Is Hell Real and What Difference Does It Make? (Part 2)

Is hell real, and what difference should that make in your life?

Everyone will eventually face physical death. Our political affiliation, religious background, wealth, education, and social position cannot prevent it. What happens afterward is therefore not a minor theological question. It is a matter of eternal importance.

Eternity does not merely last for trillions of years. It has no end. The Bible also teaches that death is followed by judgment rather than another opportunity to choose our eternal destination.

Hebrews 9:27 (LSB) says:

And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.

That is why everyone should understand what Scripture teaches about hell—and the salvation God offers through Jesus Christ.

Listen to the podcast, “Is Hell Real? Part 2.”

How Can We Know the Truth About Hell?

People hold many opinions about death and the afterlife. Some believe in heaven but reject hell. Others believe everyone will eventually be saved, while some deny that any form of conscious existence continues after death.

Our conclusions depend upon what we accept as our source of truth.

For Christians, Scripture is the final authority for faith and practice. The Bible does not answer every speculative question we might ask about the afterlife, but it clearly tells us what we need to know about sin, judgment, salvation, heaven, and hell.

Second Peter 1:21 (LSB) says:

For no prophecy was ever made by the will of man, but men being moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

The Holy Spirit inspired the human authors of Scripture. He also helps believers understand and apply God’s Word. Illumination does not provide new revelation or permit us to make the Bible mean whatever we want. It enables believers to understand the truth God has already revealed.

Read 1 Corinthians 2:12–14 (LSB).

How Did Jesus Describe Hell?

Jesus spoke clearly about judgment.

In the parable of the wheat and the tares, He explained that good and evil will remain together until the end of the age. A final separation will then occur.

Matthew 13:41–43 (LSB) says:

The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the fiery furnace; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Jesus used vivid language—including fire, darkness, exclusion, weeping, and gnashing of teeth—to communicate the seriousness of final judgment.

Some of this language is imagery, but imagery does not make the judgment unreal. Rather, the images communicate a reality so terrible that it should not be dismissed or treated casually.

Who Are the Righteous?

The righteous are not people who have earned heaven by living more morally than everyone else.

No one becomes right with God through personal goodness, religious activity, charitable giving, baptism, church attendance, or obedience to a set of rules. A sinner is declared righteous through faith in Jesus Christ and His completed work.

Jesus lived without sin, died on the cross in the place of sinners, and rose from the dead. He bore the judgment His people deserved so that they could receive forgiveness and eternal life.

Romans 6:23 (LSB) says:

For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Wages are something we earn. Death is what sin earns. Eternal life, however, is not a wage God owes us—it is His gracious gift through Jesus Christ.

Why Would a Loving God Allow Hell?

People often ask, “If God is loving, why does hell exist?”

The question is understandable, but it can assume that God’s love and justice contradict one another. Scripture teaches that God is both perfectly loving and perfectly just. He does not ignore evil, excuse rebellion, or treat wrongdoing as though it does not matter.

Hell demonstrates the seriousness of sin and the holiness of God. It is the final judgment of those who remain in rebellion against Him.

God’s judgment is not evidence that He lacks love. The cross demonstrates both His justice and His love. Sin required judgment, and Jesus willingly bore that judgment for everyone who trusts in Him.

God did not leave sinners without hope. He provided the way of salvation at immeasurable cost to Himself.

Four Common Misconceptions About Hell

1. Hell Is Only a Metaphor

The Bible uses images such as fire, darkness, exclusion, and weeping when describing final judgment. Christians differ on how every detail of that imagery should be understood.

However, describing something through imagery does not mean it is imaginary.

Jesus consistently presented final judgment as a real outcome. Hell should therefore not be reduced to a metaphor for suffering during this life or dismissed as an ancient symbol with no eternal reality.

The precise nature of every biblical image may require careful interpretation, but the reality of divine judgment does not.

2. Everyone Will Eventually Be Saved

Universalism teaches that everyone will ultimately be reconciled to God, regardless of his or her response to Christ in this life.

That teaching is difficult to reconcile with Jesus’ description of two final and contrasting destinations.

Matthew 25:46 (LSB) says:

And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

Jesus uses the same word—eternal—to describe both punishment and life. The verse does not present hell as a temporary stage through which everyone eventually passes.

The Gospel must therefore be proclaimed to everyone. Salvation is genuinely offered, but Scripture does not teach that it will be imposed upon those who persistently reject Christ.

3. Hell Is Only Temporary

Some Christians believe final punishment results in annihilation—the eventual end of a person’s conscious existence. TreasureTop holds the historic evangelical position that hell involves eternal conscious punishment.

Two passages are especially significant.

Jesus contrasts eternal punishment with eternal life in Matthew 25:46. Revelation 14:11 (LSB) also says:

And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.

These passages describe punishment that does not end.

4. Only Especially Evil People Go to Hell

Many people assume that hell is reserved for murderers, violent criminals, and other people they consider exceptionally evil.

The Bible does not divide humanity into perfect people and extremely bad people. It teaches that everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.

Read Romans 3:23 (LSB).

The decisive issue is not whether someone appears better than other people. It is whether that person has been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.

John 3:18 (LSB) says:

He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Morality cannot erase guilt. Religious activity cannot pay for sin. Every person needs the Savior.

Why Does the Reality of Hell Matter?

If hell is real, it should affect how we live now.

The reality of hell should:

• Show us the seriousness of sin.
• Deepen our understanding of God’s holiness and justice.
• Increase our gratitude for Christ’s sacrifice.
• Create urgency about responding to the Gospel.
• Motivate Christians to share the truth compassionately.
• Prevent us from placing false confidence in morality or religion.
• Remind us that earthly decisions can have eternal consequences.

Christians should never speak about hell with arrogance, cruelty, or satisfaction. We discuss it with humility and grief because every human life has value and every person needs God’s mercy.

Is There Any Good News?

Yes. The Gospel is the good news that sinners can be forgiven and reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.

You cannot save yourself. A preacher cannot save you. A ceremony, charitable act, religious affiliation, or memorized prayer cannot earn salvation.

Salvation is entirely the work and gift of God.

Ephesians 2:8–9 (LSB) says:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, so that no one may boast.

Jesus Christ died for sinners and rose from the dead. Everyone who repents and trusts in Him receives forgiveness and eternal life.

A prayer does not save because it contains special words. However, you can call upon God sincerely—confessing your sin, repenting of your sins, asking for mercy, placing your faith in Jesus Christ alone and that He rose from the dead. This means that all who die in Christ will also be resurrected to new life in Christ.

Do not postpone your response. You do not know when your earthly life will end. There is no second chance to accept Christ once a person dies.

Key Takeaway

Hell is not a subject for speculation, entertainment, or manipulation. It is the Bible’s solemn warning about the final consequence of sin and rejection of God.

The same Bible that warns about judgment also announces the good news of salvation. Jesus Christ bore the judgment sinners deserve, and salvation is offered by grace to everyone who believes.

The most important question is not merely, “Is hell real?” It is, “Have I placed my faith in Jesus Christ?”

Learn More

To continue studying what the Bible teaches, you may also find these TreasureTop resources helpful:

• Listen to “Is Hell Real? Part 2”
• How Do I Know If I Am Really Saved?
• What We Believe
• Can You Lose Your Salvation?

If you or someone you know needs prayer, send TreasureTop a prayer request.