Are you one of those people that do not believe that Hell is a real place? Do you feel that “Hell” simply describes the pain, anguish, and misery that we experience in our physical lives on this earth? Do you believe that there is no such thing as life after death and that when you die, you simply cease to exist? Are you one of those people that think that if you are a “good” person, you will automatically go to Heaven? Do you think that you can work your way into Heaven by doing good deeds? Do you think that after someone dies, prayers offered to God from their loved ones can change their eternal home whether Heaven or Hell? Do you know the meaning of the word eternity?
If you are one of these people, you are in grave error!
Hell is a real place. Many Bible scriptures describe what Hell is, and what it is like. The Bible is clear that after we die, there are only two choices; Heaven or Hell, and after you die, where you spend eternity is NONNEGOTIABLE.
Many people do not believe in Hell because they do not understand why a “loving” God would create a terrible place of torment like Hell. To understand what Hell is, and why it was created, we will have to look at what the Bible says about it.
God tells us in the Bible that Hell was designed originally for Satan and his demons. Matthew 25:41 says “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Revelation 20:10 says referring to end times “And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
Let’s have a look at the above questions, and see how the Bible answers them:
Is Hell a real place? YES.
Jesus has told us that He holds the keys to Hell. The Bible refers to the location as being in the heart of the earth. Jesus said He would spend three days and three nights after his death on the cross in the heart of the earth. Jesus overcame death at that time and was raised back to life from the dead.
Revelation 1:18 – I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Matthew 25:41 – Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Matthew 12:40 – For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Hades as described in the dictionary is another word for Hell.
The Bible is clear that Hell is an actual place of continuous pain and torment eternally separated from God.
Matthew 10:28 – Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Mark 9:43 – If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. Mark 9:47-48 – And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where “‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’
The Bible states that a person is destined to die only once and that there are only two choices of where they will spend eternity; either Heaven or Hell.
Matthew 25:46 – Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. Hebrews 9:27 – Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment. John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Matthew 10:28 – Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Revelation 21:8 – But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters, and all liars – they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.
There is no such thing as a "good" person, as every human being on the earth is sinful and falls short of the mark.
Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Ephesians 2:1-3 – As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air (Satan), the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
Can you work your way into Heaven by doing good deeds? NO.
A person cannot work their way into Heaven. No matter how many righteous acts a person does, the person is still dirty from sin (if they have not accepted Jesus into their heart). Even though their righteous acts look good to people on the earth, their acts are like filthy rags to God because He is Holy. The only thing that can cleanse a person from sin is the blood of Jesus which He shed on the cross at Calvary. Salvation is a gift from God given to us by His grace. A person must accept this generous gift from Him by faith. Only those who accept Jesus into their heart as their Lord and Savior receive purification from sin by His blood. His blood washes us clean from all sin.
Ephesians 2:8-9 – For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. Isaiah 64:6 – All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind, our sins sweep us away. John 14:6 – Jesus answered, “I am the way the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
After someone dies, can prayers offered to God from their loved ones change their eternal home whether Heaven or Hell? NO.
The decision is final and depends on the choices that person made before they died, and how they chose to live their life. Once God has decided that the book of earthly life has closed for that person, the decision is final. Our God is also fair. He will make sure that each person on the earth has been presented with the Gospel of Christ; whether by supernatural means and revelation from Him, or by hearing the Gospel preached throughout the earth by men. Thus, the person will have been presented with the knowledge to make their choice.
Luke 16:19-26 – “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue because I am in agony in this fire.’ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ Luke 16:27-31 – “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ “No, father Abraham, ‘ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'”
What is the meaning of the word eternity? It is defined in the dictionary as “infinite or unending time; a state to which time has no application; timelessness.
Now that you are aware that the Bible is clear that Hell is a real place, you are probably asking yourself, “how does a person end up in Hell?” The answers are very simple:
By not believing in their heart that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the cross, and that He was raised from the dead.
By not asking Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior over their lives.
By not repenting and turning away from sin, and continuing to live a life of lawlessness.
By not forgiving those people in their lives that have hurt or wronged them, and by holding on to resentment.
By turning back to living a life of sin and recklessness after knowing that Jesus has called them to live a righteous and holy life.
As mentioned in the above scripture references, Jesus said in John 14:6 that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and nobody comes to the Father except through Him. Jesus is saying that He is the “gateway” to Heaven and that there is no other possible entry to Heaven except through Him. In Mathew 6:14-15 Jesus says ” For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Many people make the mistake and do not realize that it is imperative for them to forgive others. If you have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior and have not forgiven others, you must rectify this no matter how somebody may have wronged you. If you know that you have not forgiven others in your heart, or if you are not sure if you have forgiven those that have wronged you, ask God to help you to forgive, and to reveal those areas in your heart where you have not forgiven others. Remember, forgiveness is not something that we can do on our own. This is something that can only come from God. He heals our hearts and allows us to forgive others. He replaces our hurts with His peace that transcends all understanding.
The definition of forgive as defined in the dictionary is to “stop feeling angry or resentful towards (someone) for an offense, flaw, or mistake; no longer feel angry about or wish to punish (an offense, flaw, or mistake); cancel (a debt).
To know God, but then decide to turn away from God is also very serious. In 2 Peter 2:21-22 the Bible says “It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: A dog returns to its vomit, and, a sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.” 2 Peter 2:14-15 says “With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed — an accursed brood! They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer.” 2 Peter 2:18-20 says “For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity(moral corruption; wickedness) for people are slaves to whatever has mastered them. If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.”
This does not mean that people cannot make mistakes and that when they make mistakes they will not be forgiven. Jesus understands that we will always fall short of the mark. However, we are expected to turn away from sin and strive to live a righteous life. We cannot just continue to live in sin, do whatever we want, and then just ask for forgiveness when we are not trying to turn away from sin or change. God will not be mocked. Galatians 6:7 says “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
It is a person's conscience choice to turn away from sin and to decide to live a holy righteous life. However; it is the power of God that changes and transforms a person so that they are successful at overcoming sin, temptations, and trials.
It is God’s desire to have all of mankind saved from Hell by accepting His son as Lord and Savior. Our God is a loving God and has given us free will.
Free will is defined in the dictionary as “the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one’s own discretion.
Although God desires for you to accept Him, be saved, and spend eternity with Him, He will never force you to accept Him. When a person goes to Hell, it is by their own choice. It means that they chose to reject the gift of salvation offered by faith through our Lord Jesus Christ, and chose to live their life selfishly and gratifying only to themselves. To forgive others is also a choice. When you decide to forgive somebody, it is first by your choice that the act of forgiveness is put into action. The power of God does the rest.
If you have not yet received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, say the below prayer:
Father, it is written in Your Word that if I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that You have raised Him from the dead, I shall be saved. Therefore, Father, I confess that Jesus is my Lord. I make Him Lord of my life right now. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead. I renounce my past life with Satan and close the door to any of his devices.
I thank You for forgiving me of all my sin. Jesus is my Lord, and I am a new creation. Old things have passed away. Now all things become new in Jesus’ name Amen.
The above prayer is from the book "Prayers that avail much" by Germaine Copland.
All Bible scriptures are taken from the New International Version (NIV).
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