Is Hell For Real?

The rich man shouted, “Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.”

Luke 16:24

SOME BELIEVE IT IS MERELY SYMBOLIC. Others believe hell is a word that shouldn’t be used because it sounds “intolerant” or “judgmental.” After all, would a good God really send people to hell? The really crazy thought, though, is not that some will go to hell but that anyone will go to heaven!

Jesus taught about a literal hell that was originally designed for the devil and his angels, not for us (Matthew 25:41). It is a place of despair and pain. In hell, people will be given over to their sins. Imagine an addiction so severe that even momentary bursts of gratification are gone, and all that’s left is slavery to a hunger that can never be satisfied. In the throes of sin here on earth, the alcoholic, the sex addict, and the gossip all feel a momentary buzz. But even temporary pleasure will not be found in hell.

Hell will mean great physical and relational anguish for those who experience it. The rich man in Jesus’ parable not only suffered to the point where a drop of water became precious; he also suffered because he didn’t want his brothers to experience hell.

As C. S. Lewis observed, “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’ All that are in Hell, choose it.” Now is the time to pray for those who don’t know Christ, and share your faith whenever you can.

BOTTOM LINE

May the truth of hell motivate us to share God’s love with others.

Moment of Strength: Luke 16:19-31