“I had far rather walk, as I do, in daily terror of
eternity, than feel that this was only a children’s game in which all the
contestants would get equally worthless prizes in the end.” (T.S. Eliot)
Are people too optimistic in their belief that one day, they
will be going to Heaven? I wonder sometimes. As a Christian, it may be easy for me to think that
about a non-Christian, but what about people who might call themselves
Christians? Are some of them equally optimistic about their eternal destiny,
and specifically, a one-way trip to Heaven? Could it be that some may hear instead on that fateful day, "I never knew you" (Luke 13: 24-28; paraphrased)?
In “Next Stop, the Pearly Gates ... or Hell? (Los Angeles Times, October 24, 2003), K. Connie Kang reported that
out of every one American who believes that he or she is bound for Hell, there
are 120 Americans who believe they’re Heaven-bound.
On the surface that sounds great, doesn’t it? But when I
read the Gospels, and specifically Matthew 7:13-14, I cannot help but come away
with the feeling that there will be more people not making it into Heaven than
those who actually do make it there. I know, I know; Ouch!
Furthermore, contrary to what seems to have become a common
mantra in today’s world, even among Christians, there are many who either
outright deny the existence of Hell, or who at the very least, question its
existence. I wonder why. They argue that, if God is a God of love, how could He ever send
anyone to Hell? Many, it seems to me, even in the church, have embraced a form
of Universalism, believing that all mankind will eventually be saved. But will
they really? Personally I can’t go there. In fact, as I already alluded to, I
think that when we look at Jesus’ own words (for example, the narrow and the wide gates), the reverse of Universalism may
actually be more closely aligned with the truth.
Does Jesus speak about Hell? Yes he does. In fact, he speaks
about it more than any other biblical writer. If Heaven is paved with streets of gold, as it's sometimes euphemized, then perhaps Hell is paved with the "Red Letters," and to some of those letters we now turn.
JESUS ON HELL
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and
broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But
small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find
it.” (Matthew 7: 13-14)
“But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside,
into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew
8: 12)
“Do not be afraid of those who can 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)
“Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I
will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be
burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn. ... As the weeds are
pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 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 fiery
furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous
will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let
him hear. … This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come
and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery
furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13: 30,
40-43, 49-50)
“Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot,
and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.’ For many are invited, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:
13-14)
“The master of that servant will come on a day when he does
not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and
assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 24:50-51)
“And throw that worthless servant outside, into the
darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. … Then he will say
to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal
fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me
nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a
stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe
me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me. … I tell you the
truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do
for me.’” (Matthew 25: 30, 41-43, 45)
“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet
forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:
36-37)
“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better
for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the
fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is
better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into
hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to
enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into
hell, where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’” (Mark 9:
43-48)
“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because
many, I tell you will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of
the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and
pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or
where you come from.’ Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you
taught in our streets.’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come
from. Away from me, all you evildoers! There will be weeping there, and
gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets
in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.” (Luke 13: 24-28)
“In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw
Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father
Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water
and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’” (Luke 16: 23-24)
“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who
are in their graves will hear his voice and come out – those who have done good
will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.”
(John 5: 28-29)
DO NOT BE DECEIVED
What is Jesus talking about in the preceding verses, if not Hell? Some might suggest that it is somehow unloving to speak of
Hell. Is Jesus unloving? Of course not! As hard a subject as it is, however, I’d rather think that it would be more
unloving of Christians not to speak of it. Why would you not warn someone you
love or care for about the awful consequences they face if they do not accept
Jesus? Not doing so would actually be quite cruel, if you asked me. Jesus also once
said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me” (John 14:7). So long as our friends and loved ones choose
another way, other than Jesus, well, you fill in the blanks. Yes, to not speak
of Hell is actually quite unloving.
Is Hell a real place, and will real people one day be sent
there? As much as many would perhaps like to say “No,” and contrary to many Christian
books out there that present arguments against Hell, it seems pretty obvious to
me that if we believe in a Heaven, then by default we must also believe in a
Hell. Conversely, if we were to disbelieve in the one, then by default we must
disbelieve in the other. That’s not to say that Heaven and Hell are equal
opposites; they are not equal opposites any more than Satan is God’s opposite.
Yet the one is just as real and eternal as the other and are both
created by God.
But more important than just my humble opinion, there are
the very words of Jesus recorded for us in the gospels; the "Red Letters." I’ve only highlighted
the twelve texts above in which Jesus alludes to an eternity apart from God, an
eternity filled with weeping and gnashing of teeth, an eternity of fire that
just won’t quit. It will be an eternity in which people sent there, still will be
able to see the good enjoyed by those in Heaven, but they themselves unable to
join in the festivities, which no doubt only intensifies their misery of
solitude and apartness from God.
The point is, the same Jesus who loves you and me intensely
enough to die for us, wanting and yearning to spend eternity with us, also
throughout the gospels describes a very unpleasant eternity for those who
reject him and choose their own self-righteous path through this life. But God,
as much as He’s about grace and love, is also Holy, and cannot and will not be in the presence of evil and sin. Still, he won’t force himself on
anyone. As such, whether we end up in Heaven or Hell, is ultimately our own
choosing. Yes, it is a hard word, but I didn’t say it; Jesus did. I’m just the messenger.
THERE IS STILL HOPE
As my dear friend and brother in the Lord, Bruce Hubbard, says in his excellent book The Way of Grace, “It is only when we are in
subjection and yielded to God’s grace that we are enamoured by the Almighty
drawing near to us. Recognition of our need for grace is the only way for us to
realize the benefit and working of grace. To declare that you do not need God’s
grace is to declare Jesus a loser – that his grace is in vain” (p.163).
Is Jesus a “loser?” No, of course not! God forbid! But we
sure will be losers if we continue to refuse to accept God’s grace and mercy! The
price for our redemption has been paid. Forgiveness for our many sins has been
offered. Grace and mercy have been laid out before us like the blessed gift
that it is. But like anything else in life that may be offered us, we don’t
possess it until we receive it. We still need to make a choice, a very
important choice; a choice with eternal consequences. The choice will be either
incredibly wonderful or incredibly awful.
Choose wisely. Be reconciled to God.
First Photo Credit: Marco Verch, Flickr Creative Commons
Second Photo Credit: Bruce Hubbard, used by permission
All Scripture Quotations: New International Version (NIV), 1984 Edition
Why Red Letters? See here for Wikipedia link
First Photo Credit: Marco Verch, Flickr Creative Commons
Second Photo Credit: Bruce Hubbard, used by permission
All Scripture Quotations: New International Version (NIV), 1984 Edition
Why Red Letters? See here for Wikipedia link
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