Surprisingly, polls show that over the past few decades, belief in the existence of hell has increased by a significant margin. However, the number of people who believe they are going to hell has dropped dramatically. How is it that even though more people now claim to believe in hell, fewer people think they will end up there? Does this discrepancy provide an insight into the spiritual condition of the world today? I believe these results reflect the growing popularity of ideas such as, "God is a God of love—He would never send anyone to hell," and "I've done enough good in my life that even if hell exists, I'm not worried about going there." These are two very dangerous misconceptions, and are clearly contrary to what the Bible teaches regarding these matters. Is there really a place called hell? Yes. Jesus often spoke of hell, saying: "Fear [God], which … hath power to cast into hell" (Luke 12:5). Hell is described as a place of "everlasting punishment" where "the fire is not quenched" (Matthew 25:46; Mark 9:44). Will God really cast people into hell? Yes. "Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:15). Can good works keep a person from hell? No. "By the deeds of the law [good works] there shall no flesh be justified in His sight…. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:20,23). These Scriptures reveal the often-ignored truth regarding God's character and the required judgment of sin. Yes, God is a God of love. However, He is also a perfectly holy and righteous God, which means He cannot simply overlook sin. The penalty which He has pronounced on sin must be paid. "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). To die in one's sins will mean eternal separation from God in hell (Revelation 20:14; 21:8), which was not made for man, but for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). If you think God loves us so much that He will intervene on our behalf, you're right—and He already has. The Bible says that "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). God demonstrated His incredible, matchless love for us by sending Jesus, His own Son, to become our substitute, to suffer in our place. The Bible says He "bare our sins in His own body on the tree" and "redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us" (1 Peter 2:24; Galatians 3:13). God then raised Him from the dead, showing His satisfaction with the price that Jesus paid. Now the wonderful message is: "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Salvation from sin and deliverance from hell is offered freely to all who believe in Jesus—to all who trust His finished work on the cross as payment for their debt of sins. In the day of judgment, the question will not be about the reality of hell, or about God's righteousness, or about your sinfulness—all of those things will be apparent; the question will be, "Have you trusted Jesus as your Saviour?" It is as plain as this: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:36). If you think that you can reject God's free and full salvation offered through Jesus Christ and yet somehow escape His necessary, righteous judgment of sin, you are sadly mistaken. Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." (John 14:6). "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" (Hebrews 2:3). The price that God has paid to provide salvation for you proves that sin is not a trivial matter with Him, and that it must be dealt with. Accept God's loving provision of pardon—turn to Jesus Christ today, trusting Him as your personal Saviour. Eternity! Eternity!Where will you be in eternity?'Tis heaven or hell for you and me,Now make your choice, which shall it be?
