Christians: If there is no hell, would people still die?

1. 69

   yeagerinvestmentsposted 11 years ago

   Christians: If there is no hell, would people still die?
   
   There are certain laws in the universe that we must abide by to survive, such as gravity. Yet, if we don't follow this law then the consequences could be death. Why would God allow people to suffer horrendous consequences on this earth but keep them from suffering for their sins? Wouldn't He swoop down and suspend our laws of nature to prevent us from injury?

   replyreport
2. 86

   SidKempposted 11 years ago

   First of all, there is a practical fact we cannot ignore. People's bodies die.
   
   Secondly, not all Christians believe in hell. I am a Christian who believes in universal salvation, and there are many of us, and have been, for well over 1,500 years.
   
   Thirdly, if you want a Christian view of why God does not jump down and save us from suffering and bodily death, there are many such views. Jesus himself rejected the kind of salvation you are speaking of as not worthy of him, or of God, when he was tempted to throw himself down from a high place and let God's angels save him. Also, it is good for anyone dealing with these questions to read the book of Job.
   
   My own view is that we are all God's children, and he allows us suffering in life for the same reason that a good parent of an adult child allows the child to make his own mistakes and learn from them. God wants us to grow up and be his adult children, mature, peaceful, loving, and generous as he is. The laws of the universe are not punishment, they are lessons that show us what leads to harm, and what leads to peace and joy.
   
   May we all - Christian or not - follow the way of peace and joy, sharing it with all.

   replyreport
   1. 67

      FSlovenecposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      A Christian is a disciple of Jesus Christ, to be a disciple you need to believe His teachings and He taught a lot about Hell. The devil loves when people profess no hell...

      replyreport
   2. 69

      yeagerinvestmentsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      So if there is no punishment for hurting others-sin after death, then there should be no punishment for disobeying the laws of nature, right?

      replyreport
   3. 0

      JThomp42posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I'm sorry, But it is ludicrous to think there is no hell. What is the devil doing roaming the Earth as I type this. The Bible speaks of the devil and of hell several times. Do you just ignore this scripture?

      replyreport
   4. 59

      Edwinoel Tanglaoposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Anyone who does not believe in hell may not believe in the deceptive powers of evil and human wisdom.  May we wll be guided in the light of Christ.

      replyreport
   5. 79

      HLKeeleyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      @yeagerinvestments is there a punishment for defying the laws of nature? We fly in planes. We float on water. Maybe that is just nature. Who are we to know everything? We learn something new every day.

      replyreport
3. 67

   FSlovenecposted 11 years ago

   God is a just and loving God...John 3:16 can only touch on how much God loves each one of us. Hell exists, Jesus spent a lot of time talking about Hell. If man had not fallen in the Garden, there would not be a need for hell and the body would last forever, seemingly the original plan. God walked with Adam in the cool of the day..later after the sin..God limited the years of man to 120.
   
   One thing I know, I confess with my mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead I am saved! Amen

   replyreport
4. 79

   Mitch Alanposted 11 years ago

   We live in a fallen world where pain and suffering are a result of the Fall.  While we are in this world there will be suffering. Jesus even said so. He is concerned with our eternity.  Since he wants us to be with Him in eternity, He paid for our sins and whoever believes on Him and His sacrifice will be save...only if you choose to accept the gift...

   replyreport
5. 60

   inChristaloneposted 11 years ago

   I think too often people want the favor of God without the obedience that He requires.  Suffering is not a punishment from God but He does allow it.  You can't declare God is all powerful and then say He can't stop suffering.  So, why doesn't He?
   Simply put suffering takes on different forms.  You look at the man blind from birth, Jesus said that his blindness was not due to his or his parents sin but that The works of God might be displayed through him.  God didn't make the man blind but allowed it to happen.
     God knows the end from the beginning and therefore He knows the attacks from Satan as well as the effects of a fallen world.  Our sufferings many times are the direct result of living in an imperfect world. The Bible speaks of a coming day where all sin will be brought to light and God will judge each of us according to whether we accepted His son  and lived for Him. That is where hell comes in.  Those that reject His son will be put out of the presence of God forever. 
   Your original question being if there was no hell, would we still die is hypothetical but let me give you a hypothetical answer.  The Bible says that death was the punishment for sin, so the answer is yes.  If there was never a sin, then the answer would be no. 
   Just to clarify one thing, Hell was created for satan and the fallen angels but mankind's sin earned us a free ticket there but the grace of God provided us a ticket to Heaven through the death and resurrection of Jesus.  He is our redemption and Savior and He loved us so much that while we were enemies of the cross that He willingly gave His life for us.

   replyreport
6. 53

   jamesrkposted 11 years ago

   The question, of course is hypothetical, because people do die and the Bible does tell us that there is a hell. But to answer your question, Yes, people would still die even if there was no hell. The early rebellion of man brought upon man two forms of death: physical and spiritual. As a result, all that are born will die physically and are dead spiritually (i.e., separated from God). Jesus died so that we would not remain spiritually dead and no longer separated from the Father. So that when we do die physically, because we choose to accept Him as Savior, we will live eternally in His presence when we depart our bodies. A "second death" awaits those who do not accept Jesus Christ as Savior. This is eternal separation from God that the Bible teaches will take place in hell. But as awful as that place will be, I suppose that if it even didn't exist, the "second death" and eternal separation from God is still awful and should be considered by non-believers.

   replyreport
7. 0

   JThomp42posted 11 years ago

   First of all, God gave people free will to act and or behave the way they want to. Secondly, Jesus himself said time here on this Earth would be full of persecution, especially if you stand for him. Look at what his disciples went through. ALL BUT ONE WAS KILLED. These Men actually walked with Jesus while on this earth. The bible says "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord". This means we will all die regardless because the flesh continues sinning even after your soul is saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. God knew it was impossible for the flesh not to sin. That is why he sent the final and ultimate sacrifice to save us from hell, Jesus Christ if you accept him as your savior. As far as God preventing something bad from happening to one of his children? How do you know he doesn't?

   replyreport
8. 54

   einronposted 11 years ago

   God formed man of the dust, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life
   (Gen.2:7).
   
   They die and return to dust (Psalms 104:29).
   
   When they turn to Jesus, they become spiritual and live forever for Jesus
   is the way, the truth, and the life: (John 14:6).

   replyreport
9. 60

   Farasucanposted 11 years ago

   We do suffer because of our sins.  People die because of their sins, whether there is a hell or not.  There is no burning hell right now; it is just a grave or a place where our dead bodies end up.  We must wait for judgment before we are punished for our sins.  However, if God forgives you for your sins, you will not be punished after death.  You can only be forgiven and saved if you believe that God's Son, Jesus Christ, died for our sins.

   replyreport
10. 59

    swb78posted 11 years ago

    God is a God of freedom. Even in Eden, he did not tell Adam he could not eat of the tree of Knowledge, but rather, he told him that if he DID eat of that tree he would surely die.
    
    God is Holy and cannot stand the presents of evil or sin. I believe it is much like the fact that dark and light cannot exist in the same place. God does not send anyone to hell--they choose hell, they choose disobedience.
    
    Because one man condemned us all, one man came to save us all--Jesus Christ. In Gods grace and love, he decided to give a plan of redemption to mankind, a way for us to once again be in his grace and in his presence.
    
    The mere fact that the name of Jesus is so offensive to most people shows the power in his name. You can walk into a room and say: Buddha, Gandhi, or Mohammed and no one seems to care, but, if you say Jesus, it either brings praise or anger. There is power in the name of Jesus.
    
    Hell was not created for mankind. The Bible tells us that God created Hell for Satan and his Angels; however, we will also go there if we continue to be sons of disobedience. 
    
    I challenge anyone to read the Gospels of Christ rather than listening to most churches or Christians--see for yourself what Christs message was. God bless you! WP

    replyreport
11. 79

    HLKeeleyposted 11 years ago

    There is a reason God is called our Father.
    
    Think of it like this.
    
    Your child wants to ride a bike, but they are not born knowing how. They have to learn. They will fall off the bike learning being hurt in the process, but as long as the keep getting on the bike, their chances of finally getting it increased.
    
    That is a more positive look.
    
    Here's a less happy example:
    
    You stick your hand in a cage to pet a dog. The dog does not like that and bites your hand. It hurts a lot. After that you choose, pet the dog again or leave it alone.
    
    That is the whole point of like. Suffering and pain are part of life. When someone dies, you are not feeling pain, but love. There is a fine line between both. For every tear you release, God sheds 20x more. He feels your pain so much more than you do. I believe He swoops in and saves us when the time is right, when we have proven that we love Him to our fullest capability.

    replyreport
12. 67

    Highvoltagewriterposted 11 years ago

    Gravity, is a law that can "bend", that is how man was able to learn to fly, We learned how the law of gravity works. One thing that always puzzled me, is how there could be a law without a lawgiver?  With the other laws of God we also must "abide by" them.  However, Jesus came into the world and offered himself as a perfect sacrifice to "bend" the laws that God gave us. He supplied a way that we may not have to pay the the price for our disobedience.
    
    God has a purpose for everyone of us, and I have been saved from death on two occasions because God knew of the purpose he had for me. I also know many others who were saved from certain death. Was that just the luck of the draw? There are no accidents in God's universe.
    
    Of course, we have free will and we can chose too try and find our own way. I have tried going my own way most of my life, and for me it did not work to well. We will always "reap what we sow" for every cause has a effect. I have paid a price for doing some of the things I did in the past. Even so, the results for my pass have not been as bad as it may have been. I feel this is because of God's grace.

    replyreport
13. 77

    elayne001posted 11 years ago

    My belief is that there are different degrees of glory that we may obtain after this life. Which one you will go to depends on your thoughts, deeds and actions during your probation on earth. But, because God is all powerful and merciful, you can repent of your sins, and improve your eternal situation. You would have to do something very bad (like murder or denying Christ after having confirmation of His existence) to go to the lowest degree of glory (hell). We can work out our salvation by loving as God loves us and serving others. The greatest commandment is love one another.
    Matthew 22:36-40
    
    36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
    
    37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

    replyreport
14. 59

    Edwinoel Tanglaoposted 11 years ago

    Whether we like it or not, we will face bodily or physical death, as we all live in sin as we live in the flesh.  And in this life, we may already experience a bit of hell as this is where evil thrives.  Earth is the realm of Satan and his fallen angels, but with Christ in us, fear not, for in Jesus comes the fullness of God.  As in Colossians 2:9, "For in Christ all the fullness of the Diety lives in bodily form."  He is the Lord of lords and the King of kings, and he is the "First and the Last," as written in the book of Revelation. 
    
    Anyone who does not believe in hell and the hell bound, those who may have a hardened mind and soul not believing or encouraging others not to believe in all these, and denying the truth that Jesus is the only way to eternal life, I pray that they may see the light of Christ, for while he has ransomed us from the sins of Adam and Eve, and all sins therefrom, only those who humble themselves to Jesus as our true Master and Redeemer, who is our All in All, and abide in him, believe in the truth in his words, may we have eternal life in us.  Only then we may come out victorious  over evil, and be delivered from the fires of hell, where with all that is evil, are bound soon to perish, in both body and spirit, as in Matthew 10:28.
    
    A challenge is always set forth to us in this life: to stay in hell with the evil one, or to live in the light of Christ Jesus, where we may overcome death, and come back to life, a life where eternal peace and happiness reigns.

    replyreport
15. 62

    Perspycaciousposted 11 years ago

    Call it Purgatory, Hell, or Paradise separate from God and Christ and the Holy Ghost, the real suffering will probably be the knowledge that we could and should have done better.

    replyreport