Joan M:
Wrong! People who die in mortal sin go straight to Hell - after all, they have just had their judgment. The Last Judgment, to which you referred above, does not change anything, just shows forth the Glory of God, and at that time, all of us - those in Heaven and those in Hell (there will be no more Purgatory after the Last Judgment) will now have our resurrected bodies.
Maybe according to your word but not God’s.
REV. 20:12-15 “
And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
- Those who stand at this judgment are referred to as “the dead.”
- They are judged according to their deeds.
- None are drawn from heaven itself, and certainly not from Hell, their eternal destination.
Now contrast what is revealed above regarding the last judgment of the “
dead” with the words of Christ Himself:
JOHN 5:24 “
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him
who sent Me, HAS eternal life, and does NOT come into judgment, but has passed
out of death into life.”
From the time one truly believes in the Person and work of Jesus Christ he/she is numbered not amongst the “
dead” but amongst those who have “
passed out of death into LIFE.”
1PET. 3:18
"For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
ALL sins are “mortal.” (
1) We’re dealing with an infinitely, holy God and (
2) all of us are born sinners, born already dead in Adam -
made alive and “
made righteous” ONLY through faith in the “Last Adam,” Jesus Christ (read Rom. 5:12-21; Eph. 2:1-10). Sins are not merely overt actions but extend even to the slightest impure thoughts. But ALL sins are forgiven by God through personal faith in the
Sin-bearer who took our judgment, in our stead, upon Himself on the cross, so that through faith in Him alone, we would inherit Life Eternal.
If you think divine judgment and the threat of eternal Hell is a
sin-issue, then you have not truly understood the Gospel message nor
believed in the “once for all” work of the
Sin-bearer on your behalf, and His own words that those who believe in Him
HAVE eternal LIFE and DO NOT come into judgment but have
passed out of death into LIFE.
Blessings,
L.
God Bless
