How Not to Go to Hell

My cousin, Randy, was the first person to tell me about the Devil and going to Hell.

I was going on five years old when Randy and his brother Dennis had come over for a visit after Sunday School in the summer of 1959.

“If you don’t be good, you will go down there,” Randy said, pointing to the floor. “I mean way under there. The Devil lives down there and he will take you there to burn with fire if you are not good.”

I was terrified and afraid to walk on the floor. I kept looking down wondering if that Devil thing Randy was talking about was going to grab me and pull me down.”

There was no mention of Jesus, Heaven or Hell. Just a place “down there.” When they left, Dad wanted me to come outside with him but I was too afraid to walk out there and began crying.

Somehow my parents determined what was wrong and did what they could to help me understand, but it was all too complex for awhile.

Eventually, with the help of another cousin, Carolyn (who was about Randy’s age), Vacation Bible School, and my parents, I grew to understand what Randy was trying to convey.

So basically, the big question for me was how was I not going to this place called Hell.

So, along the way I learned that not going to hell is easier than what I thought.

🔹Some people believe they have to obey the Ten Commandments for their entire lives to not go to hell.

🔹Others believe they must observe certain rites and rituals in order to not go to hell.

🔹Some people believe there is no way we can know for sure whether or not we will go to hell.

Thankfully I learned that none of these views are correct. The Bible is our only trusted source and is very clear on how a person can avoid going to hell after death.

The Bible describes hell as a terrifying and horrible place.

Hell is described as “eternal fire” (Matthew 25:41), “unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12), “shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2), a place where “the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44-49), and “everlasting destruction” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). Revelation 20:10 describes hell as a “lake of burning sulfur” where the wicked are “tormented day and night forever and ever.” Obviously, hell is a place we should avoid.

Why does hell even exist, and why does God send some people there?

The Bible tells us that God “prepared” hell for the devil and the fallen angels after they rebelled against Him (Matthew 25:41). Those who refuse God’s offer of forgiveness will suffer the same eternal destiny of the devil and the fallen angels.

Why is hell necessary?

All sin is ultimately against God (Psalm 51:4), and since God is an infinite and eternal being, only an infinite and eternal penalty is sufficient. Hell is the place where God’s holy and righteous demands of justice are carried out. Hell is where God condemns sin and all those who reject Him. The Bible makes it clear that we have all sinned (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:10-23), so, as a result, we all deserve to go to hell.

So, how can we not go to hell?

Since only an infinite and eternal penalty is sufficient, an infinite and eternal price must be paid. God became a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ (John 1:1, 14). In Jesus Christ, God lived among us, taught us, and healed us—but those things were not His ultimate mission. God became a human being so that He could die for us. Jesus, God in human form, died on the cross. As God, His death was infinite and eternal in value, paying the full price for sin (1 John 2:2). God invites us to receive Jesus Christ as Savior, accepting His death as the full and just payment for our sins. God promises that anyone who believes in Jesus (John 3:16), trusting Him alone as the Savior (John 14:6), will be saved, i.e., not go to hell.

God does not want anyone to go to hell (2 Peter 3:9). That is why God made the ultimate, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice on our behalf. If you want to not go to hell, receive Jesus as your Savior. It is as simple as that.

Tell God that you recognize that you are a sinner and that you deserve to go to hell. Declare to God that you are trusting in Jesus Christ as your Savior. Thank God for providing for your salvation and deliverance from hell. Simple faith, trusting in Jesus Christ as the Savior, is how you can avoid going to hell!

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In God We Trust