Where Does a Disobedient Christian Go When He Dies?
To where does a sinning, disobedient Christian go when he dies?
Go To Hell?
Some crazy NDEs (Near Death Experiences) coming out of parts Africa tell of Christians going to Hell. The reasons given for their condemnation are:
the women braided their hair
people did not tithe to the local church
In Mexico, some “mortal sins” were:
wearing makeup
going to dances
Other “damning” things might be:
failing a theological test
clerical errors
women's breasts are too big (Skinny women promote this one.)
The opinions and fears of people are not how we get understanding. We understand the “saved or lost” question by one thing. The only reliable source for wisdom and knowledge, Scripture.
The one who has the Son has the life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. (1 John 5:12 NASB)
Jesus has taken the judicial penalty away from the Believer by working eternal redemption (Heb 9:12). It is impossible for the one who trusts in Christ to see His promise fail.
No, the genuine Christian, no matter how sorry and miserable a state he may be in, cannot go to hell.
Go To Heaven?
So then, every Christian goes to Heaven? There is a small problem with that.
If God lets even a single dust particle of the old, natural life into the eternal things of God, it will eventually become ruined like everything else. Everything in our spirit has become new (2 Cor 5:17). Our body is corrupt now, even after salvation, but we have the promise of instant transformation of our body someday before we enter Heaven.
That sounds good. The problem is that there has been another aspect of our being that has been left unregenerate in this lifetime. We are not promised instant transformation for this element of our being. The soul is our personality, our natural thoughts, and our mind. The untransformed portion of our soul cannot enter the things of God. Where can it go?
Go To Limbo?
That is a possibility. Another small problem. There is no such place mentioned in Scripture.
Go Somewhere Else?
The Scriptures know of no other place in all of existence where that which is unlike God's character can go.
We don't “go” anywhere in pieces. Our new reborn Spirit cannot be lost. The new resurrection Body cannot be harmed. It is only the soul that is in question. Paul prays that we will be complete (2 Thess 5:23).
There is only one “place” where the disobedient, temporary element of the Christian can go:
Go Up In Flames
That is all of us, to some degree. We cannot go to heaven with a white-knuckled death grip on our own opinions, our worldviews, our understanding on what is right or wrong, out naturally occurring thoughts, or the way things used to be. All old things have to go...and they will.
When we pass through the firewall of God, to be able to enter the permanent eternal things of God, some will experience minimal loss. Some will see the loss of all service-related potential rewards, yet they themselves will be saved (1 Cor 3:15). Saved yet having loss of the way things could have been; that should have been.
Perhaps someone says,
I'm doomed to shame and loss. I was supposed to go eat grub worms with the pygmies many years ago and I didn't do it. Now I'm going to pay the price forever.
I strongly suspect that this is the condemnation of the devil. Forget 25 years ago. Can you obey Jesus today? Can you be a responsible mother of young children today? Can you be a godly man, with God's help, today?
God has made it almost impossible to be without rewards on the day of your appointment (2 Cor 5:10). Simply, obey what you know God is requiring of you today. Ignore the false accusations of the past. That day is supposed to be looked forward to with joy and expectation not with dread. Your Father is lavish and even wasteful with His love.
Feb. 7, 2026