What happens to people like me?

Question

People that have made heartfelt attempts at believing in God, holding back nothing, prayer, fasting...

Nothing but silence. I have sincerely asked God to reveal himself to me in any way. For me, faith is hard to come by without SOMETHING...

So when I die, am I off to hell?

Answer 1

Well, before you die, try to have a little fun, okay? Ben Franklin said that beer is evidence thet God loves us, and wants us to be happy.

So have a beer.

Answer 2

We always expect some heavenly sign from God, but he's already sent tons.. in the bible! You may feel now that God isn't answering you, but he's right beside you. He reveals through his word(the bible), people, and just situations. You may pray, but then not hear anything, does that mean God isn't listening? Certainly not! God isn't straight-forward sometimes, he's not like a vending machine where answers to prayers pop out. You should get involved in a church, youth group, or some club at your school, college, etc. Then you will feel this "revealing", you'll see him everywhere, in the christian people around you! Christianity also isn't blind faith, the SOMETHING you have is right in front of you, the bible. Also, once you proclaim that Jesus is the only way to heaven, accept him and believe, you can never loose your salvation. Period. Hope that helps for you :)

Answer 3

What do you think god looks like, you might have seen god already. I always look at god as all of exsistance, something coexsisting with mother nature. Technically speaking, especially if you do your research, you would know god is in you and all around you, so you see god every moment of every day without ever noticing. Remember the way god is described, paradoxical, you can't see god, but some how you can see god. Meaning that your perception of sight determine your ability to see god, you minds perception. You won't physically see an embodiment, but you will see it's effects or pressence. What ever thought you have of what god looks like, forget it. Open your mind to the universe in a way that you see more than your looking at. There just might be something in that nothing your looking at, I know you want a better description, but faith is faith, usually a leap. Look at your blessings too, how many things are blessings on you? Look around at everyone else in the world and know you have more than others.

Another point, if you pray about something you can figure out yourself than you usually won't recieve an answer. God gives you choice, so god lets you make choices. You had an option to look into other resources like this one here, did this resource work better for you? Don't put all your faith into an answer from a prayer, take time to look around and see if you can figure it out on your own if you can. You will be a better person for doing it yourself and not having god or someone else do it for you, makes you much more intelligent in the long run.

As of going to hell for not seeing god, then beginning to not believe in god, as long as your not disrespectful or completely rebelling against god you should be good. Confussion happens to all on god in all aspects of life, so you wouldn't be the only one. Only people who hate god, are evil, or refuse god would be hell worthy. As of everyone else, sins get payed for, but it isn't always hell where you pay for those things.

Hope this helps, just because you don't see something doesn't mean it's there. Keep in mind you don't see air, but you can't live without it.

Answer 4

by no means will you be sentenced to eternal torment in hell. If you said you were honest and sincere in believing then that counts in God's eyes.

You must understand that once you come to the Lord for the first time it usually doesn't come with bells and whistles. Most likely you won't feel any different, but your still excepted and saved in God's eyes.

God doesn't usually reveal Himself in a magnificent and miraculous way, but He's still present. Don't loose faith. It's only Satan trying to disappoint you.

Answer 5

Is Hell a Just punishment for sin?
Have you ever seen someone tortured?Ihope not. Deliberate torture is sickening and abhorrent. What, though,of torture inflicted by God? Can you imagine such a thing?
Yet, this is exactly what is implied by the teaching of hellfire, an official doctrine in many religions.
Imagine, for a moment, the following horrific scene. A person is being roasted on a hot iron plate. In his agony he screams for mercy, but nobody listens, the torture goes on and on hour by hour, day by day---without any pause!
Whatever crime the victim may have commited, would not your heart go out to him? What of the one who ordered the torture? Could he be a loving person? In no way! Love is merciful and shows pity. A loving father may punish his children, but he would never torture them!
Never theless, many religions teach that God tortures sinners in eternal hellfire. This is claimed, is devine justice. If this is true, who created that terrible place of eternal torment? And who is responsible for the excruciating agonies inflicted there? The answer would seem obvious. If such a place really exists, then God would have to be creator of it, and he would be responsible for what happens there.
Can you accept that? The Bible says:" God is love."(1John4:8) Would a God of love inflict torture that even humans with any measure of decency find revolting? Surely not!
Still, many believe that the wicked will go to a fiery hell and be tormented forever. Is this teaching logical? The human lifespan is limited to 70 or 80 years. Even if some one perpetrated extreme wickedness for his whole lifetime, would everlasting torment be a just punishment?No it would be grossly unjust to torment a man forever for thelimited number of sins that he can commit in a lifetime.Who knows the truth about what hapens after we die?Only God can reveal this information, and he has done so in his written Word, the Bible, refered to above. Here is what the Bible says."As the [beast]dies, so the man dies; and they all have but one spirit....... All are going to one place. They have all come from the dust, and they are all returning to the dust(Ecclesiastes3:19,20)There is no mention here of a fiery hell. Humans return to dust----to nonexistance----when they die.
In order to be tormented an individual must be conscious. Are the dead conscious?No"The living are conscious that they will die, but as for the dead they are conscious of nothing at all, neither do they anymore have wages, because the remembrance of them has been forgotten."(Ecclesiastes9:5) It is impossible for the dead."conscious of nothing at all," to experienmce the agonies of hellfire.

Answer 6

Hmm, it's interesting that you asked this question when...because the verse i remembered from the bible today is John 20:29 - Jesus said to him "Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Our meeting is no coincidence.

My friend, through my experiences, i have learned that i am closest to God when i spend alone time with Him, read His word, listen to sermons, even answer these questions. God will fill your heart. Keep living for Him and you will be rewarded.

Remember: The Pharisees asked for a sign and look where it got them. And remember what the word "faith" really means.

Answer 7

No, there is no hell outside of the mind that believes in it.

Be careful what you ask for. I ask God for some kind of proof and this happened to me.

Several years ago I had an unusual experience concerning an uncle, a distant relative who lived over a thousand miles away.

While driving my car I suddenly felt the unmistakable presence of this relative that I hardly even knew. He was more like someone I had heard about than someone I knew. It was very strange; it felt as though I was momentarily lifted right out of my physical body. I seemed to be suspended somehow beyond space and time, bathed in a love so intense It felt like I could have just disappear into it at any moment if It would have let me. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it seemed to last forever at the same time. I realize how crazy this must sound. The experience was so strong that at first I was afraid I was loosing my grip on reality. I finally managed to chalk it up to an over active imagination.

Three days later I got a call from my aunt telling me that this uncle we are talking about had gone into a coma and died the day I had the experience. It felt like ice water had been poured down my back when she told me this. I had lost any real ideas of God or faith and had become somewhat of an atheist. Needless to say this experience caused me to rethink some of the conclusions I had come to.

I feel blessed to now understand that even in our darkest confusion something loves us so much that it went out of its way to assist me and bring me back to a state of absolute certainty about Gods love for us.
During the experience it seemed like there was a vast amount of information that I was somehow allowed access to. One thing that I came away from this experience understanding beyond any shadow of a doubt was that any Idea that God is unhappy with us or would judge or allow us to be punished for any reason is simply impossible.

I can’t explain the love I felt with words. They simply don’t make words big enough or complete enough to do this. The only way I can begin to convey this love to you is to say that there was simply nothing else there. Nothing but love. No hint of judgment, no displeasure of any sort. It is as though God sees us as being as perfect as we were the day we were created. It is only in our confused idea of ourselves that we seem to have changed.

I hope this is of some help to you. Good luck. Love and blessings.

Your brother don

Answer 8

You are wrong. There have been countless healings within the past month!
God will not just reveal himself to you. If he did there would be no reason for being put on earth.

Answer 9

Yes, unless you accept Jesus in faith. Its easier when you are in a good church service, often you can feel Gods presence. I would suggest a Pentecostal Holiness, Assembly of God or Pentecostal church of God church. Don't give up.

Answer 10

Nah, there is no Hell. Just forget the foolishness and dump religion. It is a huge waste of time. Since god is imaginary all you will get is silence.