"Belief In Hell"

"And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom." Luke 16:23

A friend and I were talking about someone she had heard make the statement that they don't believe that hell is real. You probably don't think that this statement is too shocking- we hear it from the world all the time. But this statement wasn't made by someone in the "world", it was made by someone who professes to be a Christian.

Let me set the record straight this morning- you cannot call yourself a Christian and not believe in hell. First, the Bible tells us that there is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. If you are a Christian, that means you believe the Bible-- every word of it. If the Bible teaches that there is a hell, then there is a hell. Secondly, the word Christian means one who is a disciple/follower of Christ. A person becomes a Christian by putting their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ- His atoning work at the cross, His shed blood for the remission of their sins, His saving power. If there is no hell, then you don't need a savior to save you from it. If there is no hell, then what did Jesus die for? Even if you say you believe that He died to save you from your sins, then why? If there is no hell, then what difference would it make if you have sin in your life or not--- if there is no place of eternal punishment?

As Christians we have to believe the whole word of God-- the good parts and the not so good parts. If we don't why would we call ourselves Christians? The Christian belief is that we need a savior, that savior is Jesus. Because of what He did for us at the cross we have assurance that we will not spend eternity in a place of punishment-- that place is hell.

Have a great day. It is impossible to be a Christian and not believe what the Bible teaches-- it teaches that there is a hell.