Is There a Heaven and Hell?

Is there a heaven and hell?

We all die. You don’t need a degree in biology or theology to prove that fact. If you are a presently living part of the ecology of planet Earth, your tenure here is limited and it will eventually expire. The only true unknown about our demise is exactly how and when that will occur. Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot.” 

Just as birth is our common starting point, so death is our common destiny.  Ecclesiastes 7:2 “…death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.” And while everyone acknowledges the certainty of death, what is not quite so certain is what lies on the other side. The Great Question is, of course, is death the end of life? Job 14:14 begs the question“If a man dies, will he live again?...” Can a person survive death?

As disciples of Christ, we have this ‘survival beyond physical death’ principle firmly entrenched in our thinking as the Resurrection of Jesus is the very core of our faith. But according to scripture - Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God ‘has also set eternity in the hearts of men’ - it is an almost universal compulsion for humankind to seek out what lies beyond the grave. We have to say ‘almost’ because an incredibly small fraction of humanity believes or has ever believed that there is no life after death. These ‘materialists’ ignore the evidence of the singularity of each soul; the observation of nature; any meaning or purpose for this life. They also ignore the near-death experiences of over 20 million Americans that say that through out of body events, life continues after clinical death of the body. And of course, they ignore the authority of the knowledge of the supernatural contained in the Bible. For most of humanity there is a reasonable cause to embrace the logic that life does not ‘end’ with the death of this flesh.

There are many references to life after death – it is real Psalm 17:15; the dead have senses Luke 16:23-24; there is no marriage or procreation Luke 20:27; that death now means straight to the presence of God for the Christian 2 Corinthians 12:2-4; and that grief is different for the dead 1 Thessalonians4:13-18. If you read Philippians 3:20-21 “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body,” you see that the informed source of the Bible doesn’t teach a disembodied spirit released from the physical incarceration to roam free in a spiritual state. The Gospel teaches the reversal of death itself – not just an afterlife but an eternal life IN A BODY.

So where do we go now? If we establish there is no ‘end’ then what does the continuation of existence entail? Funny you should ask, but we have a free will choice about that very continuation. Either with God or without. It is really that simple. Use your God-given free will to make your choice. Now read on.

Is your choice with God? Then your continued existence will be in ‘heaven’ as described again in the Bible: Revelation 19:1-6 being in continual worship; Luke 15:7 speaks of inexpressible joy; James 3:17 tells of perfect holiness; 1 Corinthians 2:9 The Message (paraphrased) – “No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this, never so much as imagined anything quite like it – What God has arranged for those who love Him.”; John 14:1-6 says that Heaven is a prepared place, where Jesus resides and has only one access route and one entranceway – Jesus Himself! And Jesus said, 2“if it were not so, I would have told you.” It is an existence where the inhabitants dwell in perfect harmony, with no tears, no stress, no conflict, no fill in theblank with any ill or evil you can think of with such joy and happiness that singing and praising God is a full time event. The streets are paved with gold and the water runs clear as crystal. It is the existence where God, our Creator reigns and controls all things for the good of those who choose Him.

Is your choice without God? Then your continued existence will be in ‘hell’ as described by the bible as: separation from God Matt 25:30; a place of torment Matt 13:41-42; not temporary or reversible and is, in fact, eternal Matthew 18:8. The bible also says that the choice is made in THIS life Hebrews 9:27; there is no neutral ground, no place BETWEENheaven and hell; and that for now in the concept of a linear timeline, hell is empty. It is a prepared place awaiting the Last Judgement 2 Peter 2:4. And according to the bible, ALL will be judged Hebrews 9:27. It is an existence over which God will withdraw His restraint and presence and the strongest will reign. (Now would be a good time to remember satan and how much he hates mankind…)

You may be asking yourself why is there a hell? Well, for one thing, because of the doctrine of free will. God gave us each the ability to determine our actions in this life and to make this choice without coercion. To have the ability to make our own choices requires consequences for each side of the choice. If you have no consequence, there is no choice. For another thing, because of the authority of Christ. If there is no hell, then Jesus lied. For another thing, because of the mission given to the church. If there is no hell, then salvation isn’t necessary. And lastly, because of God’s justice. If there is no hell, then there is no expression of final justice. In the end, justice will be done,and justice will be seen to be done.

Hell is the default destination for all of mankind. It takes a free will choice to believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ to change your eternal setting. Again, I say, as simple as that. If you are still asking ‘How do I know?’ then let me introduce you to the One Who has been there and come back to tell us the truth. His name is Jesus Christ and if you ask Him, I guarantee you, he will answer. 

Until next week where our subject is the way of salvation and what that means in plain speaking, be blessed.