The purpose or reason for this inquiry into how will the God of the Judeo/Christian scriptures deal with the unbelievers/unrepentant/wicked/lost/unrighteous or whatever title the faith community ascribes to those who have not allowed God to change them into a new creation in His own image. In churches all over the world there are Christians with varied understandings of what He will ultimately do with Uncle Bob, Aunt Mary, cousin Derek, neighbor Jose, Grandpa, Grandma, or Mom and Dad at the end of time.
These concerns do not usually come to mind on a daily basis but occasionally, usually at funerals, we do silently wonder what is or will happen to our deceased loved ones. Certainly the pastor or speaker at this type of event normally paints a good word picture, however, many times we know a different person than the one being talked about at this solemn occasion.
What is God’s “judgment” upon those human beings who reject the Good News? The “sentence” determined upon them by God Himself is quite easily found in the Word of God, the Bible. The dilemma that this issue raises is that like other subjects in Scripture, and mostly depending upon one’s background, two very different positions are embraced within the Christian community.
The belief that God will never stop punishing Unbelievers (the wicked) in hell shapes our view concerning the character of God. A right (Biblical) understanding about this issue allows us to see our God as He is. An erroneous position on the Creator’s actions towards those that reject His generous gift of salvation influences how we behave toward the One that provides to us life eternal. These are a few of the reasons why this issue is so very important.