A disclaimer: this will be a blog about love and grace, but most of all this will be a certain and real discussion about hell, that only place in the whole of all existence that sits outside of the presence of God. I put this up front so that you know and are, at least, warned.
Hell is real. As a word, the etymology of hell is an Anglo-Saxon word that has been applied to the Hebrew word, Gehenna. Gehenna was an actual place in ancient Israel outside of Jerusalem known as the Valley of the Son of Hinnom. Different from Sheol or other non-heavenly eternal destinations, Gehenna is the final terminus of the wicked.
This is the very essence of Hell, it is the eternal place of the wicked. Where this might become uncomfortable is a two-fold thing. First, God and He alone is the one who determines who lives eternally in His presence (heaven) or spends eternity in His absence (Hell). And secondly, God's understanding of wickedness and what makes someone wicked is very, very different from our human definitions.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus describes Hell in direct and terrifying ways. A biblical picture of Hell would be a fiery furness in outer darkness where there is constant weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30). Additionally, Hell and its inhabitant are separated from Heaven by an uncrossable chasm (Luke 16:19-32). This is but a sobering glimpse of eternal condemnation.
God, the Creator of the whole universe, is to be praised and obeyed. This is the essence of faith. For humans, this can be boiled down to love. We are to love God. The funny thing about it is that when we learn more about who God is, we will love Him more and we will want to love Him more. Moreover, this ardent love for God is the very essence of faith and of wisdom.
Also, God does not and will not overtake a person's freewill. This means that God will not make someone love Him. This is one of the necessary features of love, especially love of the highest degree. The very essence of love is that it cannot be caused or determined, but that it must be chosen. Here is where the love involved in Hell comes to a head.
If a person spends their entire life turning away from God by the power of their own free will, why would God force that person to spend eternity in His presence? If God were to force someone to love Him for all eternity, then it would not be love. Instead, God, in His infinite grace, allows people to exercise their free will and turn away from Him in unbelief and disobedience. Hell is but an eternal extension of this. For Hell is that place that is reserved for those who have spent their lives ignoring God can now spend the whole of eternity away from Him all the more. How could a loving God not send people to Hell if they had never wanted anything but to be separated from God?
This has been but a snapshot of Hell, suffice to say that it is not a place that anyone would desire to go. However, whether a person is destined for Heaven of for Hell is based solely upon their love and faithfulness of God. As per the disclaimer, Hell is an extreme example of the God's love as much as it is about His justice. But, without a doubt, no one wants to go to Hell and be kept at distance from God for all eternity. Let us then take heed to love God and be found faithful on that last day!
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