Hell is real. Matthew 13:50 describes hell as a “blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Revelation 21:8 says it’s a fiery lake of burning sulfur. 2 Thessalonians 1:9 says that those in hell will be shut out from the presence of the Lord. Mark 9:48 says that in hell the worm never dies and the flame is not quenched. Hell was originally for Satan and the fallen angels that followed him in the revolt against God. 
However, Revelation 21:8 says that the unbelievers, vile, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars will share hell with Satan and his demons.
In Luke 16, we find Jesus telling the story about the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man every luxury in life, while Lazarus was poor and sick, a beggar who laid at the gate of the rich man covered in sores and begged for the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. When they both died, the rich man found himself in hell and Lazarus was carried by the angels into heaven.
The good news is that heaven is a real place too. In Revelation 22:1-5, we find that God gave John a glimpse of heaven. John wrote: “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever” John also wrote in Revelation 21:4, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Then in verses 21-25, “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass. And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.”
There is only one way into hell and one way into heaven. The entrance to hell is rejecting Christ as Savior. The entrance to heaven is by faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. There is no making a choice after death – the decision must be made in this life. It begins with recognizing our sin and need for a Savior and an understanding that salvation is about what God has done for us. There is nothing we can do to earn salvation. We were the ones that failed God when we sin, yet God is the one who made a plan to redeem us by sending His only Son to earth to take our punishment in our place. Each and every one of us are sinners. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It is sin that makes us in need of a Savior. It is sin that separates us from God. Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death. That wage or penalty was paid when Jesus came to earth, died on a cross, was buried in a tomb and then three days later rose from the dead. He bore our sins and accepted the consequences that we deserve. In order for us to be saved, we must “believe in the Lord Jesus” (Acts 16:31). God has already done all the work. All we have to do is receive, by faith, the gift of salvation that God offers. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
God doesn’t want anyone to go to hell. If a person ends up there, they do so by rejecting God’s grace and gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Today, God is offering you salvation as a gift – all you have to do is reach out and accept it. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” When we believe in the Lord Jesus it means that we put our faith and trust in what He did to provide our way of salvation. Therefore it is more than just knowing about Jesus. We must also act on the knowledge through our faith and trust in Him.
If you are ready to accept Him as your Savior, then pray right now:
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior.
If you prayed that prayer and meant it with all your heart, then you have been saved and are now a child of God. Follow up with a pastor at a local evangelical church and he can help you take the next steps in your Christian journey and help you grow in your new faith. Welcome to the family of God!
God, thank you for your free gift of salvation that gives us eternal life in heaven with you. We pray for those who are lost that they may choose to place their faith in Jesus.
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