A Frank and Open Discussion About Who Goes to Heaven and Hell

Who goes to heaven and who goes to hell.  This is an interesting question.  I remember when I was an unbeliever my argument with God was that either I have to do things His way or I will have to go to the lake of fire.  Why can’t I just do things My Way.  A few years later I understood why and realized that His ways are much better. It’s like when a parent tells their two year old that they can’t play with the butcher knife no matter how much they want to.  

So what does happen to believers and unbelievers when they die?  Do unbelievers perish like John 3:16 and many other scriptures say they will or do they actually go to the Lake of Fire that many preach about.  Well, according to the Bible, they do both.  This is John 3:16  For God so loved the world that he sent his only son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. God gives us all a choice.  This scripture is summed up like this.  God loves all of us but he knew that none of us could make right the things we had done wrong.  So he sent his son Jesus to die for all the wrongs we had done and pay the required price.  That’s why he said “It is finished” just before he died.  Now, anyone who believes in what Jesus did for them is forgiven and will not perish.  Instead they will have eternal life with God.  Those who do not will perish.  

Unbelievers cannot live with God in Heaven.  Only born again believers can.  So what happens to them?  The Bible says that hell was not created for man but for the devil and his angels.  Here is how it works.  It’s all about our sins or wrongdoings.  God provided a way for our sins to be forgiven by sending His son Jesus to die on the cross to pay the price for our sins.  But it’s only for those who want it.  Those who repent, acknowledge what Jesus did for them, thank him for what he did, and ask Him to forgive their sins are forgiven but those who do not have to pay for their own sins.  So how do they do that?  

When they die unbelievers have their “day in court” where they stand before God and are shown all their sins.  Then they go to the Lake of Fire for the length of time that their sins deserve.  After that they perish and exist no more.  Here is the scripture that tells us how the judgment works. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.  Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.  Revelation 20   Not a very nice story, but all they had to do was turn to Jesus and ask for forgiveness  but they chose not to.  Because God gave us free will to make our own choices it’s up to us to decide who we want to serve and who we want to spend eternity with; God or the devil.  In view of this it looks like a no brainer regarding which choice we should make.  You can make yours and get your name in the Book of Life by Clicking Here.  And that is what the Bible teaches about heaven and hell and who goes where.