Do You Really Want to Go to Hell?

“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:34-36 NLT)

People on earth today, both in the Church and those who never attend, seem so casual about the thought of hell. The thought of not being in God’s presence doesn’t even register. What if you had to live without the Sun? How long do you think you’d last? While some life may persist on earth, under the earth or ocean for a few years, sustainable life for humans would be impossible. Why do I even mention that? Because the Sun is God’s gift to mankind that, like many of His other gifts, will not be present in hell.

Many believe hell will just be a continuation of life on earth – relationships, work, living life, but without the restrictions and hassles of trying to be good or please anyone. Hanging out with your buds, drinking, carousing, just being “me”, but those days are gone forever when our eyes close in death. A more appropriate picture of hell would be solitary confinement in complete darkness with nothing but memories of all the opportunities you had to give yourself to Jesus but ignored them.

Is that really something that appeals to you? Is the thought of being loved by the God of Creation so repulsive to you that you’d rather rot in loneliness and pain for all eternity? And, of course, the thought may cross your mind: “Why would a God of love even allow that?” While He certainly doesn’t desire hell and separation from Him for anyone (see Matthew 18:14), it’s the logical end to anyone who rejects His love and chooses their own way. He’s made a way for everyone to choose life and heaven, but He’s left the choice to them…to YOU! The choice is life or death; being in His presence or out of it forever.

The biggest difference between Jesus and Satan is, Jesus is upfront, clear, and completely truthful about the joy-filled benefits of following Him, as well as the consequences of not choosing to follow Him. Satan on the other hand only fills our heads and hearts with ideas that satisfy us in this life, never being truthful about what the afterlife will be without Jesus.

Let me share just a few verses that confirm what I’ve said. Please read them carefully and allow the Lord to speak into your heart and mind:

John 3:16-18: “For God loved the world (YOU) so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone (YOU) who believes in Him WILL NOT PERISH but have ETERNAL LIFE. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in Him. But anyone who does not believe in Him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s Light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.”

Luke 16:23 – “In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.” (Notice the rich man was alone). 2 Thessalonians 1:9 – “They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.” Revelation 20:15 – “Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”  The closest association we can make between the agony of loneliness with our own regret is the feeling of being burned alive but not consumed.

Do you really want to go to hell? YOU DON’T HAVE TO! THE LORD JESUS DIED SO YOU WOULDN’T HAVE TO! PLEASE open your heart to the Lord Jesus and allow Him to forgive you, fill you with His Spirit and give you a new life you never dreamed possible. Just tap ANewStory.com and let Ron Hutchcraft explain how simple it is to give your life to the Lord. You will literally NEVER regret it.

Blessings, Ed