Do you believe in Hell?
Simple enough question right? Do you believe in a literal, lake of fire and brimstone Hell which the Bible clearly states as the eternal destination for those who have not been saved by faith in Jesus Christ?
The question is simple but the problem is that we do not like the repercussions of that question. In 2003 the Barna Group did a study which showed that 77% of Americans believe in Heaven, 73% of Americans believe in Hell, yet less than 1% of Americans believe that they will go to Hell. Even more so churches don't teach on Hell, Christians don't like talking about Hell, Christians don't like thinking about Hell and Christians dont see Hell as having practical implications on our lives.
Why is this? Does Hell have practical implications on our lives? if so, what are they?
I believe it is an old counseling slogan that says "you act how you act because you think what you think" The basic principle being what you think about something determines how you act about that same thing. For example, someone who is germaphobic believes that any germ they come in contact with will inevitably bring with it a disease that will infect them and cause them severe sickness and death. Because they believe this they stay away from public places, are neat-freaks, and go through sanitizers like its their job.
In the same way, if I believe aliens have invaded the minds of all Home Depot employees, I would respond by staying away from Home Depot, warn about the dangers of Home Depot to others, and I would be very wary of anyone I met who worked at Home Depot.
Once again the point being that we know what we believe and think by how we act.
So here is the million dollar question: If we truly believed that Hell was a real place for those people who did not know Jesus Christ how would that affect how we live our lives?
This question has troubled me a bit lately. So often I see in myself a lack of urgency in my walk with Christ. I do my best to put things on auto-pilot and live a life that is comfortable for me so I don't have to do uncomfortable things and don't have to have uncomfortable conversations. As I ask myself why I so often fall into these patterns the tough answer is that a lot of times I allow myself to believe that it doesn't matter. God will save who he saves, its not my issue, and I would rather be lazy, and do my own thing rather than do what God's Word unmistakably calls me to.
All this to say I came up with a list of how one would act if they truly believed in a literal Hell:
1. Be overwhelmed by Gods grace through Jesus Christ on our behalf.
2. Living a life pleasing to the Lord out of gratitude would be the #1 priority.
3. They would have a desperate desire to reach the lost in their families and communities.
4. They would readily forfeit "being comfortable" for opportunity to proclaim Jesus Christ.
5. Through the Spirit they would transform their communities and the lives of those who spend time with them.
This is a pretty sobering list to personally work through, but Hell, our sin, and God's grace are a very sobering reality. My prayer is that you would take some time and see where you are at on this list and ask yourself like I often ask me: "are you living with an eternal perspective?"
