at all. Also there is no such word as forever or for ever and ever or eternal in the original manuscripts. Learn about the Hebrew word olam and the greek word aionios.
This is a very, right to the heart topic. The Bible teaches that there is only one way to know truth. It is good that believers seek, for Jesus told us seek and we will find. These internet articles are good if you want to know what other believers think or believe and are just that, their experience or their testimony what they believe. Jesus told us to seek truth through the Holy Spirit and he will teach you all things and the Bible is what the Holy Spirit himself lead others to write about that truth. All of us who claim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior learn through the heart and the mind that we are saved by him. That same heart felt knowledge is the only way anyone of us can know for he is in us. We can not give that to anyone, we only can tell others that Love opened our hearts so truth is given by the Grace of God, not by I believe this and you believe that.
The Bible has many true stories of what God allowed to be written to all to read, unbelievers and believers and what happened to his people and the consequences of all our own choices that was his free gift to all, free will free choice. The all important gift of the blood of Jesus Christ and his resurrection can be chosen by the same free gift of free will that each of us has, if free choice by free will is it work? Then it still remains, God will have mercy on those who he choses and none of us can tell him who is saved or who is not, but we as believers have been given a choice and by the Love that he has shown us we freely accept or we don’t. What he plainly speaks of in the Bible about Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit that will be given to anyone who believes in him, we either accept it as he gives it or we chose to make the Bible say what we want it to say. The Holy Spirit will teach us, God the Father said, in the Last days I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh and they will know me. This Love that he has and gives can not be explained by men, it can only be received and that comes by Grace by our accepting it by our own free will. We believers can not know about others choices but we can tell them about ours and that will be through the Grace of the Holy Spirit and our words should be his and our actions should prove to others that he is in us. Maybe that is why Paul said, if we have faith, why do we act like we do not.
Wow! That reply was definately by assistance of The Holy Spirit. May I use this very eloquently written reply? In quotes of course. I could only get as far as Christianity can’t be explained, it can only be experienced. I do believe the greater our faith, the greater our experience. Where what Paul said is concerned, I explain those passages about the way we still act at times being our old sinful nature not wanting The Holy Spirit that is now within us to take hold. An inward Armageoddon if you will. Unless we choose to grow through His Word and allow The Holy Spirit to reveal truth to us on a daily basis, we will become stagnant and be part of those Christ refers to as loving Him the least or being the least in His Kingdom.
Truth. Jesus in KJV, Matthew 18:4,5,6 says,
“Therefore whoever humbles himself as little children is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
BUT whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Any person that misleads Gods children (we’re all his children) will be punished. The internet is world wide source that reaches millions. Articles that are not based on scripture and spread world wide can do harm to many people.
Revelation 22:18,19 says, If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book.
And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy. God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
God warns man not to change his word. When you teach or lead, make sure it is from the scriptures.
Why do you condemn people for not accepting Christ when Jesus said very plainly that nobody comes to Him *unless* the Father has enabled them? Did I miss that explanation somewhere? When I look at a non-believer there’s no way I can know if they rejected Jesus or weren’t called by the Father in the first place. There’s other problems with this article and one of them is that it keeps saying “once you die and cross over…” That isn’t the way it happens. Those are two separate events. When a person dies they don’t immediately cross over and they don’t immediately go to hell. There’s a life review and judgement in the spirit world between heaven and hell to determine their fate, If that were to happen after crossing over into heaven then some souls would be getting kicked back out of heaven. If a person hasn’t accepted Christ then I don’t believe they would be crossing over in the first place. I base my beliefs on the Bible (not the conflated interpretation here) and empirical evidence available to us such as Near Death Experiences. There are countless numbers of non-believers, even atheists that medically died, went to a beautiful place and met Jesus coming back again reborn as believers. Or do you contend they never died? I do believe Christ is the only way, but because nobody can say for certain what happens immediately after we die rather than judge non-believers as goners I simply have faith and trust that the Lord has a plan for them. God’s capacity for love is light years beyond what we humans are capable of grasping. It’s man that focuses on hell & damnation and in interviews I shot a few years ago at a film festival I discovered it’s this threat that has turned so many people away from the church. They look at it like “why would a loving God condemn me?” Maybe if we focused instead on God’s love then Free Will would make more sense. It’s not Free Will if I’m never enabled in the first place and threats of damnation are attached to my decision. Or are you of the camp that God already knows their hearts so He doesn’t even bother?
You refuted universalism. You did not refute the possibility of salvation after death. For example, if you say one dies and then the judgment…this does not mean a person cannot get saved after death. Everyone will be judged in some capacity. So, which judgment depends on if you are saved or not. This verse says nothing about whether you can get saved after death or not.
Another example…the rich man and Lazarus – you said the rich man did not ask for salvation. But what if he had? The fact that he did not ask for salvation shows he did not want to be saved. It does not show that a person cannot ask for salvation and be saved.
Well the word of God is powerful, all Christian who are true believers must know that without being born again, you can not enter the kingdom of God. The scripture in (Matthew 10:33) But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
Every work that we have done on earth, a day will come that we have to answer them one by one, so to get out of this is to give our lives to Jesus Christ our personal Lord and savor.
You can’t be saved if you don’t have the word of Christ in you. you must understand the principle and the way God acted. so, therefore, Heaven is a place here God has prepared for his own children to come without any obstacle when we all are called.
No one comes to Jesus and goes back empty-handed.
I would like to know your opinion on the people who were raised from the grave with Jesus upon his resurrection if we only have “one life” and I would also like to know your opinion of why Jesus went down to preach to the dead if they cannot be saved.
I wish I could say that you have made an airtight case here but just because it’s not explicitly spelled out in scripture does not mean that it isn’t true. One of the examples I could give for a proof is that Thomas the disciple refused to believe that Jesus rose even from the other disciples. Even after hearing Jesus himself say that he would rise from the dead he didn’t believe. Until Jesus stood before him and told him to touch his wounds he doubted.
I’m not trying to take away from the message that you should accept Jesus as soon as possible as your savior. I just don’t necessarily think your case is airtight and neither is your understanding of the Bible complete. There is one other point that I’ve recently been researching and that is what the unforgivable sin is. That sin has been in the forefront of my mind since I first learned about it. I believe that the sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit has more to do with Satan and the demons that followed him than with men. They are the only beings in the Bible that are never offered a chance at forgiveness. I believe this is because they have denied and rejected God even after seeing him in his full power and glory. I believe that the longer and better you serve Jesus the greater your reward is. But that’s all it earns you. Eternal life is a gift offered by Jesus. It’s not a reward for our works on earth.
So respectfully I disagree with the surety that you claim when it comes to what happens after death
And the sea gave up its dead. This is the referring place for the people who were not deserving of hell but could not enter heaven. When Gods plan is fulfilled he will judge them according to the true nature of their deeds. ALL will knell before Jesus. They will have the opportunity when THEY get judged. Be thankful you’re a good Christian and not going to miss out on life. They haven’t the heart to be so thankful. But God is not so heartless to condemn genuine good people to eternal hell for not believing in someone who they didn’t understand as the son of God.