If you’ve ever asked a Christian about why the suffering in Hell must never end, you probably received an answer that goes something like this:
“If a person’s choices land them in Hell, and they refuse to repent,1 what can God do? God will not force anyone to repent. And he will not let the unrepentant in to Heaven.2 If he did, Heaven would be turned into Hell.”
So, if a person does not repent in this life, is that the end of the story?
We’ve all heard testimonies of those who came to Christ while in prison. Were they forced to accept Christ against their will? Was the prodigal forced to return to his father? God often brings a person to repentance through suffering. Suffering for past sins is not incompatible with free will.
But is there any evidence in the Bible to suggest that all things (which would include all people) will be made new?
And can a person believe that God will eventually reconcile all people and be a Christian?
This man used to believe the answer was no. What changed his mind?
1. “Everyone is forgiven, but it does us no good until we repent (change our minds) and believe we are forgiven. If a person doesn’t believe that God loves them, then his love and forgiveness mean nothing to them.
This does not mean God’s love is worthless to a person if they don’t believe he loves them. God desires their good, and will continue to do all he can to bring them to the point where they see that he died for them and that he loves them.” (Quote taken from ‘What is the Gospel?’)
2. Heaven would be Hell for a self-centred person.