Is “hell” for real? Is there a literal place where people are punished forever? Is there such a thing as the “lake of fire?” The answer to these questions is… absolutely “yes.” If you believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired by God, infallible (without errors or contradictions), and authoritative, then you won’t take issue with the doctrine of hell because the truth of it is scattered throughout the pages of Scripture.
Let’s start with Jesus, who spoke these words:
“… and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” (Matt. 5:22).
“Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt. 10:28)
“Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt. 25:30)
Listen to the words of the two of Jesus’ apostles:
“But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,” (Rom. 2:5)
“These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,” (2 Thes. 1:9)
“And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Rev. 20:15)
Yes, hell is for real. It is the eternal destination for all who die without Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. A summary of what Scripture teaches on hell shows that it is a place of physical and spiritual suffering and torment forever and ever. It is a place of everlasting weeping and darkness (Matt. 8:12) where unbelievers will be separated from God. This is the worst part of hell.
Only God is good (Matt. 19:17). He is the source of all goodness in the universe because He is eternally good. But in hell, the only aspect of God people will face forever is His just and righteous wrath. Think about it! What does it mean for an omnipotent and holy God to unleash His just wrath forever?
That thought makes me shudder! And this may be the very reason why people want to ignore the biblical doctrine of hell. People come up with rationalizations to dismiss this truth, such as: “How could a loving God be so mean?” “How can eternal judgment be the fair sentence for temporal sins?” “Those in hell today must deserve a second chance!”
This kind of reaction to what is true may be natural to the human mind, but it’s not a right response. We respond this way when there are threats and dangers in our lives. We don’t like living with the reality of hell dangling over our heads, so we easily dismiss it in our minds. But what if hell is real? And the more accurate question is this: “Since hell is real, am I prepared for that day of judgment when I die?”
As awful as hell truly is, there is hope! And this hope is not bound up in a place (i.e. heaven), but in a Person, Jesus Christ. If you have Jesus, you are protected! He will protect you forever and cover you with His perfect character and His perfect work so that even when you do die, you’ll be with Him forever! Instead of hell, you’ll be with Jesus in heaven and will enjoy His glorious, magnificent presence throughout eternity.
If today, you are not sure where your eternal destiny lies, would you consider the true state of your soul? Do you know and love Jesus Christ? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is God’s only Son, that He is God? Have you placed your faith in His death and resurrection as the only means for the forgiveness of all your sins? Are you trusting Jesus to bring you to the Father, or are you trusting in your own good works? And has this genuine faith changed your life so that Jesus is the most important Person in your entire life?
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