What happens when a person dies and has not accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior?

Answer 1

In traditional Christianity, both Catholics and Protestants believe that if a person dies and has not accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, they will not be able to enter heaven.

ANOTHER ANSWER:

The Bible reveals: "…the dead know nothing… For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom." (Eccl.9:5 NLT New Living Translation)

It says: "For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it." (Eccl.12:7 NLT)

Notice: that the Bible DOES NOT SAY: "good spirits go to heaven and bad spirits go to hell." It simply says that when we die… the spirit in everyone who dies returns to God, who gave it to us in the first place!

"…the LORD, who… formed the spirit within humans." (Zech.12:1 NLT)

In fact, contrary to popular religious dogma in the world apart from the Bible… the phrases people like to use today: "go to heaven" and "go to hell" [as well as "go to church"] are nowhere stated in Scripture, nor is heaven promised by God to any man. Jesus tells us plainly that NO MAN HAS EVER ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN [speaking of the "third heaven" where His Father's throne is - see II Cor.12:2]… except for HIMSELF, who CAME FROM THERE. [see John 3:13]

The only Scripture that comes close to saying "go to heaven" turns out to be the heartfelt obsession of SATAN THE DEVIL!

"For you said to yourself, 'I WILL ASCEND TO HEAVEN and SET MY THRONE above God's STARS [angels - see Rev.1:20]… I WILL CLIMB TO THE HIGHEST HEAVENS [the third heaven where the Father's throne is] and BE LIKE THE MOST HIGH [I will BE GOD! - is Satan's obsession].'" (Isa.14:13-14 NLT)

That is why "the war in heaven" [see Rev.12:7] took place in the beginning before man was made. That is when SIN originated [which is disobedience to God's Laws - I John 3:4 & John 8:44]… because God won't allow any unauthorized persons into His Most High and Holy Place! If God repelled Satan's invasion of the "Third Heaven" -- He's certainly not going to ALLOW ANY MAN TO GO THERE.

"You will search for Me but not find Me. And YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO COME WHERE I AM.'" (John 7:34 NLT)

And you won't find anyone in the Bible actually "going to the Third Heaven" of God's throne except through a "vision" or "dream."

"Let me tell you about THE VISIONS and REVELATIONS I received from the LORD. I was caught up into the third heaven fourteen years ago…" (II Cor.12:1-2 NLT)

John, also, was given his "vision" and was transported "in the Spirit" to the "Day of the LORD" [the LORD's DAY]: the time at the end of God's plan when Jesus Christ will return to establish His Kingdom on earth:

"I was in the Spirit on the LORD's Day…" (Rev.1:10 MNT)

"…'Now listen to Me! Even with prophets, I the LORD communicate by VISIONS and DREAMS…" *Num.12:6 NLT)

"…God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it. He speaks IN DREAMS, IN VISIONS of the night when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in bed." (Job 33:14-15 NLT)

The Bible [Jesus' WORDS] calls "death"… "sleeping!"

"…'Our friend Lazarus has FALLEN ASLEEP, but now I will go and wake him up.' The disciples said, 'LORD, if he is sleeping, that means he is getting better!' They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was having a good night's rest, but Jesus meant LAZARUS HAD DIED. Then He told them plainly, 'LAZARUS IS DEAD. And for your sake, I AM glad I wasn't there, because this will give you another opportunity to believe in Me. Come, let's go see him.'" (John 11:11-15 NLT)

The Bible reveals that "death" is an "unconscious, dreamless, unknowing, dormant SLEEP!" No "dead person" is "living" somewhere else, like on a heavenly cloud, "looking down on his loved ones on earth." The Bible just doesn't teach it. That's the teaching of this world's religions like Islam as well as most of the hundreds of modern denominations professing to be "Christian" in spite of its absence from the Bible.

"…I had myself been taught, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture, that He was buried, and that He was raised the third day, according to the Scriptures… Afterward He was seen at one time by more than five hundred brethren, most of whom are STILL ALIVE, but some are FALLEN ASLEEP." (I Cor.15:3-6 MNT Montgomery New Testament)

"Death" -- regardless of whether or not one has "accepted Christ" is an "unconscious, dreamless SLEEP" according to the Bible:

"So David SLEPT with his fathers, and WAS BURIED in the city of David." (I Kings 2:10)

"And Solomon SLEPT with his fathers, and WAS BURIED in the city of David his father…" (I Kings 11:43).

"…if Christ be not risen, your Faith is vain, you are still in your sins. More than that, those who are SLEEPING in Christ [have died with their Faith in Christ] have perished." (verses 17-18)

"For just as in Adam all DIE, so also in Christ WILL all be made ALIVE. But EACH MAN IN HIS OWN ORDER; Christ the First-Fruits, THEN those who belong to Christ AT HIS APPEARING."

"Lo, I tell you a Secret Truth: We shall not all BE SLEEPING [be dead], but we shall all be changed… for the trumpet will sound, and THE DEAD WILL BE RAISED, incorruptible, and we shall be changed…"

Even Job knew that the dead are unconscious… for in the midst of his miserable ordeal, he wished to be dead and hidden in the grave until the Day of Judgment at Christ's coming:

"…'But when people die, they lose all strength. They breathe their last, and then where are they? …people lie down and do not rise again. Until the heavens are no more, THEY WILL NOT WAKE UP nor BE ROUSED FROM THEIR SLEEP. I wish you would HIDE ME WITH THE DEAD [in the grave - KJV] and forget me there until YOUR ANGER HAS PASSED [see Rev.16 for the "last of God's WRATH poured out on the earth just before He returns]. But mark your calendar to think of me again! If mortal die, can they live again? This thought would give me Hope, and through my struggle I would eagerly wait for release. You would call [to the dead at the time of the Resurrection] and I would answer, and you would yearn for me, your handiwork. For then you would count my steps, instead of watching for my sins. My sins would be sealed in a pouch [forgiven me], and you would COVER OVER MY INIQUITY." (Job 14:10-17 NLT)

According to the Bible… heaven is not packed with "living/dead" people as the religions of this world teach. God the Father has never allowed any man other than His SON to ascend where He is [because Christ came from there, originally]. And at the conclusion of His plan of Salvation for mankind, who have the astounding potential to be RE-BORN INTO HIS IMMORTAL FAMILY, the Father's children will still not "go to the Third Heaven" of His throne… but IT WILL COME DOWN TO THE NEW EARTH THAT HE SHALL RE-MAKE:

"….I [John] SAW [in his vision] the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, COMING DOWN FROM GOD OUT OF HEAVEN… I heard a shout from the throne [of God the Father], saying, 'Look, THE HOME OF GOD IS NOW AMONG HIS PEOPLE! He will Live with them, and they will be His people. GOD [the Father] HIMSELF WILL BE WITH THEM.'" (Rev.21:2-3 NLT)

The Truth is that few of the religions of this world really understand this FIRST DEATH that's appointed to ALL MEN. Nor do they truly understand about "accepting Christ."

In the Scriptures, Jesus reveals that in the Judgment many resurrected folks will stand before Him, thinking that "they had died having accepting Him!" But He will shock their socks off by telling them that He never knew THEM!

"On Judgment Day many will tell Me, 'LORD, LORD, we prophesied in your Name and cast out demons in your Name and performed many miracles in your Name.' But I will reply, 'I NEVER KNEW YOU, Go away; the things you did were unauthorized.'" (Matt.7:22-23 NLT)

According to the Bible… Jesus doesn't save anyone from the FIRST DEATH! Because the First Death is APPOINTED TO ALL MEN!

After the First Death that's appointed to all of us… we merely "wait in the grave" until JUDGMENT DAY -- the Day when CHRIST RETURNS!

"And just as IT IS DESTINED that EACH PERSON DIES ONLY ONCE and AFTER THAT COMES JUDGMENT, so also CHRIST DIED ONLY ONCE as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people HE WILL COME AGAIN but not to deal with our sins again. THIS TIME HE WILL BRING SALVATION to ALL THOSE WHO ARE EAGERLY WAITING FOR HIM." (Heb.9:27-28 NLT)

But how many people in the world believe that Jesus is coming back? Aren't they all taught, instead, that "they go to Him?" Don't the religions of the world teach "men going to heaven… going to Christ… going to God"… instead of taught what the Bible really says about death and what comes after?

Jesus saves men from THE SECOND DEATH… which occurs ON JUDGMENT DAY… THE LAST GREAT DAY OF GOD'S PLAN!

"Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Whoever is victorious will not be hurt by the SECOND DEATH." (Rev.2:11 NLT)

The Resurrection of God's Faithful at the time of Christ's return will be the FIRST RESURRECTION!

"…They came to Life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. THIS IS THE FIRST RESURRECTION. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.) Blessed and Holy are those who share in the FIRST RESURRECTION. For them the SECOND DEATH holds no power, but they will be Priests of God [the Father] and of Christ and will reign with Him a thousand years." (Rev.20:4-6 NLT)

"And death and the grave were thrown into the Lake of Fire. THIS IS THE SECOND DEATH - THE LAKE OF FIRE [on the Last Great Day of Judgment]. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was THROWN INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE." (Rev.20:14-15 NLT)

And until that LAST GREAT DAY comes -- all the people who have ever lived and died throughout the generations of men [believing they accepted Christ or not] -- ARE UNCONSCIOUS AND ASLEEP IN THE GRAVE. And the "spirit," that was in each of them that returned to God who gave it to them in the first place, has been ASLEEP… unconscious... and totally unaware of the passing of time.

And for all the dead will know: being unaware of the passing of the years, decades or centuries since they closed their eyes in death… the moment of their allotted time to be resurrected to life again will only seem like "the next instant" when they lift their eyes in the grave and see the LORD on the Great White Throne before them.

Answer 2

A:In some communities, a person who rejects, or does not accept, Jesus may be ostracised for being different to the majority. This could be the result of an unconscious fear that perhaps the person is right after all, or simply a form of religious xenophobia. Fortunately, such intolerance is increasingly rare today.

Other than this, nothing untoward happens to anyone who chooses not to believe in Jesus Christ.