Tough Questions Post 1: Did They Go To Hell?

Welcome to the first post in my series "Tough Questions."
Someone on a Christian discussion board once asked how to handle a conversation like this:

Non-believer: My brother just died.
Believer: I'm so sorry! That must be so hard.
Non-believer: Yeah, it's tough. But I know I'll get to see him in heaven someday.
Believer: Your brother was a Christian?
Non-believer: No, but he was a great person. He'll go to heaven, right?

The believer wanted to know how to tell the non-believer, basically, "Your brother went to hell" without being too harsh.

Well, here's my answer: you don't have to lie, and you don't have to tell them their brother went to hell. Because you don't know for sure that he did.

Example: Charles witnesses to Bob. Bob turns down the gospel invitation and drives away. Bob is driving on the highway when he realizes that he really does need God. Bob becomes a Christian. Bob reaches for his cell phone to call Charles, and a drunk driver swerves in Bob's lane while Bob is looking down. Bob dies.

Should Charles live life believing that Bob went to hell? No, of course not! Just because Charles doesn't know that Bob became a Christian doesn't mean Bob never did become a Christian. Last-minute conversions happen; think of the thief on the cross the night Jesus was crucified!

You see, we can explain the gospel to others, but we can never be sure whether they go to heaven or hell. Even those who deny God to their dying breath might, while believed to be in a coma or dead, make a last-minute decision to trust in Him.

So no, don't say "Your brother went to hell." You're not God. You don't know that.

Tell the person what you believe: no one is good enough to get into heaven, so Jesus died to pay the price for our sins. Tell them that you believe only those who trust Jesus go to heaven. But also tell them that you believe their brother could have made a conversion without their knowledge and gone to heaven. :)