Sadhu Sundar Singh about Hell and Eternal damnation (punishment)
HELL
” I was also told that the love of God operates even in Hell. God does not shine in His full light, because those there could not bear it, but He gradually shows them more and more light, and by and by brings them on and moves their conscience towards something better, although they think that the desire is entirely their own. Thus God works on their minds from within, something in the same way, though in the opposite direction, as that in which Satan suggests temptation to us here. Thus, what with God’s work within and the Light without, almost all those in Hell will ultimately be brought to Christ’s feet. It will perhaps take millions of ages, but when it is attained they will be full of joy and thankfulness towards God ; though they will still be less happy than those who have accepted Christ on earth. Thus Hell also is a training school, a place of preparation for Home. Those in Hell know that it is not their home because they suffer there. Men were not created for Hell and therefore do not enjoy it, and, when there, desire to escape to Heaven. They do so, but they find Heaven even more uncongenial than Hell, so they return. But this convinces them that there is something wrong in their lives, and thus they are gradually led to repentance. At least, that is the case with the majority, but there are some few personalities, Satan for instance, in regard to whom I was told, ` Don’t ask about them.’ And so I didn’t like to ask, but I hoped that for them also there was some hope. ” They also told me that the Saints help in the work of saving souls in Hell, because there can be no idleness in Heaven. Those in Hell will ultimately be brought to Heaven like the prodigal son, but with regard to the ultimate fate of a certain number you must not ask.” The Sadhu is inclined to think that perhaps these few will be annihilated. ” Once I said, ‘So many people will be lost because they have not heard of Christ.’ They said, ` The contrary will be the case ; very few will be lost.’ There is a kind of heavenly joke -no, joke is not a good word for it. `Very few will be lost but many will be saved. It is so, but don’t tell,’ they said, as it were, in jest, `because it will make men careless, and we want them to enjoy the First Heaven-that is, the Heaven on earth-as well.’ ” “If there were no hope for all the nonChristians in the world and all the Christians who die in sin, God would stop creating men. We must do our part here on earth to save sinners, but if they refuse we need not be without hope for them.” The Sadhu’s ” universalism ” recalls the famous ” Shewing” to Mother Juliana of Norwich, ” All manner of things shall be well,” and her comments thereon-except that her respect for the authority of the Church precludes her making any suggestion how this may be possible.” The Sadhu faithfully obeys the injunction, ” Don’t tell.” In his popular teaching, as we shall see in the next chapter, he stresses the need of repentance, and the certainty of immediate judgement in the next life, but he never speaks of his hope of ultimate salvation even for the unrepentant.
B.H. Streeter ‘The message of Sadhu Sundar Singh’
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Sadhu Sundar Singh was interviewed by several theology students in Calcutta, India, where he answered their questions:
(Question #3) Did the Sadhu think there was eternal punishment?
‘There was punishment, but it was not eternal…Everyone after this life would be given a fair chance of making good, and attaining to the measure of fullness the soul was capable of. This might sometimes take ages.’
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“If the Divine spark in the soul cannot be destroyed, then we need despair of no sinner… Since God created men to have fellowship with Himself, they cannot for ever be separated from Him… After long wandering, and by devious paths, sinful man will at last return to Him in whose Image he was created; for this is his final destiny.’
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