I would say that a person who denies the existence of hell could certainly be a truly regenerate person. All kinds of Christians have all kinds of theological weaknesses and errors. We always have to struggle with this. So, I don’t just make the automatic assumption that somebody is not a Christian if they neglect a particular doctrine.
That being said, to deny the reality of hell in any significant way certainly raises the question of whether or not a person is in the faith because it is such a central, core teaching of Scripture.
Jesus taught more about hell than He did about heaven. If you’re not willing to listen to Jesus’ teaching about the nature of hell or the existence of hell, then that raises real questions about how open you really are to your Lord.
I still think it’s possible that a person could be that weak in their understanding and still be a redeemed person, but it’s hard to imagine.
This transcript is from an Ask R.C. Live event with R.C. Sproul and has been lightly edited for readability. To ask Ligonier a biblical or theological question, email ask@ligonier.org or message us on Facebook or Twitter.
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R.C. Sproul
Dr. R.C. Sproul was founder of Ligonier Ministries, first minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Fla., and first president of Reformation Bible College. He was author of more than one hundred books, including The Holiness of God.
Salvation
Resources about the application of redemption from sin, including: adoption, faith and repentance, glorification, the gospel, justification, regeneration, sanctification, and union with Christ.
