My mom died two weeks ago today due to an illness she had… alcohol and prescription pill abuse; she was sick with this illness for eight years.  The doctor said she took a lot of acetaminophen which caused her liver to fail and caused her to go into a coma.  On her death certificate, it says it was suicide.  My question is: did my mom go to hell for an illness?

Sincerely,
Ill At Heart

Dear Ill At Heart,

We here at AYP cannot and will not make a judgment on whether someone did or did not go to hell.  All we can do is tell you that sin brings spiritual death (Rom 6:23).  In order to go to heaven, we must have our sins washed away in the blood of Christ (1 Pet 1:18-19).  It is only through faith in Christ that we can have salvation (Jhn 14:6).  Read “What Must I Do To Be Saved” for exactly what it takes to become a Christian and have your sins washed away.

We wish to express our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to you in this time of sorrow.  Words cannot express the heartache and turmoil that a child has when their mother dies – especially under such tumultuous circumstances.  Find comfort in the fact that God does not make mistakes; wherever your mother ends up – it will be decided by a righteous and loving God (Ps 116:5).  The best thing that you can do is to turn to that loving God in your time of sorrow, so you can be sure that when you die, there will be no doubts about where you end up.

(The following is a follow-up to “Could A Loving God Do That?”)

Thanks for your time. I am not trying to test you or dissuade you from your faith, but I need answers to my questions to help my faith. Thanks.

Are you suggesting that we send ourselves to eternal punishment and not God?  Matthew 25:46 says, "They will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."  God created us and set a standard: worship Me or suffer eternally.  There is no in-between on His judgment.  You are either good or evil.  Your doctor analogy is not very accurate because the doctor did not create the patient.  God created us with no choice.  He made us and wants us to love Him, and if we don't – hell.  This is like the doctor saying, “Take the medicine, or I kill you.”

Sincerely,
That Fire Is Hot

Dear That Fire Is Hot,

Yes, we are suggesting that we make the choice to go to eternal punishment.  We make the decision to turn our backs on God and His offer of salvation.  God created us and designed us to function a certain way… no differently than a blacksmith designs a hammer or an architect designs a building.  God designed us with the freedom to choose between good and evil (Deu 30:15).  The standard isn’t merely about worshipping God; it is about right and wrong.  When we choose to sin, we reject God (1 Thess 4:8).  Consequently, when we reject God, we reject living eternally with Him.  The choice is ours.  Remember, the Garden of Eden was perfect until Adam & Eve broke it.  God gave them commandments for their safety, just like He gives us commands for our safety.

God doesn’t kill us; sin does (Rom 6:23).  We are tempted away from God by our own lusts (Jas 1:14).  God wants what is best for us.  It is the devil that wants to destroy us (1 Pet 5:8).  God sent His Son to heal us from self-inflicted wounds.  We sin and rebel against Him (which is appalling when you consider that He is the one that gave us life) – and despite that rebellion, God loves us.  He has given us all a second chance (Lk 17:4).  He is not only our Creator, He is our Savior (1 Jn 4:14).

God doesn’t send anyone to hell.  People choose to go to hell.  God will respect your decision.  If you don’t want to spend eternity with Him in heaven, He won’t make you.  However, all good things come from God (Jas 1:17); our choices have consequences.  If we choose to go to hell, we leave behind all the blessings God has provided – we have chosen to be away from Him.  We cannot have it both ways.  We either choose God, goodness, and the blessings of goodness, OR we choose selfishness, evil, and the curses of evil.  It is our choice to make, and it is the most important choice in our lives.

Some believe that there is a waiting place after death.  My question is: IS there a waiting place, or since Christ came, do believers go right to heaven with the Lord?

Sincerely,
Biding My Time

Dear Biding My Time,

Within Hades, there are two areas where people wait for the final judgment. All of the faithful who die wait in the good part of Hades called ‘Paradise’ (2 Cor 12:4, Lk 23:43). All of the wicked who die wait in a part of Hades known only as ‘torments’ (Lk 16:23).

In Hades (‘Hades’ means ‘the unseen place’), all of the dead shall wait for Judgment Day.  Rev 20:12-15 points out that on the final Day of Judgment, all the dead will be permanently divided between heaven and hell.  Until then, the wicked that have died tarry like prisoners awaiting their court date.  They know their fate, but the final verdict is yet to be laid down.  Likewise, God’s people who have died are joyously comforted in Paradise, waiting for the day when they shall rise and be with the Lord forever (1 Thess 4:16-18).

The Bible tells us many times that God loves us.  So my question is: how could a God that loves us so much condemn anyone to eternal suffering in hell?  I believe that the vast majority of the world would say, "no" if you asked them if they are a christian.  By what the Bible tells us, that would mean that most people will go to hell.  It is very difficult for me to believe in a loving, caring God under those circumstances.  The parable of the sheep and goats is an even further discouragement.  Please help me out.

Sincerely,
That Fire Is Hot

Dear That Fire Is Hot,

God doesn’t condemn us to hell; He offers to save us from ourselves.  When God designed mankind, He made us in His image (Gen 1:26).  One result of that design is that all humans have eternal souls.  That is a positive thing.  God intended for Adam & Eve to never die and to always enjoy the blessings of fellowship with God in the garden (Gen 2:8).  Eden was a perfect situation, and it was our sin that destroyed that perfection.  Mankind sinned, and that sin causes us to die (Rom 6:23).  God gives us the freedom to choose to live or choose to sin; the fact that we all choose to sin is not His fault (Rom 5:12).  Heaven is a perfect place, and if God allowed sinful people into heaven, it would cease to be perfect.  Our actions and choices have condemned us.

God, however, wishes to save us from ourselves.  He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins (Jhn 3:16).  He provided us with the Bible, which shows us the path to receive salvation (Rom 10:17, Rom 1:16).  We should not blame God for those who go to hell any more than we should blame a doctor when his patient refuses to take their medication.  It is true that many people will go to hell (Matt 7:13), but God doesn’t desire that any should perish (Ezek 18:23).  God sent us a Savior in Jesus Christ, even though we didn’t deserve it (1 Jn 4:14).

I love my pets very much, but do they have souls?  Will I see them in heaven?

Sincerely,
Cat Lady

Dear Cat Lady,

Animals have the “breath of life” just like humans do (Gen 2:7, Gen 6:17).  This “breath of life” is also sometimes referred to as the “spirit” of a man or animal (Gen 7:22).  Animals have spirits, and humans have spirits, but humans were also made in the image of God (Gen 1:26).  Our spirit is eternal and will go up to be with the Father, and animal spirits are temporary and will return to the dust of the earth (Eccl 3:21).  God made our spirit of a different caliber than He made those of the animal.  Dogs don’t go to heaven, but we can feel confident that God has decided wisely on this issue like all others.  We may not always understand His reasons, but He always makes good decisions.