Heaven Or Hell?
Good News – February 2020 – Grace & Truth Magazine
Heaven Or Hell?
Have you ever heard someone exclaim, “Go to hell!” or “Hell, no!” or “Hell, yes!”? I have heard it numerous times. But how many realize the true significance of this place called “hell”? Have you ever stopped to think about hell and what it means to go there?
After 15 of his fellow soldiers were killed during a recent war, a soldier remarked, “They will at least go to heaven; they have already been to hell.” People have different opinions about heaven and hell, but what God says in the Bible about those two places is what really matters.
What Is Hell Like?
Hell is a place where God is not, where all comforts and blessings are absent. Matthew 22:13 and 25:30 (NKJV) describe it as “outer darkness,” where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Revelation 20:10 says, “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone ... And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
Hell was not made for people but for the Devil and his angels (Mt. 25:41). Yet all who refuse God’s offer of salvation and forgiveness will end up there. We can be sure God is not just trying to scare us; He is warning us to avoid hell at all costs.
The Bible says, “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). God “has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness” (Acts 17:31).
What About Heaven?
God is not only a God of judgment but also a God of love. He has provided a way to escape hell. For those who accept His way of salvation, He has prepared a beautiful place called “heaven” – a place of peace and joy. Sin, death, pain, disappointment, boredom, loneliness and similar things are totally absent. It is a place of eternal glory with God the Father and Jesus Christ, instead of eternal damnation (Rev. 4–5, 21:4-27, 22:1-5). You can secure your future in heaven simply by trusting Jesus Christ as your Savior.
It Is Up To You
You cannot be good enough for heaven. The Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). You can’t work your way to heaven, for Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “It is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” No one has any right to heaven; we all deserve hell because we are all sinners.
But God’s way of salvation is Jesus Christ, His Son. “Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many” (Heb. 9:28) – yours too, if you believe. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (Jn. 3:36).
Make The Right Choice!
Please consider what you have just read and choose the only way to heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father [God] except through Me” (Jn. 14:6). We can tell you more.
By Curt Darling
This article is available as a gospel tract from Grace & Truth