Can I Condemn My Loved One to Hell?

1. Can I Condemn My Loved One to Hell?

2. Introduction Some don’t want to obey the gospel because they believe they’ll condemn their loved ones if they do. They may verbalize it by saying, “If I accept your teaching, I will condemn my loved one to hell” . This can be a great problem in teaching lost souls. How can we Scripturally answer this emotional argument?

3. Your Loved One’s Condition Will not Change what the Bible Teaches Whatever the Bible teaches today, it is the same thing that was taught in the 1st century (Mt. 24:35). God’s plan of salvation hasn’t changed as it still includes baptism for the remission of sins (Acts 2:36ff). God’s plan for righteousness hasn’t changed as we must be holy to go to heaven (Titus 2:11-14; Heb. 12:14). God’s plan for worship hasn’t changed for if we follow the teachings of men, our worship will have been in vain. (Matthew 15:7-9; John 4:24)

4. Man’s Destiny is Sealed at Death After death comes the judgment (Heb. 9:27). Just as a will is sealed up after death so that it can’t be changed, you can’t change the record of your sins. (1 Tim. 5:24) After death, the rich man or his five brothers couldn’t change the torment he was in (Luke 16:23ff). They couldn’t pray or be baptized for him to save his soul as some teach.

5. Man’s Destiny is Sealed at Death Do you suppose any of the five brothers of the rich man could have used the argument later on when they heard the gospel, “If I become a Christian, I will condemn my brother to hell?” If they did, would it have made any difference to his soul’s condition? Those who are honest would realize that it wouldn’t.

6. God will Judge Man by the Objective Standard of His Word Jesus said it would be the words that I have spoken which will judge him (John 12:48) and not the subjective words of man. If each individual will be judged by His word, how will it help your family member, if you also disobey the words of Christ (2 Thess. 1:7-8; John 3:36)? We will all be judged by the deeds done in our own body (2 Cor. 5:10), not by anybody else’s.

7. Your Loved One Wants you to be Saved Just as the rich man wanted his 5 brothers to be saved after he died, if your loved ones are in torment, they would want you to be saved also (Luke 16:28ff). If his brothers were going to be saved, they needed to heed God’s word but the rich man thought they would be persuaded to repent if someone rose from the dead. Your loved one wants you to be saved and not come to the place of torment or somebody to talk to you to wake you up to your true spiritual condition. Listen to Jesus!

8. Don’t Let your Family Hinder you from Obedience Will it persuade people to obey or disobey God for those who argue, “if I accept your teaching I will condemn my loved one to hell”? Jesus Christ demands that we love Him above our spouses, parents, or children (Matt. 10:34ff). Who is hindering you from obeying the truth (Gal. 5:7)? The apostle Paul didn’t let his family hinder him from being baptized and neither should you. (Gal. 1:16; Acts 22:16; 9:18)

9. Conclusion If you haven’t obeyed the Lord, it will not change His verdict in Judgment (Mt. 7:21-23). “But you’re condemning me and my family when you say these things.” When we quote what Jesus says, we are only repeating what the Judge has already spoken. The devil wants to deceive you into believing a lie that you can actually send your loved one to torment because he wants you to be condemned (2 Thess. 2:9-12)! Jesus wants you to be saved and the devil wants you to be lost. Who will you obey?