I am aware of what the Bible says about the wicked which is that if they do not accept Jesus and repent, they will go to eternal hell. But what about an innocent person who has lived a sinful life?
This person would be someone who lived a homosexual life or someone who lived a selfish life their entire life, but was still a kind and respectful innocent person towards others.
This person never repented or anything because he/she thought that there was nothing wrong with his/her way of life.
He/she thought that it was not sinful at all because as long as he/she was kind and innocent towards others, he/she would think that what he/she is doing is not sinful and would not send him/her to hell at all.
It would be the most cruel and unfair thing to send an innocent person to hell. Also, what about someone who has bad harmful thoughts towards others, but didn't harm anyone? Would they go to hell?
That is technically not what it says.....
To fully understand any subject in scripture, all scripture on the subject should be referenced.
Isaiah 28:9Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine?
them that are weaned from the milk,
and drawn from the breasts.
10For precept
must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little,
and there a little
The following are the most important verses -in my opinion -to consider first...
I Cor 3:13Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
14If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss:
but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire
I Cor15:
21For since by man
came death, by man
came also the resurrection of the dead.
22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
24Then
cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death
Those who have not been called during this lifetime -and who are not made immortal at the first resurrection -will be resurrected to the judgment after the thousand years after Christ begins to reign on Earth.
They will then be judged according to their works -and many will have done good works.
Our works technically include our attitude, understanding, innocence, malevolence, etc., and God will consider all.
Some will receive life -and some will "have their part" in the lake of fire.
The best way to think about the lake of fire is that it is unquenchable and indefinite -but one's experience of it are dependent upon the spiritual state and attitude of the individual -which will have been reflected by their works during their life.
It is a fire by which God purifies -he is like a refiner's fire.
It is written that God is able to destroy both body and spirit in the lake of fire.
It is also written that it is possible for one to experience it "for ever and ever" -but those things are not necessarily what will happen -and certainly not to every individual -if any.
The beast and false prophet are the first to be cast into the lake of fire -even a thousand years before the devil. Exactly what that experience will be is not explained in great detail -but it will not be pleasant. While it is written that they will be tormented "for ever and ever" -that may or may not mean without any possibility of end.
If any can be turned to repentance, that is what will happen.
We do not know whether all can be turned to repentance it is possible -whether some are completely incorrigible -whether some must be destroyed -but God is not cruel. What he does is for good reason and the best possible good for all.
The lake of fire is an ultimatum. God cannot allow disobedience and destruction into eternity.
Given that judgment -and time experiencing it -and then seeing the real possibility to live in happiness forever may eventually turn even the most evil to repentance.
Perhaps not. I do not know.
That is between them and God.
