Q&A: If we are saved, what are we saved from?

The Reality of Hell!

By Dr. Richard J. Krejcir

 

Have you ever wondered what we are being saved from?

 

Hell is not a pleasant, happy subject, but, nonetheless, it is extremely important for those whose call it is to help save the lost. (By the way, all Christians have this call!) We are saved, by Christ, from God’s wrath and an eternity in Hell! But, what is Hell? “Hell” is a name that evokes both fear and contempt. It evokes fear from those who consider it the most heinous place conceivable and where they do not want to go. It raises contempt from those who consider it a figment of someone’s distorted imagination, while others will argue that it was invented as a concept to keep people with a weak mindset in line. Some will trivialize it; others will joke about it; many will take it so lightly that they never consider its authenticity, or perhaps go so far as to seek to de-claw its power.

 

Some pastors will never preach on it either to soften the Gospel to make it more palatable, or they just do not fully believe it themselves, asking, how can a loving God send someone to Hell? Whatever your view of Hell may be, there is no theological concept that has wreaked such terror and fear at its core. There are no Biblical precepts that cause people to cower or to wake up from their sins and see the reality of our Lord’s coming more than this one. Yet, the same concept will build resentment in others, and harden their contemptuous hearts toward God. Or, it may be to some just an academic idea to postulate and then ridicule.

 

Perhaps, people think of these words:

 

Through me the way into the suffering city; through me the way to the eternal pain; through me the way that runs among the lost. Justice urged on my high artificer. My maker was divine authority, the highest wisdom, and the primal love. Before me nothing but eternal things were made, and I endure eternally. Abandon every hope, ye who enter here.

 

These words come from the writings of the philosopher, Dante, in his Inferno (1265-1321). Dante describes all of the wickedness and circles of torment and suffering, and is our source for the imagery of red devils and pitchforks in a fiery furnace.

 

Perhaps, Hell is just a swear word we say when we stub our toe or lose a job. Perhaps, it is just a statement we cite to describe a bad experience, such as, “this was hell for me,” or, “war is hell.” Hell has also been a descriptive term to explain the worst conceivable experience or situation a human may face here on earth, such as a war, a divorce, a loss, or just a bad day. But, is it real?

 

Is there really a Hell?

The question that comes up in academic and church circles is, is there a Hell? The bad news is, yes; there is a Hell and there will be a Judgment! But, with the bad news, there is good news, too. The good news is that those in Christ will be saved from it! What are we saved from? The answer, surprisingly, is not our evil and sin; rather it is God’s wrath. Our evil provokes God, but it is His righteousness, holiness, and justice that will demand our punishment (Isa. 2:11-12; 13:6-13; Ezek. 30:2-3; Joel 1:15; 2:1-2; 31; 3:14; Amos 5:18-21; Obadiah 15; Zeph. 1:7; 1:14-2:2). Make no mistake; Hell is real, and it is coming. It is not a figment of an oppressive regime’s imagination to keep people in line or a tactic to scare children at night. It is not just a swear word or a term used to trivialize or describe something bad. The Bible is clear; there is a Hell. It is a real place, a place you do not want to be. The question you need to ask yourself is, are you saved from it? If not, you have the biggest problem a person could ever face!