What happens to people who don’t believe?

Christians hold differing opinions on what happens to people who in this life have not confessed faith or demonstrated faith in Christ. Two views are summarised in a 4 minute section of this message I gave recently. There are other views but these two can both be defended well from scripture.

  1. Many traditional conservative believers would say that faith in Jesus in this life is all that counts, and if you have not done that or had opportunity to do that, then there is (literally) no hope for you. Is that true?
  2. Alternatively, as one writer put it, if vast numbers of people are consigned to some kind of hell with no hope of redemption, for billions of years, you end up with an absurd universe in which people on earth are more loving than God in heaven. Is that the case?

Watch the 4‑minute section below.  Video begins at the correct point, watch it for 4 minutes:

Alternatively, if you have time, and you want the full 25m message on The End Times including the idea of a “rapture” that some Christians hold, you can view that below. The passage of scripture used is 1 Thessalonians 4.13 to 5.11

Please note that, as I had been out for the previous 2 days at a music festival helping at a church welfare tent, there are a few points where I have to “recover my voice” for a second or two 🙁

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Mart
Mart
8 months ago

The second coming of Christ might come outside of time!”
You’ve just blown my mind mate!
As I have an interest in science including quantum physics this is just the most amazing statement … It just makes so much sense!

Christina Barton
Christina Barton
9 months ago

Hi Chris In Post Grad Studies at an now closed College I learned that there are three main groups holding views about the salvation of individuals. The Exclusivists hold a view which you mention about salvation being obtained whilst alive — all those who do not hear or refuse are lost in this view. Inclusivists hold that God has different methods of holding out Salvation to people according to the ‘light’ they may have obtained whilst alive.…ie those who ‘believe’ in God but know little about the plan of salvation. The third group — Universalists believe that eventually all will… Read more »

Lester
Lester
9 months ago

Thanks Chris for another thoughtful discussion. I’d be interested in your views on the theology of hell as a place of destruction rather than a place of eternal conscious punishment; (eg staying in Thessalonians in 2 Thess 1v9.) We are built for more than this one short life, so exclusion from the life to come could be considered as a considerable punishment in itself.

Ian Mason
Ian Mason
7 months ago
Reply to  Chris Goswami

Luke 16 Verses 19–31 Give a good illustration The Rich man and Lazurus. Vs 23 The Rich man was in torment in Hades — Note that he was in Torment. He was not at peace, having a good time with his mates. Vs 24 He cried for help in his state VS 26 We see that there is a great gulf between where the rich man is and where Abraham is. So the rich man in Hades was alive, He was aware of where he was, and He had regrets as to where he was. He did not want anyone else to come… Read more »