Why is the doctrine of Hell dismissed by so many people today?

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Why is the doctrine of Hell dismissed by so many people today? I am a Christian, but my pastor preaches that this idea of Hell is anti-Christian and does not match the truth of the love of Jesus Christ. – B.H.

A: Because it’s not preached much anymore, few people seem to believe in Hell. A number of ministers say that they have never preached a sermon on Hell. Yet most [Biblical] references to Hell are made by Jesus Himself.

No one can read the Bible without recognizing that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). No one can read the Bible even casually without realizing that there is a day of reckoning and judgment coming. No one can read the Bible without recognizing the passions, the selfishness, and the sin that floods into our lives. There is always plenty of material for the fabrication of a hell on Earth, and many of us have made one from which we cannot extricate ourselves.

Not only can there be a hell of our own making on Earth, but there is a hell in the future, to which everyone who rejects Christ is going.

Because of God’s love for the human race, He has provided a way to escape the reality of Hell. God does not waste time in idle chatter. He makes every word count, and we do well to heed His tender, loving warnings about Hell being a very real place, prepared for Satan and his demons. Others who will go there do so by their own choice.

He calls out to all people to renounce sin, to repent and receive Christ as Lord and Savior. He offers His eternal love to each one who accepts His salvation.

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

©2023 Billy Graham Literary Trust. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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