February 5

Let’s get more specific

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven. Luke 10:20 (NKJV)

Fear Him who…has power to cast into hell. Luke 12:5 (NKJV)

Yesterday, we saw that people will be judged in eternity based on their response to God’s truth in this life—namely, the truth that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to take away the guilt of mankind’s sin.

But let’s get more specific about this judgment. The Bible teaches us that there will be two places that will define those who receive God’s truth and those who reject it. Those who receive the Good News of Jesus dying on their behalf will experience eternity in a place called Heaven. However, those who reject what Jesus has done for them will experience a place called Hades or Hell. Heaven is depicted as a place of peace, bliss, and joy, while Hell is described as a place of pain, anguish, and torment.

Before we go any further, we need to recognize that Jesus affirmed the reality of both of these places. As revealed in the two verses above (along with many other places in the gospels), Christ spoke of Heaven and Hell, and in doing so He set His seal of authority on each place.

That’s an important point because when it comes to eternity, just about everyone wants to believe in a place like Heaven, while very few want to entertain the idea of there being a place like Hell. But there’s no way of getting around the fact that Jesus believed in and taught about both Heaven and Hell. And if we’re going to accept His teachings as true, we cannot embrace the reality of one without also accepting the reality of the other.

As we dig deeper into what the Word of God reveals to us about eternity, we need to recognize the existence of both Heaven and Hell. What’s more, we need to understand that their reality isn’t based on man’s superstitions or traditions but on the authoritative Word of God’s Son.

Think About It…

What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?

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