Something I thought of while watching Constantine. If you were in a situation where you could prevent someone who deserves to go to heaven from going to hell, and the only way to do that was to volunteer to go to hell yourself, how would God feel about that? As it's been suggested in movies and literature many times, it's possible that God would then spare your soul AS WELL AS the person you were saving, simply because of your sacrifice. But what do you think God would value more- a willingness to sacrifice yourself for another, or love for Him? If you chose to save the other person's soul, then it might appear as though your love for God (and your desire to be with Him) is not great enough.
So which is it? If you chose to save the person's soul, would God view that as the ultimate selfless act, or would He view it as a less-than perfect love for Him?
2006-08-13 08:00:02 · 15 answers · asked by Felix Q 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
If you answer, remember that it's hypothetical. I don't want "He would save me either way" It's not literal. Please answer within the concept of the question. Any spiteful comments will be reported.
2006-08-13 08:00:45 · update #1
Just for the record, the choice is not to DIE for the other person, it's to go to hell for eternity for him. It's hypothetical, so I know it would never happen and isn't a possibility, it's just a situation.
2006-08-13 08:13:54 · update #2
Let's just assume that it's a test or something, because whether God would allow someone to go to hell is they deserved heaven or whether you woul 'ever really get to choose' is not a factor.
2006-08-13 09:04:49 · update #3
good question!
i'm not a well-versed christian, so excuse me if i misquote the bible a bit, but isn't there this one quote where no greater friend is this than he who is willing to lay down his life for him.... or something like that?!?! sorry..... can't get the wording in my head.
what if it's a test? say you didn't save the person, and when you stand at the pearly whites, jesus might ask "why did you not save that person?" or "why did you not save me" since it was a test, and since our actions towards another human being are like what we would do towards jesus.
idk..... i would save that person. wouldn't someone feel guilty for letting someone else go to hell while they are up in heaven? i believe that saving that person would be the right thing to do.
2006-08-13 08:10:41 · answer #1 · answered by skeptical_me 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
That is a concept I have seen as well in movies. Very interesting question. In the Bible, it does say, " greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." In proverbs, the importance of friendship is emphasized many times. We are supposed to be loving, compassionate, and loyal to our friends. Pro. 17:17, A friend loveth at all times.
However, the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with ALL your heart and his commmandments.
MMMM...what trumps what??? I guess that is the real question.
Well, God gave the greatest sacrifice which was Jesus. Jesus went to Hell, so we could go to Heaven. We didn't deserve Heaven anymore than the man in your question.
Oh, first, you stated that I could save someone who deserves to go to heaven from going to hell. If he deserved heaven then why was he going to hell? Is God not just? Is God not perfect? This also begs the question, Who deserves to go to heaven? You see, God is just and perfect. He cannot look upon sin. So, NO one deserves Heaven for we all have sinned. (Romans 3:23) Ok, so no one deserves heaven. God is just so no one who is saved will be sent to hell.
so, the question is.....would I go to hell for someone who I loved, who was not saved? And how would God view that?
Well, after that long intro---forgive me---here is the answer: I think that my love for my friend would at that point surpass my love for God. I think that is how God would view it. I also don't think that the request would be granted. You see, you can only volunteer for the job, you would have to seek permission for the request to be granted.
So, in conclusion: 1) I think it would be viewed as loving your friend more than God.
2) I don't think that God would grant the request thereby you would go to heaven and your friend would still go to hell.
2006-08-13 15:44:21 · answer #2 · answered by Quinn 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is not for you to determine who goes to heaven or hell. All we can do is pray for the God's grace to be able to live a righteous live so that we can all make it to heaven. If you think someone deserve to go to heaven, you need to help that person to live right before God and pray always for them. God is sovereign, He is the only one who can determine who should be in heaven or hell. moreover you don't know what the person is thinking, you only see the outward, how can you tell if they are heaven worthy?
God does not judge from the outward. Read Matt. 5:21&22.
You can only prevent by praying and talking to them, as for the sacrficing, Jesus Christ has already done that, so we don't have to. The only sacrifice God recognises is that of Jesus Christ and that is the only way to heaven. Read John14:6
I hope this answers your question
2006-08-13 15:42:27 · answer #3 · answered by sweetjay 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The best way to answer "how would God feel about that" is to say, "God DID that." God, Jesus Christ, offered his life so that others may be saved. And it does say in the Apostles (or is it the Nicean--sorry, I forget) Creed that Jesus "descended into Hell, and on the third day rose again." Jesus did offer to go to Hell to save others. So it's not really important to know how God would feel; it is important to know what God DID.
And if we are to follow Christ, I would think that we should offer the same. Not that we can save the world from sin--we can't. But we can act like Christ, in the spirit of Christ.
Christ said that "There is no greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend."
2006-08-13 15:07:53 · answer #4 · answered by Gestalt 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I think that you don't necessarily have to love the person more than you love God to sacrifice your soul for theirs. You just have to love the person more than you love yourself, which is what you are supposed to do anyway. If that is your true motive, God will know that, regardless of what people may say.
2006-08-13 15:27:35 · answer #5 · answered by lj1 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The question you are asking can never be answered - no one on earth is perfect enough(sinless enough) to save anyone else from going to Hell. God sent His Son as the sacrifice - He was the only one worthy.
2006-08-13 15:11:22 · answer #6 · answered by Gladiator 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I believe your sacrifice would be rewarded. If you are a God-loving person, then that is all God requires to save you.
Your selflessness could never be construed as a desire to serve Satan, or the commission of a serious sin.
God sees into our hearts, and knows instantly whether our love for Him is genuine. I believe that He would see your selfless sacrifice as an expression of your faith.
2006-08-13 15:10:40 · answer #7 · answered by Karl the Webmaster 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
I don't think I would go to hell in the place of anyone. They're going there for a reason, and no one can take someone else's place. I don't even think that's possible from anything i've studied in the Bible. Only by knowing Jesus, can he save their soul.
I would, however, die to save someone's life. That's what Jesus did and we're supposed to strive to be like him.
2006-08-13 15:09:53 · answer #8 · answered by Morgan 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You cannot stand in for anyone to go to hell or not to go to hell. Only Jesus, through Crucifixion and Resurrection can stand in for someone. No greater gift than someone lay down his life for a friend, refers to Jesus laying down his life for us.
In a life and death situation, in combat for example, if you throw yourself on a grenade for another, they may not die, but you will still be in the presence of God, and need to be covered in the Blood of the Lamb.
IT is by grace that we are saved through faith, not by works lest any man should boast, it is a Gift from God.
We take away the sacrifice of Jesus by saying we could stand in for someone. We have all sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God
be blessed in Jesus.
p.s. Jesus did go to hell for us, after He was on the cross, to set the captives free.
2006-08-13 15:23:28 · answer #9 · answered by 2ndchhapteracts 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes, could be. But that theory might only work if you truly would go to hell for them. I think that if you sacrificed yourself to go to hell in someone else's place with intentions of having god save your soul as well i think you would be deceiving.
2006-08-13 15:16:19 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋