In a dialogue with an individual who firmly believes he is a born-again Christian, the issue of an eternal Heaven and Hell surfaced. He totally rejects the concept of an ECT (Eternal Conscious Torment), otherwise known as Hell. His summary statement was….

“There are actually three well-held views on hell, ECT, annihilationism, and universal reconciliation.”

Three Possibilities

Each of the three possibilities… (1) God saves everyone, (2) those not going to Heaven, cease to exist, (3) eternal damnation in a real and literal Hell, are supported by various religious groups, even atheists and agnostics. Of course, there are hundreds of nuanced variations as well, such as the Roman Catholic purgatory and Mormon “Spirit Prison” (temporary torment prior to Heaven), reincarnation until one reaches a unity with God (Buddhism, Hinduism), Hell is just the grave (7th Day Adventist, Jehovah’s Witness), death is an illusion (Christian Science), among others.

Interestingly, one can also pull Bible verses (out of context) to support both universalism as well as annihilationism.

Universal Reconciliation (Universalism)

Romans 11:32 – For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

John 12:32 – And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

1 Timothy 2:3-4 – This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Annihilationism

Matthew 7:13 – “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

James 1:15 – Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

2 Peter 2:12 – But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction,

An Eternal Hell – the Biblical Truth

Mark 9:47-48 – And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’

2 Thessalonians 1:9 – They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

Matthew 25:46 – And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The Real Question…. The Most Important Question

Beyond defending these three alternative views of Hell and the reality that it is, in fact, a real and literal place of eternal torment, (based on viewing the full complement of Scripture rather than plucking verses out of context) there is a deeper question….

Does one have to believe in an eternal Hell in order to be a born-again Christian?

My Response

Concluding our back and forth on the subject of Hell, this reader stated….

“And we can agree to disagree on the topic of “hell” as long as you do not believe I am going to eternal torment for my difference in beliefs.”

So that is the question to ponder. Does a born-again believer have to believe in a real and literal, eternal place of punishment in order to avoid it (and go to Heaven)? Below was my answer to this reader.

My view is that there is Essential, there is Core, and there is Non-Core Biblical Christian doctrine.

Essential is what is needed for salvation.

Core is what is needed to grow in Christ.

Non-Core is what is worth debating.

These are all summarized in the following link, but the point is that one does not need to believe in a real and literal Hell to go to Heaven. The born-again Christian needs only to believe in the Essentials of the gospel message for eternal salvation just as the thief on the cross was told by Jesus, “today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Other than the Essentials as he hung next to Jesus, that thief had no other core theology to lean on but a hope and trust in Christ as his Savior and Lord.

Conclusion

I recognize that there will be many purists who read this and adamantly disagree. Many Biblical Christian would say that to disregard the reality of Hell is to disregard God’s truth as presented in His Word. And, I would strongly agree with that, which is why one of the Core doctrines of Biblical Christian Worldview is….

Resurrection — Everyone will be resurrected from the grave: the saved to eternal life in Heaven, and the lost to eternal damnation in a real and literal Hell.

However, another Core doctrine is….

Evangelism — It is a responsibility, duty, and joy to spread the love of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ to all who will listen.

How many of us “saved Christians” are evangelizing our neighbors every day as Ambassadors for Christ? How many Biblical Christians believe marriage is between a husband and wife, or comply with verses such as John 5:12, Matthew 5:22,28,4,44, and on and on. Point being, born-again Christians not only remain sinners after salvation, none of us have a perfect understanding of God. We study the Bible seeking answers but questions remain open.

In the end, the ultimate question is, what does it take to go to Heaven? That is Essential doctrine because that is all about eternity. I believe the answer to that question can be summarized by believing….

Salvation — Everyone sins and no one can save themselves. It is only through accepting Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior that one can receive eternal life in Heaven. Salvation is available to anyone who acknowledges in their heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross for their sins, rose bodily from the grave, and asks Him to forgive them of their sins and save their soul. The difference between a saved and an unsaved person is a God-produced difference.

The statement above does not talk about marriage or free will vs. predestination. It does not address church carpet color or Biblical inerrancy. Nowhere in the statement above is there a reference to sprinkling vs. emersion baptism, or the Holy Spirit as our Counselor. It doesn’t even imply God is the Creator of the universe and omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent, nor does it address speaking in tongues.

The reader of my post ended his comment by saying….

“Seems as if a lot of Evangelicals believe I am damned for that belief [no eternal Hell] even though I am a born again Christian.”

As you witness to those around you, keep the main thing the main thing, Christ and Him crucified. None of us have perfect theology because none of us fully know the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). The most important thing we can agree on is what it takes to spend eternity with God in Heaven (Essential Doctrine). To grow in our faith, we need to have a set of Core Doctrine to build on. Finally, we need to be open to the Non-Core views of other Biblical Christians as we all grow together.

1 Corinthians 2:2 – For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.