QUESTIONS SERIES: What happens to non-Christians when they die?

Many people base their view on what happens after we die on movies like the last scene in Gladiator, the movie Ghost, or Heaven Can Wait. There are a lot of spiritual views out there and many people base their beliefs on Hollywood movies when it comes to the afterlife or some other spiritual path.

For instance, pantheism (the foundational spiritual system of Hinduism) teaches that we are reincarnated and our position in the next life is based on how we lived our present lives. Naturalism (or the foundational spiritual system of atheism) teaches us that we just cease to exist after death. Those who hold to this view don’t believe in any accountability with God for how they lived their lives.

As followers of Christ, we use the Bible as our guide for life. It’s the only objective source of truth for a Christian. So what does it say about what happens when we die – and specifically, what happens to non-Christians when they die? The Bible clearly opposes reincarnation. In Hebrews 9:27, Scripture tells us, Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.

And, the Bible also clearly states that there is an afterlife. Acts 24:15 tell us, And I have a hope in God, which these men themselves also accept, that there is going to be a resurrection, both of the righteous and the unrighteous. John 5:28-29 says, Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come out—those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of judgment.

In the Book of Revelation, we see a picture of the future judgment to come on those who don’t know Christ. It’s a very, very sobering scene – one that we don’t talk about a lot in church. But, the truth of what’s coming needs to be explained.

Revelation 20:11 – 15 says, Then I saw a great white throne and One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them. I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.

Then the sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead; all were judged according to their works. Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

The dead in this passage are those who rejected Christ. Remember that the Bible says, There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name {Jesus Christ} under heaven given to people by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

So we see that someone who dies without asking Christ to be their Lord and Savior – and without choosing to follow him forever ends up eternally separated from God in hell.

Talking about hell is not something to be taken lightly. Jesus himself talked more about hell in the gospels than he did about heaven. He wanted to warn us about it (Luke 16).

My hope and prayer is that everyone who reads this will take to heart Acts 4:12 and see that there is salvation in no one else.