can people in hell repent and turn to God

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

TMS

Senior Member
Mar 21, 2015
4,048
1,326
113
Australia
#81
the only thing that I can think of that could prevent the entire population of hell from repenting is by the taking away of their free will

but I don't see how you could reconcile that with the character of God ???
Hell as you describe does not exist. It is a simple study from the bible if you are willing to look at it. It explains how God is not a monster.
 

oyster67

Senior Member
May 24, 2014
11,887
8,705
113
#82
Adam and Eve were created sinless but they were still corruptible because they had free will
Yes, and just as @Magenta said, we shall put on incorruption when we get to Heaven! Isn't that wonderful!

1 Peter 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
 

Deuteronomy

Well-known member
Jun 11, 2018
3,346
3,721
113
68
#84
If God could create humans with free will that would never sin, why didn't he do that with Adam and Eve ???
That's a good question .. for Him ;)

God is all good (as well as all knowing and all powerful) so that's why he doesn't sin despite having free will
I believe you are correct, it's all about what we desire the most at a given moment in time. We have free will when we are able to choose what we want/desire the most at the moment of choice. God has free will and could sin if He ~wanted~ to, but that's the key, He never "wants" to, so He never will (in fact, if He ever sinned, that would mean that His will was not free, that He was somehow overpowered or deceived by the will of a 3rd party).

The good news for us is, in the resurrection, we (His glorified saints) will be be just like Him in a number of ways, which includes having a Divine nature like His, so we will never 'want' to sin either, ever again, PTL :)

~Deut
 

14meatcc

Active member
Feb 17, 2020
154
86
28
San Diego
#89
Focusing on stuff like this is not healthy. Focus on God and his Son who defeated death, hell, and the grave. Greater is he that is within us than he that is within the world. We are to put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and fear not.
I totally agree to focus only on Christ I only posted that because it happened to me and I felt it pertinent
 
B

Blackpowderduelist

Guest
#90
Hell is death. Dead people can't do anything.
 

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
10,467
1,593
113
#92
That's debatable in my opinion. Though I don't have a firm belief on it. I'm convinced there is heaven and hell, not sure about purgatory.
Which non Catholic verse supports Purgatory?
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,691
113
#93
Which non Catholic verse supports Purgatory?
What is a "non Catholic verse?" There are plenty of verses that imply or infer there are different locations in the spiritual world, without explicitly confirming or denying, making purgatory a debatable concept.

1 Peter 3:18-20 - Gospel preached to souls in prison.
Who are the souls in prison? Where is prison? Why were they being preached to by Jesus?

1 Peter 4:6 - Gospel preached to those who are dead
Why would the gospel be preached to the dead if there was no chance for reconciliation?

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 - saved by fire.
What is this talking about? Why aren't these people going straight to heaven to be saved? What does it mean to be saved by fire?
 

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
10,467
1,593
113
#94
What is a "non Catholic verse?" There are plenty of verses that imply or infer there are different locations in the spiritual world, without explicitly confirming or denying, making purgatory a debatable concept.

1 Peter 3:18-20 - Gospel preached to souls in prison.
Who are the souls in prison? Where is prison? Why were they being preached to by Jesus?

1 Peter 4:6 - Gospel preached to those who are dead
Why would the gospel be preached to the dead if there was no chance for reconciliation?

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 - saved by fire.
What is this talking about? Why aren't these people going straight to heaven to be saved? What does it mean to be saved by fire?
1 peter 4.6 is referring to that time before Jesus rises . Never to be repeated order of events .

1 cor is referring to ' Works ' being burned not people.
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,691
113
#95
1 peter 4.6 is referring to that time before Jesus rises . Never to be repeated order of events .

1 cor is referring to ' Works ' being burned not people.
I think 1 Peter 4:6 is referring to humans who die and then get judged. It differentiates between those who are living corrupt Earthly lives to those who died in their sins. It's implying that the dead are those who died in their sins and the living are those who died in Christ. It says that the dead will be given the gospel in order to apply judgement to them. Are they in heaven or hell?

I can agree with your assessment of 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.

You did not comment on 1 Peter 3:18-20. What's your take on this?
 

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
10,467
1,593
113
#96
I think 1 Peter 4:6 is referring to humans who die and then get judged. It differentiates between those who are living corrupt Earthly lives to those who died in their sins. It's implying that the dead are those who died in their sins and the living are those who died in Christ. It says that the dead will be given the gospel in order to apply judgement to them. Are they in heaven or hell?

I can agree with your assessment of 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.

You did not comment on 1 Peter 3:18-20. What's your take on this?
1 peter refers to a specific time before the cross where they would reside prior to the cross . The good part being Abraham's bosom . The bad part where those that were not saved resided . This all changed after the resurrection.
 

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
10,467
1,593
113
#97
I think 1 Peter 4:6 is referring to humans who die and then get judged. It differentiates between those who are living corrupt Earthly lives to those who died in their sins. It's implying that the dead are those who died in their sins and the living are those who died in Christ. It says that the dead will be given the gospel in order to apply judgement to them. Are they in heaven or hell?

I can agree with your assessment of 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.

You did not comment on 1 Peter 3:18-20. What's your take on this?
No one was ' in christ ' prior to the cross and resurrection.
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,691
113
#98
No one was ' in christ ' prior to the cross and resurrection.
1 Peter 4:1
1Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

The context of 1 Peter 4:6 is after the death of Christ, the resurrection is implied; the very first sentence of this chapter even says this. Which verses say this is prior to the cross and resurrection?
 

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
10,467
1,593
113
#99
1 Peter 4:1
1Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

The context of 1 Peter 4:6 is after the death of Christ, the resurrection is implied; the very first sentence of this chapter even says this. Which verses say this is prior to the cross and resurrection?
Past tense .
18¶For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19By which also he WENT and preached unto the spirits in prison;

Jesus is not crucified, buried ect more than once.
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,691
113
Past tense .
18¶For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19By which also he WENT and preached unto the spirits in prison;

Jesus is not crucified, buried ect more than once.
That means Jesus died and then His living Spirit went to preach to those in prison before resurrecting. They were given the gospel and you can't have the complete gospel message without the crucifixion. Next Jesus resurrected.

In John 5:25-29 says the bad and the good, the dead and the living, will be resurrected and judged. So death, resurrection, then judgment? Then there is a delay between death and judgement. The important question here is where are these deceased people waiting before the resurrection?

This infers that there is a prison in the afterlife and that Jesus can go there, but it isn't identified as hell. However, that does not mean it isn't hell.

It does raise important questions about why someone would be given the gospel after judgement and sentenced to hell.

Therefore, it is logically inconsistent to say the spirits in prison are in hell. This only makes sense pre-judgement in the afterlife. This is where the idea of purgatory comes from.