Heaven & Hell

In his book The Problem of Pain, C. S. Lewis famously wrote about hell: “There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than this, if it lay in my power. But it has the full support of Scripture and, specially, of Our Lord's own words; it has always been held by Christendom; and it has the support of reason” (HarperOne, 1940, p. 119-120).Throughout the history of Christianity, the reality of hell as the destination that unbelievers go to when they die has been an essential tenant of the faith. Individuals like Jonathan Edwards and Charles Spurgeon regularly taught about the danger of going to hell if someone rejected Christ.We see this teaching reflected in the writings of C. S. Lewis. Yet, the modern church of the Western world has somewhat moved away from this teaching, with many believers accepting other views that were not embraced by the church in the past.Today, hell is a controversial subject among Christians. Many believers do not want to dwell on the fiery fate of those who do not place faith in Christ, while others scoff at the idea of hell altogether. Some Christians even argue that hell and eternal punishment are pagan concepts.I think the problem is that there are numerous misunderstandings because people are not gleaning their views of hell from the Bible.Instead, some believers base their beliefs about hell on their feelings, depictions in popular culture or literature, or the desire to appease the world. Others are influenced by members of “Progressive Christianity,” who seek to rewrite the historic, biblical faith of followers of Christ.As believers who want to uphold the truth faithfully and lovingly, we need to know what Scripture teaches about hell. The reality of hell and the fact that unbelievers go there after death are essential points of Christianity.Not only is this doctrine important because it addresses the fate of those who reject Jesus, but also because this doctrine is tied to other essential tenets, such as sin, judgment, and God’s holiness.Since hell is an important teaching of Christianity, we need to carefully examine the views that challenge what the Bible teaches.Let’s look at five myths about hell that are not biblical.Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/1001Love

We all wonder about what heaven is like and what our deceased loved ones are doing there. As God’s Word, the Bible serves as the primary source of guidance and assurance on what happens to our loved ones after they pass away. The Bible doesn’t provide every detail about heaven and the state of our loved ones there. But it does offer valuable insights that provide important glimpses of the divine plan for believers in heaven. It also assures us in 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 that, “‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’ – the things God has prepared for those who love him – these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.” Even though we can’t personally see or hear what our loved ones are doing in heaven right now, God has revealed many wonderful realities about heaven in the Bible. Here are 7 things the Bible says about our loved ones in heaven.Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/arkira

Dear Roger,I am so excited about going to heaven. I am ready for the rapture. I hope it comes right now! But I don’t know enough about heaven. Can you fill in some of the details for me?Sincerely,JulieDear Julie,There are ten common questions I hear all the time from people who are seeking to know more about heaven. I’ve collected them here, along with some biblical answers and practical application. I hope they’re helpful for you!Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/grakozy

Regardless of religious affiliation, nearly all respondents believe heaven is the absence of suffering. Most expect to see their loved ones who have previously died—approximately half hope to reunite with pets. Forty percent also claim they will be able to watch events on Earth and perhaps even interact with people. Not surprisingly, almost half think they can become angels.Only sixty-two percent mentioned meeting God in heaven.

These books, while not Scripture, are founded in Scripture and theologically sound. But before we get to those books, let's open the Bible and see what Scripture has to say about heaven.

Dear Roger,I’m a new Christian, and I have been reading in the Bible about the crowns, treasures, and rewards that Jesus will give to Christians who live God-honoring lives here on earth. Recently, I came across a passage where Jesus talked about storing up treasures in heaven. What exactly are the treasures in heaven He’s talking about? And how do I earn them?Thank you,AnaDear Ana,I took a survey of several thousand people, asking them your questions. I think you’ll relate to some of the answers I received:“I don’t know what the treasures are—do they have something to do with the mansions Jesus promised for us?”“I don’t get it. If our salvation doesn’t depend on ‘good works,’ why does Jesus tell us we have to earn something?”“Don’t we get treasures if we do good things? Like every time I do something that the Bible tells me to do, that puts a ‘treasure’ in heaven?”“Aren’t the ‘treasures’ just one of those parables? They’re not real?”I understand the confusion! Yes, the treasures are part of a parable—a story Jesus told with simple examples to help us understand complex spiritual truth. But they’re also very literal, because they’re mentioned many other times in Scripture.God’s Word also tells us exactly how to “store up” heavenly treasures while we’re here on earth, why earning them matters, and what they’ll eventually be used for in heaven. So, let’s dig in!Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/NiseriN

Learning about demons is unpleasant. But it’s important to know what the Bible says about demons in order to protect yourself from them.

It’s important to note here, that we don’t exactly know what we’ll be doing in Heaven, but scripture gives us a remarkable amount of information that we can make some very plausible and hopeful assumptions.

When you think of worshipping God in heaven do you get excited and full of anticipation or are you in some ways dreading what might feel like a really long, boring church service?

If hell is a place of torment and punishment, then how do we reconcile this with the God of love and mercy? If we wish to tackle the question ‘did God create hell?’ here are three things we need to keep in mind.

One of the stipulations of this judgment is whether your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life or not. Since this is so important it makes sense to learn about the book of life and discover if there are facts about the book of life that should change how we live.

We usually don’t think about whether heaven and hell exist because they are clearly mentioned by name in the Bible. But is purgatory in the Bible?

Though most portrayals of the devil and his demons are more figurative than biblical, demons are very real and very powerful forces who stand in opposition to the kingdom of God. But what do demons actually look like?

When my husband and I were building our house, we anticipated the move-in date. We drove to the construction site every day (much to the dismay of the builders). Our excitement grew as the closing date approached. Watching the progress gave us hope about the future day we could reside at our new address.This house is nothing compared to the TV show, “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” On this series, viewers were captivated with the grandeur and luxurious lives of celebrities. But the opulence of these mansions will not prevent decay nor satisfy the inner longing inside mankind.Our eternal home will be more glorious than anything this world can manufacture. No floor plan, interior design, or furnishings can compare to what God has created and prepared for us.Our opinion of Heaven gives us hope and anticipation for the future.My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.(John 14:2-3)Let’s allow our opinion to be formed by what God’s Word tells us about Heaven:Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/ookawaphoto

Is there a hell? Who’s going to hell? These questions secretly linger in our hearts because God stamped eternity into the spirits of every one of us. So, what does the Bible say about hell?

Our God is a God of abundance, of justice, who notices every kind and sacrificial act. Scripture promises that God will reward every act done in faith—even the “unseen,” and our reward will be oh so good.

There is so much biblical evidence that points to the truth that the devil is real. In fact, I believe the only way a person would not acknowledge his existence is because of denial or deception.

Is it true that everyone who is in hell actually has chosen to be there and God couldn’t save them? How do people end up in hell? Or, in other words, do those in hell choose to be there?

In 2014, a Pew Research Center poll found that twenty-nine percent of Catholics, eleven percent of Evangelical protestants, and 40 percent of mainline Protestants said they didn’t believe in the existence of hell.Considering the Bible makes mention of hell on several occasions, and because hell exists as a place where unrepentant sinners who did not have a saving relationship with Jesus go, it seems like there’s a weird cognitive dissonance in the Christian church, particularly, the Christian American church.We could speculate as to the number of reasons why a person would choose notto believe in hell. For instance, a person who ascribes to the prosperity feel-good “Gospel” may not like any of the negative passages of Scripture that involve judgment, sin, and of course, hell. Others may have known a loved one who passed, and they did not know if that person had a saving relationship with Jesus. They may find comfort in thinking that hell does not exist, when in reality, it very much does.In this article, we’ll explore the nature of hell, what it looks like, what Scripture has to say about this place, and why we should know about hell as Christians.Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Brina Bunt

Satan’s pride was the first sin committed in the universe, and humanity has been on notice ever since that pride goeth before the fall. Arguably, all sins are rooted in pride if we consider that sin is the placing of our own desires above the will of God.