Hell?

Words of Jesus

"... if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgement! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell." Matthew 5:22

One of the things I like about the Bible is that it tells exactly what will happen after we die. The Bible says that there are 2 places where people will go: Heaven or Hell. Sometimes in the Bible Hell is referred to as The Lake of Fire. I'm writing this to you because I don't want you to go to Hell! I know it sounds harsh that I would even suggest such a thing, but the Bible clearly tells us that the road to Hell is very wide and many people will be going there. For the first 28 years of my life I was on the road to Hell. How terrible would I feel if I ended up in Heaven and you ended up in Hell. Please read these passages from the Bible that talk about Hell.

What the Bible says about Hell (words of Jesus in red):

Matthew 7:12

"You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it." 

Matthew 10:28

"Do not be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell." 

Matthew 18:9

"If your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. Its better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell." 

2 Peter 2:4

For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgement. 

Revelation 20:15

And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire. 

Revelation 21:8

"But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars- their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur."

Some people think of Hell as a place where the devil has a pitchfork and he's gonna be torturing people like Hitler, Bin Laden and Charles Manson. But the Bible tells us that Hell is a place where the devil will be punished along with all sinners. Have you ever watched the news and been upset because someone was murdered but the murderer was never captured? Have you ever heard of someone doing a "Hit and Run" and never getting caught? So many crimes are committed every day that go unpunished. It just doesn't seem fair that so many innocent children are hurt by evil people and get away with it. This really upsets me and it should upset you!

But wait there is something you should know! The Bible says that God has set a day when He will judge all the criminals for the crimes they have committed. Right now it might seem that people are getting away with murder and other crimes but the day is coming when all these criminals will be brought to justice. Murders, rapist, thieves, molesters, child abusers will all have to answer to God. The Bible calls it Judgement Day.

The Bible says this: 

For a day of anger is coming, when God's righteous judgement will be revealed. He will judge everyone according to what they have done. Romans 2:5-6

So you see, all the evil that is committed will be brought to justice. This is good right? But wait, the bible also says that God will punish liars, thieves, adulterers, drunks and every kind of wicked act. This is actually bad news for us because we have all lied, most of us have stolen something in our lifetime and most of us have committed adultery(sex outside of marriage). If God is going to judge everyone according to what we have done we are all in big trouble.

The Bible says this:

But He will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. Romans 2:8

But wait, I have good news! The Bible says that God has made a way for us to be forgiven of our sins and avoid going to hell! Instead of punishing you and me on Judgement Day, God sent His Son to die on a cross 2,000 years ago and take the punishment that we deserve. Jesus Christ, who never sinned, paid the price for us so that we could be set free. It's kind of like being a criminal in court waiting for your sentence to be announced, but the judge tells you that the charges are dropped because someone has already paid the priced for you. This is why Jesus died on the cross, because God loved you so much!

The Bible says this:

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

So what do we have to do? Jesus said you must repent! That means you turn from your sinful life and turn to God. Jesus also said that you must put your faith in him as your savior. People don't go to heaven because they do good things, they go to heaven because they believe in Jesus Christ. Many people say they believe in Jesus but their lives don't show true evidence that they believe. You can believe that a seatbelt will save your life in an accident, but unless you put the seatbelt on, it will do you no good.

The Bible says this:

The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News! Mark 1:15

You can go to heaven instead of hell because Jesus already paid for all your sins.