And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. Matthew 25:46
Heaven and Hell
What do we really know about these two places called Heaven and Hell? The Bible has much to say about each, but at the end of the day we truly don’t know a whole lot. God has provided us just enough information whereby an intelligent person would choose the place where God dwells over the place where He dwells not. I raise the 
issue here, because it came up once again in a discussion with a non-believer. “The God I believe in is not mean,” our dialogue began, “God allows everybody into Heaven.”
To refute that claim, I pointed out that if God were mean, He would send people to Hell. However, that’s not what He does. Our God is loving! So much so, that He sent His Son as our surrogate. Jesus stood in our place — in the place of all sinners, so all could be saved from a horrible fate. There is but one string attached; a scarlet thread as it were — the sinner must believe this to be true. To deny the Son is to deny the only solution the Lord will ever offer. Rejection, not God, is what dispatches a man to Hell.
I went on to tell him how God’s ‘one solution‘ is the most loving gesture. Can you imagine, I told him, how confusing it would be if God had proffered just one more option in addition to Jesus? Making a decision for Christ is hard enough for most folks. Adding a second or a third choice would only serve to muddy the waters and create intense havoc. Point of fact: this is precisely where satan enters the picture, for in his attempt to usurp God’s authority and simultaneously destroy humanity, he has introduced into various cultures thousands of ways to be saved — all false, all deadly.
“For God is not the author of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33)
God kept it simple. His remedy, His fix, His counteractant is obvious. It’s as plain as day and night, light and darkness, good and evil: receive the Son and be saved eternally — reject Him and be lost forever. No fluff, no gimmicks, no hoops to launch ourselves through. So straightforward and loving! Jesus did the work, do you believe it — that’s it. A yes or a no determines your fate. Don’t be angry that God has given you such a limited offer, but be grateful that He has given you any offer at all. Think about it — has anger ever led you to a good place? God knows that an intelligent person will choose wisely.
At this point I had to confess that I too had once thought every soul went to Heaven. As I made this disclosure, it occurred to me why I had held so firmly to that delusion — to abandon it was to admit that many of my friends and family were in Hell. Somehow, I thought, if I believed my fantasy hard and boldly enough, these loved ones of mine were in a better circumstance. I came to understand that believing and promoting a lie cannot save the dead, but only hurt the living. To my shame, maintaining a myth for my own emotional well-being, was at the expense of those who needed to hear the truth.
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.” Ezekiel 3:17-18
I also had to concede that believing in Jesus did not ease my pain for the lost. My hearts aches. At this juncture I am thankful God has not revealed to us in totality the terror and magnitude of Hell. I’m sure if He did, I would not be able to function as a Christian. The portrait He has painted is sufficient. The reality that people I know are likely there, compels me to scare the Hell out of those who still have breathe in their lungs. Yes, the love of Christ also strongly compels me, but so does this pain. I have blood on my hands and I do not want anymore.
Do You Believe?
That’s the most important question you will ever be asked. How you respond will alter your eternity. May I encourage you to put all your un-biblical notions and unanswered questions aside for a moment and consider whether or not you are going to Heaven. To begin this journey, trust two things by faith: Jesus is the only way and all these other things will be answered when you believe.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33
There is a road that leads to salvation. If you want to know more? Click HERE or ask a question below in the comment section.
These articles may or may not be related:
- Originals – Passion for Jonathan Edwards (greensboring.com)
- The Amazing Race of God (corbenstreet.wordpress.com)
- Sandy Survivors: May I Be Blunt? (compassiondave.wordpress.com)
- The Practical Side of God’s Sovereignty (a continuation of my last post) (mikespot.wordpress.com)
- Why Repent? (bigpreacher.wordpress.com)
- Spirit of God (mommyofgrace.com)
- Moral Resistance Resides Deeper than Intellectual Reasoning By Dan Delzell , Special to CP (lacykitkat.wordpress.com)
- How God the Father Reveals Himself Through Jesus (mywarminghouse.com)
- How to become a Chrsitian, it’s simpler than you think. If you’re already saved then pass this on to someone who isn’t! (pastormikesays.wordpress.com)
If you enjoyed the post please like it, share it, subscribe to it, or leave a comment. I am blessed that you took the time to read it. I pray that you too were somehow blessed as well.
He Dwells -- The B'log in My Eye 
Here’s another good article regarding the falsehoods of Universalism
. In fairness to Universalists, not all believe the same thing. However, if they cling to just one of the false doctrines mentioned in this article, they are in great error.
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And here is an article I wrote on the false teachings of Rob Bell.
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What you are claiming is not in the bible. Sure you can pull texts out of context and line them up together to make it look like this is what it says. But it just ain’t so. A couple of things which anyone who is interested can check out are this series on what the bible actually teaches about “hell”:
http://theupsidedownworld.com/hot-topics/hell/
And this one looking at Christian particularity:
http://theupsidedownworld.com/2013/01/03/is-christianity-the-one-true-religion/
And this one looking at what salvation actually is (hint- it’s not a “get out of jail free” card – it’s something much better!):
http://theupsidedownworld.com/2012/05/18/what-is-salvation-anyways/
It’s no big thing to admit that Jesus is savior and lord – even demons do that. It is unfortunate that the Christian truth has often been hidden by “ear ticklers” who appeal to the worst in human nature to mislead people who are trying to follow God. But please, don’t be fooled – God is so much better than we’ve been told. His ways truly are higher than the myths of eternal hell, wrath and condemnation we humans of every religion and during every time have gotten sucked into. But for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear the good news – the salvation of the world through Jesus the Christ – will never be defeated!
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Hell is real Rebecca and what your teaching/sharing is universalism. I allowed your response to remain so that people might investigate the heresy behind the false doctrine of universalism, The notion that Hell is not real (or that our earthly existence is hell) and that all that want to go to heaven, get to go, is a bold face, satanic lie. While that sounds to be a mean thing to utter, it’s said in love. It’s the same dangerous myth Rob Bell and Oprah espouse.
The other reason I’m allowing your reply to remain, because as I wrote in the blog, I was once misinformed as you were. But as I continued in the Word and submitted myself to discipleship, the Lord corrected those errors in me…thanx be to God! My prayer is that you too will receive this truth.
Here is Christian article discounting the false doctrine of Universalism: http://www.bible-knowledge.com/the-false-doctrine-of-universalism/
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I struggle with this not knowing if my parents believed or not. I was not brought up to know our Lord, but after being lost for so long have come to accept Christ as my savior. I know that I cannot save those that don’t want to be , but feel for those that who were good people but did not receive that free gift of life offered to them. Good post Dave
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That I can relate to. My dad died in 1988 and I did not know for certain if he was saved or not. That knowledge, or lack thereof, served in part as the catalyst to share the Gospel with my mother. At the end of the day, only God knows the heart, but I know I responded in a manner that was pleasing to the Father. As I shared in the post, that notion (and of course the love of Christ) compels me to continue on this path. As you say, all we can do is sound the trumpet and pray, the rest is up to them. Thanx for your encouragement! May your day be Jesus-filled.
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