Heaven or Hell

By Pastor Mike Padgett

Heaven or Hell?

Warning: This is not a reader friendly article. The facts presented in the following paragraphs may be offensive to some but offer eternal life to all.

“Hell”… we hear that word a lot don’t we? We hear it on the street. We hear it in our schools. We hear it on the television and radio. But… do we ever hear it in church? Do we hear it from the pulpit?

It is not politically correct in some church circles to talk about hell. Oh, you can use the word as an explicative every once in a while and then excuse yourself for it but don’t talk about it like it was a real actual eternal place.

On the other hand, we love to hear about heaven. Who doesn’t? I want to go there. I want to go today! But did you know the Bible speaks more about hell than it does about heaven. Why? God wants us to avoid going to hell. He wants us to understand the horrors of that place of torment. He wants us in heaven with Him.

Well, why don’t we hear more about hell in our churches then? Cause it “an’t” popular no more to preach hell-fire-and-damnation-sermons and put the “fear of God” into folks… that’s why.

If you are over 50 years of age, you might remember some strong sermons on hell. When was the last time you pondered that awful place. You say, “I don’t think about hell because I don’t plan on going there.” That’s good. But how do you know you will not go to hell?

The Bible says, “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)

WOW… I don’t like the sound of all that do you? I sure don’t want to go to hell.

The Bible says, “For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; ⁵ and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; ⁶ and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; ⁷ and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked ⁸ (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— ⁹ then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, ¹⁰ and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries.” (2 Peter 2:4-10)

If you believe the Bible is the Word of God and are honest, you have to recognize that “hell” is a fearful place and that many who claim to know Christ as personal Savior are going there. You may be one who has professed Christ. You may attend church regularly. But have you ever really been born into the family of God?

Works will not get you to heaven but works do show who your Father really is. Jesus told the Pharisees that they were of their father the Devil because they wanted to do the desires of their father. (John 8:44) Whose works are you doing? What does your life look like in the light of the Bible? You may be very religious like the Pharisees, but are you on the way to heaven or hell?

Paul assured us, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) If you know Christ as Savior and Lord of your life, you cannot continue to live for the world, the flesh and the Devil. The Holy Spirit Who lives within you will continually convict you of sin and help you to grow in the grace of our Lord and be more like Jesus. The fruit of the Holy Spirit will be manifested in your life more and more as you grow in your relationship with Jesus.

I beg you today to examine yourself. Paul put it this way, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!” (2 Corinthians 13:5) Are you in the faith? If you were to die right now, do you know for sure you would go directly to heaven? If not… “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” from hell and on your way to heaven. (Acts 16:31)