If a person’s soul was cursed and they were tortured for the remainder of their lives, would they be condemned to hell or could they be saved?
We must first determine what causes a soul to be cursed. Let’s look at the words of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 25:41, “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” This describes an event that has not happened yet. It refers to the Lord’s judgment of the nations at the end of the Tribulation Period. I encourage you to read Matthew 25:31-46. In this instance, a person’s love for the Lord will be determined by how he treats the Lord’s people. Those mentioned in verse 41 had treated the Lord’s people terribly and had neglected them in their needs. These people were cursed by their own unbelief and actions and sent to a place of “everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Notice that this place was not created for people but was created for Satan and his demons. Yet, those who pass from here in unbelief will be sent there for eternity.
The Lord Jesus mentioned a similar curse to unbelievers in John 8:24, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for IF YE BELIEVE NOT THAT I AM HE, YE SHALL DIE IN YOUR SINS.” We read of a future judgment to those cursed because of unbelief in 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be PUNISHED WITH EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.”
I believe it is clear that the only way a person is truly cursed is if he dies in his sins. If a person dies in unbelief, his eventual eternal dwelling place will be Hell, the lake of fire to be ‘punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord.’ Any form of abuse, torture, or cruelty upon us has no actual bearing on our salvation. If one is tortured for years by a sadistic person, their salvation is still dependent upon their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. We read in John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Regardless of how one spends his life, whether it be in the lap of luxury or in a cruel environment, it is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that will save that person. What is really sad is when someone goes through a life of suffering but refuses to accept Christ as their savior. Besides the sad life on earth, they would also spend an eternity in Hell because of their unbelief.
I want to make one very important point here. The Lord condemns any kind of mistreatment of one person towards another…especially against a child. We read in Matthew 18:6, “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” If you have tolerated a life of abuse, the Lord is keenly aware and He will exact revenge for that. However, you still need to be saved. You still need the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior. We read in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” The Lord wants to save you. If you are still breathing, God’s grace is still available for you to take it and be saved. The Lord said in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, ALL ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” ALL are invited and ALL who come will be accepted. You have not been cursed by God. Come to Him now and put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9 tells us, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, THOU SHALT BE SAVED.” (313.6)