March 12, 2006                             Read: Luke 16:19-31 

In our modern world, we just don’t talk all that much about hell any more.  Even the great theologian Karl Barth, when he was once asked, "Do you believe in hell?," responded "No, I believe in Jesus Christ." 

Barth’s response was good up to a point.  As Christians, our commitment is not first of all to a doctrine of eternal punishment.  It is first of all to Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior.

 The problem of hell, however, is that Jesus did talk about it.  In fact, Jesus refers to hell more often than any other person in the Bible.  Let me give just a few examples.  He warns us to fear God, “who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28).  He asks the Pharisees “How will you escape being condemned to hell?” (Matthew 23:33).  When he speaks of separating people at the last judgment, we are warned that “Then they (the wicked) will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (Matthew 25:46). 

Jesus wasn’t trying to scare us just for the sake of scaring us.  He preached hell to bring people to a decision.  Judgment is a fact, and it is coming.  We must decide to accept God's gift of grace, or reject it. 

In the long term, Jesus makes only two destinies available to us: heaven and hell.  One is a place of happiness and fellowship with God and God’s people.  The other is a place of torment and utter loneliness.  The choice seems easy, but God will not force us to make it.  He will, however, give us the grace to do so.  Pray for that grace.  Reach out and accept it into your life.  If you’re not willing to do that, the problem of hell may become a very real problem, indeed.