I remember an old seminary professor I once knew who told his students something like this: “Don’t ever preach about hell without tears in your eyes.” His meaning was clear: If we truly believe in hell, our hearts will be broken and filled with love for those who deliberately choose to go there.

Would it surprise you to learn that the person in the Bible who talked the most about God’s love was also the one who talked the most about hell? That person was Jesus–and repeatedly He warned His listeners about the reality of hell. He called it a place of “outer darkness (where) there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12, KJV). He pictured hell as a place of absolute loneliness and despair, whose inhabitants are separated from God’s blessings forever.

Never forget: God is holy and just–and because He is, evil must be judged. Can you honestly believe God will simply ignore the evils of a Hitler or a Stalin, and say it doesn’t matter that they killed millions? Can you honestly believe that those who hate God and persecute His people won’t be held accountable?

Hell is real, because God’s justice is real. But listen: God does not want us to go there! He loves us, and He sent His Son into the world to die for us and open heaven’s door for us. Open your life to Him, and by faith trust Him as your Lord and Savior.