Forgiveness From Hell?

[Jaguar]

At the risk of sounding foolish!

Would it, or could it ever be possible for satan to ask God for forgiveness?

I’m thinking no, & that his fate is sealed, as is, all others who have chosen not to follow God.

 

[Bishopite]

At the risk of sounding foolish!

Would it, or could it ever be possible for satan to ask God for forgiveness?

I’m thinking no, & that his fate is sealed, as is, all others who have chosen not to follow God.

His fate is sealed. His choice forever fixed. There is no charity in hell.

 

[bpbasilphx]

There’s a story from the desert fathers about a monk who was approached by a demon and asking how he could be saved.

The monk was taken aback at this odd question, but prayed and received an answer: “Say three times, O Lord God, forgive me and have mercy on me.”

He delivered the message to the demon, who disappeared in a cloud of sulphur, saying, “I’ll NEVER do that.”

 

[Reformed_Rob]

Excellent question, and here’s my understanding.

Demons are angels.

Angels are different than we are. Their will is absolute, they don’t change their mind once it’s made up.

I can think of many good resolutions that I wish I would have kept as perfectly as I intended when I made them. But alas, I am human and my will is not Angelic.

On the other hand, the angels that decided to not be obedient to God, they would never choose to repent and become obedient to God.

It’s just “who” they are.

 

[thistle]

At the risk of sounding foolish!

Would it, or could it ever be possible for satan to ask God for forgiveness?

I’m thinking no, & that his fate is sealed, as is, all others who have chosen not to follow God.

There is no forgiveness for Satan or anyone who is in Hell.

 

[M_Richard]

God is forgiving.

Satan could conceivably ask for repentance, and God could conceivably forgive him.

The reconciliation of Man to God should be a lesson to fallen angels. But they would rather see God angry at us, as he is with them.

That is why they seek to sabotage our relationship with God.

 

[Nevarlander]

At the risk of sounding foolish!

Would it, or could it ever be possible for satan to ask God for forgiveness?

I’m thinking no, & that his fate is sealed, as is, all others who have chosen not to follow God.

In theory, I suppose so. But you know how you do something and you know it’s a bad idea, but you still refuse to go back on it because it’s your idea? I think that’s what Satan’s doing.

 

[Zooey]

Many years ago, we had a terrific pastor at my church, who held a Bible study at the parsonage every week. These were great, great, teaching experiences for all of us, I believe. I know they helped me a good deal…
Anyhow, one evening, someone asked almost this same this question: “If there were people in hell, who asked for forgiveness, would it be possible that God would forgive them, & they could go to Heaven?”
His answer was something I never forgot. He said: “I believe that God’s mercy is infinite, & that He would be willing to forgive those in hell, even the devil himslef”…But then he added: “But that won’t happen, because you see, nobody goes to hell because they don’t repent; they are in hell because they WON’T repent!”
That just blew me away when he said it, & it still does, today. Hell is full of people who don’t want to repent, because they refuse to believe & worship God…They would rather spend eternity among the damned, than to humble themselves.
That’s scary, you know?? That there are folks who are that fond of their favorite sins, or who cherish their pride, so much that they would:crying: refuse Heaven rather than give it up…

 

[Genesis315]

God is forgiving.

Satan could conceivably ask for repentance, and God could conceivably forgive him.

Theoretically that could be true, but since God has revealed otherwise and He does not deceive, it isn’t true.

 

[bpbasilphx]

<<That’s scary, you know?? That there are folks who are that fond of their favorite sins, or who cherish their pride, so much that they would:crying: refuse Heaven rather than give it up… >>

C. S. Lewis described this in THE GREAT DIVORCE. People from the Grey Town (which might be Hell, or might be Purgatory, but could be the marches of Heaven if you choose not to return to it) frequently would come to the Valley of the Shadow of Life for no other reason than to ecstatically spit and gibber out their hatred of heaven, and then go back to the Grey Town (which would in this case become Hell for them).

There was a sermon I heard in my youth about how Hell was the ultimate expression of God’s love. He will not force His presence for eternity on those who don’t want him.

In another light, there’s THE RIVER OF FIRE by Dr. Alexandre Kalomiros who suggested that Hell and Heaven are the identical thing: the unmitigated experience of God’s love with nothing to distract us from it, as we have in this life. As one saint said, the love of God will be indescribable torment for those who have not acquired it in this life.

And then there is someone who said, “In the next life, God will be fire: the fire that burns, the fire that purifies, and the fire that warms.”