18. If I believe what you’re saying, that would mean my grandmother (or some other beloved relative) went to hell.
Let’s look at the logic behind this argument: in effect, they are saying, “I know so-n-so went to heaven; therefore, any doctrine that contradicts that ‘fact’ must be in error.” In other words, they judge their relative into heaven and then filter biblical doctrines by that preconception. But it’s the Scriptures that will judge us, not the other way around.
The possibility that a loved one didn’t make it to heaven might be one of the saddest realities that a person would ever have to face. It is understandable that a person would want to believe that a loved one went to heaven. However, people who have passed on are already where they are. Our beliefs have no effect on the matter: their eternal destinies are settled.
We are not responsible for where our deceased loved ones will spend eternity, but we are responsible for how we respond to God’s word.