The word hell is used a lot these days.

It is used as a filler word to add emphasis to a statement, like someone saying, “H... no”. Or it is used out of anger in a degrading kind of way when someone says, “Go to h....” I’m not so sure that they really want the person to whom they are responding to actually go to the real place, however.

Another way the word is used is when someone is illustrating how bad life’s situation is, so they say that a person is going through “h... on earth”. The problem I see in all of these ways of using the word is that they water down the true word; for hell is a real place.

Statistics tell us that more and more people are not believing in hell as a genuine place. The early church fathers and theologians came to the conclusion that hell is a real place based upon their interpretation of Scripture.

Jesus said that there is a place where the fire is not quenched, and John said in Revelation that if anyone’s name was not found in the book of life, then they were thrown in the lake of fire.

I believe hell is a real place, and that I personally am responsible for finding a way to not end up there. Then it’s my responsibility to pass on this finding to others.

To find my answer, I don’t need to look too far, for God is faithful in the Bible to tell me how I can avoid this place called hell. It tells me that I can rather end up in a place called heaven, and the way is by deciding to follow Jesus. He has promised to forgive me of my sins and fill me with his spirit to guide me through this life.  

The great news is that I get to choose where I end up.