Do people still believe in Hell? (Faith Matters Greenfield Recorder)

Because there is so much injustice in the world, many, if not most people who believe in an afterlife do get the sense that there must be some sort of system of rewards and punishments in the life to come.

Historically, the monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have all had some concept of hell. And of course, we've all heard of the fire and brimstone preachers of the past, men like Jonathan Edwards, who preached one of the most famous sermons of all time, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.

God’s Love, Wrath, and the Modern Rejection of Hell

Back then, it was understood, man was bad and God was mad. Those days seem to be over. If there is one thing modern churches and ministers agree on, it is the statement in 1 John 4, verse 8 that says, God is love.

Some take it even further. I drove by one church and the sign out front said, God is love, period, in all capital letters. Okay, but whatever one's view is, we should be able to admit that this new idea that God no longer has anger or wrath is not in line with traditional Christianity, nor is it in line with the life and ministry of Jesus.

Jesus’ Cleansing of the Temple and Righteous Indignation

John chapter 2, verses 13 and 15 says,. Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand and Jesus went up to Jerusalem and he found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves and the money changers doing business.

And when he had made a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple with the sheep and the oxen and poured out the changers money and overturned the tables. The fact is, Jesus expressed what we would call a righteous indignation.

He recognized how people were corrupting the faith in order to line their own pockets. And he was always keenly aware of how people wanted to use him to further their political agenda to drive out the Romans and to restore Israel to a position of dominance.

What does this have to do with hell, you ask? Well, Jesus called the religious and political leaders of his day snakes. And at one point he says to them, how can you escape the condemnation of hell? Matthew 23, verse 33.

Why Christianity Has Always Taught the Existence of Hell

You see, whatever a person's opinion is about hell, and I say this with all due respect, such opinions ultimately are irrelevant since the existence of such a place is not dependent on what a person thinks about it.

A Christian is a person who follows the teachings of Christ. Therefore, historically, Christianity has taught the existence of hell for one simple reason. Because Christ taught it. Mark chapter 9, verses 47 and 48.

Jesus said, and if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. For it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye rather than having two eyes to be cast into hellfire where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.

Salvation Through the Gospel and the Wrath of God

Thankfully, Jesus also taught about heaven and salvation through faith in the gospel. The clearest expression of God's love according to scripture is that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans chapter 5, verse 8. On the cross, Jesus absorbed the wrath of God for us. Therefore, the issue now is how do we respond? To the humble believer, God is a compassionate heavenly father. But to the stiff-necked rebel, he is a consuming fire.