Christian Living

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The Bible has a warning for all those people who reject God in favor of living their lives in pursuit of their own lusts and desires. Many of these people know that, when they die, they will go to Hell; they simply think that Hell is a place where all their friends will be throwing a big party. Since this is their concept of Hell, it only makes sense that it is not something to fear, or avoid, as a matter of fact, to them it sounds like great fun. They can carry on in the afterlife the exact same way they carried on here in this life, no big deal. However, what does the Bible, the authority on all things spiritual, have to say about this place called Hell? Is it a place of constant partying? It had better be, or some people are in for a rude awakening.

First of all, when He was describing the destination of those who reject God, Jesus painted a picture of Hell in this way, "In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 13:50 ESV). This isn’t the only place where this phrase is used in connection with the destination of those who do not follow God, consider Matthew 8:12, 12:42, 22:13, 24:51, 25:30; Luke 13:28. Sounds like some kind of party, ‘weeping and gnashing of teeth’, good times indeed. On the contrary, this is describing a place of misery and torment. There is no revelry going on here. It is a place where all vestiges of goodness, love, compassion, and mercy have been removed. Think of the worst you have ever felt, multiply it a million-fold, and then consider that it is forever. It will be too late to realize the choice you should have made but did not. By rejecting Jesus as Lord of your life, you have chosen to spend eternity in the worst place you could ever imagine. Think about it.

Why do people end up in Hell? Jesus made the reason clear, "And these will go away into eternal punishment...” (Matthew 25:46a ESV). There will come a day when God judges humanity, those who trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior will inherit eternal life (Matthew 25:46b), but those who have rejected Him will be consigned to an eternity of punishment.

A passage in II Thessalonians paints a vivid picture of this impending time of judgment, which tells us that God is coming, "in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed" (II Thessalonians 1:8-10 ESV).

So, if this description does not sound like your kind of ‘party’, it would be a good idea to rethink the proposition that everyone should follow Jesus as Lord and Savior. Most people have given it a passing thought; however, when one considers the prospect of eternal punishment as presented in the Bible, it might be time to consider it afresh.

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