Hell Cannot Be Erased

Hell is not a concept many want to dwell on. In fact, many of us if we're honest have hoped that maybe, just maybe, the fires of judgment might be more symbolic than actual, or that God’s mercy might eventually extinguish them altogether. The thought of everlasting separation from God is overwhelming, even terrifying. And yet, Scripture will not allow us to simply erase hell from the story.

Many people, including Christians, wish hell weren't real. It’s a natural, even compassionate desire. But compassion must be rooted in truth. The consistent testimony of Scripture, the historic witness of the Church, and the words of Jesus Himself make it clear: hell is real, hell is just, and hell is to be feared.

Beyond the Grave

Before the resurrection of Christ, the Hebrew Scriptures refer to Sheol, and the Greek New Testament to Hades a shadowy place where the dead awaited their final judgment. It was a kind of twilight state, devoid of worship, devoid of God's manifest presence. Both the righteous and unrighteous entered it, but experienced it differently.

After Christ’s resurrection, however, this intermediate state is no longer final. Philippians 1:23 tells us that for those united to Christ, death brings immediate presence with God. But for those outside of Christ, Scripture is less specific perhaps Sheol/Hades remains a temporary holding ground. What we do know for certain is this death is not the end.

All people will be raised. Paul says, “The dead will be raised imperishable” (1 Corinthians 15:52). Jesus Himself declared that all who lie in their graves will hear His voice and rise some to life, and others to judgment (John 5:28–29). The resurrection is not just for believers. Everyone will stand before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). This moment is inescapable and impartial.

Beyond the Metaphors

When we think of hell, we often picture flames, darkness, torment, and isolation. And that’s because Scripture gives us those very images. Jesus calls it “outer darkness” where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12). He refers to the Valley of Hinnom Gehenna as a place of eternal fire (Matthew 25:41). The book of Revelation calls it “the lake that burns with fire and sulfur” (Revelation 21:8).

Some may argue that these are only metaphors. But metaphors don’t soften the blow they intensify it. Hell’s torments are not less real because they are described in images. They are more so. The fire and the worm (Mark 9:48), the smoke of torment rising forever (Revelation 14:11) all of these point to a suffering that is both conscious and eternal.

And yet, the worst part of hell is not the fire. It’s the absence. Paul writes that those who reject the gospel “will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). Hell is not just pain it is exile. It is separation from the very One for whom we were created.

Beyond Human Sovereignty

Hell reminds us that we are not autonomous beings who live without consequence. We are not the authors of our own moral codes. Hebrews 4:13 warns that we are “naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Nothing we say or do escapes divine notice.

Even our casual words those spoken in anger or pride are noted. Jesus says that calling someone a fool can make us liable to hell (Matthew 5:22). He speaks repeatedly of Gehenna as the ultimate end for unrepentant sin. And in Matthew 25, He connects eternal punishment with the failure to show love and mercy to “the least of these.” The message is clear every choice matters, and every heart is accountable.

Beyond All Hope, There Is Hope

The terrifying reality of hell makes the cross all the more glorious. Jesus, more than anyone, warned us about hell not to torment us with fear, but to spare us from it. He went to the cross to endure what we deserve. On the cross, Jesus experienced forsakenness hell itself not because He had sinned, but because we had. He bore the wrath so we wouldn’t have to.

And now, for those who are united to Christ by faith, the fires of judgment are no longer penal, but purifying. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:13 that even the believer’s works will be tested by fire. But the believer himself will be saved. The fire that once threatened to consume now refines.

According to Lifeway Research, 61% of Americans still believe in hell but only 2% think they are going there. This false security is dangerous. The call of Christ is urgent, not casual. There is no “easy grace” that bypasses repentance and surrender.

Jesus did not die to make hell disappear. He died to deliver us from it. And He lives now to intercede for us, calling us to Himself. “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness” (Psalm 130:3–4).

There is a hell. But there is also a Savior who saves us from it.

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