Last year I received a message out of the blue from a lady named Grace inviting me to check out a ministry she thought I would like.
So I checked it out!
But I was immediately concerned about what I saw. The objective of the ministry was to explain why there is no hell, and, therefore, no need to worry about it. Awww! That is just so sad!
I agree that there is no need to worry about hell, but for a totally different reason.
(Make sure to read to the very end!!)
Here is how I responded:
Hi Grace! Thank you for reaching out! I would like more information on this project. I checked it out and don't know quite what to think. When I read the bio, my first thought was "hmm, that doesn't sound biblical." This statement -
“We believe kindness and candor are the secret ingredients to living our best life”
- is what made me think that. Those are nice things to say, but kindness and candor are not sufficient to save souls.
The Bible says that we are spiritually dead because of our trespasses and sins against His grace. It says that “the soul that sins, it shall die.” (Ephesians 2:1, Ezekiel 18:20.) It says that "in God's sight, no one living is righteous." (Psalm 143:2). It says that "we have all become corrupt," and that "there is no one who does good, not even one." (Psalm 14:3). This means that we are all in a state of great terror before God! For “without holiness, no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14). Even when we try to do our best to please God, in His sight, our ‘righteous’ works are like ‘filthy rags’ because we have offended Him infinitely. (Isaiah 64:6).
Sin means "deliberate disobedience to the known will of God." He gave us each a conscience that tells us what is acceptable in His sight, and what is not, defined by who He is. He also gave us the law in written form in the Bible, and has put it in our hearts, (Jeremiah 31:33) so when we sin, it is, by definition, blasphemy. Besides this, God says that we all know that God exists, and what He is like by the things that He has made, so we are all "without excuse." (Romans 1:18-32). Therefore, every sin is a deliberate defiance against God's authority and goodness.
The Bible says that we became God’s enemies by our "wicked works." (Colossians 1:21). Being enemies of what is good, we deserve what God says is justice - God’s wrath. We have earned death by sinning - it is God’s reward for our blasphemy against Him. (Romans 6:23). Psalm 9:17 says, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” Psalm 11:5-7 says, “The wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. Upon the wicked He will rain coals; fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup. For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness.”
I think you probably love justice, Grace. May God forbid this, but if someone tormented and abused your mother before killing her, and the judge said “eh, he’s a good person. I think I won’t punish him this time because of all the other good things he's done in his life,” would you not be extremely indignant? The Bible says that God is not like that judge. It says, “God is a just judge,” (Psalm 7:11). Thankfully, He will not let the wicked escape. (Proverbs 16:5 - “Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; though they join forces, none will go unpunished.”)
The Bible says, “Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire.” (Nahum 1:6). The scary thing about this is that when God punishes the wicked, that means He will punish us too because we are, by definition, wicked! Unless someone warns us, we will certainly be crushed by God’s righteous justice on the Great Day of Judgment where God will act as a just judge. Psalm 9:7-8 says, "He has prepared His throne for judgment. He shall judge the world in righteousness, and He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness." This means that we will be judged for what we have done, for “God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14).
But Grace, we DON'T have to go to hell! Do you know what God did for guilty sinners though so they wouldn’t have to? God satisfied His own righteous wrath by stepping in-between it and ourselves. Jesus, God’s Son, became a man for us so that He could bear all of the punishment that we deserve. He suffered and gave up His spirit a cross, enduring all of God’s anger against us. We don’t have to ignore or deny the existence of hell… God provided a way out Himself!
Consider this. Every religion says one of these two things:
- Do enough good things and God will let you into heaven, or
- Don’t worry about it. God just loves everyone… maybe there isn’t even a God, and no eternity or punishment at all!
But Jesus satisfied God’s wrath for us because we can’t. Trust in what He has already done on our behalf! (Do VS. Done). The Bible says, “He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the cross.” (1 Peter 2:24). There was a legal transaction that occurred on the cross. Even though someone is guilty, if someone else pays their fine, they can go free. That is what Jesus did for us - He paid our fine! The last word He said was, “Tetelestai!” Which is Greek for “It is finished!” or in other words, “The debt is paid!” Because He is God, He arose from the dead three days later, showing that He defeated death and conquered the debt, just like He promised, and He offers eternal life to everyone as a free gift which He bought with His own blood. Ephesians 2:8 says that it is by grace that we are saved, through faith in Jesus, and not because of anything that we do. It is the free gift of God. We don’t have anything to offer but our sin, but Jesus has offered everything He had for us, and God accepts His sacrifice as sufficient on our behalf. (Aaah, praise Him!!)
This is His offer to you and everyone, Grace:
“Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
Incline your ear, and come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall live;
(Isaiah 55:1-3).
Out of all the poor souls in hell who are receiving the just payment of what is due, not a one can say, “I came to Jesus and He refused me.” In John 6:37, Jesus says, “The One who comes to me I will in no wise cast out.” He offers to clothe anyone who is willing in His own robe of righteousness so that when we come before God on that Great Day, God will not see our ‘filthy rags’ but Jesus’ shining white robe of purity and allow us into His presence. (Isaiah 61:10). Without it, no one will see Him. (Heb. 12:14b).
His offer stands, Grace, and I want you to know about it, because I care about you and don't want you to go to hell. And if anyone ends up going to hell, I want them to at least have to leap over my body, so to speak, in order to get there since Jesus did the same thing for me. I was bound for hell because of my wicked works, but Jesus died instead of me, and because my trust is in Jesus, I know that, just like He has promised in His Word, I will not be condemned to hell.
“God redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.”
(Psalm 34:22).
“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.”
(Nahum 1:7).
“He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 6:36).
In Jesus' love,
~ Kina
Ignoring Hell is Unnecessary