"eternal fire,"

(Matthew 25:41) Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

"unquenchable fire,"

(Matthew 3:12) His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

"shame and everlasting contempt,"

(Daniel 12:2) Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.

a place where "the fire is not quenched"

(Mark 9:45-46) If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell, [where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.]

"everlasting destruction"

(2 Thessalonians 1:9) These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

.

Revelation 20:10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

describes hell as a "lake of burning sulfur" where the wicked are "tormented day and night forever and ever." Obviously, hell is a place we should avoid.

Why does hell even exist, and why does God send some people there?
The Bible tells us that God "prepared" hell for the devil and the fallen angels after they rebelled against Him

(Matthew 25:41) Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

. Those who refuse God's offer of forgiveness will suffer the same eternal destiny of the devil and the fallen angels. Why is hell necessary? All sin is ultimately against God

(Psalm 51:4) Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge.

, and since God is an infinite and eternal being, only an infinite and eternal penalty is sufficient. Hell is the place where God is holy and righteous demands of justice are carried out. Hell is where God condemns sin and all those who reject Him. The Bible makes it clear that we have all sinned

(Ecclesiastes 7:20) Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.

(Romans 3:10-23) as it is written, "There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one."

, so, as a result, we all deserve to go to hell.

So, how can we not go to hell?
Since only an infinite and eternal penalty is sufficient, an infinite and eternal price must be paid. God became a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ

(John 1:1,14) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

. In Jesus Christ, God lived among us, taught us, and healed us–but those things were not His ultimate mission. God became a human being so that He could die for us. Jesus, God in human form, died on the cross. As God, His death was infinite and eternal in value, paying the full price for sin

(1 John 2:2) and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world

. God invites us to receive Jesus Christ as Savior, accepting His death as the full and just payment for our sins. God promises that anyone who believes in Jesus

(John 3:16) For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

, trusting Him alone as the Savior

(John 14:6) Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."

, will be saved (that is, not go to hell).



God does not want anyone
to go to hell

(2 Peter 3:9) The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

.
That is why God made the ultimate, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice on our behalf. If you want to not go to hell, receive Jesus as your Savior. It is as simple as that. Tell God that you recognize that you are a sinner and that you deserve to go to hell. Declare to God that you are trusting in Jesus Christ as your Savior. Thank God for providing for your salvation and deliverance from hell. Simple faith, trusting in Jesus Christ as the Savior, is how you can avoid going to hell!


I have just put my faith in Jesus...
now what?



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