Raise your hand if you’ve made a mistake (in case you couldn’t see it — my hand went up!). When asked a tough question by a non-believer — like “why would a loving God send anyone to hell?” — we soft play the answer.
“Well, hell is nothing more than the absence of God.” Or…” hell is simply separation from God.” Another is…” hell just means we won’t be with the Lord in heaven.”
Why do we do this? Maybe out of fear of presenting an issue that would keep them from turning to the Lord. Maybe out of a true belief, hell is an absence from the Lord, or at least, that’s what we want to believe.
Either way or whatever your reasons might be, truthfully, we do this for the same reason many pastors today don’t preach about it. Hell is an uncomfortable subject.
In fact, a greater percentage of people believe in the existence of heaven than believe in the existence of hell. But…according to the Bible, hell is every bit as real as heaven, regardless of what we choose to personally believe.
So often, simple speculation about the realities of hell has made discussing another’s eternal outcome a considerably greater challenge. It seems there are far too many non-believers — atheists — who really don’t want to know God.
They quite intentionally ignore the evidence or will even make the bold statement that they choose to not want to know God. If hell is simply an absence from God, well, maybe that doesn’t sound so bad!
Unfortunately, being unaware of the real consequences of that decision is no easy hurdle to overcome, never mind if the seriousness of God is underplayed.
The truth is, playing down the seriousness of hell might make us less than comfortable in discussions with the non-believer, but we need to recognize the truth of the message of the gospel.
We also need to recognize that by avoiding the topic or by downplaying the answer, we may well be doing the non-believer a disservice.
We already know that one of Christianity’s fundamental doctrines, and one of God’s essential attributes, is the requirement for his justice. He cannot tolerate sin; therefore, it is necessary for him to punish those who do not trust in Jesus for salvation.
Certainly, you would agree that around this topic, there can be no discussion or dispute. And frankly, if you do disagree, then you are not a true disciple of Jesus Christ.
What Is Hell?
We call it “hell.” The Greek word in the original language was “Gehenna.” In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus called it “…the unquenchable fire (9:43, ESV)” or “…where the fire never goes out (9:43, NIV).” Whether it is Gehenna or hell doesn’t matter when the description is so dramatic.
The Book of Matthew quotes the phrase “weeping and gnashing of teeth” from Jesus six different times (8:12; 13:42; 13:50; 22:13; 24:45; 25:30). One of those verses (13:41-42) also refers to the “fiery furnace”:
The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
In Matthew 25:41, Jesus refers again to “…the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
Revelation 20:15 also refers to non-believers being thrown into the lake of fire. “Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation depicts hell as a lake of fire in various other verses as well (19:20; 20:10; 14; 21:8).
With all of that, perhaps the most poignant description of hell comes from Jesus himself, in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:29-31:
Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.” “No, father Abraham,” he said, “but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.” He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”
The very last verse is quite foretelling, “…they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”
Certainly, we cannot know precisely the realities of hell. We can’t know what it looks like or how “hot” it might be. We do know this — hell is sure to be a place of torment. It remains undeniable that those who do not belong to Christ will suffer. Hell offers only pain, misery, and anguish.
In comparison, heaven will be where God “…will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
Where would you prefer your friends and loved ones spend eternity? Yeah…me too.
God Is Omnipresent — Even in Hell
One of the fundamental doctrines of our Christian faith, and another of God’s essential attributes, is that He is omnipresent. He is everywhere. Of course, if God is truly omnipresent, he is not restricted in any way by time or place. Therefore, omnipresent would also mean he is present in hell.
This assertion is stated clearly in the Book of Revelation,
“…they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb” (Revelation 14:10).
In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul appears to say that unbelievers will be shut out from the presence of the Lord:
He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).
It is important to note, however, the original Greek word Paul used. In the verse from Revelation, the word for “presence” (enopion) specifically refers to a proximity, or “within one’s sight.”
In Thessalonians, Paul used the word prosopon, which refers to the face or countenance of another. In other words, an inability to look upon God’s face. A complete absence of any blessing as a direct result of a lack of any relationship with God.
We can think of it this way. While on the cross, upon assuming and paying the price for all of our sins, Jesus cried out:
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”(Which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)(Matthew 27:46).
None of us question God’s presence, but he had turned his face away from Jesus, who was made to be sin for us.
Any absence or separation from God does not mean he will not be present. It means that he will have turned his face away. He will have forsaken those who are destined to suffer in hell.
And in his Word, God does not want to downplay how terrible hell will be for those who turn away from his Son.
Hell Can Be Avoided
No, we do not know exactly what hell will look or be like for those who spend eternity there. Whatever and wherever hell is, we do know it will be a place of terrible, unending torment and suffering. There will be no escape. It will be too late for second chances.
Therefore, now is the time. Now is the day of salvation. Now is the day for each one to believe in the Good News of Jesus Christ and to turn away from our sins. Those who turn to Christ now need not concern themselves with hell.
Through the mercy and grace of God, Christ has come to save us from ourselves, and we can trust in him for forgiveness, and hell will forever be behind us — and only paradise ahead of us.
Yes, Jesus spoke of hell. But more importantly, he also invited each of us to heaven through himself:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”(Matthew 11:28-30).
For further reading:
Do Christians Have to Believe in Eternal Damnation?
Are We in the Presence of the Lord When We Die?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Romolo Tavani
Grandchamp is an author and speaker. His book, “In Pursuit of Truth, A Journey Begins,” is an easy-to-read narrative that offers answers to the most common questions new believers and non-believers have about Jesus Christ (Amazon.) Greg speaks on living out our faith in our daily lives – and on creating true disciples of Christ.
Greg doesn’t pretend to be a pastor, a theologian, or a Bible expert, but offers the perspective of an everyday guy on the same journey as everyone else – in pursuit of truth.
Greg can be reached by email or on Facebook @ Greg Grandchamp - Author.