Why would Jesus present such a dark picture of a fantasy and call people foolish who do not believe Hell is a literal place?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: I’m reading a book that declares emphatically Hell is not real and is simply a figment of human imagination, but that if Hell is real, it will be more fun than Heaven. Why would Jesus present such a dark picture of a fantasy and call people foolish who do not believe Hell is a literal place? – S.H.
A: It’s been said that the devil’s greatest work is to convince people Hell doesn’t exist. Some fool themselves by saying, “If there’s a Hell, it will be a devil of a party.” Others say, “No devil, no sin; no sin, no guilt; no guilt, no need to repent; no repentance, no need for God.”
But the Bible says the Gospel “is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe” (2 Corinthians 4:3–4, NKJV). Some people’s confession of preferring Hell is simply a cover-up for their unwillingness to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and humble themselves before Him.
John Lennon’s famous ballad “Imagine” invites people to visualize an existence where there’s no Heaven, no Hell, no religion, and everybody’s “living for today.” But saying there’s no Hell doesn’t make it so. This is what the Bible is talking about when it describes people who “became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (Romans 1:21, KJV).
Satan creates religion without a Redeemer, builds church without Christ, calls for worship without the Word of God. The Bible says that Satan’s work is to deceive the world. His deception that Hell is where the party will be is a clever trick, disguising evil in whatever attracts the senses. Many think Hell will be no more than the hottest “happy hour” and more fun than Heaven.
This has no Biblical basis whatsoever. Hell is described as solitary confinement, where a sinner’s companion will not be his imagination, but his memory (see Luke 16:25).
========
(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)
©2024 Billy Graham Literary Trust. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(c)2024 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
