Must you believe in Jesus to avoid hell?

Thief · Feb 26, 2019

MJFlores said:
Let find the answers in the Bible, which should be the basis of faith and doctrines of true Christians.

John 3:36 New International Version (NIV)
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

With that statement by John the Baptist recorded in the Bible, it would be enough to answer emphatically your question and doubts.

Now let us find out what Jesus said:

John 3:10-18 New International Version (NIV)
“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

John 5:24-30 New International Version (NIV)
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

John 6:28-29 New International Version (NIV)
Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

John 6:35-40 New International Version (NIV)
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

CONCLUSION:

It is in the Bible that one must believe in Jesus to be saved.

It is in the Bible that those who do not believe will go to hell.

Both of these beliefs absolutely MUST be TRUE, since Jesus said, answered and declared those things.

instead of recital....
a discussion of what
believing really is

MJFlores · Feb 26, 2019

Thief said:
instead of recital....
a discussion of what
believing really is

This is a recital:

This is the proof why believing is important:

John 11:25-27 New International Version (NIV)
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

Skwim · Feb 26, 2019

Gerry said:
Great comments.

First, you located the verse that everyone uses to justify their belief. But you also did what they all do as well. You didn’t continue with verses 19-21. So let me.

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God

You see that Jesus is not talking about people who merely don’t believe.
But about people who “hate the light and do not come to the light” “because their works were evil.”

Then it would seem there's something wrong with them. Right? If evil is more attractive to them than the light whose fault is that? It would be like blaming people for being more attracted to the same sex than the opposite sex.

Merely believing, or not believing, in Jesus is not sufficient to save or damn a person. Check out Matthew 7:21.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Then what is a person to do, especially those who are innately attracted to evil?

Nothing about belief. Those who enter the kingdom must DO something.

Which would be what? Take the poor soul who's never heard of Jesus and the great escape plan. whats he to do to save himself from hell?

In answer to your final question: YES
If one believes the Bible is true then notice these verses:
John 1:1 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The Word is The Word, or the Bible.
John 14:6 6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus says here that He IS the truth.

And through no fault of his own he remains unconvinced, then what? Wear your best asbestos suit and button up tight, schmuck?

.

Glaurung · Feb 27, 2019

Gerry said:
Why are there a few people in the Christian religions that claim one must believe in Jesus to be saved?

It is not enough to simply believe in Jesus. Demons and those already in hell believe in Jesus.

Fundamentally, Christianity is a historical claim. That at a certain point in real history God became man on earth and in so doing opened the gates of heaven to us. This is either true or it is not. And if it is true then Jesus is God (whom we owe our utter obedience) whether one likes it or not.

Gerry said:
I will assume this belief also includes the fact that those who do not believe will go to hell?

How can one who rejects the truth spend eternity face to face with that truth?

The words of Christ can't be more explicit. Those who actively reject Him actively reject God.

Gerry said:
Both of these beliefs absolutely MUST be false, since Jesus never said any such thing.

On the contrary, the Gospels clearly affirm the existence of hell and the necessity of Christ in avoiding it.

Matthew 12:30, John 14:6, Matthew 7:13, Matthew 25:41 just for starters.

stvdv · Feb 27, 2019

Maximilian said:
A Master of what?

I expected that question, hence I wrote already in previous mail:

stvdv said:
And I am not searching anymore, and not trying to convince others

Joseph Burton · Feb 27, 2019

Remté said:
Whether Jesus said it (although as someone quoted he sort of did say so) is not relevant as I see it.

In Islam also it is essential to believe in Jesus. But whether a person will go to hell if they do not or if they for some reason never heard of Jesus, is decided by God.

It is explicitly stated that: "He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him. John 3:36

The words of Jesus are very plain here.

Jumi · Feb 27, 2019

First we need to discuss what type of hell we are looking at. What is hell, a place for trash outside Jerusalem as literally read? Or is it this world and it's chaos we live in? Or a place like Hades, a place with a "God" of the underworld seeking to torment those who that one has managed to manipulate into going there with that ones rulership of Earth and spiritworld as some claim?

Thief · Feb 27, 2019

MJFlores said:
John 11:25-27 New International Version (NIV)
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

It's not about believing Him
the play of words isn't working well
you are still reciting quotations

believing in someone else is not an opportunity to point your finger to your mentor
and he then is the source of your fault

believing is the realization dealt by the teachings

you can say LORD!....LORD!....
all that you care to

but without understanding the parables
and abiding as you learn of them....
knowing who the Lord is....
doesn't make you one of His

MJFlores · Feb 27, 2019

Thief said:
It's not about believing Him
the play of words isn't working well
you are still reciting quotations

believing in someone else is not an opportunity to point your finger to your mentor
and he then is the source of your fault

believing is the realization dealt by the teachings

you can say LORD!....LORD!....
all that you care to

but without understanding the parables
and abiding as you learn of them....
knowing who the Lord is....
doesn't make you one of His

Yep, I saw that coming.
Mr. Parables.Mark 4:11

Katzpur · Feb 27, 2019

Gerry said:
Why are there a few people in the Christian religions that claim one must believe in Jesus to be saved?

I will assume this belief also includes the fact that those who do not believe will go to hell?

Both of these beliefs absolutely MUST be false, since Jesus never said any such thing.

What say ye?

I say that the issue is more involved than that.

Jeremiah Ames · Feb 27, 2019

Audie said:
Can "god" tell if you say you believe but cannot make yourself really believe

Yes

Audie · Feb 27, 2019

Gerry said:
Yes

It was not a real question.

And of course, your answer is not a real answer.

The point of what I said, in any case, was about
choosing to believe something, as opposed to actually
believing it.

Jeremiah Ames · Feb 27, 2019

MJFlores said:
Let find the answers in the Bible, which should be the basis of faith and doctrines of true Christians.

John 3:36 New International Version (NIV)
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

With that statement by John the Baptist recorded in the Bible, it would be enough to answer emphatically your question and doubts.

Now let us find out what Jesus said:

John 3:10-18 New International Version (NIV)
“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

John 5:24-30 New International Version (NIV)
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

John 6:28-29 New International Version (NIV)
Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

John 6:35-40 New International Version (NIV)
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

CONCLUSION:

It is in the Bible that one must believe in Jesus to be saved.

It is in the Bible that those who do not believe will go to hell.

Both of these beliefs absolutely MUST be TRUE, since Jesus said, answered and declared those things.

I found nothing in the few verses you picked out of the Bible to support your conclusion.
Please read my lengthy response to another person a bit above your comment.

Jeremiah Ames · Feb 27, 2019

Audie said:
It was not a real question.

And of course, your answer is not a real answer.

The point of what I said, in any case, was about
choosing to believe something, as opposed to actually
believing it.

That was exactly the point I got from your earlier comment.
I cannot see that we disagree.

Jeremiah Ames · Feb 27, 2019

Thief said:
instead of recital....
a discussion of what
believing really is

Precisely.

Audie · Feb 27, 2019

Gerry said:
That was exactly the point I got from your earlier comment.
I cannot see that we disagree.

Oh yeah??? Ya tryin' to spoil a good argument?????

1213 · Feb 27, 2019

URAVIP2ME said:
Can anyone think of anyone righteous that went to hell _______
I find that on the day righteous Jesus died he went to hell according to Acts of the Apostles 2:27.
...

Actually, the word used is hades, not hell. In many translations hell and hades are mixed, but they are not the same, because in the end, hades will be thrown into hell.

Because you will not leave my soul in Hades, Neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay.
Acts 2:27

…Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works. Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:12-15

And death actually seems to be this life.

Jeremiah Ames · Feb 27, 2019

Audie said:
Oh yeah??? Ya tryin' to spoil a good argument?????

I get weird sometimes.

MJFlores · Feb 27, 2019

Gerry said:
I found nothing in the few verses you picked out of the Bible to support your conclusion.
Please read my lengthy response to another person a bit above your comment.

I believe I have addressed your question that the Lord Jesus did say believe in me to have eternal life and not believing in him would result in being condemned.

Thief · Feb 27, 2019

MJFlores said:
I believe I have addressed your question that the Lord Jesus did say believe in me to have eternal life and not believing in him would result in being condemned.

would that be .....nodding your head to personage
or
consideration to the teachings and life to follow those teachings

Must you believe in Jesus to avoid hell?

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