Would You Gamble With Your Eternity? Understanding Jesus’ Warnings on Hell

We continue our meditation on eternity, and in the coming days, we'll specifically explore what the Scriptures say about the feared realm called Hell. Some might claim that Hell doesn't exist and that there will be no judgment before the Judge of both the living and the dead. But what if it does? Here's a question: If you were waiting in line to board a plane and saw an old friend, who was the pilot of the previous flight, coming off the plane, and he told you that the aircraft you're about to board had engine issues with a one-in-six chance of crashing, would you still choose to fly?

Do you believe there is a one-in-six chance that God is telling you the truth about a place called Hell? Would you gamble with your eternal destiny? To believe there’s a Heaven, but no Hell, is to assume that there were times when Jesus was truthful and times when He was not. Thomas Brooks wrote, "God has but one hell, and that is for those to whom sin has been commonly heaven in this world." Although it is difficult for me to discuss such topics as Hell, the love of Christ compels me to reach some of you before you are called to eternity at the end of your life. I do not want you, dear reader, to ever encounter that place where some say the words TOO LATE are written over the gate.

As we wait for Christ's return, our Christian duty is to save people from Satan's grasp, preventing their eternal separation from God and condemnation to Hell. God loves every person deeply and desires that all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). However, what happens if they do not? What if they die without knowing Christ? What if they ignore God's message of love and salvation? At Christ's Second Coming, He will distinguish the sheep (believers) from the goats (non-believers), and He repeatedly warned that the punishment for the unfaithful would be eternal:

⁴¹Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' ⁴⁴"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' ⁴⁵"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' ⁴⁶"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life (Matthew 25:41-46; emphasis added).

The Lord frequently discussed Hell and dedicated several parables to topics like heaven, Hell, eternal judgment, and rewards. Since it was important for Him to teach His disciples about these subjects, we should also pay close attention to eternity and the Bible's teachings on Heaven and Hell. It's crucial to remember that Satan is a deceiver and the father of lies; we cannot trust his whispers. Our faith must be based on God and His Word. Satan tries to convince many that everyone goes to Heaven and that all religions lead to God, but we can only trust the Scriptures. I hope none of you reading these words will realize the truth too late. Keith Thomas

Taken from the series Insights into Eternity. Click on study 4 or this link: Is Hell a Real Place?

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