Hell and the Gospel

I have encountered what seems to me a strange phenomenon over the years:  a readiness to speak of the sublime glory of heaven but a reluctance among believers to frankly discuss the horrible reality of hell.  We do not hesitate to warn our children of the dangers of running into traffic or grabbing a hot frypan because we care for them, and thus to avoid discussions of hell which the Bible describes as real and forever as heaven is to embrace hypocrisy.  It is the love of God and others which compels us to answer honest questions about hell directly without sidestepping to ignore the subject.

I can understand how many Christians want to avoid being associated with a style of "hell and brimstone" preaching that gleefully and smugly condemns lost sinners to a tortured existence.  They would rather extol the pleasures of eternity in the presence of God than emphasising the horrors of hell.  There is nothing wrong with this.  But to avoid the topic of hell as if it is a source of embarrassment or unnecessary is to deviate from the example of Jesus Christ who spoke freely on the subject.  Jesus described hell in Matthew 25:41 as a place of everlasting fire "prepared for the devil and his angels."  In Mark 9 Jesus described the outer darkness of hell as a place where the worms of the tormented die not and the fire is not quenched.  This hideous backdrop makes the sure hope of eternal life through Jesus the exceedingly glorious option.

The Good News of the Gospel must include the very bad news that we are lost, condemned and doomed sinners deserving of hell before our holy, righteous Creator.  The Bible teaches out of love for us God intervened by dying in our place in Romans 5:8:  "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  By faith in Jesus Christ we are given the right to become the children of God, to be redeemed from the curse of sin and death, and the righteousness of Jesus is graciously imputed to us.  In love God warns us about hell so we need never go there!  People scour search engines about hell and are easily deceived and led astray, but the Bible tells us the truth Christians ought to take to heart and boldly proclaim.  There is no reason to shy away from questions about hell when God has revealed the truth about it and the Way of escape.

The late great artist Crosby recently tweeted of heaven, "The place is overrated."  I wouldn't view any tweet as an authority on heaven, nor Google searches or cartoon depictions.  The Bible is the absolute authority on life and the only Way to abundant life Christ's offers is by grace through faith--God's own testimony of the risen Saviour Who ascended to heaven in the presence of eyewitnesses.  Heaven is a place in the presence of our merciful, compassionate and glorious God with light, life and fullness of joy.  How wondrous it is, not only to be saved from the destruction of hell but to be provided a life now and forever with God in His glorious presence.  All praise to our faithful Saviour as Jude 1:24-25 says:  "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, ²⁵ to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen."