Tag: Hell

The Cost of Not Following Christ

by JacobTheology

Following Christ is costly, as He demands your life. Yet not following Him is a grave mistake that is infinitely more expensive.

Some years ago, I came across this video:

The video, titled ‘It Will Cost You Everything’ is an 11-minute long exhortation to count the costs of following Jesus Christ. It brings up an oft-ignored aspect of the Christian life – that to follow Jesus, one must count the costs and be willing to give up everything for the sake of Christ.

This is true.

Christ demands absolute obedience, and a total selling out to His lordship. Simply look to the Gospel of Luke, where we read the following:

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:25-27)

How often is it that we focus upon this piece of Scripture? It doesn’t preach well, does it? It doesn’t sound as rosy and positive as ‘God’s plan is always health and safe living.’ Here we learn that those who would be Christ’s disciples must be willing to forsake everything for the sake of Jesus. We must live a “crucified” life.

That’s what it is to follow Jesus.

Following Christ is Difficult

Following Jesus is not easy. It is not necessarily a life of wealth, health, and prosperity. It is not a life of great popularity. In fact, Paul even remarks in 1 Corinthians that, 

...If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:17-19, emphasis mine)

In other words, if Jesus has not truly been raised from the dead (that is, He isn’t who He claimed to be), then we’re the most pitiful people in the world. Here we are, living a crucified life where we no longer satisfy the demands of the flesh and follow life’s broad, easy way… and all for nothing? What an awful way to live!

Of course, Paul goes on to write in the next sentence that we do have every reason to hope. Christ is raised, God is God, and our eternal reward is coming. But if this were not so, then we would be living a life of immense sacrifice for no good reason at all.

Following Jesus is expensive, the Bible says. You have to give up much. You don’t just ‘get in’ through the narrow gate and walk the narrow way that leads to life without submitting to Christ and laying down your life. Following Christ will be tough. It’s not for the faint of heart. It is costly.

But NOT following Him is more costly.

Following Christ is Costly… But NOT Following is More Costly

As humans, we stand at the crossroads between two choices: surrender to Christ and be saved, or run from Christ and experience eternal punishment. God gives us the choice between the two. We can choose one or the other, but we will make a choice… whether we realize it or not.

Choosing to follow Christ is costly. To turn to Jesus will ultimately require us to give up some things. As Steve Lawson says in the video shown at the beginning of this article, it will cost us everything. All our possessions, hopes, dreams, desires, talents, strengths, and weaknesses will eventually be submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It may take us some time in getting there (and we will never be perfect at it in this life), but obedience and increasing holiness will be the pattern of the life of a Believer in Jesus.

It’s a costly life. But what are the costs of not following Jesus? Let’s find out.

The Cost of Not Following Christ

When one chooses to not follow Jesus, he may initially experience what we might call “rewards.”

Without Jesus, the man is free to pursue his own desires without any resistance at all. He has no moral code obligating him to a higher standard of righteousness, save for the laws and morals that society places on him. There is no voice in his heart pleading with him to quit his sin. There is no community around him holding him to a great moral standard.

If he wants to drink and do drugs, he can do so. If he wants to make lots of money and spend it on his pleasures, he may do so. If his desire is to have as many relationships as he can, he may do that too. Of course, he probably feels worse and worse all the time as he pursues his pleasures, but the world offers those pleasures for a reason: they’re a distraction from the spiritual damage brought on by such a lifestyle.

As his life draws to its end, we may compare it with the life of a man who accepted Christ. Whereas the Christian has little wealth, the unbeliever has great wealth. Whereas the Christian didn’t experience “the world” – that is, the pleasures of an ultimate focus on the self – the unbeliever did.

The unbeliever might even say, “Sure, I’m no saint. But I lived my life to its fullest, and I enjoyed my time here.”

While the Christian had to learn to control his body and say ‘no’ to his desires, the unbeliever spent his entire life in full pursuit of that which made his flesh happy. While the Christian had to obey a greater Master, the unbeliever was free to do as he pleased.

The conclusion? From an outsider’s point of view, one might say that the unbeliever has come out ahead. He denied himself no pleasure and allowed himself whatever he wanted.

But here’s the rub: life has only just begun.

The True Costs Compared

When the unbeliever dies, a terrible fate awaits him. Dying without Christ, the unbeliever stands condemned before God. He pleads with God, perhaps even begs God to spare him the fate of those who do not accept the Lord. Yet God will not. The unbelieving man had every opportunity to believe upon Jesus, but he didn’t do so.

I will not go into detail on what the unbeliever experiences next. However, we must understand one thing: we ALL have an eternal destination. We will go to a place in which our consciousness, our soul, never dies. There are only two places in which to spend this eternity: either Heaven or Hell. In Heaven, those who believed in Christ will experience pleasures that nothing in this world could ever equal or even come close to. In Heaven, there will be perfect bliss and perfect pleasure for all eternity.

But in Hell? In Hell, we have a complete and total absence of pleasure. Scripture tells us that the torment of those in Hell never pauses. There is no cheerful smile in Hell; there is no joy, no happiness, no rest, and – worst of all – no hope.

Thus, the choice becomes clear. We have a choice between the following:

  1. A lifetime of imperfect pleasure (up to 100 years long, if you’re lucky), and an eternity of torment, or
  2. A lifetime of obedience to God (which is NOT always drab and dull), and an eternity of the richest pleasure and life we could possibly imagine.

As we stand back and survey these options, I am reminded of the account in the Bible where Esau, the brother of Jacob, sold his inheritance for a bowl of stew. This man literally sold his entire inheritance for a small bowl of mush. And it probably wasn’t even that good, either. Talk about a bad trade! I’m sure we all would recognize it as such. But if we refuse to accept Christ because “the cost is too great,” then we are doing the same thing Esau did all those years ago.

Why Do People Reject Christ?

A sad truth of the world this: many people are confronted with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and come away having rejected the Savior.

Why?

I mean, wouldn’t everyone desire eternity in paradise? Why reject Christ, when He offers you an eternity of treasure and life and joy?

Simply put, most people reject Christ because they cannot bring themselves to give up their life to Him. They are like the rich young ruler of Mark 10, who walked away from Jesus with sorrow in his heart because he couldn’t give up his earthly possessions for the sake of the Lord.

Those who reject Jesus are rejecting the claim He has over their lives; they reject His Lordship and authority. When you become a follower of Christ, you are purchased by Him at the cost of His life. He owns you. He becomes your Lord and your king.

And in doing so, He – not you – has the right to use your life as He sees fit.

Of course, this is costly. It means giving up the rights to your life in the here and now. But look at what you gain! When your life becomes hidden in Christ, it is truly safe and truly saved. When one rejects Jesus, he is rejecting what is best for him. When a man or woman turns away from the Savior, he or she is embracing the lie that the cost of following Jesus is too great.

Instead, we might ask a counter-question: why would anyone NOT follow Jesus, when the cost is so little?

The Splendor of Following Christ

Think about it. This world is fraught with trouble and difficulty. Life has its highs and also its lows; that much is true regardless of whether you believe in Christ or not. So in the end, can we really say that living without the yoke of Christ is that much more pleasing than living with His yoke upon us?

In my own life, some of the happiest people I’ve ever known were those who were sold out for Christ. These were the men and women who truly gave everything they had to “buy the treasure” that is the Kingdom of Heaven. These people gave up much, but were happier than those who chose to reserve everything for themselves. Do the unbelievers – those who count the costs of following Jesus as too great – really come out better in this life?

I would say that the answer is “no.” Following Jesus requires sacrifice, but it comes with great joy and great abundance of life… even in this life. The unbelieving crowd often claims, “Christians are so heavenly-minded that they’re no earthly good.” They say, “Worrying about the afterlife is no way to live this life.”

Yet it is Believers who often prove to be the happiest, healthiest, most generous, and most impactful souls in the world. Jesus’ demand for obedience may seem to be the death of our own happiness, yet full submission to Him seems to also yield the greatest joy and pleasure we can hope to experience in this life.

In the end, following Jesus will prove costly. It may cost you success, promotions, friendships, easiness of life, and physical pleasure. It might even cost your very life.

But when the two options are weighed in the balance – the option of following and the option of not following – it becomes clear that one choice is a sham that results in neither the best this life has to offer, nor the next.

When you choose to follow Jesus, you are making nothing less than the most rational choice a human being can make. And you can rest assured that Christ – who has bought you with His blood – has only your best interests at heart.

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Where Did Hell Go?

by JacobTheology

Many today deny the existence of Hell, but the Bible portrays Hell as a real place of punishment. Here’s why we should teach on it.

For many centuries, the existence of Hell was a given for Christians around the world. But recent movements in the Church have challenged the idea of Hell.

A Pew Research Survey conducted in 2014 found that a substantial portion of the American populace – 58% – still believed in Hell. A similar survey conduct in 2007 returned a figure of 59%. Many denominations and churches still include Hell in their official doctrine.

Clearly, the doctrine of eternal punishment is still alive and kicking. More than half of Americans claim to believe it. Roughly 7 in 10 Americans identify as Christian, meaning that a majority of American Christians must still believe that Hell is real.

But in truth and practice, the doctrine of Hell is losing influence. And it’s losing influence quickly.

This is a problem.

The Importance of Believing in Hell

Before I begin, please let me say this: I am not here to shame or guilt anyone. I am not yelling at you or condemning you if you don’t believe in Hell. The work of a Christian is not to condemn, but to deliver the Gospel. The work of a Believer is to obey God’s Word and to make that Word known to others… in its entirety.

This is why belief in Hell is important.

Belief in Hell is important because the Bible talks about Hell. It is an integral part of the Gospel. Jesus Himself references Hell many times in the New Testament. He tells us that it is a place we most certainly do not want to go.

Revelation also talks about the Final Judgement, where it is very clear as to the fate of those whose names are “not found recorded in the Book of Life.” It tells us that the unsaved will depart to be in the “lake of fire” which was originally prepared for the devil and the devil’s angels. This is none other than Hell.

Those age-old images of Hell being a place of blazing fire and acrid smoke do not come from a vacuum. The Bible is rather clear in its portrayal of what happens to those who die without Christ.

To deny Hell, you see, you must deny certain portions of Scripture. You have to claim that the lake of fire is either metaphorical or that it doesn’t really exist. You also have to work some pretty serious gymnastics around much of what Jesus said. There are theologians today – popular theologians, too – who claim that Hell is simply a Western (or even American) invention.

But this is not the case. Scripture proves it. Has Hell always been correctly understood? Absolutely not. But there is no denying that it exists.

Additionally, Hell is central to the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to save people and give them eternal life. He often spoke of repentance and salvation, urging people to place their faith in Him.

Finally, Jesus died a horrific death on the cross for the penalty of our sins. His death was among the ugliest imaginable. He was not painlessly executed, nor was He quickly executed. Instruments of death such as the gallows and the guillotine can be seen as incredibly merciful when compared side-by-side with the crucifixion death of Christ.

Christ came, lived, ministered, suffered, died, and rose again for a purpose.

There are many today who claim that Jesus was a “good teacher.” But if He was only a teacher, why was He killed? And why was He so assured of its necessity? Plenty of people have been killed throughout history for causes they believed in, but Jesus’ convictions were startlingly different. He did not die solely because of what He believed in; He died because He knew in advance that He must die!

His mission was His crucifixion.

The gravity of what Christ did is made even greater – infinitely greater – by the fact that He was the Son of God. Christ was Himself a member of the Holy Trinity. He was God in His own right. While on Earth, Jesus had every right to call upon the strength of ten thousand angels and have them execute justice on His behalf. He had every right to put to shame His opponents, His persecutors, and His murderers.

But He didn’t.

Why?

Because His death was necessary. Without the willing death of Jesus, there is no salvation for people like you and me. Our salvation is so important to God – and so mind-blowingly expensive – that it took the literal slaughtering of God’s only Son to accomplish it.

And therein lie the questions.

If there was no threat of Hell whatsoever, then why did the very Son of Almighty God Himself hang on a cross for six hours in pure agony? If eternal punishment and torment were not the fate of sinners dying outside of grace, why was Christ’s death necessary?

The truth is, Christ’s death was necessary because sin is a big deal and Hell is real. Any of our sins – small and great, visible and invisible – are capable of sending us there. Without Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice, we are literal and metaphorical toast. We would be plunged directly into Hell at the final judgement, sinners without mercy being separated from God’s goodness forever and ever.

This is a central, core doctrine of Scripture. The Gospel is so sweet because sin is so horrible and Hell is so terrifying. When we stop preaching and teaching about Hell, the urgency of the Gospel message is diluted. Without Hell, Christ becomes nothing more than a good man who gave His life so that we could be enlightened, successful people.

I’m sorry, but if there is anything Christ is not, it is merely “good teacher” or “ticket to prosperity.”

When we deny the reality of Hell, or even fail to touch on the subject from time to time, we are effectively reducing the significance of the Gospel. Does not the Gospel stand in such sharper relief when considered against the backdrop of Hell? Christ did not die to make you rich, happy, healthy, or otherwise prosperous. He didn’t die to offer you ‘enlightenment’ or ‘spiritual release’ in this life.

Rather, Christ died because God loves you. Your sin will send you to a place of eternal punishment known as Hell. If you die in your sins, you will perish apart from mercy. You will be subject to the full justice of God, which demands eternal payment.

But Christ died so that you would not have to experience Hell. He died to keep you out of that eternal lake of fire. That is why He came, died, and rose again. Christ satisfied the justice of God, and it is only because of His sacrifice that you are declared totally righteous in the sight of God.

Final Thoughts

To sum everything up, belief in Hell is important for two primary reasons:

  1. The Bible teaches on it, and the Bible is infallible and inerrant
  2. The Gospel’s urgency depends upon sin and Hell

Denial of Hell is symptomatic of a broader trend of denying (or otherwise running from) fundamental truths of the Bible. While denial of Hell will not make you unsaved – again, I firmly believe that there are many saved Christians out there who either deny Hell or are unsure of its existence – to deny Hell is to deny a bedrock reality of the Bible. Christ spoke openly on Hell, and Revelation teaches on its reality. For the serious Bible scholar, there is no getting away from Hell’s reality in Scripture.

Indeed, a conclusion that I have come to is this: orthodoxy is orthodoxy for a reason. Hell is orthodoxy. It’s an established and broadly-accepted doctrine in historical Christendom. Many theologians whose minds far outstrip my own have thought, wrestled, prayed, studied, and come to the conclusion that there is a Hell and it is eternal.

Hell is real. It’s eternal. It awaits all sinners who die without the blood of Christ. This is uncomfortable, but true. It does not go over well to the unsaved masses of our culture.

We live in a society that is viciously anti-judgement – even though our society does hypocritically judge – and Hell is God’s judgement. Naturally, therefore, people don’t want to hear about Hell. Churches built upon being “seeker-sensitive” will oftentimes avoid Hell. To preach on Hell is to turn away potential congregants.

Additionally, it is becoming increasingly popular in the contemporary age to go against the grain of established truth. You hear things such as, “What’s true for you may not be true for me.” And while there is a grain of truth to such an idea, this relativism should never be applied to issues of theology or Scripture. Denial of Hell is a slippery slope down which many have already slid a great deal.

If one denies Hell, it is only one more step to deny God’s wrath. If one denies His wrath, it is only one further step to deny His justice. If one can deny His justice, it is only one more step to deny the need for a Savior.

And if one denies the need for a Savior, he or she can effectively deny Christ and therefore Christianity.

As Believers, we ought to aim to confront Hell not as a frightful fantasy, but as a weighty reality. The idea of Hell compels action. There are people out there who are on their way to eternal destruction. Sinners who die without Jesus don’t merely cease to exist or go to a less-good afterlife; they go to Hell. They are stuck there for all eternity, and by then, it’s too late.

This is why evangelism and witnessing are so important. Why go to all the trouble of witnessing to others? Why go to the trouble of spreading and sharing Christ? Just so that someone can be enlightened and live a good life?

I submit to you that the sweetness of the Gospel and the urgency of spreading the Gospel stem at least partially from the reality of Hell. This fundamental truth of Christianity is important, and is necessary to a better walk with the Lord. If you’re in a ministry position, it is important that you teach others about Hell. It is important that this doctrine does not go silent.

For our sake and the sake of those who have yet to know Jesus, we must acknowledge and deal with the truth of Hell.

May God richly bless you.

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