A
Reliable Source - the Bible?
The
Bible, somewhat obviously, states, "Man is destined to die"
(Hebrews 9:27). The Bible is a record of God's dealings with the nation
of Israel, into which was born His Son, Jesus Christ.
The
Bible is historically reliable and it can, therefore, be used as an
authoritative source on spiritual matters (See the Main Resources Contents
Page, "The Trustworthiness of the Bible").
So
what does it tell us about life after death? In this page we'll focus
on hell. In its companion page we focus on heaven.
Who
says Hell exists?
Many
sources from around the world speak about an afterlife. Jesus Christ
spoke about it many times. Jesus claimed to be God's Son who had come
down from heaven, and then went on to substantiate that claim by the
things he did, the death he died, and then by coming back from the dead.
(For
substantiation of the resurrection, please see the "Easter"
page, in the "Seasons" area.)
Jesus
spoke about hell and heaven many times. In this page we'll simply look
at his references to hell.
Jesus'
Language
To
those who purported to be religious and good but yet who, in reality,
were hard hearted hypocrites, Jesus challenged them as to how they would
escape being condemned to hell. (Matt
23:33)
When speaking about those who lived self-centred, godless, uncaring
lives, he warned them that they would go to eternal punishment. (Matt
25:46). 
On
another occasion he referred to hell, where the fire never goes out.
(Mark
9:43).
In
another figurative reference to hell, Jesus spoke of it as a place of
darkness, a place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
(Matt
8:12).
On
yet another occasion he told an entire parable with the points that
hell is a place of torment (Luke
16:19-31) and that once there, there is no possibility of being
transferred to heaven
Others
in the New Testament?
Elsewhere
in the New Testament we find similar pictures being conveyed of hell.
Jude in his short letter refers on one hand to being "kept in darkness,
bound with everlasting chains for judgement" (Jude 6), and then
on the other hand speaks of "the punishment of eternal fire"
(v.7).
The great apostle, Paul, comparing good people with the others said
that for those who are self seeking and who reject the truth and follow
evil, "there will be wrath and anger" (Rom
2:8).
The writer to the Hebrews later wrote about "judgement and raging
fire that will consume the enemies of God" (Heb
10:27).
The great apostle, John, saw a vision of all people standing before
God, being judged by Him, and those whose names were not recorded in
His Book of Life, were thrown into a lake of fire (Rev
20:12-15)
What
does the language say?
What
does the language used by all these people in the Bible say? Various
things are obvious:
1. There IS the possibility of existence after life on this earth ceases.
2. That existence will vary according to the type of life lived here
on earth (and the choice for that is ours).
3. One form of existence after death is clearly thoroughly unpleasant.
The various writers try to convey that by picture language, but the
meaning is inescapable - it is thoroughly unpleasant!
4. The duration of that existence seems to be endless. Some ask why
would a God of love allow that? The only answer that fits is that your
spirit or soul is indestructible, it will continue regardless.
5. The possibility of escaping this existence once in it, after death,
just doesn't exist.
6. The possibility of escaping it NOW is clear. It simply requires a
life that is godly (living in relationship to God through Jesus Christ)
and righteous (living as God guides)
A
Simple Analogy
Consider
this picture. At death you find yourself in a corridor which eventually
divides into two.
At
the end of one corridor is a room of misery, There is no loving God,
there is hatred, bitterness, self-centredness, anger, hostility, coldness,
hardness and then isolation and utter hopelessness.
At
the end of the other corridor is a room where there is the wonderful
presence of God, there is love, joy, happiness, beauty, creativity and
wonderful life. 
In
which room would you want to spend eternity? It's a poor analogy because
the realities indicated by the Bible are obviously so much greater than
can be conveyed in such a simple picture
Suppose
none of it is true?
If
that is so then death is the great fearful unknown. It could mean that
ANYTHING could happen. But why should that be? The Bible
speaks truth in all other areas, declares things exactly as they are,
as has been testified to by millions of people down through the ages.
Supposing
it is all true?
Just
supposing this amazing compilation of books we call the Bible is true.
Just supposing that it is true that you have opportunity here and now
on earth to make choices that determine your eternal destiny. Just supposing
that is true, it would be madness to ignore it, wouldn't it. Here
is God offering you the most wonderful of futures and you refuse it
and choose the most terrible of alternatives possible. Absolute madness.
Getting
on the right path
If you want to ensure you put your
life right with God and have the assurance of life after death, the
way you do it is as follows:
1.
Tell God (in prayer) that you acknowledge you have left Him out of your
life and you're sorry because your life is less than perfect without
Him.
2.
Tell Him you believe in Jesus Christ His Son coming and dying in your
place, for you to receive forgiveness for your wrongs. Tell Him you
want Him to forgive you your past that wasn't perfect.
3. Ask Him to come into your life and lead and guide you from now on.
If
that sounds simple it is! All it requires from you is complete sincerity.
God isn't fooled when we are half-hearted, still holding onto our self-centredness.
It needs to be all or nothing, but remember that 'nothing' goes on beyond
death.
The
Wonder of Heaven
The
emphasis isn't on the awfulness of hell, which we have focused on in
this page, but on the
wonder of heaven, which you can
find out about in the companion page.
God
offers you a future here on the earth in which you can learn to experience
His love for you in very practical and tangible ways.
He
also offers you
the most glorious future with Him in eternity.
He simply requires that you put your hands firmly into His, that you
come to trust Him instead of yourself for the days and eternity ahead
of you.
Can
we help?
Perhaps
you would like to talk further about these things. If that is so then
the leaders of Rochford Community Church are available to help you.
Remember, if you want to e-mail Tony, it's tony.thomas@rochfordcc.co.uk
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