Devotionals

HELL, a Default?

by Evelyn Alexander 
05/21/24
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Many question, If God is loving how can He send people to hell? In a way they’re right! He doesn't.  

While teaching, Jesus told a short story about how good people will come to him expecting to enter heaven. Instead, He'll have to tell them, “Go away. I never knew you.” Why? for they seemed deserving of Heaven. He explained it’s because, “They didn’t do the will of the Father.”

I discovered two important things here. First, being and doing good does NOT get us into heaven; doing the will of God the Father does. Thankfully, we can know His will by getting to know Him and the way He prepared that gets us to heaven through His Word. That’s why we need to faithfully follow both. As we get to know His will—and do it—He gets to know us as living in His will. 

Second, what happens if we fail to do his will and hear those dreaded words, “Go away….”

His Word reveals that everything good in this world comes from the Father, who is Light, life and perfect righteousness. Once we’re cut off from God and His wonderful goodness, BY DEFAULT, we end up being in a place where He is not! the opposite of how life is in heaven. Now dark in spirit, we are left with nothing associated with God: there is no love, no hope, no goodness … nothing but Satan and his unchecked horrors. Let’s chew a while on what that would be like. I call it, “HELL”. Wouldn’t you?

BUT WE HAVE GOOD NEWS! Like us, God doesn’t want us to default there either. That’s why He sent us Jesus and made sure we have the Bible. They reveal His wonderful will and gift of love for us. Let’s then become faithful followers of both. There is no doubt Jesus will then know us and eagerly welcome us home!