Legacy · Q&A
Heaven, Hell, Sin, and Salvation: Eleven Questions

Question:
Larry,
I am looking for a Bible believing Church that can give me Biblical answers to my questions. I am looking for scriptural answers not conjecture. I have posted these questions to some and the answer I got was: "These are good questions and I admonish you to find a Bible believing church in your area". So now the search is on to find a Bible believing Church with a caring spirit and the question is: Are you in that Church?
Here are my questions?
1.. Where in the scripture does it say we lost heaven?
2.. Where does it in the scripture say we need to be saved to go to heaven?
3.. Where is the scripture that says we are saved from hell?
4.. Where in the book of Genesis does it say they eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil the will go to hell?
5.. Where does it say if they eat of the tree they will lose heaven?
6.. Where doe it say in the scripture that the wages of sin is to lose heaven?
7.. Is the wages of sin hell or death?
8.. Does the scripture say the death means hell?
9.. Did the Old covenant ever allude to people needing to make sacrifices to get to heaven?
10.. Did all people who were not Jews go to hell before the New Covenant...scriptural answers, please?
11.. Why is the word hell not used until the book of Deuteronomy if it was so important and in that scripture it is talking about how low Gods anger would burn?
Answer:
1. Where in the scripture does it say we lost heaven?
- Eph. 2:12; (Without hope says it all.) I Cor. 15:22 (spiritual death [alienated from God, which includes the second death, or the lake of fire] - spiritual life [reconciled to God)
2. Where does it in the scripture say we need to be saved to go to heaven?
- Acts 5:32 (repentance and faith result in the holy Ghost baptism.); Titus 3:5 (holy ghost baptism saves us from our previous sins, and give us power to do the will of God form our heart); I Jn. 2:15-17 (Doing the will of God saves us unto life eternal.)
3. Where is the scripture that says we are saved from hell?
- Rev. 20:6 (the second death is the lake of fire, the final end of the
disobedient.); Mat. 25:31-46 (The faithful will be spared from the fate of the disobedient.)
4. Where in the book of Genesis does it say they eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil the will go to hell?
- Gen. 2:17 (Not only natural death, but also spiritual death, which is alienation from God and His presence; and there's only one other place to end up.)
5.. Where does it say if they eat of the tree they will lose heaven?
- Ditto
6. Where doe it say in the scripture that the wages of sin is to lose heaven?
- Rom. 6:23 (Again, death means spiritual death as well as natural death, for the disobedient, as is demonstrated by previous scriptures.)
7. Is the wages of sin hell or death?
- Rev. 6:8; Rev. 20:14 (Death and hell go hand in hand. If one isn't "made alive" spiritually in this life, he has no hope of being in the first resurrection, or the "resurrection of life." - Jn. 5:28,29)
8. Does the scripture say the death means hell?
- There are four different usages of the word "hell" in the Bible. The old
testament hell is from the Hebrew word "sheol," and always means "the place of the dead," a very general definition. The N.T. shows "hades," which also refers to the place of the dead, generally. "Geenna," which is a reference to the lake of fire. "Tartaroo." used only once in II Pet. 2, refers to the lowest abyss of the lake of fire. For the "death" issue, look at questions and answers for #1 & #7.
9. Did the Old covenant ever allude to people needing to make sacrifices to get to heaven?
- Heb. 9:6-14; Heb. 10:4; (The old covenant could only offer a figurative
remission of sins, and those who were sincere did make the proper sacrifices as being obedient to the law and the system that God ordained for that time. And obedience has always been the standard for attaining unto eternal life.)
10.. Did all people who were not Jews go to hell before the New
Covenant...scriptural answers, please?
- Rom. 2:12-16 ("For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law:" - Israel was the only nation under the law of God. Only God can say who perished "without law" and who didn't.)
11. Why is the word hell not used until the book of Deuteronomy if it was so important...
- I'm sure that only God could answer that question. After all, I didn't author or write those books; and the men who did, whom are dead, were writing under the inspiration of the holy Spirit from God. I doubt that they could answer the question either.
... and in that scripture it is talking about how low Gods anger would burn?
- (Deut. 29:18-21; Isa. 5:12-14; Heb. 10:28-30; II Pet. 2:20,21) God's greatest wrath is reserved for the disobedient among His own people, which is a common theme throughout the scriptures, for those of the O.T. and especially for those of the N.T. That is why the Apostle Paul said that N.T, believers should "work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling" (Philip. 2:12).



