Will Christians Really be Happy?

[Rose]

How can a Christian be happy knowing he has loved ones in hell?

 

[Yesua888]

How can a Christian be happy knowing he has loved ones in hell?

Rose,

This is another important and deep question to ponder, and it is worth the study for those who are battling with this issue in the here and now.

It is such a loaded and difficult question to answer ... so many of us have asked this question, in our heads rather than out loud. It is a real dilemma for some. Should it be or shouldn't it be? My responses come from holding onto and praying about this very issue.

My first off thought (now not back then) is that if God gave us Free Will and some believe in Him and others do not ... do we fret over this, especially if those close to us, do not believe as we do? What of those whom we helped bring into the World?

Many of us will have tried so hard to get our loved ones to "see" Him and to "hear" what we have to say, yet are ridiculed when we do?

My second response is that all I can do is pray and leave it in God's hands; that does bring peace, knowing and trusting in God's Word : )

Here are some common threads that came up when I went searching for Scripture that addresses your question:

God’s Perfect Justice: Passages like Ezekiel 33:11 state God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked but desires repentance, while Revelation 16:7 affirms His judgments are "true and just."
Christians are encouraged to trust that God’s justice is perfect and that those in hell are there entirely due to their own choices, not because God is unjust.
Genesis 18:25 "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"
Romans 2:6–8 "He will render to each one according to his works… but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury."
Ezekiel 18:20 "The person who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father for the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself."

How do we work with this knowledge, when our hearts are still grieving, and we are not yet "Spiritually Mature"?

Matthew 19:29: Jesus promises that everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, wife, children, or lands for his name's sake will receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life. and Mark 10:29-30: Jesus reiterates that no one who has left home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or fields for his sake and the gospel will fail to receive a hundredfold now in this time, along with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come. Luke 18:29-30: Jesus states that no one who has left home, wife, brothers, parents, or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times more in this present time and eternal life in the age to come.

These passages are often interpreted as referring to the cost of discipleship, where allegiance to Jesus takes precedence over family obligations, particularly in contexts of persecution or when family relationships hinder one's faith.

Knowing these verses still leave me sad, knowing that some of my loved ones do not "see" or "hear" Him, nor do they want to ... I pray most days on this:

Scriptural Amnesia?

While some suggest we won’t remember those in hell, most theologians argue that Scripture does not teach spiritual amnesia. Instead, the transformation of the heart and the overwhelming presence of God’s love and justice will replace earthly sorrow with perfect peace and contentment.

Scripture indicates that our understanding will be transformed in eternity (1 Corinthians 13:12). Believers will see things from a heavenly perspective.

Revelation 21:4 (ESV) "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

Isaiah 65:17 is the verse most directly tied to the "no spiritual amnesia" claim. It doesn't say memories are erased — it says the former things "shall not be remembered or come into mind." The Hebrew nuance (from zakar and ba'alah al ha-leb) suggests the former things will no longer dominate the mind or cause distress, rather than that the mind is literally wiped clean.

Some may argue that the above applies to when we are in Heaven?

Does this help those of us who are still grieving their loved ones "stubbornness", "cold heartedness" or lack of "faith" (lack of believing if you will), here on Earth, today?

The above verses, Jesus has given us His teachings, which should help us deal with our challenges now, on Earth.

This next verse should pull it all together:

1 Corinthians 13:12 contrasts our current partial and dim understanding of God with the full clarity we will experience in eternity, serving as a theological basis for living by faith in the present. Because our knowledge is fragmentary and our perception is "clouded like a mirror," Christians are instructed to rely on love, faith, and hope rather than demanding complete comprehension of God’s plan or others' actions.

Any further thoughts, insights, enlightenments?

 

[David]

What we need to realize is that Scripture makes clear what eternity will be like for those who belong to Christ, but it does not explain exactly how we will understand the absence of loved ones who rejected Him.

Revelation 21:4 gives us a promise we can hold on to:

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

Notice that God does not say there will be less sorrow. He says there will be no more sorrow at all. The Bible does not fully explain how this will happen, so we should be careful not to come up with our own explanations about losing our memories or becoming unable to remember those we loved.

But I think there is something else we need to consider. Can we somehow become more righteous or more compassionate than God simply because someone we love is under His judgment? Of course not. Abraham asked, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Genesis 18:25). The answer is yes, always.

We should also remember that Jesus Himself wept over Jerusalem when He spoke of the destruction that was coming upon the city (Luke 19:41-44). Paul also expressed "great heaviness and continual sorrow" over his unbelieving brethren (Romans 9:2-3). There is nothing wrong with grieving over those who are lost. That grief should move us to pray for those who are still living and share the gospel with them while there is still an opportunity.

This is where our confidence must rest. God has promised that those who belong to Christ will dwell with Him in a place where sorrow will no longer exist. We do not have to understand exactly how He will accomplish that to believe what He has promised.

The more important question for us today is not how we will feel in eternity about loved ones who are lost, but what we are doing now while those who are still living have the opportunity to repent and believe the gospel.

Jesus said, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3).

We cannot make someone believe. But we can tell them the truth, pray for them, and point them to Jesus Christ, the only One who can save them.

And I believe that is where our concern for our loved ones needs to be directed today. We cannot change what has already happened to those who have died, but we can still reach out to those who are living.

God has not asked us to explain everything about eternity. He has told us to believe His Word, trust His judgment, and proclaim the gospel while there is still time.

 

[bobinfaith]

How can a Christian be happy knowing he has loved ones in hell?

Good morning, Rose;

I agree what David posted and would like to offer my personal belief, two fold to this important question.

While alive I have officiated many funerals in the last 4 years. But when it came to my immediate family I confess some of our loved ones was not a Christian or lived in heinous sin and would not listen when the opportunity to repent was there. Still, my immediate family mourns their loss but I also believe what Jesus teaches in several verses regarding those who are not saved or lived a life of rebellious sin against Him;

God is sole judge.

John 12:48, 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. - NIV

Hebrews 9:27-28, Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. - NIV

Christ was offered once to bear our sins. We are reminded there are no second chances to repent. The truth is appointed for us to die once, but after this the judgment is an indisputable principle. There are inescapable consequences for rejecting Jesus.

For those who will be saved in eternity will not reconcile the loss of our loved ones in hell. This may sound calloused. Truth is, we will not shed tears in heaven concerning our failures or the failures of our former loved ones on earth. The emphasis here is the ultimate comfort of God, not on the remorse of the sinners. Heaven will be full of eternal joy and undisturbed.

Revelation 21:3-4, 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” - NIV

God bless you, Rose.

Bob