Question 1

Does a place called hell really exist?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 7:13“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.”Matthew 13:49-50“That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous, throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”Mark 9:43“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands.”2 Peter 2:4God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment.Revelation 20:10Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.The Bible leaves no doubt that hell is a very real place.

Question 2

What is hell like?

Accepted Answer

Luke 16:22-26“Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried, and he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. 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.’ But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’”2 Peter 2:4God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment.Jude 1:7Don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment.Revelation 19:20The beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.The Bible compares hell to an agonizing fire. It is also described as a deep pit—a dark and gloomy place where everyone is forever separated from God and all that is good. Some people think hell will be fun, like a never-ending raunchy party. On the contrary, the Bible alludes to hell as a lonely place where people are isolated from relationships.

Question 3

Who will be sent to hell?

Accepted Answer

Jude 1:15“He [the Lord] will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”Revelation 20:15Anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.Any person who has not claimed allegiance to Jesus Christ as Lord will spend eternity separated from God, that is, in hell. Many people will be surprised on judgment day to find that living a decent life and being successful did not secure their place in heaven. Some argue that this is not fair or that no decent person should go to hell, but who are we to call the Creator of the universe unfair? Goodness and justice are who God is. He is fair and offers an open and free invitation of forgiveness to everyone. He then honors every person’s choices.

Question 4

How can I be assured that I am not going to hell?

Accepted Answer

John 3:16“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”John 14:6Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”Romans 10:9-10If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.1 John 4:17As we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.We have only one way to be certain of not going to hell. We must recognize that we have sinned, confess our sin to Jesus, and accept him as Savior and Lord. By doing this, we gain eternal life, securing a place in heaven. No one needs to live in fear of hell.

Hell