Why do all unbelievers go to hell?

Here is one thorny issue. Why would God provide eternal torture and punishment for something one has absolutely no control over. Sure, he provided a way out, but not all will hear, not all will be convinced. Good topic for discussion.

 

That passage is usually understood as people who practice such things, in which case, they show that they really do not believe. (rather than believe, but "struggle", "slip and fall into it", etc)

Here is a good article explaining sin and hell:
(The Morality of Everlasting Punishment, By Mark Talbot)

 

Interesting comment about those without the Word of God but WITH the New Covenant LAW of God "written on the heart"

 

But of course - the chapter continues -

Showing us that it is God the Holy Spirit that works on the heart EVEN on the heart of those without the bible "Convicting the WORLD of sin and righteousness and judgment" -- even though they are not all "Jews".

 

xdisciplex said:
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For example I find it kind of hard to comprehend that 1 sin would be enough to burn in hell forever. For example, and I know this is hypothetical, if a person had only done 1 sin then this person would burn in hell like all the others, which sinned much more. But is this really correct? Do all people get the same punishment in heaven? Are all sins the same? Is a "normal" atheist who lived a normal life as bad as a satanist or a mass murderer?
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The bible says that we have all sinned.
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
If I broke the law should I be punished? If the judge is a good judge he should punish me.

You said you found it hard to believe that one sin would be enough to burn in hell forever. well yes you could be a relly good persn and just sin one time and guess what if you don't have Jesus... one sin will be all it takes.
Jam 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
So what does a sinner do?
Well lets say that you are in court and the judge has found you guilty of a crime and all of a sudden a man comes into the court room and says here judge here is the money to pay the fine so that you can set this man free. Would you be thankful and want to get to know him bettter... or would you say... "no, go on I don't believe you!" ? Of course you would be thankful and want to show your gratitude to your new found friend. Well Jesus paid our fine on the cross and if we believe upon Him we will not have to go to hell. God loved us that much to send His Son.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

I am so thankful that Jesus loved us so much that He went to the cross to make a way for us. raise: :Fish:

 

How can you be sure that not all will hear?

 

Why? One sin was enough that every single human being suffers and dies physically!

 

HP: An excellent question. It is a well known idea among Calvinistic and Baptist Churches that the damning sin is the rejection of Jesus Christ. I disagree.

If a man lies on a bed dying of cancer, and the doctor walks in and says, “If you follow my prescribed plan, you will not die but live” and the man rejects the counsel of the doctor, was the cause of his death the cancer, or the rejection of the cure? I say he died of the cancer, and rejecting the cure sealed his fate.

Sin is the willful transgression of a known commandment of God. God sentences man to hell for his sins. If man is fortunate enough to hear the gospel and still rejects it, that will indeed seal his fate, but the damning sin is the willful act of disobedience to God’s moral law that has not been repented for and forsaken.

 

Man's sin began with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden:

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12)

The penalty of sin is death:

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

The forgiveness of sin requires the shedding of blood:

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. (Hebrews 9:22)

Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father:

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)

No Jesus, no heaven!

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:18)

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)

God did not create hell for man--hell was created for the devil and his angels:

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (Matthew 25:41)

One chooses to go to hell by the rejection of the gift of salvation which is found only in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

 

Hi Linda,
Do you feel that it is within the realm of possibilities that there might be someone in hell that has never heard the gospel message?

 

When Jesus said that "no man cometh unto the Father but by me"--He meant NO MAN--there was no exceptions made. With the technology we have today, the gospel is being spread all over the world. There are missionaries being sent to the uttermost parts of this earth to witness to the lost. Romans 1:17-20 pretty much covers the sinful condition of man:

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (Romans 1:17)

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; (Romans 1:18)

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. (Romans 1:19)

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (Romans 1:20)

It is the responsibility of the saved to witness to the lost (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15). If there is someone in hell who has not heard the gospel, we can point the finger back at ourselves.

 

what about those who dont have the mental capacity to understand anything? like mentally challenged people... or babies...

 

Babies have no knowledge of sin--they will go to heaven-- that doesn't mean babies are "sinless"--it means that they are innocent--

But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 19:14)

The Lord is able to cause the "mentally challenged" person to understand the gospel. How difficult is it for the gospel to be understood?

 

im going to go to an extreme here i know... but.

what about those who are blind and deaf from birth?
there ARE those who are mentally challenged who can't understand a thing. right?

what about those rare cases?

 

I don't know if you are aware of this, but there are many, many churches which use "signers" during services and Sunday School--for the deaf--also, there is braille for the blind--my husband is blind and uses braille.

 

HP: You did a fine job of circumventing the question. I did not ask you where the blame could be pointed. What would that matter to the one in hell’s torment? Would pointing a finger eleviate their torment? I asked you if the possibility existed if anyone might be in hell that might in fact not heard the gospel, not where the blame would lie. Try again to answer the question directly. It should be an easy question to give a straight answer to.

 

linda did answer your question HP... in her first paragraph.
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linda... how would it be possible for a person who is born blind and deaf (so when the person is born - this single person is blind as well as being deaf) - to learn braille? (wouldnt be able to learn sign language because the person would be blind.) can't hear - so it'd be basically impossible to teach braille...