Why must there be a place called hell? Why does it have to exist? People are offended, believing that God sends basically good people to eternal torment in hell. Many people are actually angry at God because they cannot reconcile this issue. They create a God who is only loving and don’t grasp that He is also holy, just and will not tolerate sin.
God hates sin because He sees its horrible effects on the human race. His desire is to protect and bless us, but our sin limits Him at the very least. Since God is just, He must punish us for our sins, just as a good judge in our land must punish the criminal.
Why should God just let you or anyone else into heaven? Do you really think you are good enough? The truth is that most people believe they are good enough. They compare their “goodness” to others, basing their belief on interactions and observations. Their standard of good is subjective to the outward behavior. They don’t consider what exists in the heart. A person’s thoughts, intents and attitudes are also considered sin.
The Bible says in Romans 6:23 (NKJV), “the wages of sin is death.” God punished Jesus instead of us because that’s how loving He really is.
Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
If we’re honest in examining ourselves, we must admit that we are all guilty of lying, cheating, selfishness and of being easily angered, hateful and unforgiving. Many people don’t go to church, don’t read the Bible, don’t feed the poor and don’t live morally clean lives, all of which God commands us to do. Why should a perfect God allow us access to a perfect place? We would corrupt it as we have done here on the earth. Revelation 21:27 reads, “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”
Let’s consider this analogy:
If I give you a glass of pure mountain spring water with just one drop of sewage added to it, will you drink it? No, you won’t. Just as you won’t touch that water with just a drop of sewage in it, God will not permit even one iota of sin in His presence (James 2:10).
Proverbs 24:9 states that even one foolish thought is a sin. If we commit one sin, just a foolish thought, we will not be allowed into heaven. That’s a pretty high standard. The reality is that we are a glass filled with sewage.
— Isaiah 64:6b describes it as, “all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.” Not one of us is worthy of heaven.
— Romans 3:12b says, “There is none good, no not one.”
— Job 15:16b says, “Man, who is abominable and filthy, who drinks iniquity like water.”
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How bad are we? We drink sin like water. We cannot enter heaven the way we are. In addition, we are not compatible with the holy nature of God. Nahum 1:5 states that we would be consumed in His presence with our sinful nature.
One reason hell is so horrible is because it is devoid of God’s goodness. Good only exists because of God. If you don’t want Him in your life, there is a place prepared without Him or His goodness. Death doesn’t mean “cease to exist.” It means separation from God. You are an eternal being and will live forever in either heaven or hell.
The same God people accuse of being cruel is the one who sent His Son to die a horrible death on a cross in our place in order to keep us out of hell. He made a way of escape by paying for our sins and offers us the free gift of eternal life.
Jesus paid the penalty of death for us. Our part is to turn from a sinful lifestyle and give our heart and life to Him. If we refuse we will pay the price for our sins, which is eternal suffering in hell. Stop complaining that there is only one way to heaven, and be grateful He made a way where there was none. If you want to live at His house, you do it His way. Make the right choice.
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Bill Wiese is the author of the New York Times bestselling book, “23 Minutes In Hell,” the story of his life-changing visit to hell in 1998. Bill has since authored six additional book titles and continues to share his experience around the world. He and his wife, Annette, founded Soul Choice Ministries in late 2006 and have dedicated their lives to reaching the unsaved. For more information about Bill Wiese and Soul Choice Ministries, please visit us at: https://soulchoiceministries.org/
You can find more of Bill’s teachings at: https://www.youtube.com/user/BillWieseTV
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