Christians - what happens to these people when they die?

Question

1) A person who helps others as a matter of course, gets involved with charity, lives what you would call a 'good christian life' and is consciously not a christian

2) A christian who attends church, prays when he should, acknowledges Christ, yet doesn't help those around him, gambles occasionally and drinks to excess once a week

3) A person who has led a life of crime and murder who on his death-bed asks Jesus for forgiveness

4) A person who has no awareness of christianity, God, or any religion, but lives what you'd consider a 'good life'

Fabulously inconsistent views - keep up the good work

Answer 1

1) Hell
2) Heaven....by grace & forgiveness
3) Heaven....by grace & forgiveness
4) Hell

Answer 2

I can only state my opinion based on God's word:
1) The only way to the Father is through Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter how "good" we are. The Bible clearly states that if you don't accept Christ, you go to hell.
2) If the person is a follower of Christ, he will go to Heaven. We are all sinners. The power of the Holy Spirit is so amazing, though, that when you give your life to Christ, he begins a transformation in you that helps you hate sin. Of course, we're human and we'll all continue to sin until we die, but if we hate sin, we will repent and try to avoid it.
3) Anyone who truly asks for forgiveness receives it. Jesus died for EVERYONE.
4) Each will be judged according to what he knows. My interpretation is that when people die who have never been given an opportunity to accept Christ, God gives them that opportunity. That's my hope, at least - but what do I know?

I hope you find the answers you're looking for. I am a Christian and am constantly searching for answers to some questions, but His ways our greater than ours. Some things we might not comprehend here on earth. That's where faith takes over. Just know that when Jesus died on that Cross, it was for YOU. All of our sins (past, present and future) were forgiven that day if we just put our lives into His hands. I will be praying that, if you haven't already, you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and we will meet in Heaven.

Answer 3

According to the bible, the only way to God and therefore heaven is through a relationship with Jesus. So the first person is doing good works without faith, and it's the faith that makes the grade in God's eyes. Person no.2 may be a christian and therefore will be going to heaven, but he hasn't grasped what freedom he can have in christ (this is common in christians who don't spend time with Christ or in God's word, they start to succomb to temptations of the world). Person 3, no contest, going straight to heaven, if his repentence was genuine. Person 4, God judges those who have not had the gospel according to how they lived, I believe this in the bible somewhere.

Answer 4

Your question outlines major problems some have.

First some believe they are too good to be lost. They talk about people who do good things and live morale lives. Salvation, however is not based on if we are good enough to earn it. "There are none righteous, no not one" (Romans 3:10) This is because "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God". (Romans 3:23)

A Christian should live a good life, but that alone does not earn salvation!

Secondly, some believe that there are people who are too bad to be saved. Again, this places the emphasis on us, not on God.

The truth is we are all too bad to be saved on our own. The verses I mentioned before say that we have all sinned. Death is what we are due (what we earned) because of this sin. (Romans 6:23)

Some try to say that they have only done "little sins", but our sins are the reason Christ was murdered! (Romans 5:8-10) Therefore, we are all guilty of that murder. This means we deserve the death penalty.

Christ, however payed what we were due to pay. He died for our sins.

We can accept this pardon by following him. He established a plan of salvation. If we love him and do what he said, he will apply the penalty he has paid to cover our sins.

The question to answer all for of these people is do they love, trust, and obey God? Are they willing to set aside their own desires to follow His? Do they seek first following God?

If they put God first, and do what He has instructed, then they can be saved!

Answer 5

Like Father K says "it's all up to God." Personally in my views & beliefs (I am a Christian) I think they all could go to heaven. The only thing is 1 & 4 would have to accept Jesus.

Answer 6

I feel you need to pre-empt these thoughts with a more fundamental understanding of Christianity.

There is a mis-conception about what a "Good Christian Life" means - there is no such thing... It's like saying someone lived a "good human life" - you are either a christian or your not...

Secondly, it's a falacy to believe that once you're a Christian, you are no longer subject to the same human and social pressures and influences as "not yet christians"... Christians are just as prone to failure as non-christians...

From this point, you perhaps can better understand that accepting God's grace is not about deeds and actions alone. The bible clearly says we can never get into Heaven by our actions. So far is the separation from God that no collection of human deeds can get you through the pearly gates....

You become a Christian once you earnestly accept that God loves you so much that he sent his only son to earth, to die a slow and brutal death in order that we may be forgiven of our sins. All we have to do is accept the grace given to us, acknowledge Jesus as Lord and entrust him into our lives - he becomes the boss!

Once this is done, the experience is transforming. You plant something in your life that if nurtured correctly will completely change you... this "nurture" piece is vital... as without it, as previously stated, we will fall... it's the old "use it or lose it" argument... anyone who has tried to learn a language will grasp this...

So why be a Christian.... well in my personal opinion, with such morale disarray in todays societies, how can we truly be expected to have all the answers and know 100% of the time what is best for us - the goal posts are constantly changing. Why wouldn't you want to have a perfect being, incapable of malice or harm, who wants nothing more than for you to live a happy, peaceful life, be in charge..

And yes, of course, I sin all the time, but my sense of morality hasn't changed and I feel my life is better whilst having a close, personal relationship with Jesus...


So....

1) Sad perhaps by our human interpretation of justice, but this individual would not go to heaven

2) Well that about sums me up but even though I may falter, through grace I try to improve... I love Jesus, he's the boss and so I'll be going up!

3) If in earnst, up to... (but may get more of a council flat in heaven rather than a palacial residence - I suspect we'd be neighbours...)

4) Verdict still out on this one... same as for children who die before they have an "awareness" of God... I think all of mankind have an awareness of God built into their construction (perhaps evidenced by the existance of the many religions in the first place...) and so God will know their heart and will judge them accordingly...

Answer 7

1.) Didn't accept Jesus as her lord and savior.. Sorry only way to heaven is through Christ if you don't follow the plan of salvation to be saved your going to hell.

2.) he would have sinned and he would be judged accordingly; however, you never said in here that he was saved you just said he acknowledged Christ so refer to number 1.

3.) he would be forgiven and would be allowed to enter heaven. Everything you do before you where saved is washed away and you will not be judged by it.

4.) If someone has never heard of God I think he will come back during the millennium reign like the aborted babies and the rest of the people who have not reached the age of accountability.

Answer 8

There are only two places a person can go when they die. One is to hell. They go there because they have rejected what the Lord Jesus did for them on the cross. The second place a person can go when they is heaven. They get to go there because they have believed and trusted in what the Lord Jesus Christ did for them on the cross. He died for their sins, He was buried and took their sins away and He rose again the third day for their justification. 1 Corinthians 15: 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 1 Corinthians 15: 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: Romans 4: 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Answer 9

1) God judges based on revelation provided. If ignored, this person is judged accordingly. God provided the lifeboat. Many good people die for not utilizing the salvation provided.

2) Saved--but no rewards.

3) Saved. The blood of Christ cleanses us from ALL sin.

4) Salvation cannot be "bought" by good works.

Answer 10

1) One must believe to be saved. We are not saved by works alone.

2) A true Christian does not make place for sin in their lives.

3) True repentance leads to forgiveness. Forgiveness washes away any sin.

4) That is for God alone to know.

Answer 11

Your choice of method for your questions shows a distinct lack of understanding of true Christianity.
Each individual has a choice of living without God in their life or giving their life to him and there are specific things one has to do to become a Christian......once 'saved' anyone may go to Heaven and once saved one lives a life as near to the path set by Jesus words and deeds as possible.
As for the answers to your four questions.....only God knows them.
Best wishes, Mike.