After 15 of his buddies were killed in Viet Nam, one soldier exclaimed, “At least they’ll go to heaven. They’ve already been to hell!” Many people have different opinions about hell, but opinions aren’t worth much when we’re talking about hell. What God says about it is what really matters.

What is hell like?
Hell is a place where God is not – where all comforts and blessings are missing. The Bible describes it as “darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 22:13; 25:30 NIV). It also tells us this: “The devil ... was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur ... (and) will be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).

Hell was not prepared for us but for the “devil and his angels (demons)” (Matthew 25:41). But the Bible says that all who refuse God’s offer of salvation and forgiveness will go there (John 3:36). We can be sure God is not just trying to scare us. He is faithfully warning us to avoid hell at all costs!

God does not leave us in the dark about what comes after death: “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). “For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed (Jesus). He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).

What about heaven?
God is not only a God of judgment but also a God of love. He has provided a way to avoid hell. For those who have accepted His way of salvation, He has prepared a beautiful place called heaven. Joy and rest reign supreme there. Sin, death, pain, disappointment and loneliness are totally absent. It is a place of eternal glory with God Himself and Jesus Christ, instead of eternal damnation (Revelation 4:5; 21:4-27; 22:1-5). You can be made fit for this place by trusting Jesus Christ as your Savior.

It’s up to you!
It is impossible to be good enough to go to heaven. The Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). You can’t work your way to heaven, for Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “It is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” No one has any right to heaven. We all deserve hell because we are all sinners.

God’s way of salvation is through Jesus Christ, His Son: “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people” – and yours too, if you believe (Hebrews 9:28). “You see ... when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly ... But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6,8). “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3:36).

Have you made the right choice?
Please consider what you’ve just read, and choose the way to heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way” (John 14:6). And Paul wrote, “Now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). If you have chosen Jesus as your Savior, you’ve made the right choice and are on your way to heaven. If you still have questions, write to us! We’d like to help you meet the Savior.

By Curt Darling