MarkKane, welcome to the forum, thanks for joining us!
You ask a really good question, but there are no second chances.
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
We live once, then we are judged. However, that might not exactly be a fair shake. To live, die, and be judged. In my mind, you have to have a chance to begin with. Just because we lived on earth, does that mean we had a chance?
I don’t think so.
Every year, 75 million babies are aborted. They certainly didn’t get a chance. Then we have the mentally ill, the handicapped, and so on. Did they get a chance?
I don’t think so.
Now, what about non-believers?
Touchy subject. I’ve answered it via email, but I want to refine it for the site in the future. Would God judge someone to eternal death because they refused to believe in the Bible? What if all they heard from their pastor was a 6,000-year-old earth, we all came from Adam and Eve, or another highly contested subject?
- What if the consensus on those subjects are wrong?
- What if that consensus caused someone not to believe?
- Would that be fair for God to judge them to death?
- Could there be some “safety net”?
Rom 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Rom 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
Rom 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
Interesting, right?
Remember, during the Millennium the “priests of God and Christ” are going to be teaching. Who are they going to be teaching? Also remember, those who do believe are rewarded with God’s Kingdom, (Mat 25:34, Rev 2:26-27, 5:10, see: How Do We Obtain The Crown Of Righteousness?).
As Jesus said,
Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. - John 20:29