Q1: If there is no hell, would you still believe in God?

 

Q1: If there is no hell, would you still believe in God?

After being hiatus for more than a month, I’m back again with another blog and this will be like a “series.” In this blog series, I am going to answer questions that I found on the Internet based on my personal experience as a Christian. You can also drop me some questions in the comments section if you have something to ask about me or my faith that you wanted to know. I’d be delighted to answer those.

 

One of the questions that really got to me is, “If there is no hell, would you still believe in God?”

 

This seems like a tough question to answer, but without hesitation, my answer is “Yes.”

 

Some people thought that Christians only believe in God because we’re scared to go to hell. When in reality… we have already been through hell.

 

The kind of past I had is hell for me. It’s a kind of place I never wanted to go back to. I am disgusted by the kind of life I chose to have in the past. All those wrong choices I made led me astray. I did things that are not beneficial for me. I did what pleases me. I followed my heart’s desires than following Jesus. I fell for a trap and I let this world badly affect my relationship with God.

 

The person I used to be made me go through hell. The hardest person I find hard to forgive is myself. I condemned myself for choosing the wrong path, for not seeking wisdom from God, for going in my own way, for abandoning Jesus’ teachings, and for getting lost. My old self did a lot of regretful things.

 

All those dark and messy places I have been in is hell for me. And once you’ve escaped hell, you would never wanted to go back there. It’s more than just a “gnashing of teeth,” “fire that burns to your skin,” and “screams of people,” like what were described in the Bible. We can create our own hell through the bad decisions we’re making. I have brought hell in my life because of the sins I committed.

 

We all know that the consequence of sin is death, but here’s the good news: we don’t need to face that consequence because Someone else already did. His Name is Jesus.

 

He died on the cross in our behalf, paying the penalty of our sins, so that we can be saved. All those sins, guilts, mistakes, and my dark past -- Jesus took it all on the cross and saved me from that hell. In the darkest moment of life, He revealed to me His marvelous light. When Jesus died on the cross, my sinful self died with Him. When Jesus resurrected, I joined Him in His resurrection and became a new person, now cleansed and purified by His blood. My guilt, shame, mistakes, and sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus.

 

In my past where I got lost and went astray, God never stopped pursuing me. He never stopped calling me back into His presence. When I was so into sin, God called me by name and said I am His. He didn’t only save me from hell, He saved me from the wrong decisions I made. I can never undo what I did, but the good news is, I can escape it. I left that life and ran away with Jesus.

 

And, during those moments I am condemning myself? Jesus never did. He didn’t forsake me for committing those sins. He still chose to have a relationship with me. He came to me and rescued me. He gave me hope for a new life. He reminded me that He died on that cross 2,000 years ago for the “sinful” me, not for the “perfect” me, so I can come to Him boldly and allow Him to cleanse me. So that I could be made holy and righteous in the eyes of God.

"While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8-9

 

While I can’t forgive myself, Jesus already did. God knew I would sin, even before I was born. Being an all-knowing God, He already prepared a solution to atone for our sins – His Son, Jesus Christ. He came on Earth, as a human, to save us from sins through His death. When the devil claimed our soul because of our sins, Jesus brought us back with His powerful blood. All sins, past, present, and future have been paid for. That's how powerful Jesus' blood is!

 

In the afterlife, there are only two places we are going to go to for eternity: Hell or Heaven?

 

God gave us a freedom to choose because entering Heaven must come with a choice by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. No one can come to the Father except through Jesus (John 14:6). Sin separated us from God and Jesus became the Way, the bridge that closed the gap between us and God. He is the Truth, Who defeated all the lies from the enemy. He is the Life, Who saved us from death.

Our home is Heaven, it has always been. We are supposed to join our Creator in His Kingdom. As children of God, we must not be separated from our Father. We are only temporary citizens of this Earth. 

 

Now, if there is no hell, would I still believe in God?

 

Yes. His existence goes beyond that. I believe in God, not because I wanted to enter Heaven, but because I wanted to be with Jesus Christ for eternity. I believe in God because of Who He is in my life, He is my Father, He is my Saviour, my Provider, my Promise-Keeper, He is faithful, He is full of grace and mercy, He loves me unconditionally, He saved me from the bad decisions I made, He is good, He is great, and His presence is always here with me through His Holy Spirit. He guides every decision I make, He gives me wisdom, He establishes my steps, He cares for me, He is with me wherever I go, He works all things together for my good, and the list can go on and on.

 

But, whether hell exists or not, I still believe in God, because I don’t want an eternal separation from the One Who created me, saved me, loved me unconditionally, and made me into being. I don’t want an eternal separation from the One Who died for me, so I could live.

Being eternally separated from God is worst than hell. 

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Prayer: God, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, here in Earth to save us from our sins. Thank You that our salvation is not based on what we’ve done, but only through the powerful blood of Jesus Christ. Thank You for Your unending grace and mercy. Help me to receive this free gift of salvation and commit my life in believing in You and following Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You that through Jesus, we can never be separated from You. Amen.

 

Worship song to listen to: Mercy – Elevation Worship & Maverick City