Introduction: Americans in the 21st century find it difficult to believe in Hell. In US News and World Report (March 25, 1991) a recent article records the opinions of our generation (see the article). Generally speaking, "Hell" has become a word of profanity to express strong emotion. Many religions have mythologies of Hell, but we must turn to the Bible to discover the truth. What does the Bible teach about Hell?

I. HELL IS A REAL PLACE.

The Bible definitely teaches the reality of Hell. It exists, and is not just something from myth and legend. The Bible uses four Hebrew and Greek words to refer to Hell: Sheol, Hades, Gehenna and Tartarus. Sheol and Hades are sometimes used to refer simply to the state of death, but they usually refer to the place of damnation. Gehenna and Tartarus are always used to describe Hell as the place of fiery punishment. The Bible mentions Hell over 80 times, and Jesus Himself had more to say about Hell than any other prophet in the Bible.

II. LUKE 16 TEACHES US FOUR FACTS ABOUT HELL.

Note: It makes no difference if this story is about real people, or is a parable. Either way we can count on Jesus to tell the truth. Even if this story is a parable, it will not teach us things about Hell that are wrong or misleading. Jesus does not lie, Jesus will not fool anyone about Hell. So, what can we learn about Hell from this chapter?

1. Hell is necessary for the sake of justice. The rich man (often called Dives, which means "rich" in Latin) lived a life of luxury and pleasure, yet he did not care for God, and he acted sinfully toward the poor and needy. It was unjust for him to live such a pleasant life, and for the godly beggar to live such a hard life. In Psalm 73:2-9, 12, David expresses puzzlement at the prosperity of the wicked. Then he starts thinking God's thoughts in verses 16, 17. There is an important lesson for us: we may not see justice in this life but no one can escape the justice of God. God will not allow the wicked to get away with his sins forever. Take Hitler for example. He lived a pleasant life of power and wealth, and had a quick death. He did all sorts of evil to millions of people. Did he get away with it? No, he is finding out right now that he did not get away with it. He is suffering in Hell for his sins. God tells us to take comfort in His vengeance (Romans 12:17-19). Conversely, if you find yourself in the position of the beggar, don't get discouraged. There is coming a day in which God will reward you for your faith.

2. When people die, they either go straight to Heaven, or straight to Hell. There is no Purgatory, or soul-sleep. Lazarus found himself in Abraham's Bosom (Heaven), and the rich man found himself in Hell. Again, even if this is a parable, which we don't know for sure, we can count on Jesus to tell us the truth. He is not going to mislead about this.

3. Hell is a place where the degree of suffering is fair. Notice:

a. The flames are there. Rev. 20:15 says that the wicked will end up in
a lake of fire....but,

b. The flames are not as painful there as they are here. Think! If you
were standing in a flaming fire, you would not be asking for a drink of
water. You would want out of that excruciating pain! Yet the rich man
simply asked for a drop of water to cool his tongue.

c. The Bible tells us that God is just and fair in all He does. Therefore
we would expect justice and fairness in levels of punishment in Hell, and
Jesus taught that here, and in other places (for example Luke 12:47-48 and
Matthew 11:23-24 and Revelation 20:11-13). Judgment will vary according
to knowledge and works.

d. Sometimes unbelievers accuse God of being unfair, to send anyone to
Hell. But consider the righteousness of God and the sinfulness of man.
Who are we to accuse God of unfairness?

4. Hell is a place where sinners continue to be sinners. From a human viewpoint,
one would think that the people in Hell, seeing where they now are, would repent.
But look at this rich man in Luke 16. Is he repenting? What is he doing?

a. He is calling out to Abraham instead of to God. No repentance.
b. He is trying to get Abraham and Lazarus to wait on him.
c. He is trying to get Lazarus out of Heaven and into Hell.
d. He implies that God needs to do more, to assure that his brothers
won't go to Hell. In other words, it will be God's fault, not theirs,
if they end up in Hell. He is critical of God, not repentant.

Jesus said as much in Revelation 21:11-15.

CONCLUSION: There is much more that could be said about Hell, and many other Bible verses we could study, but remember these points: 1. Hell is real, not a legend. 2. Hell is necessary in order that justice be done that didn't get done in this life. 3. Lost people go there immediately upon dieing: no limbo, no purgatory, no sleeping in the grave. 4. The sufferings in Hell vary from person to person, and are fair, based on knowledge and works. 5. Hell is a place where no one ever repents, and thus it must last forever.

FINAL CONCLUSION: Have you had your sins forgiven? Have you made your peace with God? Are you ready to repent and ask forgiveness and believe in Jesus as your Savior? I encourage you to do it now, if you never have before (John 3:16). As we pray together, tell God your sorry for your sins, and ask forgiveness for Jesus' sake. (Pray)