is it possible that righteous end up in lake of fire ?

[iwll42]

Ik, absurd question, how God wouldn't know His sheep.
But I often feel like I'm going to end up in lake of fire and judged. And my first thought that comes if I ever end up in such a place, is that I repent immediatelly and praise God. Even before any judgment takes place, as I would already be repentful in my heart.
And if everyone there (in that lake of fire) go against God, I wouldn't, I would just accept judgment weeping, just like my whole life.

I know probably this isn't possible because if we feel repentant now then, there's no judgment and God don't make mistakes. But I can't escape that feeling of why God you left me.

What I can do not to feel this way ?
Or I should do nothing, to carry as I usually do, and not rely on feeling (my thoughts that I'm gonna end up in lake of fire no matter how repentant I am now (and actively trying to live righteous life), bit to rely on God's Word of promise, even if it's not reality I see rn. (I 'see' that I'm ending in lake of fire).

Like, is it because I oftentimes feel tired to pray diligently because I prayed so long and so much for same thing I'm still not getting and wondering why I'm not getting it.

 

[Vinny37]

[Is it possible that righteous people end up in lake of fire?]

IMO, No.

I am an inexclusivist. I hold that all who are desirous of God, whether ever or never evangelised, will ultimately be right with God.

Some of those will, through evangelism, have been right with him in mortal life, by repenting into Christ, entering the new creation in Christ, becoming spiritual royalty seated with Christ in the heavenlies and praised by the father. As members (siblings) of Christ’s family, they will like as not fall out now and again (sin), but positionally they remain righteous, holy: ie in his family. Since their sin can adversely affect their spiritual fellowship, making up with God (pastoral repentance) is good for them spiritually. But the sin of family members does not affect their ultimate destination, heaven: Rm.8:1—forget the KJV addition about condemnation for bad lifestyle.

The Fire Lake is basically a picture representing the fate of the unrighteous, the subjects of Death and Hell/Hades, who spiritually speaking are so much waste, like so much rubbish from our world; the dark side left to itself; cut off from the light and never again to trouble the redeemed. You might enjoy https://archive.org/details/revelations-gone-global.

Many good Christians, such as songwriter William Cowper in his pre-Christian and Christian days, have been depressed, even suicidally: https://archive.org/details/masksofmelanchol0000whit/page/143/mode/1up. For the human mind can play some funny tricks, and solutions can vary according to cause: eg good sleep; good counselling; good devotions; good medication. Depression has many faces, and can blind us to our Christian glory, sometimes drowning us in the obsession of confession (see Peter E Gillquist’s helpful, Love is Now), a negative confession focusing on our badness instead of on our father’s goodness: https://archive.org/details/loveisnow00gill/page/55/mode/1up?view=theater.

 

[iwll42]

THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS AFTER GOD

Well, what Bible defines as seeking God in this case ?
Am I evil even though I try my best to accept grace and try better with God's strength ? Why then Bible is insulting our efforts ?
Are we just fools trying to stop addictions, eat healthy, etc.. By having repentant spirit.
And then you still get that same insult ? How so ?

 

[Tenchi]

Ik, absurd question, how God wouldn't know His sheep.
But I often feel like I'm going to end up in lake of fire and judged.

Well, how can you be sure that this isn't where you're headed? On what basis more solid than ever-changing feeling can you anchor your confidence that you're one of God's "sheep"? The apostle Paul urged his fellow Christians to "examine themselves, test whether or not they were in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5)." He even said that they could do the same to him, too, and see that he was in the faith. So, there is some standard, some criteria, by which to judge whether or not you're in the faith, that you're a born-again child of God. I'm guessing you don't know what that standard is. In short, it is the life and work of the Spirit in you. The Holy Spirit "bears witness" with our spirit that we are children of God, the Bible says (Romans 8:16), and he does this by acting in the children of God in the way the Bible describes that he will. Do you know in what ways the Bible says the Holy Spirit will act upon you if you're truly born-again?

And my first thought that comes if I ever end up in such a place, is that I repent immediatelly and praise God. Even before any judgment takes place, as I would already be repentful in my heart.

It isn't your repentance that saves you, friend. Only Jesus can save you; he's the Savior, after all. Your repentance just brings you to the Savior for salvation, but your repentance isn't the thing that actually saves you from God's wrathful judgment. Again, there is only one Savior (John 14:6; John 10:7-10; Acts 4:12; 1 Timothy 2:5).

And if everyone there (in that lake of fire) go against God, I wouldn't, I would just accept judgment weeping, just like my whole life.

Such an imagined state-of-affairs is not possible. God looks upon your heart and knows what is there. And, in any case, He accepts you because of Jesus and only because of him. What's more, God would never make the mistake of putting one of His own in hell. God doesn't make mistakes.

I know probably this isn't possible because if we feel repentant now then, there's no judgment and God don't make mistakes. But I can't escape that feeling of why God you left me.

He hasn't left you. If you feel that He has, perhaps it is because, in some way, you've left Him. But if you're one of His by trust in Christ and submission to him as your Lord (Romans 10:9-10), He will never leave nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5), regardless of what feelings may rise and subside within you. God isn't controlled by what you may or may not feel.

What I can do not to feel this way ?

Well, it depends upon why you're feeling the way you are. It sounds to me like you don't properly understand why it is God accepts vile, lost sinners (which all of His children were when they were saved - Titus 3:3-5; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:19-22). Until you get this straight, until you are clear on the basis for God's acceptance of you, you will always feel like your salvation - your acceptance by God - is in jeopardy.

All of God's children are only "accepted in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:6), who is Jesus Christ. Because we have trusted in Christ as our Savior and yielded to him as Lord (Romans 10:9-10), we are in him, we have "put on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 13:14; Galatians 3:26-27). In Jesus, we are clothed in his perfect righteousness, and made "new creatures," "temples" of the Holy Spirit, who gives to us in himself the life of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Titus 3:5; Romans 8:9-14). Those who have "put on" Christ, who have trusted in him as Savior and submitted to him as Lord, are also made "priests and kings" (Revelation 1:6), they are freed from the penalty and power of sin (Romans 6:1-11; 1 John 5:11-13), and they are forever acceptable to God.

Why are they forever accepted by God? Because they are in Christ who is always accepted by God. In Christ, whose perfection and place in the Godhead is unalterable, the Christian person may rest (Matthew 11:28-30), knowing that Christ's salvation of them is perfect, utterly complete, needing nothing from them. God the Father sees His children in Christ, clothed in him and all the perfection that he is, and is fully satisfied, accepting them eternally for Christ's sake.

Not feeling that all this is so does nothing to change the fact of these things being so. Your feelings cannot dissolve or alter what I've described above. Begin, then, to order your feelings under what God has said. Put His word before and above what you feel. As you make a habit of doing so, your feelings will come into line with God's truth and cease to plague you in the way they are presently doing.

Or I should do nothing, to carry as I usually do, and not rely on feeling (my thoughts that I'm gonna end up in lake of fire no matter how repentant I am now (and actively trying to live righteous life), bit to rely on God's Word of promise, even if it's not reality I see rn. (I 'see' that I'm ending in lake of fire).

See above.

Like, is it because I oftentimes feel tired to pray diligently because I prayed so long and so much for same thing I'm still not getting and wondering why I'm not getting it.

You don't seem to understand how the Christian life works. It's not you doing for God; it's Him doing for you.

Philippians 1:6
6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:13
13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.

1 Peter 5:10
10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

Jude 1:24-25
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,
25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

 

[Vinny37]

Iwill42, I think this Q&A forum is to answer the poster of the thread, in this instance you, not to debate with others. I attempted to PM you but that was not an option. I shall duly post this regarding the short proof-texting put-down by Whatever, and hope to be of some help to you personally.

I hope that Whatever will also address their thoughts solely to you.

[It is of course an issue of understanding textual context, a stage beyond mere proof-texting. Indeed Dt.4:29 encouraged a seeking of Yahweh [their god]; they could find him: or had Yahweh an impossible hope? Was David not a man after Yahweh’s own heart; do the psalms (Egyptian as well as Israelite) not express a deep love and yearning for God? Peter also read this hope of God’s—a seeking after him for the sake of those finding him (Ac.15:17). Cornelius desired God; Peter was sent to help Cornelius enter the new kingdom; Paul (preconversion?) desired God (Rm.7); he had in one sense of the word, been righteous (Php.3:6).

There are varying biblical meanings to the word, righteous, as well as to terms like seek. We must ask what they mean in whatever particular context we find them. Many have sought God, and God has encouraged being found. Paul’s context, for which he used generalisation and exaggeration, was the Sinai people, of which he had been one: an insider report (with exceptions: Mk.12:34). Even Ps.14 had limited its point to some of the people, ie not all.

In short, whatever Calvin might have believed, the apostles did not deny any pre-Christian desires for God, and could even praise it (Ac.17: Paul’s Athenian speech). As Peter said to a pre-Christian Cornelius regarding pre-Christian worship and righteousness, “God is pleased with everyone who worships him and does right, no matter what nation they come from” (CEV: Ac.10:35); “But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him” (KJV).]

 

[WIP]

iwll42,

Is it possible that righteous end up in lake of fire?

The truly righteous? I would say no but who would that be? Who among us is truly righteous? Scripture says there is none righteous, no, not one.

9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,
10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Romans 3:10-12 ESV

But then when we read further we find there is hope in the Christ, Jesus....
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—
22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.
Romans 3:21-25 ESV

 

[Josef]

Hey All,
iwll42, your OP is not the most absurd question I have ever heard. It is a question I myself would ask. I have not had the easy Christian life some people say they have had. I have struggled with sin my whole life; well at from the time I knew what sin was.

Matthew 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

I do not take these words of Jesus lightly. (Way to set the bar low Jesus!) So, as a believer, I have to live up to this standard. But how can I be perfect? I feel defeated before I even start. I have to be honest with myself and admit there is no way I can be perfect. I cannot do it, and it hurts to say it. I love God. I know God loves me. But I cannot do what Jesus tells me to do. So I live in a constant state of asking for repentance, then sinning again. This has been my struggle all my adult life. And it is so frustrating to live this way.
Am I close to feeling like you do iwll42?

I used to wrestle with being imperfect. How can God use me? Then I found this passage.

2 Corinthians 4:6-7 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

God uses my imperfection, my darkness. God's light shines in our hearts and, if we are walking the walk, gives light and knowledge of God's glory. Our imperfection shows the power is God's, and not ours. That's pretty cool! God left me the way I am so He can shine through my sin, my imperfection.

Then Romans tells me:

Romans 1:19-20 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

We, as imperfect humans, who are believers, reveal the invisible things of God. Our changed lives manifest those invisible things. I have prayed for years and years that God would take away my imperfection. God showed me these verses one day. You know what? I can never be perfect within this "earthen vessel." Now this does not mean I get to sin all I want. I have to resist sin the same as any other believer. I try every day to be perfect. I also ask for forgiveness every day because I need it. So I am not OK being imperfect. But perfect I will never be, in this sinful flesh. And God can still use me for His glory. Again, pretty cool!

My part is the struggle, the fight. If I am struggling, I am trying to get better each day. My hope is that I am sinning less these days.

I have come to accept that I will always be a sinner, saved by grace, through faith, in Jesus. That it is not because of anything I did to be worthy. All of it, grace and faith, came from God because He loves me.

John 6:68-69 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

To Whom else would we go?

So keep struggling. It means you are in the fight.

Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz

 

[Who Me]

how God wouldn't know His sheep.

Please read John 10:My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[c]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

Those who are God's will not end up in hell.

May I suggest two things.
1. Talk your fears over with your pastor.
2. Ta.k about your fears to your doctor.
You need far better counselling than can be given in a discussion forum.

 

[Hopeful 2]

Well, what Bible defines as seeking God in this case ?
Am I evil even though I try my best to accept grace and try better with God's strength ? Why then Bible is insulting our efforts ?
Are we just fools trying to stop addictions, eat healthy, etc.. By having repentant spirit.
And then you still get that same insult ? How so ?

Please remember that Paul's Rom. 3 words were quoting from verses written in the OT, and to/about men in a much earlier time.
Those words are not about Christians, who have both sought after, and found, our Lord and Savior.

 

[Whatever]

Am I evil even though I try my best to accept grace and try better with God's strength ? Why then Bible is insulting our efforts ?
Are we just fools trying to stop addictions, eat healthy, etc.. By having repentant spirit.
And then you still get that same insult ? How so ?

I'll let Jesus answer you:
Luk 17:10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.' "

Those passages in Romans 3 about nobody seeking God and so forth, are talking about the natural man, the man in the flesh.

Rom_8:8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

If you are born again, you are no longer in the flesh.

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

So, if you are born again and doing all you can, you are still an unprofitable servant doing only what is required of you (actually doing a lot less than required of you "be Ye perfect"), there is still no condemnation for you. You are saved by Jesus' perfect obedience.

 

[for_his_glory]

Ik, absurd question, how God wouldn't know His sheep.
But I often feel like I'm going to end up in lake of fire and judged. And my first thought that comes if I ever end up in such a place, is that I repent immediatelly and praise God. Even before any judgment takes place, as I would already be repentful in my heart.
And if everyone there (in that lake of fire) go against God, I wouldn't, I would just accept judgment weeping, just like my whole life.

I know probably this isn't possible because if we feel repentant now then, there's no judgment and God don't make mistakes. But I can't escape that feeling of why God you left me.

What I can do not to feel this way ?
Or I should do nothing, to carry as I usually do, and not rely on feeling (my thoughts that I'm gonna end up in lake of fire no matter how repentant I am now (and actively trying to live righteous life), bit to rely on God's Word of promise, even if it's not reality I see rn. (I 'see' that I'm ending in lake of fire).

Like, is it because I oftentimes feel tired to pray diligently because I prayed so long and so much for same thing I'm still not getting and wondering why I'm not getting it.

Our feelings can deceive us at times. If you are truly Spiritually born again and indwelled with the Holy Spirit then walk in the Spirit as you are lead and don't worry about such things.

I think many of us question things, but to know that we are in Christ and He in us.

 

[Anaphora]

Jesus is fair and the judge.
Corinthians chapter 5. Everyone must appear before judgement seat of Christ.

Reprobates follow satan into lake of fire.
Psalm chapter 37
Revelation chapter 20
Philippians 1:28
Those who repent and love and serve God have eternal life.

 

[GodsGrace]

Ik, absurd question, how God wouldn't know His sheep.
But I often feel like I'm going to end up in lake of fire and judged. And my first thought that comes if I ever end up in such a place, is that I repent immediatelly and praise God. Even before any judgment takes place, as I would already be repentful in my heart.
And if everyone there (in that lake of fire) go against God, I wouldn't, I would just accept judgment weeping, just like my whole life.

I know probably this isn't possible because if we feel repentant now then, there's no judgment and God don't make mistakes. But I can't escape that feeling of why God you left me.

What I can do not to feel this way ?
Or I should do nothing, to carry as I usually do, and not rely on feeling (my thoughts that I'm gonna end up in lake of fire no matter how repentant I am now (and actively trying to live righteous life), bit to rely on God's Word of promise, even if it's not reality I see rn. (I 'see' that I'm ending in lake of fire).

Like, is it because I oftentimes feel tired to pray diligently because I prayed so long and so much for same thing I'm still not getting and wondering why I'm not getting it.

Your third paragraph is correct.

The enemy loves to taunt us and take our joy away.