A Canada-based Nigerian cleric, Pastor Olumide Akinrinlola, has stirred widespread debate among Christians after asserting that sin is not the reason people go to hell, but rather their rejection of the gospel and refusal to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and personal Saviour.
In a viral sermon, the end-time preacher challenged conventional Christian teachings that link eternal damnation directly to sinful acts, arguing instead that condemnation stems from rejecting God’s offer of salvation through Christ.
“People are not going to hell because they are fornicators, adulterers, liars, or killers,” he said. “They are going to hell because they refused to accept the gospel — the salvation of their soul. Jesus Christ is the salvation of our soul.”
Citing 2 Corinthians 5:17, Akinrinlola explained that genuine acceptance of Christ leads to spiritual transformation and a turning away from sin.
“When a man is born again, old things pass away and all things become new,” he said. “When a fornicator accepts Jesus, he stops fornicating. When an evil man accepts Jesus, he abandons evil.”
The preacher further stressed that the message of the gospel is not condemnation but transformation, saying that repentance and faith in Christ naturally produce a changed life.
“Someone addicted to alcohol or involved in witchcraft will be delivered and transformed when they accept Jesus,” he added.
Pastor Akinrinlola maintained that no sin is beyond God’s forgiveness, provided there is genuine repentance.
“There’s no sin you’ve committed that God cannot forgive if you repent,” he said. “People go to hell because they refuse to repent and forsake their sins.”
He concluded that hell is not reserved for sinners by nature, but for those who reject God’s gift of salvation.
“The reason people are in hell today is because they refused the gift of salvation,” he said. “That is the message God instructed me to deliver.”
Source:Africa Publicity
