Is Hell Real and What Difference Does It Make? (Part 1)

What is hell, and why should anyone care about it?

Regardless of our political views, religious beliefs, wealth, or social position, we all face the same reality: Our physical lives will eventually end.

We do not know when or how death will come. It may follow a long illness, happen suddenly, or arrive after many years of life. The more important question, however, is not simply when will I die? It is what happens after I die?

The answer has eternal consequences.

Listen to the podcast, “Is Hell Real? Part 1.”

Do Americans Believe Hell Is Real?

Belief in hell remains common in the United States.

According to Pew Research Center’s 2025 Religious Landscape Study, 55% of American adults believe in hell. Belief is especially common among evangelical Protestants, at 82%, and members of historically Black Protestant traditions, at 81%. Majorities of Catholics and mainline Protestants also affirm belief in hell.

These findings show what Americans believe, but a survey cannot determine whether hell is real. Public opinion does not establish spiritual truth. To understand what hell is, Christians must turn to the Bible.

Read the Pew Research Center findings.

Where Can We Find the Truth About Hell?

What you accept as your source of truth will shape what you believe about life, death, heaven, and hell.

People have many opinions about the afterlife, but opinions cannot change what happens after death. The Christian faith looks to the Bible as the inspired Word of God and the final authority for understanding spiritual truth.

• Second Timothy 3:16–17 teaches that Scripture is inspired by God and equips believers for every good work. Second Peter 1:20–21 explains that biblical prophecy did not originate in the human will; rather, men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
• God reveals truth through His Word, the Holy Spirit inspired its human authors, and the Holy Spirit helps believers understand and apply what Scripture teaches.

What Is Hell According to the Bible?

The Bible describes hell as a place of judgment and punishment for those who reject God. It is associated with separation from God’s favorable presence, darkness, sorrow, and the consequences of unrepented sin.

The Old Testament often uses the Hebrew word Sheol when referring to the realm of the dead. It also teaches that death will be followed by resurrection and judgment.

Daniel 12:2–3 (NASB) says:

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

This passage describes two eternal outcomes: everlasting life and everlasting contempt. Physical death is not the end of a person’s existence.

What Did Jesus Say About Hell?

Jesus spoke plainly and repeatedly about judgment and hell. He sometimes used the Greek word Gehenna, drawing upon imagery His listeners would have understood as a warning of divine judgment.

In Mark 9:43–48, Jesus describes hell as an “unquenchable fire” and warns His listeners to take sin seriously.

His statements about cutting off a hand or foot and removing an eye should not be understood as commands to harm ourselves. Jesus used deliberately severe imagery to demonstrate the seriousness of sin and the urgency of removing anything that leads us away from God.

External actions alone cannot solve the problem because sin begins in the human heart. We need the forgiveness and transformation that only Jesus Christ can provide.

Read Mark 9:43–48.

How Does a Heart Become Hardened?

A hardened heart is spiritually resistant to God. It can be characterized by pride, persistent unbelief, stubbornness, and a deliberate rejection of the truth revealed in Scripture.

The Gospel means “good news.” It is the message that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. When people continually reject this message, they remain under judgment—not because God has failed to offer salvation, but because they have refused the Savior He provided.

Jesus said in John 3:18 (NASB):

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.

Read John 3:18.

How Does the Bible Describe Hell?

The Bible describes hell using sobering language. Jesus spoke of fire, darkness, weeping, and gnashing of teeth to communicate the terrible reality of judgment.

Matthew 13:41–43 (NASB) 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 furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears, let him hear.

Hell is not a subject to use for entertainment, speculation, or manipulation. Jesus taught about it as a solemn warning because every person’s response to God has eternal consequences.

Read Matthew 13:41–43.

What Difference Does Hell Make?

If hell is real, then our response to Jesus Christ is not a minor religious preference. It is a matter of eternal importance.

The reality of hell should:

• Remind us of the seriousness of sin.
• Help us understand the holiness and justice of God.
• Make us grateful for Christ’s sacrifice.
• Create urgency about responding to the Gospel.
• Motivate Christians to share the truth with compassion.
• Encourage believers to live faithfully and obediently.

Christians should never discuss hell with pride or satisfaction. We speak about it with humility, grief, and love because every person matters to God.

Is There Any Good News?

Yes. The message of Christianity is not that people must find a way to save themselves. The good news is that God has already provided a Savior.

Second Peter 3:9 (NASB) says:

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.

God does not delight in people perishing. He calls people to repent and receive the salvation made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Jesus took the punishment sinners deserve. Salvation is offered as a gift of grace to everyone who turns from sin and places his or her faith in Him.

How Should You Respond?

None of us knows when we will take our final breath. That is why the decision to respond to Jesus Christ should not be postponed.

If God is stirring your heart, it may be the Holy Spirit convicting you of your sin and your need for a Savior. If such is true in your life, turn to Him today. Admit that you are a sinner, ask for His forgiveness, repent of your sins, and place your faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Confess Him as your Lord and receive the free gift of salvation.

Your eternal future is too important to ignore.

Helpful Christian Resources

• Listen to “Is Hell Real? Part 1”.
• Read How a Christian Can Know If He or She Is Really Saved.
• Discover Why Self-Help Books Don’t Really Help.
• Subscribe to our free newsletter for biblical wisdom about making life work when life does not want to work.

How Can We Pray for You?

If you or someone you know needs prayer, send us your prayer request.

You may also email John at john@treasuretop.com.