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Hotseat – Blog Q & A on Hell

Even in a series like Hotseat, not all your questions get answered. So in this five minute video, Robert Singh fires some follow up questions at me.

Have a look and then if you've still got questions about hell, feel free to ask them here. We'd love to continue the conversation.

[tentblogger-youtube n6NbogJ6L2I]

– Carey

About Justin Piercy

Justin was an integral part of our volunteer team before joining us on staff in the spring of 2009. He uses his gifts in leading our digital ministry strategy at Connexus, and has a passion for reaching and connecting people online.

Justin loves thinking about the future, a good cup of hand crafted pour over or espresso, making beautiful things, and can fly through a good book.

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12 Comments

  1. Ron Edmondson says, November 16, 2011 at 8:40 am

    Great questions and great answers. I share these verses in response to the children going to heaven/hell question:

    Deuteronomy 1:39 (The God who does not change made an exemption for children not old enough to understand)
    Isaiah 1:15 (Jesus had to learn to reject what is bad and choose good….)
    2 Samuel 12:23 (David indicates he’ll see his child again)

    Love what you are doing here.

    Reply
    • Carey Nieuwhof says, November 16, 2011 at 5:16 pm

      Ron thank you. Great scripture references. Appreciate your leadership!

      Reply
  2. Dennis Terry says, November 16, 2011 at 6:35 pm

    Hi. I have just had a Near Death Experience (NDE) while I was in ICU at RVH just 6 weeks ago with my girl friend by my side, Kathy Hurst. Carey knows her well, very well.
    I was truly dying and doctors had told Kathy this the night before, as she went home, and asked her to pray. She was fully expecting me to pass,….but…
    In short, as I left my physical existence, actually was not even concerned or was conscience of my physical being, was taken for a view of hell, as an observer only. Never felt like I was going there, but to see. I also felt protected…for some reason.
    Nothing prepared me for what I saw. Nothing in my life, imagination, experiences or knowledge prepared me for what I saw, with protection around me.
    I did not see a burning hell, but something worse. Endless bodies pushing down, in miles of a watery goo… in various forms of decay, women and men, old and young, grossly existing in a hopeless, grotesque actions, that was worse than a burning hell…no hope, mutilation, evil, slow moving, and endless and timeless…and much much more…way more…for about I now know is about 2.5 hours…it changed everything, everything.
    I had no kidney, liver function, brain infection, severe heart murmur, no hearing, poor site, and not being to talk hours earlier…quickly crashing in emergency…to awake hours later…to fully functioning everything, no infection left, hearing, talking, …and murmur disappeared…within hours…impossible as my doctors would say. Can you say miracle…there was a purpose to this…
    I saw much and God taught me and answered my questions and that of many others. A story I must tell, and have told in a school setting and at Iron Men’s meetings….God is great.
    This is my story and experience that God wants me to tell, and Kathy Hurst my soul mate was with me through this…amazing story…OH…by the way…ALL OF THIS WAS SHOWN TO ME, AND BEHIND IT ALL, SATAN WAS SELLING “LOVE”…YES LOVE…AND I UNDERSTOOD IT….LOVE AND HELL…now that is what I am saying when I said, “nothing I could ever imagine or experience”……….connected horror and love, relationship and horror…Satan is selling love, …we need to prepare and know the difference of God’s true love, not this dysfunctional and distorted love….
    That is my story…and there is much more…
    Blessings,
    Dennis Terry

    Reply
    • Carey Nieuwhof says, November 16, 2011 at 9:22 pm

      Dennis…that’s quite an incredible experience and I’m so thankful you have recovered…incredible, but with an insight and perception that’s probably hard to put into words. A few years ago I read a book called 23 Minutes in Hell by Bill Weise. Similar kind of experience. The scripture describes in some details what none of us want to – or need to – experience.

      Reply
  3. Ruth Anne Piggott says, November 17, 2011 at 12:39 pm

    What is your interpretation of the bible about repentance or rather the lack of repentance on a persons part. Will a person go to hell if they don’t repent for their repeated sins when they are a believer? Lets say a person becomes born again, attends church, believes that Jesus is their salvation, and that he died for their sins. What happens when that person continually keeps compulsively sinning, and does not make any effort to repent, or seek forgiveness of the people they have affected/hurt/betrayed through their sins. Is it possible for them to go to hell due to these unrepentive actions?

    Reply
    • Carey Nieuwhof says, November 17, 2011 at 3:09 pm

      Ruth Anne…what a great question. The key passage for me over the years has been from 2 Timothy 2: 12-13

      If we deny him,
      he will deny us.
      If we are unfaithful,
      he remains faithful,
      for he cannot deny who he is.

      There is a difference between deny Jesus, which involves an act of commission – a renunciation of sorts, and being unfaithful. Being unfaithful carries with it a great sense of having slipped, messed up or fallen away. One is an act of renunciation…the other simply being unfaithful.

      It is ultimately the faithfulness of Christ that covers our sins. But if we renounce that – by denying him – I think that is another question.

      There are others who say that there is nothing you can do to lose your salvation, but I’m not sure I would ever want to push it that far.

      What do others think?

      – Carey

      Reply
  4. Michael Creasor says, November 18, 2011 at 4:28 pm

    Then what would have happened to Peter had he died right after denying Jesus for the third time?

    Reply
  5. Ruth Anne Piggott says, November 19, 2011 at 12:51 pm

    My interpretation in response to Peter denying Jesus – was that immediately Peter repented his actions. The text was brief, but it shows us his immediate repentance –

    Luke 22:62, Amplified Bible (AMP), 62And he went out and wept bitterly [that is, with painfully moving grief].

    Other texts in Bible were very specific to some actions that were going to happen if that person was not going to repent. For example, Jeremiah 7 was specific the temple and the people were going to be destroyed as the people were sinning badly and going to the temple.

    Luke 13:3, and verse 5, is detailed, but still doesn’t mention the word hell

    Jesus says in Luke 13:3 (and in Luke 13:5) “ I tell you, No; but unless you repent, you will all perish”.
    Do we interpret “perish to mean hell?”. That is my question.

    My take aways from the topic of Hell are, Jesus has to be our Lord and Saviour, we need to follow him and obey, to repent like Peter did (described above), and ask for forgiveness of my sins. Looking forward to the next topic…..

    Reply
  6. Josh says, November 24, 2011 at 7:28 pm

    I have a problem when people talk about hell and the afterlife like it consumes their every thought. It seems to me that people are more concerned with where they’re going and not about the life they currently have. For them it’s all about getting out of here and good luck to everyone who didn’t make it.

    Think about this. Jesus died. We all agree on this. He also came back to life several days later. If anyone can know what happens after you die then it would be him, correct? So we might assume that he might say something about it, but he didn’t. He talked about THIS life. The here and now. He said things like “go and make disciples”, “i’m hungry”, “peace be with you” “feed my sheep” “follow me” and, wait for it, “stop worrying about the future and the fate of other people”.

    Jesus is more concerned with this life. Perhaps we should be too.

    Reply
    • Carey Nieuwhof says, November 25, 2011 at 9:03 am

      Josh…thanks. I think it is a balance. Whenever people only get consumed with ‘this life’ or the next, we lose biblical perspective. I agree that it’s a both/and, not an either or. Plus, our eternity is going to last far longer than what happens here.

      Reply
  7. Josh says, November 24, 2011 at 7:37 pm

    Ruth Anne,

    In response to your first inquiry. One verse that comes to mind is Luke 13:25

    Quick context. A religious person is asking if only the religious people will make it in. Pretty much trying to affirm his religious belief.
    So Jesus says “make every effort to make it through the narrow door…”verse 25 “once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, YOU will stand outside knocking saying open the door for us.”

    He then goes on to say that the owner replies he doesn’t know them and to go away. The idea is that Jesus is telling them that their religion isn’t a one way ticket to heaven. This believing in God thing isn’t a transaction.

    Reply
  8. Ruth Anne Piggott says, December 14, 2011 at 1:34 pm

    In Part 4 of the Hot Seat Series (Same Sex Relationships), Carey mentioned about “starting that conversation” or “having that conversation” with co-workers, friends that are in same sex relationships. I can talk about anything except church/religion with my friends and co-workers who are lesbian/gay. Help – can someone offer me some lines, suggestions at what I can possibily say to them? or Interpret what Carey was suggesting we say??

    Reply

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