You have asked a really important question that everyone of us should have a clear "Thus saith the Lord". Any answers should be "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Is 8:20). We should follow the Scriptural mandate: "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little." (Is 28:10).
This particular question is going to get us way off track before we can even begin to tackle the truth about Hell. I'm sure as you have listened to the many conflicting views of Hell as proclaimed by the majority of Christendom you would have found that they don't all agree and many only give one or two verses to support their view. As I can't go into all the associated background needed, I will try to keep it brief and try explaining through further posts.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (Jn 3:16) Everything that God has done, from creating us, seeking us, redeeming us, interceding for us to ultimately delivering us from the power of sin and death, unto life eternal (Jn 17:3) is because of His utmost and complete love for us! From the beginning of this Great Controversy which began in Heaven, God's love, character and rulership have been attacked by the deceiver, the Devil or Satan.
In the garden of Eden God said to man "...but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (Gen 2:17) (emphasis added).
Now I'm sorry to those who don't like to read outside of the English language but certain things can only be understood by going to the original languages. We don't have to be Greek or Hebrew scholars when a concordance will do. The literal rendition of the word "die" in Gen 2:17 is "dying thou shalt die", which is noted in the margin of most Bibles. But what did the Devil say to Eve about this warning issued by God which has been propagated for millenia by the majority of Christendom (I'm not saying deliberately or maliciously either), "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." (Gen 3:4,5) (emphasis added).
So now do we believe God, that we will die; or the Devil, that we will not die? I choose, "But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Josh 24:15).
Without going into the plethora of verses about what happens at death, I will cite a few:
Jn 11:1-44: "Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus...Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleeps, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead...Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go." (What better authority than the Creator Himself about what happens when you die. You sleep in the grave. I'm sure we all know what happens when you sleep...Notice that here is a man who "hath been dead four days" (Jn 11:39) and notice that the Biblical record is completely silent about his experience during this time. He didn't go to Heaven or Hell (the place commonly referred to) but was sleeping as Jesus put it.)
Ecc 9:5, 6, 10: For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun...Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
Is 38:18, 19: For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day.
Ps 146:4: His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
Now going back to "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (Jn 3:16). Jesus said there are two choices to the gift that he has given (Eph 2:8); we either have everlasting life or we perish. The Greek word for perish is to destroy fully, this is the second death (which for brevity I can't get into). Now remember for God to destroy fully the creatures that He has lovingly made will break His heart; "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." (1 Jn 3:8). If we by persistence clings to sin, we will be destroyed with it. God hates the sin, but loves the sinner. Notice that God didn't say we would be for ever being destroyed bit by bit, but that the it would do it's work, then cease. The meaning of destroy: is to put an end to! Not to continue for ever.
Ez 33:11: Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?
Lk 9:56: For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.
Is 28:21: For the LORD shall rise up...that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.
Now in the words of an Amazing Facts Study Guide, "Is the Devil in charge of Hell?"
Is anyone being burned in Hell now? No. Just like the sleep of Lazarus, "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished" (2 Pet 2:9)
When and where will hellfire take place? "As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire" (Matt 13:40-42) and "The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." (Jn 12:48). "And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them." (Rev 20:9)
(As mentioned), where are people who have died awaiting their respective reward? "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." (Jn 5:28, 29) and "The wicked is reserved to the day of destruction" (Job 21:30) Notice that the just and wicked are not receiving their rewards now, the wicked are not burning is fire yet!
What is the final result of sin? "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom 6:23). "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (Rev 21:8).
Without going into all the verses mentioned in previous posts (I will if needed to clarify), will the fires of Hell eventually go out or will they burn forever? "Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it." (Is 47:14). "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth" (Rev 21:1); "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Rev 21:4). If sinners are not completely destroyed in the fires or hell, then this verse is not true. If people continue to live on suffering for eternity then this verse and many like it are not true. Then the Devil will be right and God a liar, for sinners will not really die!
The Devil himself will be cast into hellfire: "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire" (Rev 20:10) and "I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee...And never shall thou be any more" (Ez 28:19,19).
What is God's real intentions for hellfire: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matt 25:41); any human who is destroyed in the lake of fire is an unwelcome visitor. God has provided exceedingly abundantly through the death of Jesus on the Cross for every erring son of Adam. "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire" (Rev 20:15). "For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be" (Ps 37:10) and "The enemies of the Lord...shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away" (Ps 37:20).
Sorry this is a bit discordant, but I didn't realise I would take up so much space. Too many power packed verses "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." (Heb 4:12, 13).
Satan has twisted the doctrine of the destruction of the wicked to get people to turn in revulsion that such a 'loving' God would torture people like this for eternity over such a brief existence in comparison. But when the Devil's lies are exposed through the powerful Word of God it is shown that even in the doctrine of the final judgement God is only working out His eternal purposes in supreme love.
Reply in brief to one of your questions: Once saved always saved is another fallacy of the Devil. Can you choose to be saved or are you forced? Jn 3:16 says we have a choice, so by our lifestyle despite our lip service profession we can choose, and will be lost.
