Many people have wrestled with this question…and many people have never even thought about it before. But I want to ask YOU a question today: Do you know with 100% certainty where you will go when you die?
If I’m being completely honest with each of you, I tried to put off this question for many years. The thought of it made me uncomfortable. I knew that people didn’t like discussing this topic, and I was such a people pleaser years ago that I would literally look for excuses to go in the other room or change the topic of conversation whenever this was brought up.
I thought to myself, “Well…I’m a good person! I mean, I’m not perfect, but surely if God is real He would see that and let me go into heaven. I mean…hell can’t be that bad, and I’m sure that a loving God would never let me go there.”
Boy am I thankful that God started to work on my heart. I had never really read the Bible much before until I hit my college years. Let me tell you a little part of my testimony that I don’t talk about much…
I accepted a job on staff as a paid musician for a local church. The people at the church were super nice and friendly. But God began to convict my heart…He said, “Jill, if you are going to be on staff with a church, you need to start reading the Bible to see what it says.”
I’m ashamed to tell you guys that before that moment, I hadn’t really done that much. But with God’s love and prompting I began to. And something interesting happened….the more I read, the more I began to notice that what this church was confessing and preaching was not at all what the Bible was saying. And so I started asking questions to God. And was also feeling VERY confused.
God let me hang out at this church for a bit longer while he worked on my heart. And eventually…one church service in particular bothered me quite a bit. The pastor quoted a “feel good” quote from Buddah in the middle of the sermon, and it made my hair stand on end. This wasn’t AT ALL what the Bible that I was reading deemed to be okay. I had a sick feeling in my stomach. I waited until the church service was over, and began to pray about what to do.
God prompted me that it was time to leave the church and give up my paid position. It wasn’t an easy decision, but I was obedient. I learned in that season that just because it is preached from a pulpit and it makes you feel good, it doesn’t always mean that it is truth. This season of life was hard for me, because those at the church were VERY sweet, well intentioned, generous people who loved on me while I was there. Their kindness still sticks with me today. But it wasn’t worth potential of being led astray.
In that season of first starting to read my Bible, I asked God a question: “God, is hell really a real place? What does it take to go there?”
He answered me immediatly, and gave me LOTS of scripture to prove it. (If you ever want to go do your own study on this, check out these verses: Matthew 10:28, Revelation 20:12-13; Matthew 13:49-50; Matthew 25:46; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10; Matthew 7:13-14; Mark 9:47-48)
One day I stumbled across this verse: “Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord, will enter the kindgom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” -Matthew 7:21
I knew by this point that I needed to confess Jesus as my Lord and savior and repent of my sins in order to be saved and go to heaven (See Romans 10:9-10), but I still had a question for the Lord: “God, why would a loving God create a place like Hell? If you are loving, why would this horrible place even exist?”
He then showed me this verse: “Then He will say to those on his left: ‘Depart from me, you cursed, in to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’” -Matthew 25:41
I asked God…”Wait. So you mean to tell me that hell was never created or meant for humans to go there? It was created for the devil and his angels?”
Yep. God then began to show me that it was His will and desire for EVERYONE to go to heaven and never to have to go to this horrible place of eternal torture and punishment; This is why He sent his son Jesus Christ to the earth to die for our sins, so that we wouldn’t have to. However, love isn’t love if it is forced. God gave us a free will. If we choose not to accept Jesus Christ and the way out that He made for us, we will end up in hell.
I then had another question for God. I said, “God, what about all of the people who try to be good and moral while they are here on this earth, but they don’t accept you? Would they go there, too?”
God lovingly answered me: “Yes, Jill, although it breaks my heart more than you will ever know or could comprehend.” You see, my friends, God is so holy and so perfect, that He cannot be around sin. When Jesus died on the cross, he was perfect. When we accept him, He becomes our covering and we are cleansed from all unrightouness so that we CAN join Him in heaven one day. Our “Good works” would never be good enough to get us in, becuase the standard is 100% perfection. That means that just one time of us lying, one time of us thinking a lustful thought, one time of us accidentially stealing a pen from work and taking it home with us, etc. would make us worthy of the judgement and fire of hell.
Wow. This is why it is so important to share the gospel message, even if it makes people like me (back in the day) feel very uncomfortable. Hell is eternal just like heaven is-there is no getting out. No repenting to God after you die. Nothing-you are just there for eternity. Hell is described as this: “…to be cast into hell where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.” -Mark 9:47-48. It’s also described as, “a blazing furnace, where there will be weaping and gnashing of teeth.” -Matthew 13:49-50.
I dunno about you guys, but that does not sound like a place that I want to spend the rest of eternity with no chance of ever getting out.
All of this to say…I am so thankful that God provided us with a way out. Heaven will be just the opposite of hell-a place where we get to soak in the love of our Father every single day, and his goodness will radiate over us.
So, my friends, I want to ask you the question I asked you at the very beginning of this thread again: Do you know with 100% certainty where you will go when you die?
If you have never given your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, I want you to feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected]. I can help to walk you through a prayer to help you to give your life to Jesus. And I want to tell you guys…there is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed of. God loves you, and He is so excited every time someone accepts what Jesus Christ has done for them on the cross. Blessings, my friends.