(extracted from The Facts on Near Death Experiences)
Hell may be ridiculed and outdated in the minds of many people, but that does not change its reality. Given the infinite holiness of God, one thing is certain—the strongest arguments against hell will be silenced forever on the other side. (Polls since 1944 indicate that although 50 to 60 percent of people believe in hell, only 3 to 4 percent think their chances are good of going there.[1] Many people may think they will never go to hell because they don’t “deserve” it. But unless they repent and turn to Jesus for forgiveness of sins, that will be their fate.
Jesus Spoke Clearly About Hell
The single most authoritative person in human history, Jesus Christ, spoke often of the reality of an eternal hell (for example, see Matthew 25:41,46). He warned, “wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it,” while “only a few” find eternal life in heaven (Matthew 7:13-14). Jesus also said, “If you do not believe that I am he [the one I claim to be], you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:24), and He asked, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Matthew 16:26).
The Nature of Hell
The most predominant feature of hell will be the eternal absence of an infinitely loving God and the never-ending presence of just punishment for individual sins (2 Thessalonians 1:9; Daniel 12:2; Matthew 10:28). Hell involves degrees of punishment according to the works done in this life (Matthew 11:21-24; 23:23; Luke 12:47-48). In contrast to what most people think, those who are condemned to hell will recognize and understand the perfect justice of their presence there. Popular views of universalism, variations on conditional immortality, and ideas of the opportunity for salvation after death are impossible to defend scripturally.[2] Because of God’s infinite righteousness, hell cannot logically be considered immoral. But it could actually be immoral for God to save everyone irrespective of their will or to annihilate those having intrinsic value, those created in His image.[3]
Why We Must Take Hell Seriously
Hell is a subject that all people should contemplate for many reasons:
- It is in our best interest to escape it. Jesus makes the way clear (John 3:16-18).
- God does not desire that anyone perish and has given humanity every opportunity to receive mercy (2 Peter 3:9).
- Hell is not unjust. God's holiness demands perfect justice.
- Hell is not a torture chamber designed by God. It is the result of personal choice and separation from God.
- Sin against an infinite God requires an eternal consequence.
- People who reject Christ in this life are unlikely to desire heaven in the next.
- God judges with perfect knowledge and fairness, giving each person exactly what they deserve (Luke 12:47-48).
God's Justice and Love Are Not Opposed
The Bible presents hell as the perfect expression of God’s justice. God’s love for His creation, His people, and His righteousness means hell is not a contradiction to His love but a fulfillment of His justice. Without justice, love loses meaning. A world without final justice would be unlivable and unfair. But through Christ, God offers mercy that triumphs over judgment for those who receive it.
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