This is why there is still good in this world; God is always good and everything that is good comes from him (James 1:17). Hell, is a place of complete separation from God our Father and all His goodness (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). Hell will be a place where there is no good, but torment and suffering; It is also a place where the presence of the Holy Spirit will no longer be. You can read more about it in Luke 16:19-31. Hell, is like a state prison with a life sentence, a place of torture and suffering forever and ever (Revelation 20:10). This verse paints a small picture of hell. It is noted: “They will be tormented day and night forever and ever”. The word “they” is a reference to nonbelievers, those who have rejected Jesus as their Lord and Savior. My heart is for people to understand the truth about what happens after we die. One thing we know that is guaranteed in this world is this: we all have an appointment with death! God’s Word is very clear on what happens after we die. Hell is a real place and we need to understand that’s where we are headed because of our sins. Let’s take a look on why do people go to a place called hell. We have to first start from the beginning, the creation of the first human (Adam). When God created the world, He also created the first human Adam which in Hebrew means mankind, humanity (Genesis 1:26). This verse shows that God was our Creator, and as our Father in heaven, He gave dominion over the earth to Adam (mankind) (Genesis 2:15). God placed man in the garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. So God’s Word is very clear that He made man and gave man responsibility to watch over the earth (Genesis 2:16-17). God’s first command to Adam was that he could eat of every tree in the garden except for one tree (the tree of knowledge of good and evil). Here, we see God (the Father) giving Adam (his children) an order on what he could do and also what he was not allowed to do. For those who have children, you understand how this works. You as the parent give the orders and the child has a choice to listen or suffer the consequences if he/she chooses to disobey. In verse 17 of the same chapter, God also gave Adam the consequences if he did not obey the command that He (The Father) gave Adam (Mankind): “You shall surely die”. So, if the man (Adam) did not obey God (Father), the consequence would be death not life in abundance. God made it very clear to Adam about what would happen if he disobeyed.

Our creator (God) made man to be free willed agents; he did not create us like robots but to be able to choose; Live freely. Here Adam had the opportunity to choose to do right (obey God’s command) or to do wrong (disobey God’s command) and do it his own way. God also tells Adam the punishment (death) for if he decided not to listen to Him. This shows that God is a good father to us, just like we as parents tell our kids the consequences to their actions before they do wrong. We give them a warning about what will or could happen if they don’t listen (this is love in true form). The tree of good and evil was the only temptation that Adam had in the garden, and God (the Father) warned him on how to not be tempted. He said, “do not eat from it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). God is always faithful to us by showing us the way to escape temptation (disobedience). Adam allowed temptation to overpower his mind and that caused him to fail to be obedient to God’s command. Temptation is one of the enemy’s favorite tools to use against humans. He (Satan) always tries to tempt us to doing things against God’s Word.

We know that God does not tempt us; temptation comes from our own desire to do wrong (James 1:13-14). The human nature always desires the sinful things in life. Why does our nature always desire to do what is wrong? Have you noticed how you always have to correct a child and teach them to do right. Why is that? Because we all are born with the nature to sin. Let’s look at this thing called sin a little deeper. Where did sin come from? Sin entered the world through the disobedience of Adam (Genesis 3:6-7). We will look in (Genesis 3:1-6) to learn how the woman (Eve) was deceived by the serpent. We will also find out how the man (Adam) directly disobeyed the Lord. This is why Adam not the woman brought sin into the world. The Lord gave Adam the command in (vs17) before he made Eve in (vs 18). Eve was deceived by eating the forbidden fruit provided by the serpent; but Adam rebelled against God, and disobeyed a direct order from the Creator by choosing to listen instead to the voice of the women. We want to make something clear here that this is no way an excuse to blame the woman for her action. Adam could have chosen to say to the women (Eve) “NO“, the Lord has commanded us not to eat of this tree; he could have chosen to obey the Lords command. Adam’s choice is revealed in verse 7. Immediately after they ate the forbidden fruit their eyes were open to (sin) and noticed that they were naked. This shows how sin has entered the world because before they ate the forbidden fruit, they were walking around naked but did not see anything wrong with it. Only after they ate the forbidden fruit, they were ashamed of themselves. How do we know they felt shame? they covered themselves up with fig leaves. From that moment, they saw themselves and everything around them different, that is to Look into the world and notice their (sin).

The feeling of shame always follows after we do wrong (Sin). Sin is now entered the world through one man’s disobedience (Adam). We as humans know that there are consequences to disobedience. When we break the law we ether pay a fine or we go to jail; if a child disobeys his/her parents, he/she goes to time out or gets a whooping. Well, here is where the first man (Adam) brought death into the world with his disobedience. Death was a huge consequence for mankind. In addition to this punishment, the ground was also cursed for Adam’s sake (Genesis 3:17). The ground means creation, because everything God has created was from the ground. Man was made from dust, and to dust he will return (vs19). This is why we get buried when we die; we go back into the ground just like the Lord has said to Adam. So we see through Scriptures how sin came into the world. How does this apply to us thousands of years later? Well, I think the Apostle Paul explains it best in (Romans 5:12) by one man (Adam) sin entered the world and the result of sin was death. He is referring to (Genesis 2:17) about what God has told Adam that Death is the cost of Sin. The key point here is sin spread to all men because we all sin! This is why it’s in our nature to do wrong (sin). We are born with a sinful nature because Adam disobeyed God’s command not to eat of the tree of knowledge; as a result humanity (Adam’s descendants) was also cursed to die. What is Sin? Sin is defined as an immoral Act and transgression against divine law (God’s Word). When you get a desire in your mind or when your eyes see something it desires, and you choose not to bring it to the obedience of God, then it becomes a sin (action) and sin brings death. Apostle Paul says in (Romans 3:23) we All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. All means all! you, me and the whole world! Again why do we sin? We sin because we are born through a curse and with a sinful nature. I really want you to understand that fact. (Isaiah 53:6) says that all of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have turned, everyone, to his own way. We all have personally rebelled against God our Creator and everyone is going his/her own way. If we stop and take a good look at each and every one of our lives, everyone lives his/her life the way he/she wants to, not even caring that we are rebelling against the one who Created us! The mentality of today’s culture is; you live the way you want to and I live the way I want to!” No! there is no your way or my way; there is only one way: the JESUS way! (John 14:6) Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. God’s way is the perfect way. God does not fail! We all have gotten so prideful thinking we know it all and our way is the best, but we are only deceiving ourselves. There is coming a time when God himself (Jesus Christ) is coming to judge this world for our sins (Acts 17:30-31). God has no favoritism. He will judge like a righteous judge each for his/her own sins. Just like God gave Adam the free will to choose to do good (obedience) or to do evil (rebellion), we have a personal choice to do good and listen to God’s Word or we just keep on living however we desire. But remember there are consequences for our actions (decisions). It’s like someone decides to go and rob a bank, then he/she gets arrested for the crime.

When that person stands in front of the judge, there will be consequences for his/her action: it’s called “Jail”. The judge will give him or her a sentence for the crime he/she has committed. When an individual is standing in front of the judge, it will not matter how he/she feels about it. He/she has to pay for his/her crime (disobedience). In a much bigger picture, when the true judge (Jesus Christ) comes, we will stand face to face before him, and he will give those who have rejected the gospel their punishment: “hell” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). Anyone who rejects the Gospel will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from his glory of his power. Yes, this mean complete separation from God for eternity (Hell). If you are asking what is the Gospel? I will talk about the Gospel in the next study The Good News. (Revelation 20:11-15) discusses the nonbeliever’s judgement. This is it, end of the line. On this day, it will not matter what we think, feel or if we say “we did not know”. It does not matter if you’re already dead or still breathing. This Judgement day is coming sooner then we think. Jesus will judge this world and whoever rebelled against him will receive his/her punishment. All of these things show why we are desperately in need of a Savior. We all have sinned and are on the path to hell, but thanks be to God that there is a way to escape this judgement we deserve. This is why Jesus came, because he loves you and me so much he has made a way for us not to receive what we deserve but to have what only HE can give us eternal life in paradise with him. In the next study, The Good News, we will teach you the truth on how to get to heaven (Paradise). Don’t let the enemy continue deceiving you; by keeping you from receiving your free-gift of eternal life in Paradise. He (Satan) does not want you to know the truth that will set you free! (John 8:31-32)

My prayer for you is that you would open your heart to Jesus today and allow him to show you the truth that will change not only your eternity but your life here on this earth! God is good, and he has made a way for us to be with Him forever.

Here are couple of helpful verses to read:

Mathew 25:31-46 (The final judgement)

John 5: 28-29 (The judgment of the dead)

Daniel 12 (The time of the end)

2 Peter chapter 2 (The danger of false teachers)

2 Peter chapter 3 (The day of the lord is coming)

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (Who will not inherit the kingdom of God)