If There’s No Hell…

There’s a lot of debate lately about whether or not there’s a hell. It even scored the cover of Time magazine. Well, of course there’s a hell. Jesus spoke of it often and there’s hard core evidence that we can believe in Him and what He taught. And God is a gentleman and won’t force Himself (for all eternity) on people who didn’t want Him. (He doesn’t send people to Hell, it’s the fulfillment of the free will choice of people to be separated from God’s presence.)

But that’s not what has my attention. There are all kind of erroneous claims in the Time article, which is sad. (Like it says there are many contradictions in the Bible. Really? What would those be?) But that’s also not what has my attention.

Here’s what does:  In the article the author states that Christians fear the teaching that there is no Hell, because if there isn’t, why would anyone follow Jesus? The quote, “If heaven, however defined, is everyone’s ultimate destination in any event, then what’s the incentive to confess Jesus as Lord in this life?” Seriously? Ummm, maybe that He actually is Lord, and people want to live their lives in accordance with reality and truth? And maybe that truly following Jesus saves us from living hell on earth, and allows us to experience the kind of fulfilling, adventurous life that only He can offer?

The only person who would write something like that, or worry about something like that, is someone who hasn’t experienced life without Jesus and life with Jesus. Because I’ve done both. And there is a heaven, and there is a hell, but even if there wasn’t, the only life I would want to live is one centered on Jesus.