Is There Really A Hell?

Despite our current secular age, belief in some version of Heaven is going strong. Not so with Hell. In fact, it seems Hell is rarely mentioned today, sometimes even by Christians.

Jesus took Hell seriously. From His recorded words, it is clear He considered Hell to be a real place. Possibly no one in the Bible spoke as much about Hell as Jesus.

But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!

Jesus of Nazareth (The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 12, verse 5)

Jesus clearly taught that there is a place of real, conscious, everlasting torment. A place where God justly punishes those who broke His law in this life. A place from which, once entered, there can be no escape.

We have a hard time believing in Hell because, if we’re honest, we don’t think our wrong-doing is really all that bad. “I’m not perfect, but definitely a good person at heart. How could a good god punish so harshly?” But Jesus taught that sin is far more serious than we imagine.

Remember, we are created beings. Our Creator does not owe us anything. We owe Him everything – even our very existence. He is the potter, we are the clay. One moment of wrong-doing is an act of absurd, unforgiveable defiance against Him. An act of such monumental ingratitude that, in His judgement, it deserves Hell.

No sane person enjoys thinking about Hell. The whole concept is terrifying! But while the Bible is clear that Hell is a real place, it actually has some profoundly good news for us. At the heart of the Bible is God’s rescue mission. There is a way we can be saved from what we deserve and begin to truly live. We’ll be looking at this good news of Jesus next time.

Your thoughts are welcome! Please feel free to leave some feedback, questions or even disagreements.