Ask the Pastor

By Pastor Scott Denham of Harvest Fellowship, Shambaugh, IA

Clarinda Herald Journal Publication Date : 09/12/2007

Just Desserts

            “I believe in Hell, but I'm not certain if that means eternal torment or final destruction. Can I just leave my understanding of hell at that, or does a Christian's view of Hell affect their own salvation?”

            Becoming a Christian, we confront a framework of thinking that is foreign to our old sinful nature. We learn of the reprehensibility of sin and that it merits divine punishment. However, God demonstrates His love by bringing punishment on His Eternal Son, so that those who believe in Him, may be spared the Father’s wrath.

            As we grapple with these new concepts, we will likely wrestle with the doctrine of  Hell. That doctrine teaches that Hell is a place of everlasting torment, reserved for those who do not know God or obey Him. In fact, Hell is a temporary holding tank for those awaiting the final judgment, after which its residents are cast into Eternal Fire—therefore, when most say Hell, they really mean, Eternal Fire (Matt 25:41).

            The Scripture clearly teaches that damnation is eternal. Consider 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9. "He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power." This Bible teaches this same truth elsewhere (Dan 12:2; Matt 25:41; Rev 14:11).

            Nonetheless, but this does not make it any easier for  us to take. That’s due, in part, to the fact that our sensibilities have been shaped by certain commonplaces of Western thought. We grow up with a misconception about what it means for God to be a God of love. He is not as “soft” as we’re inclined to believe.

            So to answer your question: No, your salvation does not hinge on your understanding of Hell. However, it may impact your understanding of the character of God, and it affects the choices you make—if there is no Hell then you may not take repentance seriously enough. We must believe that a just and loving God will prosecute unbelief and disobedience to the full extent of divine law. Both love for God and fear of judgment help motivate us in the way of righteousness.

            What I do know about God helps me to trust Him in those things that I do not understand. Let us choose to believe with Abraham that the Judge of all the earth will do right (Gen 18:25).  I need not fully understand how He judges to know that He will "do right" for every single person. Whether we receive eternal life or eternal destruction, we can rest assured that God will give us our just desserts.

--Pastor Scott (www.askpastorscott.com)