Posted by Matt on May 03, 2001 at 12:19:01:
In Reply to: How the hell...? posted by Nate on May 02, 2001 at 21:19:21:
It is understandable to have such questions like that. I have them too. I've been a christian for years and have come to except that some answers will come in time, while others will come through prayer.
I believe the people in Hell are not in a lake of fire yet. They will be cast in after the world ends. Right now, those who died, without accepting the redemption of Christ await a "trial" of sorts. There they will be shown when they could have changed their fate, and will accept. Although, it may be possible to escape such a fate in the "trial." I'm not sure. I don't plan on going through it. I plan on going straight to Heaven when I die.
This is only possible through Jesus.
Hell was not a place intended for humans. Hell was a place to hold the evils that existed before the creation of the earth.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam was tricked by Satan into letting these evils into the world.
A personal battle over everyone's soul has been fought between Angels and Demons ever since.
When Jesus came to earth, He never gave into any of the temptations of Satan, yet when He died, all the sin that had been committed or would be committed was cast unto Jesus. He then went into the deepest, worst place in Hell where he was given in 3 days, what any one person would receive in eternity. This isn't conceivable to the human mind, but it's what happened. Then through the power of God that made up Jesus, Jesus took back control of the earth and took it to Heaven.
He sent the Holy Spirit, which gave the power of God that jesus had to the Earth.
Man may now live as Jesus lived, with knowing that whatever sin he has committed has already been paid for.
God cannot allow sin to enter his presence for he is without sin, and sin is only where he is not. So those who die, and are sinb are not allowed in his presence, that is why they must go to Hell.
But if a man accepts that he4's sinned and believes that Jesus has already paid for it, then the sin is taken away and he may be in God's presence, escaping eternity in Hell.
I believe that God knows who will be with him and who won't in the end. But God gave us the free will to choose for ourselves. He does not choose that we be in Hell, rather we choose for ourselves.