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From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Dear Rev. Graham: It is interesting to note how offended people are when something is said about Hell; yet most people use the word like commas in their communication, and they particularly use it when they want to offend someone. This seems hypocritical. Many people get so angry that they declare they want someone to go to this awful place; yet they are terribly offended when someone suggests that they might end up there too. How can we make this point – without offending? – R.H.

Dear R.H.: It isn’t fashionable today to talk about Hell, but the Bible is clear: God created us with a soul that will live forever – and when we die, we will continue to exist – either in the place the Bible calls Heaven or in the place called Hell. The Bible tells us that Hell is reserved for those who reject God and turn their back on Him.

For those who want nothing to do with Jesus in this life, they will have nothing to do with Him in the next life. The Bible speaks of Hell as a place of “darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:30, NIV). Hell is a place of absolute loneliness and hopelessness. Most of all, Hell is eternal separation from God, and no one in Hell will be living in “happy hour.”

But the Good News is that God doesn’t want anyone to go there! Jesus paid the price for people’s sins; He took upon Himself the death and Hell we deserve through His death on the cross. We must be truthful and declare that those who end up in Hell do it by choice. But God has made a way of escape by trusting Jesus as Lord and Savior and realizing the glory of Heaven – Jesus Christ, the Savior of souls.

(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)