Do Good People Go to Hell (Part 2)?
A woman asked a close friend (in a different religion) if she thought she would go to hell even though she was kind, loving, and unselfish (see part one for additional details). Her friend said that she would "in no uncertain terms." Her response was: "Logically, I know I asked for it. But it felt as though she was telling me I was going to hell for having a different religion." She asked an advice columnist, "Should I be offended?" to which she was told no. We do not know what religion each person was, but presumably the questioner was something other than a Christian, since Christianity clearly teaches about a place of eternal torment (Matt. 25:41, 46; Mark 9:40-48).
Many times people misstate the facts of the matter. The woman who brought up this subject thinks her friend is condemning her to hell because she is a different religion. Although many people would draw that conclusion, the fact of the matter is that she will be condemned because: 1) she does not believe the truth; and 2) she does not have forgiveness of her sins. She seems to think that all religions have equal value, which is an erroneous hypothesis. Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Muhammad, et al. do not have equal status with Jesus, Who is the Son of God. Many attempt to relegate Jesus to a mere prophet, but He Himself said: "…for if you do not believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins" (John 8:24). He also claimed to be eternal, the "I AM" (John 8:58) who created all things (Heb. 1:1-3).
No mortal man can make such a claim. Furthermore, none of the others gave their lives on the cross, shedding their blood for all mankind. Jesus, however, did (Heb. 9:12). No other man has ever been resurrected from the grave, either. Jesus was "declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection of the dead" (Rom. 1:4). No one can become saved by his own goodness\—but only by the blood of Jesus (Rev. 1:5). God has appointed a day on which He will judge the world by Jesus (Acts 17:31). The question will not be, "How good were you?" but "Did you repent of your sins and have them forgiven?" (Acts 17:30; cf. Acts 2:38). Sins must be washed away (Acts 22:16).
All religions cannot be true because their teachings conflict with each other. Are men reincarnated, or do they have one lifetime to get things right (Heb. 9:27-28)? Truth does exist, and it is found in the Bible, the Word of God (John 17:17). However, no one can be saved if they do not have a love of the truth (2 Thess. 2:10). The woman who asked the question should not be upset with the answer; she should ponder if what she was told was true. All religions are not valid, and the Son of God is only properly honored in Christianity (Rev. 19:16). Only Jesus can keep anyone out of hell.