I am a committed christian, and I accept Christ as my Savior, but I don't understand some of the things God does to people who do not believe, and I believe this is holding me back from truly feeling Him in my heart.  These are some of the things I do not understand: there are truly great people out there who do not know Christ or do not believe.  Those who are brought up believing something else are innocent, for they have no choice. To them, it is like someone trying to convert you to Buddhism; you would not convert because you were brought up believing something else, and the consequence is to burn in hell for all eternity.  The human mind can’t even conceive of eternity; that’s the most horrifying thing I can imagine. God is like our father, but could you send your son to burn in hell, even if you could do something about it?  Please help me understand this; my faith most likely depends on this.  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Voice For The Lost

Dear Voice For The Lost,

There are several things to consider when wrestling with the issue of the lost going to hell.  The first thing to remember is that God doesn’t send people to hell – we choose to go there.  Sin is a choice made by responsible adults (see the story of the first sin in Gen 3:1-7).  When we sin, we die (Rom 6:23).  God didn’t make us spiritually dead; He created us with spiritual life (Gen 2:7).  God originally wanted all mankind to live eternally with Him in the Garden of Eden (Gen 2:8)… we are the ones who chose to break that perfect pattern.

God says that everyone has the opportunity and freedom to choose Him – regardless of what background we come from.  The very universe screams of the nature of God, so all are without excuse (Rom 1:20).  We all have a responsibility to seek out God, and He promises that all those who seek Him will find Him (Matt 7:7, Matt 5:6).  God never condemned us to hell; we did it to ourselves.  God has offered a payment for our souls through His Son Jesus Christ’s blood (Jhn 3:16).  Jesus is a road back to God (Jhn 14:6), a road we don’t deserve (Rom 5:8).  All of us have rebelled against God (Rom 3:23), and God in His infinite mercy gives us a second chance.

When we start thinking in terms of “God opening the way to heaven through His love” instead of “God condemning almost everyone to hell”, then we begin to get a proper picture of the way God views eternity.

Good evening.  My question is when we or I get to heaven and we see our loved ones, how will we see them; will they look young, or will they look the same as we remembered them when they where here on Earth?  I would really like to know where I can find this in the Bible, so I can read it.  Thanks.

Sincerely,
This Side Of Heaven

Dear This Side Of Heaven,

When we get to heaven, our loved ones won’t look anything like what they did on Earth.  When we get to heaven, we will receive spiritual bodies (1 Cor 15:44).  On the Day of Judgment, in the “twinkling of an eye”, we will be changed (1 Cor 15:52).  In heaven, we will all look different than we do here.  For more on that subject, read the entire fifteenth chapter of 1^st Corinthians.

There's a lot in the news about bullycide, where a school kid is driven to suicide by cruel bullies.  What if the bullied kid was driven so crazy by bullying that he couldn't control his urge to escape the abuse?  What if he never had the chance to accept Christ as Savior and might end up in hell?  Does God hold the bully responsible for the death?  How can the parents forgive their kid's killer knowing that the bully might have driven their child to hell?  Why should the bully get the chance to be saved that he denied his victim?

Sincerely,
Looking For Justice

Dear Looking For Justice,

There are several things to consider here:

1. All children go to heaven.  Read “What About The Children” for further information.
2. If someone is old enough to be considered a ‘young adult’ and responsible for their own choices before God, we can have confidence that God will not let anyone be tempted beyond what they are able (1 Cor 10:13).  There is no such thing as a sin that can’t be escaped.
3. If the bully is another child, we refer back to point #1.  But ultimately, yes, all bullies and malicious people are held accountable for their choices (Rom 14:12).
4. Nobody can deny someone else the opportunity to go to heaven.  Jesus died for the sins of all mankind (Jhn 3:16).  We all work out our own salvation (Php 2:12), and no one can take that opportunity away from us.

When you die, do you go straight to heaven, or do you stay in the grave until Judgement Day?  I have asked this question to other people before, and well, some responses I get from them seem not completely as the Bible says.  I have asked several different denominations.  Then are only 144,000 going to heaven?  If so, what happens to the rest of us?

Sincerely,
#144,001

Dear #144,001,

When a christian dies, they go immediately to Paradise and await the day of Judgment, the day when our eternal heaven is created.  Jesus said that angels immediately carry faithful souls off to Paradise (Lk 16:22, Lk 23:43), and the wicked are immediately sent to torments (Lk 16:23).  Both Paradise and torments are part of Hades (‘Hades’ means ‘the unseen place’).  When you die, your spirit is separated from your body and goes to Hades (Jas 2:26).  On the Day of Judgment, all the souls will be emptied out of Hades (1 Thess 4:14), and all the bodies will be removed from the graves (1 Thess 4:16).  On that great Day of Judgment, every soul shall be judged (Heb 9:27).  After that judgment happens, this earth will be destroyed, and a new, heavenly, spiritual world will be created for the saints to live in eternally (2 Pet 3:12-13).  On that great day, every righteous person will be allowed to dwell in heaven eternally (not just 144,000 people – those who say that only 144,000 will get to go to heaven are grossly misinterpreting Rev 14:1.  Jesus came to pay for the sins of the whole world – Jhn 3:16).

There was a page-sized ad in our newspaper last week from a church explaining why Jesus had to go to hell for three days and three nights.  What are your thoughts on this interpretation?

Sincerely,
Long Weekend

Dear Long Weekend,

Jesus went to Paradise when He died – He said so.  Jesus told the thief on the cross that they were both going to Paradise after they died (Lk 23:43).  Those who say that Jesus went to hell often refer to the verse where it states Jesus would spend three days and three nights in “the heart of the earth” (Matt 12:40).  However, that verse is simply stating that Jesus’ body would be buried for three days.  Jesus’ spirit was separated from His body at death (Jas 2:26).  Jesus’ body went into the ground, and His spirit went into Paradise.