Do You Think I am Going to Hell?

"DO YOU THINK I AM GOING TO HELL?"
(by Heath Rogers)

I remember a scene from a funny movie in which a sleepy man was driving at night. He fell asleep at the wheel, veered onto an exit ramp, and was driving into oncoming traffic. He came to when the driver of another car, traveling in the correct lane, honked his horn and hollered across to him, "You are going the wrong way!" The sleepy driver's response was, "How do you know where I am going?!" 

The man driving in the correct lane was concerned because he knew that the wayward car was traveling into danger. He saw the facts, made a judgment, and intervened as best he could to save someone's life. Not sensing the danger, the other driver dismissed his warning and continued driving the wrong way.

Sometimes, when one is feeling challenged about his religious beliefs, he will ask, "Do you think I am going to Hell?" Like the sleepy driver in the movie, he is offended to learn that someone has "judged" him and determined that he is lacking. One's faith is a very personal matter. For some people, suggesting that their faith is insufficient is crossing a line. They may counter by asking the accusing question: "Do you think I am going to Hell?" 

I would respond to this question by directing the individual to the Bible. First, the Bible teaches that man will spend eternity in one of two possible places: Heaven or Hell. If one is not going to Heaven, that only leaves one other option. Second, the Bible tells us who will go to each place. The saved will go to Heaven, while the lost will go to Hell. Third, the Bible tells us what we have to do to be saved. If one dies without having done what the Bible says he must do in order to be saved, what logical conclusion are we to come to? 

One might say, "Isn't this between God and the individual?" In a way, "Yes," but in another way, "No." Those who are saved are given the responsibility to take the gospel to the lost. This cannot be done without making a judgment and determining who is lost. 

Jesus recognized the fact that certain individuals were lost and were "going to Hell." At the home of Zacchaeus, Jesus said, "Today salvation has come to this house… for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:9-10). Jesus commissioned His apostles to take the gospel to those who were lost and destined for Hell (Mark 16:15-16). His apostles shared this conviction. In Acts 2:40, Peter exhorted his listeners to "be saved from this perverse generation." Did Peter think they were going to Hell? Yes, he did. The apostle Paul wrote, "Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God" (2 Cor. 5:20). 

Regardless of what you or I think, the Bible teaches that unless one submits to the will of God he is lost and destined for Hell. If I did not love you, I would not be concerned about your soul. If you have sincerely obeyed the gospel, then I can have hope for the eternal state of your soul. If you have not obeyed the gospel, or have since become unfaithful to the Lord, then I can not have hope for you. 

Do I think you are going to Hell? If you have not obeyed the gospel, or are not a faithful Christian, I know that "you are going the wrong way!" However, I also know that you can "turn around" and do what is right. I plead with you to consider the state of your eternal soul and, if need be, obey the gospel. Please let us know if we can help you with this important decision.