Senior Living - April 20, 2017

Are heaven and hell for real?

“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.” - Matthew 10:28

In the 1800s, a well-known agnostic lecturer named Robert G. Ingersoll announced he would be giving an address on hell. Specifically, Ingersoll declared he would conclusively prove that hell was a wild dream of scheming theologians who invented it to terrify people.

As he approached the podium and began launching into his argument, a half-drunken man in the audience stood up and exclaimed, “Make it strong, Bob! There’s a lot of us poor fellows depending on you. If you’re wrong, we are all lost.”

That man’s outburst had so much truth in it. If those who deny the existence of heaven and hell are wrong, then they’re all lost. In fact, it’s quite possible – even probable – that many who argue so passionately against biblical notions of the afterlife do so out of fear, hoping they can stumble on just the right reasoning that will fully convince them they have nothing to worry about.

But heaven is real… and so is hell. We know this because the One who spoke the most about these subjects, Jesus Christ, was raised from the dead as a validation of every single word He preached.

Jesus’ words are true because He is God in the flesh, and God cannot lie. So instead of trying to reason your way out of thinking about the afterlife, trust in Jesus and have full confidence that you’ll escape hell and live with Him forever!

Prayer Challenge

Pray that God would renew your faith in the teachings of His Son, Jesus Christ, so you have full confidence of your eternal destiny.

Questions for Thought

Why do you think many people quickly accept the notion of heaven but reject the biblical teaching on hell?

How do the realities of heaven and hell help you greater appreciate what Jesus did when He died for you on the cross?

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