Is he in Hell?

When a person with an evil reputation dies, especially someone who was not a Christian, the inevitable question is whether we can safely say that this person is in Hell.

The short answer is: No - we cannot safely say that any particular human being is in Hell.

We can safely say that no one can be saved without Christ.

We can also safely say that there is a penalty for sin, up to and including eternity in Hell (may God have mercy on us all).

We also can evaluate what we see in the lives of those around us, making prudential judgments and taking necessary lawful actions for the sake of our own safety, also drawing moral lessons to help us all live more perfectly in the ways of God, and also seeing opportunities for intercessory prayer.

But... the ultimate judgment of a person’s soul belongs to God alone, who sees more clearly into a person than even that person’s own conscience (for we can all fool ourselves, but no one can fool God – may God have mercy on us all).

We know much of the justice and mercy of God, enough to guide us through life by his grace, but our knowledge is not infinite and we are not the Lord.

God’s justice is perfect and all-powerful. Also, God’s mercy is perfect and infinite. Ultimately, we can do no more than place these matters in his hands and also ask him to heal wherever there is anger, hatred, and hurt and to help us bring his justice, love, and truth more perfectly into this world.

In this question, we must bow before the Lord, trusting in him, relying on his perfect justice and mercy in all things and for our own sakes.