Is Belief in Hell Necessary To Salvation?

No. I've known some very conservative, sincere Christians who at least entertained the concept of annihilation. I don't agree with them on this, but they were otherwise very orthodox. You can be wrong about various doctrines and still be saved. (Arminians come to mind.)

 

Well, you have to confess your own lost state in order to be saved, and being lost in sin implies eventual judgment from God. No doubt about that. But I'm not sure if you have to fully understand the nature of the divine judgment to be saved. It's a point worth discussing. How much doctrinal knowledge is necessary for salvation?

 

The only thing required for salvation is acceptance of Christ as Lord and Savior, coupled with repentance of sin.

That being said, the existence of Hell is a doctrinal issue. It's not open for debate. A person must believe in a literal eternal existence that consists of a complete and utter absence of God. That would be Hell. Descriptions of fire, brimstone, etc etc, are often allegorical depictions of what such an existence can be likened to. But just as it's impossible for our 3D physical minds to fully comprehend the existence of Heaven, it is also impossible for our 3D physical minds to fully comprehend the existence of Hell.

That being said, doctrine does not save a person. Doctrine assists the believer to have a better and greater understanding of God. There are lots of saved people who have incorrect doctrine, or, in the very least, adhere to doctrine which they misunderstand or don't fully comprehend.

In order to be Baptist, you must believe in Hell, however, as the concept is implied in the Baptist Distinctives. Most Christian denominations require a belief in Hell as a matter of Christian doctrine (not just denominational doctrine).

 

I must agree that you do not have to believe in a literal hell (which I do) as opposed to complete and total nullification of existance as long as one point is clear. You are a sinner due to committing sin in your life AND must pay the full wages for that sin through eternal hell (hell fire or spiritual death) unless you have accepted Christ as your personal savior to pay those wages made.

In summary, let it be said you must be aware that there is something you need to be saved from before you can be saved. A drowing man does not call for help if he is unaware that he is drowing.

 

No.

 

If you actively DISBELIEVE in hell then that is an indication of your unwillingness to believe the Bible and I would have serious doubts as to your salvation. If you are merely ignorant because it hasn't been presented to you (which I find very hard to accept and think it would be extreemly rare) then the possibility exists. It's like saying, "Can you be a student and not believe that "D" is a letter of the alphabet?" Well, yes, you can but, you won't get very far.

 

I must disagree only because I know so many people who got saved before they even picked up a Bible. Some of them are on this board. I'm not saying that it's doctrinally acceptible, but application (or misapplication) of scripture is not a slavation issue.

 

Doesnt one need proof to "believe" in something.

to "disbelieve" that something exist means thats there is evidence of proof of existence.

we have evidence within the believer of the existence of heaven because of their subsequent judgement and impartation of the spirit of Jesus Christ within their bodies.

although their is no proof that any one has received the "alternative" consequence that man "believes" exist to date.

which still makes all assuptions of the existence of something of possible non-existence...non-plausable.

we are saved based on what we possess of truth of existence. not of non existence of "truth".

although holding onto "falsehoods" not proven yet can be harmful to ones understanding if not detrimental to ones belief structure of factual truths of God...(IMHO)

Me2

 

i would say that ,yes, a person must know that they are sinners on the way to eternal punishment. i believe that when God draws His elect that they will know the true Jesus, and believe His word.
liberals get into trouble this way by believing in a different jesus, a jesus that doesnt have a hell or has evolution as the instrument of creation and has metaphors for a satan that they claim doesn't exist in reality.

 

This is a very good question, but a very difficult one for us, mortal men and women, sitting here at our computers to answer. It is true that the Lord Jesus often clearly spoke of hell, in fact, if you add up all the words He spoke on the subjects, He had more to say about hell than He did about heaven. No where does He, or any epistle writer point to a need to believe in hell. The word of God points to the Lord Jesus Christ and the sinners need of Him as their only way to be saved. There is nothing there about the need to believe in hell. However, if one rejects the clear teaching on this matter, what else does he/she reject? Certainly one must believe that everything that the Lord Jesus said is the absolute truth. So, this could be a case-by-case situation. Simply being ignorant about hell is one thing, but willfully rejecting the words of the Lord on this, or any subject is quite another matter.

 

yet there is a major factor that many overlook about the teachings of Jesus.

they were all parables. analogies. paradoxes.

speaking to carnal minds by spiritual messages.
when the messages were only accepted on a carnal level.

the two spiritual "realms", or attitudes jesus frequently spoke of was living in faith under the guidance of the Holy spirit and living under the law under bondage of sin and being ruled or controled by satan....this is the only two conditions believers are faced to decide to live under.

the moment of introduction of these attitudnal differences was because of the stark difference between the results found living by faith in God and living by carnal law and rules of self control towards God. which would be soon be understood after the death of Jesus and impartation of Gods spirit to the people.

heaven and "hell" in this case would only be a perception from the viewpoint of the believer being obedient or disobedient of Gods Adopted Children to Gods methods and standards.

Not a literal location or physical environment.

 

The Bible clearly states that acceptance of Christ as Lord and Savior is the only thing it takes for salvation. Salvation thru Christ is possible because Christ was sinless. Since He was sinless, would it not follow that he did not lie? He talked about a literal Hell many times in the Bible ;therefore, I would have to assume that Hell is a real place.