A few disturbing thoughts about Hell.

This is not something that anyone likes to think about.

The possibility that there is a real place called Hell is terrifying... It's disturbing.

For me, knowing Jesus and experiencing the life that He gives have always been the motivating factors in my relationship with Christ.  You could say I've been driven by the more positive aspects of following Jesus. However, there has always been in the back of my mind the reality that Hell exists.

It's not just that this place exists but that people that I know and love have the possibility of going there. 

This possibility is haunting.

When I was in Bible school I once heard a teacher say something like this:
If you say that you believe that there is a real, literal Hell that people go to if they don't have faith in Christ and you don't share your faith then you can only draw a few different conclusions about yourself.

1. I don't really believe the Bible and the reality of hell. 
2. I genuinely don't love people.
3. I care more about avoiding rejection than I care about people avoiding hell.

This was a disturbing wake up call for me.

If Hell is real and Jesus is the only ones who saves people from Hell then if I love people I have to tell people about Jesus.  When there is no urgency in me to talk about Jesus then I either have a faith problem or a love problem.

Hell is a tough subject that is no fun to talk about.
However, it wakes me up to what will matter forever... my own destiny and the destinies of those I love.  

Ryan

For more on this subject:

• Come to the "Hell and Hereafter" class, Saturday, January 14th @ 7pm at Grace Church Bath Campus.   
• Check out Francis Chan's book called "Erasing Hell".