Is Heaven and Hell Real

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Eternal Life Or Eternal Death

Matthew 25-28

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:19-20).

                  How do we know the Bible is true and that Christ is the only way to heaven? Why can there be only one way to heaven? How do we know that not everyone will go to heaven? These are questions people have asked since the church's formation in the Book of Acts. To answer them, we need to ask the one question upon which everything hinges. Paul points us back to that question when he addresses the same issue in his letter to the church at Corinth. The critical question upon which everything hinges is the resurrection of Christ. Paul points out that if the resurrection is merely a story invented by the disciples, then the whole message of the Gospel is false (1 Corinthians 15:13-19). The resurrection of Christ is not a mythical story to convey a spiritual truth. It is the linchpin upon which all of Christianity and the whole message of the Gospel stand. This then raises the second question. If the resurrection is false, why would Paul and the rest of the disciples be willing to die for something they knew to be false? For Paul and all the disciples, the resurrection was the prerequisite for the Gospel. To prove its authenticity, Paul pointed to over 500 witnesses who testified that Christ was raised from the dead and seen alive after the crucifixion. If Christ was raised from the dead, it proved he was who he claimed to be: the one sent from God to be his spokesman and bring salvation to all humanity. The reason Christ is the only way to heaven is that he is the only one who died for our sins and rose again from the dead. Christ makes it clear that he is the only way to heaven.

                  This then takes us to the second critical question, is there hell? Will God condemn people to hell? Again, we go back to the words of Christ. In Matthew 25:26, Christ unequivocally states that the righteous go into eternal life. But in the same breath, he states that those who reject him will go away into eternal punishment. When I talk with people, everyone affirms the existence of heaven, but many want to deny the existence of hell. Yet Christ does not give us this option. Christ makes it clear that the existence of heaven and hell are bound together. If there is no hell, then there is no heaven either. Likewise, if there is eternal life, there is also eternal punishment. The two truths are bound together. Therefore, the question that confronts us is where we are going: Are we going to heaven, or are we destined for hell? The answer lies in our acceptance and surrender to Christ. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, he paid the penalty for our sins. All that is necessary is that we accept his gift of life and surrender to his purpose and plan. If you were to face God tonight, do you know for certain where you are going?  

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