Posted on by Dave Miers

The Harsh Reality of Hell

The past week has seen a lot of discussion about hell on Christian blogs. Rob Bell, of the Nooma video fame, has a book coming out at the end of March called Love Wins. Justin Taylor, in response to the blurb from the publisher and the promo video from Bell, asks whether this book will show Bell to be a universalist. Universalism is the belief that in the end all people will be saved and – if there is a hell – it will be empty. Critics of Taylor say that he can’t make a call on the book before it has even been released! Yet I think that Kevin DeYoung makes a good case for Taylor’s initial response. // Read more from Tim Challies.

I don’t know what Rob Bell believes about hell. I pray that he isn’t a universalist.

This week I’ve been thinking about the harsh reality of hell. I believe that hell exists because I trust what Jesus says is true. We’re currently studying Matthew 8-12 at church. It’s shocking to see how often Jesus mentions hell in Matthew’s Gospel.

This weekend I preached on Matthew 10:24-42. Check out this verse:

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matt10:28 ESV)

Jesus wasn’t a universalist. I just read this quote from Sinclair Ferguson about Matt 10:28

There is a mighty sermon in Gresham Machen’s book, God Transcendent, on the text in Matthew 10:28, “Do not fear those who can kill the body; fear Him who is able to cast soul and body into hell.” And the sermon begins by the repetition of the text and with these words: “These words were not spoken by Augustine, or by George Whitefield, or by Jonathan Edwards, but by Jesus of Nazareth.”

It behooves us to listen to Jesus’ testimony; both because this is the testimony of the Savior, and because this is the testimony of the One who names himself as the living and true witness—who is the One who has come back from the dead to tell men that it is so.

The harsh reality of hell ought to drive Christians to their knees to pray for those who aren’t Christian. The harsh reality of hell ought to drive Christians to share Jesus with people. In the death and resurrection of Jesus – we see what God has done to rescue people from the judgement they deserve.

Not a Christian?? The Bible says that we are all deserving of judgement and hell because of our rejection of God. That’s bad news. The good news? God offers us salvation from his judgement through trusting in Jesus. Want to find out more? Read about Jesus the Saviour King + check out this website + check out this presentation.

Here are two books to think it through further:

HERE IS MY SERMON FROM TONIGHT.

6 Replies to “The Harsh Reality of Hell”

  1. Well said.

    I especially liked what you said about how Christians should respond to the harsh reality of hell. Sadly, I think that so often we forget about what our non-Christian friends and family are heading towards.

    1. check this quote from heaven and hell p.58

      The doctrine of hell should motivate us to speak out. We need to repent of our apathy and hardness of heart. We should gaze into hell until we can almost feel the pain which awaits the unconverted. John Blanchard tells of an occasion when Francis Schaeffer was visibly moved by the thought of hell. In his chalet in Switzerland he was explaining Scripture to a group of young people. Intelligent and inquisitive, they admired their teacher’s unique ability to relate God’s Word to contemporary culture. Various topics were covered, until eventually a young man asked ‘Dr Schaeffer, what about those who have never heard the gospel?’ They waited expectantly for the incisively brilliant answer. But Schaeffer did not speak. Instead, he bowed his head and wept.

  5. Pingback: Do We Really Believe What We’re Saying? | dave miers dot com

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