HEAVEN AND HELL
Warsaw Christian Church, Richard Bowman, Pastor Emeritus
Jesus teaches about an unbelievable, glorious place called heaven. But is it real? Do our souls survive death and enter into eternal bliss? How can we know for sure? Many reject the very idea of God and eternal life, dismissing both as a pipe dream. Only naïve people believe such nonsense.
I guess I am one of those naïve people who believe God and heaven are real. Yes, I am familiar with the arguments of the atheists. I have degrees from 3 universities where the majority of professors were atheists. Why do I dismiss these learned men's arguments and affirm heaven's reality? My answer is simple. I believe in heaven because I believe Jesus. I believe He speaks the truth, even though a thousand philosophers/atheists dismiss Him.
I stand before you this morning absolutely convinced of the reality of both heaven and hell (More on hell later). I believe in heaven not because of reason or the testimony of those who died, went to heaven, and returned and wrote a book. When it comes to eternal life, I want to listen to the testimony of an expert witness; someone who knows for sure that heaven exists and how to arrive there safely. That expert witness is Jesus, the Son of God; God in the flesh, in human form. His word trumps all the disbelief of atheists.
Listen to His words. Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14). He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36). Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life (John 6:40). My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand (John 10:27,28).
Why do I believe in heaven? Because He repeatedly promised eternal life to all who believe in Him. We don’t earn heaven; we don’t deserve heaven. It is given to us as a gift when we trust in Jesus. The wages of sin are death, but the gift of God is eternal life…(Romans 3:23). Jesus assures us that heaven is real and we go there when we trust Him.
But why believe Jesus? Many who are familiar with Him, having read the New Testament, do not believe in Him. As one who has trusted Jesus for the past 63 years, I am compelled to trust Him. No writer of fiction could have created the person of Jesus. There is no one like Him in the literature of the world. The superheroes invented by men are nothing like Jesus. Jesus did not originate in man's mind but in God's mind. I believe in heaven because I believe in Jesus.
Yes, philosophers have attacked the message of Jesus. Philosophy was one of my college majors. I read about David Hume, who said that miracles are impossible. I read about Immanuel Kant, who attempted to create a religion based solely on reason, thereby eliminating the need for Jesus. Karl Marx declared God to be a drug, the opiate of the people. Nietzsche stated, “God is dead.” This assault on Jesus and heaven has utterly failed. These men have few admirers in the world, but Jesus has millions of disciples. I am going to stake my eternal destiny on the words of Jesus. His one sentence, Truly, truly I say unto you, the one who believes has eternal life, I would not trade that one sentence for all the philosophers in the world who have raised their pens against Jesus.
Heaven is a lovely, positive idea, so why believe in the dreadful doctrine of Hell? Luke 16:19-31, words spoken by Jesus, describes in some detail what hell is like. I believe in hell for the same reason I believe in heaven. It is a truth taught by Jesus. He said more about hell than heaven!
We can probably agree with the words of C. S. Lewis: There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than this (hell) if it lay in my power. But it has the full support of Scripture and, especially of our Lord’s own words; it has always been held by Christendom and has the support of reason.
There is some room to discuss whether certain biblical descriptions of Hell are to be taken literally or figuratively. Whichever interpretive path one chooses, clearly hell is a place of misery. Whether the fire of Hell is literal or figurative, it is not a place where anyone would want to go. The rich man condemned to hell in Luke 16 is somewhat surprised to find himself in that place of torment. He wants someone to warn his brothers. He is told his brothers possess the Scriptures, and if they don’t believe the Scriptures, they will not believe if someone returns from the dead to warn them.
The rich man in Luke 16 and his brothers made a deadly mistake. God warned them about hell, but they ignored Him. They were too busy enjoying their wealth. They had no time to think about God. God has spoken clearly to Israel and the world in scripture. If we do not believe what is written, there is no higher source to which we can appeal. Yes, some churches and pastors will tell you that hell is not real. A loving God would never consign anyone to an eternal hell. If you wish to believe such things, so be it. As for me, I believe what Jesus said. We either believe in God and His word or suffer the consequences. I believe in hell because I believe in Jesus.
In the story Jesus told in Luke 16, a wealthy man dies. Many people, then and now, considered wealth to be a sign of God’s favor. The problem with wealth is that money will not buy you out of hell. Rich people die, and as they say, you can’t take it with you. God does not favor the wealthy. God favors those who trust in Jesus. When death strikes, it does not matter whether you are rich or poor. What matters is where you will spend eternity.
Hell is a place of pain. The permanence of Hell adds immeasurably to the torment. There is no possibility of getting out. Once in Hell, it’s forever. We have days of pain and misery here on Earth, but we can always hope for better days. The suffering in hell is intensified by the knowledge that there is no hope for a better tomorrow.
The Bible gives examples of those who will populate help. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor. 6:9-12). I find myself on that list. Fortunately, there is a way out.
God has sent his Son to save us. He invites us all to respond to Jesus. He assures us that those who believe in him will live forever. He also assures us that those who do not respond to God’s sin with faith will not see life. We have more than the rich man had, as described in Luke 16. We have been warned in the Bible of what happens to those who reject the Savior. Are we listening? If I may borrow from Hallmark: God cared enough to send His very best.
Some argue that the concept of Hell does not make sense. There must be other ways to be saved besides faith in Jesus. What about all the Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists? Is there any hope that those who follow different religions can be saved? What about those who never heard of Jesus? What about those who die in infancy? These legitimate questions will take us too far afield today. All I’m going to say this morning is this. The Bible declares that Jesus alone can save a sinner from Hell. I believe that. You may doubt the Bible, if you wish, but I believe the Bible.
Many wonder how a loving God can condemn to eternal suffering a soul he created. But what is God to do with persons who despise his love, who reject his grace, who turn their backs on his son? Is He supposed to tell those who deny he even exists that it’s okay? You have offended me in a thousand ways, but I will still welcome you to my heaven. God has given us a way out of our dilemma. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, leading us to the Father. I suggest you place all your mental reservations about hell on the back burner and accept the salvation God offers in it through his son.
The young Christian maid, Perpetua, died on March 7th, 2002. Emperor Septimius Severus issued an edict against Christians, and presently, Perpetua was placed under arrest. When her father begged her to recant and renounce her faith in Jesus, she pointed to a water pot and asked, Father, do you see this vessel? Can it be called by any other name than what it is? So also, I cannot call myself by any other name than what I am, a Christian. She and a handful of other believers were marched into the arena where Perpetua was gored and finally pierced with a sword by a gladiator. Her death for Christ inspired the Christians in North Africa, whom she personified, as Tertullian famously said, "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church."
Why did this young woman not simply say, Surely there are paths to God other than Jesus? I will renounce Jesus and seek an alternative route to God. She understood that apart from Jesus, she would face far worse suffering than she faced in the arena.
What about us? What about you? Have you placed your faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross for salvation? Are you willing to risk your soul on the idea that perhaps there are other ways? Maybe everyone will be saved, and Hell is not a reality. God has given His Son to bring us to heaven and to deliver us from hell. The Bible is clear. There’s no other way. Hell tells us that God takes sin very seriously; we need to take sin seriously as well. If you have not openly confessed your faith in Jesus, are you willing to come today?
