Recently, I heard a controversy about Kirk Cameron’s discussion of Hell on his podcast. During the discussion his son mentioned the deeply felt hope that God would not punish people forever for making the mistake of rejecting Jesus in their one short life on earth. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard that view.
Oh boy. My first problem with this was the word, “punish”, which reveals an overall misunderstanding of what Hell is in the first place. More on that in a minute.
Equally frustrating, I watched Josh Howerton’s response – a Texas Pastor with a podcast – as to his disagreement with Kirk’s son and his alternate perspective on how Christians should view damnation, something about “a perfect God requires a perfect punishment…” I could not believe my ears.
Suffice it to say from that moment I knew I would have to sometime write on the horrible subject of Hell. There are problems with both of the above views, and these precious brothers in Christ influence tens of thousands!
To calm down, I remind myself every teacher of the Bible does not have to be perfect. We are all growing and we don’t always get it right. So, instead of staying indignant, let’s talk about it, shall we?
First, let’s take down that “punishment” view. We have to realize a human going to hell was never God’s plan. Therefore, it is not His punishment.
When we study Scripture carefully on the subject of eternal damnation, we learn Hell is the only alternative when a human rejects the ONLY GATE into Heaven: JESUS.
“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (Jesus) John 10:9
As a down to earth example, say you want to eat dinner at the best restaurant in town, and there is one and only one entrance to get inside. But, when you arrive to the parking lot and look at that entrance, you decide you don’t like it.
Maybe the door looks sketchy, or the entrance guard scares you. So, you turn around, deciding in that moment you will never eat there because you just don’t like the door. I know this sounds crazy and simplistic, but it is actually similar to the concept of entering Heaven.
Scripture says there is ONE Way to know God and receive His eternal life, and His name is Jesus. It also says humans who reject Jesus have literally rejected God as their Father, choosing instead the devil as their dad. Yes, this may sound unfathomably harsh to the biblically ignorant ear, but these are the words of Jesus. If He is God, shouldn’t we take Him at His Word?
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6
“Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.” (Jesus) John 8:43-45
Now, if someone does not believe in Jesus being the Christ, well to that I say prophecies of Jesus being the true Redeemer and Branch through which all God’s people would have to traverse are foretold all over the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). Even His very name (Yehoshua, which translates to Jesus in English) was given in prophecy found in Zechariah 6. I wrote about it not long ago: Name of Jesus Literally in Hebrew Bible.
I’ve also written at least one article further back defending the identity of Jesus as Messiah by revealing dozens of prophecies from ancient Hebrew Scriptures to fulfillment events in the life of Jesus. So, this article will not attempt to convince you again of the identity of Christ. Click here to read if interested: 42 Ancient Prophecies of Messiah Fulfilled in Christ.
One more caution I will offer to the Biblically unaware. When you study Scripture for any length of time, you learn quickly humans don’t get to make up the rules, much as we would like to and have so often convinced ourselves erroneously that our strong feelings must be true.
There are over 8 billion of us. Differing opinions are all over the map, on every subject. We can’t each have it our own way based on our feelings. This is not even logical.
God’s way leads to life done well, which means to the best character development a human can attain, although surely there are some who grow in character without believing in Him.
Getting eternity right, however, has only one way, God’s way. There is no room to just trust your feelings.
Scripture reveals His way to eternal life clearly. We either follow Him, Jesus the Door, or we don’t get there.
I’m sorry to be so blunt, but this subject is that serious. Neither ignorance nor feelings and faulty instincts are excuses. Those will not hold up in God’s court when we stand before the judgment seat in the end.
Back to Hell… in addition to Jesus saying all who reject Him are disconnected permanently from God the Father and are instead stuck with the devil as their “dad”, He also revealed Hell was created for the devil and his angels, not for humans.
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:” (Jesus) Matthew 25:41
If you reject God’s one Door and ultimately God Himself, then when you die, you receive your father, Satan’s, inheritance instead of God’s. Satan’s inheritance is Hell. There is no third option.
God wants no one to miss this… according to the Bible and Jesus Himself, if you accept Jesus, you’ve become one with the family of God. When your father is God, you inherit Heaven and eternal life.
Hell is eternity apart from the Creator of Life, Love and Truth. Without Him, Hell is what is left: eternal death, evil and suffering.
God wants no one to suffer. It is why He came down from Heaven to be born to Mary and sacrificed Himself to become the Door, the only way to escape Hell.
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
A beloved Pastor of my childhood used to say something like this: if you are shipwrecked, floating alone in the ocean, and you refuse the one and only ship offering you rescue, don’t blame them when you drown. I’ve paraphrased his much more eloquent analogy, but you get the idea.
Don’t reject the one way of escape! The one way into Heaven… Take His offer and give your life and trust to Jesus! His love and eternal life are the best gifts for eternity.
Satan has no gifts to give you, only a devastating void apart from God filled with destruction and death you can never escape.
To wrap, Hell is not a punishment from God. It is the only destination alternative a human soul is left with after rejecting God’s one doorway into Heaven.
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14
Please, please don’t miss Jesus! God really did give His all to offer us salvation, and left so much evidence and proof. His eternity of LIFE and love awaits!
FAITH AND FASTING 