What about Hell?

A good friend recently recounted a discussion about hell seen on television between several
theologians. They all agreed on one point: Hell was not a place of literal fire and brimstone.
Greatly upset, he asked about my beliefs concerning the place of torment.

First, the images that so many have concerning hell have been influence more by Dante’s Inferno
than by biblical facts. For one thing, we know that God is no sadist. Any notion that includes
Him presiding over the tormenting of souls for some kind of sadistic satisfaction is blasphemous.
The bible clearly says that our God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come
to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) He is grieved every time his offer of salvation is rejected.

But to say that there are no consequences for evil, no penalty for unrepented sin, is to ignore
many passages of scripture. The bible teaches that what happens to us after death does depend on
the decisions we make in this life. There is no purgatory in the afterlife where we are offered a
chance to “purge” our sins through suffering. The biblical message is that this life really matters
and eternity actually is in the balance. That God, through the gift of his Son, wishes to rescue us
from an eternity without Him.

So is there a literal hell? Jesus himself said that there is. What is hell like? Is it a literal lake of
fire? My answer is that hell is as much a literal lake of fire as heaven is a literal city with streets
of gold, walls of jewels, and constant light. More to the point: Hell is a word picture for a place
that no one would ever want to go just as heaven is a word picture for the ideal place where
anyone would want to live.

Think about it. What is it that would make heaven a place you would want to live? Is it the gold
streets or the pearly gates that make heaven so desirable? There have been many wealthy
individuals who were miserable despite their gold and jewels.

So what is it that makes heaven so heavenly? Part of the answer lies in understanding what
makes hell so hellish. Maybe the most literal depiction of hell in the bible is found in 2
Thessalonians 1:9. Paul writes that when Jesus returns those who don’t know God will be “…
separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.” What makes hell so
hellish is that it is a place where God is not. To reject the grace of God through Jesus Christ is to
choose to live in eternity apart from Him. What will eternity be like for one who is separated
from God? Consider the fact that James 1:17 says that every good gift comes from God.
Whatever good you enjoy in your life it is made possible by the presence and power of God.
Hell, therefore, is devoid of anything good.

On the other hand, what makes heaven so heavenly is the presence of God. In heaven we will
know Him and experience the pure love that defines His very nature. Every good and positive
experience you have ever had on earth is just a small foretaste of what eternal life will be like
with God. Heaven is best described by these words: “And so we will be with the Lord forever.”
(1 Thess. 4:17)