Burn in Hell

QUESTION: Will people really burn in hell?

ANSWER:

To determine whether or not people will burn in hell, we look to the authority on heaven and hell. The answer is in the Bible. If one believes God and His offer for eternal life in heaven for believers, then we must believe His Word concerning hell and its eternity for those who reject Jesus Christ.

According to the Bible, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) and "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

God desires all people to come to Him and gives us every opportunity to do so. He sacrificed His Son Jesus as the way of atonement for our sins. However, God will not force anyone and created us with a free will to choose Him. But there are consequences for those who do not. Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3:20 that everyone that does evil and hates the light [of Christ] will be reproved, which means admonished or convicted.

If they ignore their chances to repent, they will not enter the Kingdom of God. "The LORD is known by his justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God" (Psalm 9:16-17) So, do the consequences of this rejection really mean burning in hell for eternity?

The answer is yes. Jesus speaks in Mark 9 about "entering into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched." This means for eternity. Those who enter hell will suffer a never-ending judgment of fire. This is not a threat or scare tactic, but a result of one's own choice against God and the Savior He sent for us.

The spiritual war for souls is very real. John 10:10 says "The thief [Satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy," but Jesus says, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." One of the most widely known verses in the Bible is John 3:16-17. Here Jesus explains, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

The way of this salvation from hell is simple and direct. "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" Jesus' words are meant for all that are willing to have faith. But it is an individual choice to accept or reject God's sacrificial gift.