Why is it never too late to be saved while you are alive but the moment you die you're no longer redeemable?

Question

Why are living people redeemable but dead people aren't? What is the purpose of punishment if it isn't for the purpose of teaching someone a lesson so they can make a better choice next time? If the punishment of Hell is solely for the sake of revenge, then what purpose is it really serving except needless torture of souls who have learned their lesson and are ready for the chance to prove that? If God ever really loved those people in Hell, wouldn't he give them another chance now that they know they made the wrong choice? What harm would that do? If he gives living people innumerable chances then why not those who have died? I do not see the logic in it. He makes the rules, so why can't He adjust them according to the changes He sees in a person's attitudes?

Martin S, I am not sure why you believe God does not lie. He very clearly lies to Adam and Eve in Genesis 2:16,17
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die."
As we all know, Adam and Eve didn't die that day. Please explain to me how this is not a lie. If it is not a lie, then it must be an example of Him changing the rules. If He could break his word and changed the rules for Adam and Eve, then why can't He do it for the billions of people who are eternally suffering in Hell at God's whim?

Answer 1

I personally believe you get another chance in the millenium, but what do i know right?

Answer 2

Because most of the 'rules' and 'laws' of Christianity are from a book , the contents of which were chosen by members of the church hierarchy. If you had another chance after death, why would you need to listen to the church. You could live your life as you saw fit then if there was an afterlife you could repent and be saved. The way the church has set it up is that you need their help and intervention to be saved BEFORE death. It's all self serving and designed to keep control of the faith and the faithful in the hands of the church.

Edit: Martin S, you claim God can't change the rules, but he did already. The rules changed between the OT and the NT. He's done it once, set a precedence. So does that mean he is not the eternal, all knowing, and unchanging being that He claims to be? He could change the rules if he wanted. If he was a loving god he wouldn't have set such merciless, vindictive rules in the first place. Then again, I don't believe in a god anyway, so why am I bothering? I guess I just enjoy the exchange of views.

Answer 3

God cannot change what He has already said in His word otherwise the bible would all be wrong. The sciptures say in Psalms 119 that God's word is forever settled in Heaven, it cannot change neither can God alter it He is bound by His word.

The whole purpose of salvation is to be saved from eternal judgement. While we are here on earth we have a choice of accepting salvation or rejecting it, But once we die then nothing more can be done because the bible says that it is appointed once for man to die then judgement. If there was a seconce chance after death then salvation would be pointless and Jesus would have suffered in vain, while we are on earth it is the time to make the choice of where we will spend eternity.

Answer 4

I think that the problem is that you're looking at this from an Arminian standpoint, and so are most of your Christian answers. More often than not I see atheists looking through the holes in that theology more clearly than the Arminians see it.

Calvinist theology looks at it a little more deeply than "once saved, always saved." The Elect are saved from eternity, to eternity, some of them just don't know it yet. Therefore the "endgame" for the Arminians is not at all true for the Calvinist. The reprobate are left in their sins, and are righteously punished. God did not predestined them, they were never saved, they are cast into hell, and God is glorified in his righteousness. The elect on the other hand were predestined, foreknown, called, saved, kept in the palm of his hand, and there is no endgame at death. For them, to live is Christ, to die is gain. The sheep know his voice and the Shepherd knows their names.

So, to answer your questions:
- There is no "too late."
- We don't know who is written into the book of life and who isn't. This means that we (Christians) participate in salvation (we don't do this saving, God does).
- The purpose of punishment involves God's righteousness. It is not to teach us a lesson. The fact is that no one deserves heaven or merits it through their works.
- Hell is not "needless torture." It is the absolute righteousness and holiness of God, who nearly destroyed the Earth with a flood, killed firstborns, and even killed those who thought they were chosen through the law. Revelation declares this righteousness with a Lake of fire. If this does not tell you that God is not just a big cuddle bear in the sky for everyone, you may as well throw your Bible away and believe in universalism or just find another faith. Joshua 24:15, "choose this day whom you will serve..."

Answer 5

He makes the rules, so why can't He adjust them according to the changes He sees in a person's attitudes?

To answer your question you have to study the attributes of God as He has revealed them to mankind. One of those attributes is that God doesn't lie and that He is sovereign over all of his creation. So when God tells mankind the rules, He doesn't change them later on. Changing the rules would mean that God is not the eternal, all knowing, and unchanging being that He claims to be.

While that may seem harsh to someone who has rejected the gift of his Son as payment for their sins during their life time, it is a great comfort to those who have by faith accepted Jesus' substitutionary death on their behalf. If God could change the rules He has established one way, then why couldn't He change them another way and tell someone who died and trusted in Jesus for their salvation that they somehow didn't measure up to what God expected of them and so they were on their way to Hell?

If you want to learn more about God's character then check out Knowledge of the Holy by A W Tozer @ http://www.heavendwellers.com/hdt_knowledge_of_the_holy.htm

If you want to learn about being saved then click on the Get Saved button @ http://web.express56.com/~bromar/

Answer 6

Well apparently he does make the rules but he can't break them.Funny that seeing as how if he existed at all he would have to break every natural law going in physics etc.

Answer 7

Vita C... your reasoning is very valid. Tough Christians won't like you to question God's Wisdom. Actually you do have the answer throughout the Bible! The main reason for creating a sulfuric burning Hell is ENTERTAINMENT for God and Jesus and everybody else in Heaven!

By believing in Jesus and being “saved” you will get one of the first seats in Heaven to watch how the vast majority of the human beings including your “unsaved” family members and old acquaintances will be tormented in a sulfuric Hell fire lake or what have you for ever and ever and you will get a chance to poke fun and tease at them all you want for ever and ever… That’s HEAVEN! No wonder Jesus said that you must hate your father and your mother and everybody else to follow him, especially if they are "unsaved" and go to HELL! You will hear a lot of “I told you so…” from Sweet Jesus!

Luke 16:23-25-NIV (Jesus is telling us…) AND BEING IN TORMENTS IN HELL, he* (*a rich man in Hell) lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; FOR I AM TORMENTED IN THIS FLAME.’(and Jesus all excited continues the story telling…) But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and YOU ARE TORMENTED! (Hey, these are words of Sweet Jesus… he will enjoy watching the Christians teasing those in HELL!)

Revelation 14:10-11 "he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. HE WILL BE TORMENTED WITH BURNING SULFUR in the presence of the holy angels and of the LAMB* (*aka God the Son Jesus Christ, and some Christians who will ALWAYS be with him wherever he goes/John 17:24). And the smoke of their torment rises FOR EVER AND EVER. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."

So if you got saved make sure that you pay your tithes and offering or you will be given a Christian burial without next of kin notification and go to HELL for sinning against the Holy Ghost! (Acts 5:1-11)!!!

The Bible writers have all the answers to your questions figured out... YOU MUST BECOME A CHRISTIAN!

Answer 8

The end of the God Shew is already written.
It has no mention of law: sin and death at all.

There is no respect of persons with God.
God our Saviour will have all men saved,
and all men aware what saved from: law.

MeanWhile, two parts are being played:
- "their part": God is evil spoken of... law
- "your part": God is glorified ... grace
Their part is played by "many", your part by "few".

The GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ with you all. Amen.

Answer 9

believing God is required and we don't have the luxury of seeing before believing. and we are required once to dye not twice, and if you die how can you ask Jesus to die in your place if you have already died it would be too late.

Answer 10

...God is not a "fair" God... He is a Righteous and Just God.
God clearly tells "us"...choose... make a decision... on the day you step into eternity, what you have decided will determine your eternal course... (it's a no brainier)... but choose wisely. (it's like the thief, who all his life doesn't get caught until one day he does and he begs for another chance... he knows better and thought he could get away with it forever but he got caught...now it time to "pay the price")
Choose wisely...