It’s far more common for people—even pastors—to avoid the topic of hell. It’s uncomfortable. It’s frightening. And because of that, many prefer not to talk about it at all.
But ignoring hell doesn’t make it disappear.
Jesus Himself warned about hell multiple times throughout the Gospels. It was in Mark 9:43–48 where the inspiration for this article was sparked. Jesus said, “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands. If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, ‘where the maggots never die, and the fire never goes out.”
The point Jesus is making is that our souls are far more important than anything–even our body parts. The very next verse says, “For everyone will be tested with fire” (v.49). This line makes it clear that no one is exempt from judgment, and so the way we live now matters.
The reality of judgment and separation from God is not only a New Testament concept—it is also referenced throughout the Old Testament. Because of this, we should be careful not to ignore the subject. Scripture speaks plainly about it, which means we should approach it with the same honesty and seriousness.
The clearest explanation of hell I’ve ever heard described it as eternal separation from God.
I don’t know about you, but that thought terrifies me.
To be cut off from the God of the universe—the Creator of all things, including my own life—is terrifying. Even thinking about it for more than a few seconds is overwhelming, because I know God. I know His goodness, His presence, and His love.
The thought of existing forever without Him would be unbearable.
When we ignore hell, we diminish the work Christ did on the cross. After all, if there were no real danger of eternal separation from God, why would Jesus need to die to save us?
Hell is not a myth or a work of fiction. It is the eternal reality for those who ultimately choose to reject God—not always with their words, but often with the way they live their lives.
What Separation from God Actually Means
When we hear the word hell, many people immediately picture flames and punishment. Those images do appear in Scripture, but they are not always described the same way. We see something similar with heaven as well. The Bible often uses different pictures and descriptions, each helping us grasp something about a reality ultimately beyond human experience.
What all of these descriptions have in common is the message they communicate: life apart from God is devastating.
The most horrifying aspect of hell is not simply the imagery of fire—it is the eternal absence of God’s presence.
In 2 Thessalonians 1:9, Paul describes this reality clearly:
“They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power” (NLT).
Right now, every good thing we experience ultimately comes from God, whether people recognize it or not. As James 1:17 reminds us, “every good and perfect gift is from above.”
God is the source of love.
God is the source of peace.
God is the source of beauty and joy.
Even those who do not believe in Him still experience these gifts because of His goodness. His grace touches every corner of creation.
But hell is the place where that goodness is no longer experienced—where the presence of the One who gives life, joy, and peace is completely absent. It’s very important to sit with this reality and realize that there are only two options in this life: Live with God or apart from Him.
The Two Paths God Has Always Given
The idea that there are only two outcomes for humanity is not a new concept introduced in the New Testament. It has been present throughout Scripture from the very beginning.
From the earliest pages of the Bible, God makes it clear that humanity must choose whether to walk with Him or turn away from Him. Over and over again, the people of God are presented with the same decision: obedience that leads to life or rejection that leads to destruction.
One clear example appears in Deuteronomy 30:19-20, when God speaks to Israel through Moses:
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them” (ESV).
God does not hide the stakes. He lays them plainly before His people.
Another clear example is found in Joshua 24:15. After leading Israel into the promised land, he gathers the people and challenges them with a decision. He says:
“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (ESV).
We see the same pattern echoed again in the wisdom literature. Psalms 1 describes two distinct paths: the way of the righteous, which leads to life, and the way of the wicked, which ultimately perishes.
The choice of life or death is consistently woven throughout the Old Testament. God calls His people to remain faithful to Him because He knows that life and flourishing are found only in His presence.
The New Testament continues this same message. Jesus speaks of a narrow road that leads to life and a broad road that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). Accepting His body and blood brings life, while rejecting it brings death (John 6:58). Paul writes about dying to the flesh daily and living in the Spirit (Romans 6:6-11; 8:12-13, Galatians 5:24, Colossians 3:5). The choice is not new—it is restated with even greater clarity.
Why Jesus Warned Us So Strongly
Jesus’ warnings about hell were never spoken out of cruelty, but out of compassion.
He did not warn people about hell because He wanted to frighten them unnecessarily. He warned us because the danger is real. In doing so, He was reinforcing the message God has spoken since the very beginning: life is found in Him.
A loving Savior does not stay silent when people are heading toward destruction.
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus repeatedly speaks about judgment, eternity, and the consequences of rejecting God. These warnings are meant to awaken us to our need for salvation. Sadly, just as in the days when they were first spoken, these warnings are often ignored or softened. But we should never change the Word of God. Doing so does not make heaven more accessible—it does quite the opposite.
The very reason Jesus came into the world was to rescue us from the separation our sin creates. Humanity’s rebellion against God has always carried consequences, but God did not leave us to face those consequences alone.
Jesus took on human flesh, lived the life we could not live, and ultimately gave His life on the cross so that we would not have to experience eternal separation from God.
The same Savior who warned us about hell also made a way for us to be saved from it.
The warnings of Jesus are not meant to push us into fear, but to lead us toward the only place true life is found, eternity with Him.
Eternity is real, and Jesus is the only way to life with God. The same Savior who warned us about judgment also opened the door to salvation, offering forgiveness and eternal life to all who believe.
Photo credit: Jon Tyson/Unsplash
Vanessa Luu is a wife, mother, and faith-based writer. She speaks and writes to believers to encourage them to live authentically with God.
