Jesus always made a comparison between hell and the kingdom of God. If you don't want to spend all of eternity in God's kingdom, you can only go to hell. It is the opposite of always being in perfect relationship with God. Jesus' words about hell can be summed up in five words: reality, rebellion, regret, persistence, and reconciliation.
Jesus said that hell is a real place where some people will spend all of eternity (Matthew 23:33, 25:41; Mark 9:43). According to what Jesus taught, hell is not a metaphor or a figure of speech. It is a real place where real things happen. Jesus used strong images, like fire and darkness, to show what hell is like (Matthew 5:22; 8:8–12).
Rebellion: According to Jesus, hell is where people go who don't believe in God, refuse His grace, and fight against His rule. Jesus' parables always show people turning down God's invitation to be friends, and the only other option is to spend eternity in hell (Matthew 22:1–14; Luke 14:15–24). Sin is disobedience toward God, and hell is the right punishment for sin (Matthew 5:22). The devil and his followers were the first people to rebel against God, and they will spend all of eternity in hell (Matthew 25:41).
Regret: I'm sad that Jesus doesn't describe hell as a nice place or even as a neutral state. On the contrary, it's a place where people suffer (Mark 9:48). Hell is a dark place outside of God's light-filled kingdom. It is full of pain and regret. "People will cry and grind their teeth" (Matthew 13:42; see also Matthew 22:13; 24:51; Luke 13:28).
Unrelenting: According to what Jesus taught, hell doesn't last for a short time, it lasts forever. Those who go to hell will always be in pain. Jesus said, "The fire never goes out" (Mark 9:48, NLT; cf. Matthew 25:46). There is no way out of hell, and there is no relief or comfort there (see Luke 16:19–31).
Reconciliation: Luckily, there is one way to get out of hell before you get there. God wants us to be at peace with Him so that we will never have to go to hell. Jesus Christ's death and resurrection made it possible for God and people to get along again. Jesus is the one who saves us from hell. He is the one who told us so many times about hell. Through faith in Christ, anyone can be made right with God, no matter how good they are. Jesus says, "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged, but has crossed over from death to life" (John 5:24).
"Because God loved the world so much, he gave his one and only Son so that anyone who believes in Him won't die but will live forever. Because God didn't send his Son into the world to judge it, but to save it through him. Whoever believes in him is not judged, but whoever does not believe is already judged because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son (John 3:16–18).
If you haven't yet put your trust in Him, don't wait any longer. Turn to Him now, because one day you won't be able to.
Comments