Tag ransom

Won’t it be alright to use hell fire (even if it’s false) as a threat to frighten people into submitting to God? Not really. A disappointed God says, ‘Their fear toward me is taught by the precepts of men’ (Isa 29:13). He rather desires a willingly obedient heart driven by love for Him and goodness - not by fear. And the idea of torment is abhorrent to God. God forbade torture in His Law. Would a God who commands us to love our enemies, wish to burn them forever?

Where are the dead at present? Is there any hope for them? There is a hell – SHEOL/HADES to which ALL our souls were condemned when Adam fell. That hell is the GRAVE. But there is hope! God promised to RANSOM us from the power of the grave [SHEOL] (Hosea 13:14). He sent Jesus (John 3:16) to die in place of Adam. Jesus paid Adam’s RANSOM and paved the way for the resurrection of all of Adam (Rom 5:12,18). Jesus is the RANSOM for ALL (1Tim 2:6). As in Adam ALL die, so in Christ ALL will be made alive (1Cor 15:22).