Burger King's motto is, "Have it your way!" Little do they know that their catchy slogan provides the best explanation for why people deserve to go to hell. The Jewish religious leaders, also known as Pharisees and Sadducees, were always trying to catch Jesus in a mistake. They confronted Him in Matthew 22 with the question, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" (22:36, NKJV) The Bible book of Leviticus contains over 400 laws! Furthermore, the religious leaders had added hundreds of extra rules to their faith practice that basically made obedience to God impossible. Their question was asked in order to trap Jesus. Whatever answer He gave, they thought, would be wrong because all the laws were important for their religion. Jesus turned the question into a teaching opportunity about eternity and replied, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" (22:37-40, NKJV).
Jesus was trying to show the religious leaders that religion does not get a person anywhere with God. He pointed out that loving God and loving other people were the two focuses of a person's life. Once we understand this Truth, then we can understand why people deserve hell. We do not love God all the time without fail. Furthermore, we do not love everyone we meet all the time. God has to teach us how to love, and we have to practice and practice loving Him and loving people that we do not naturally like. Does our culture not teach us that we can reject people that are not like us? Look: You can avoid a person you do not like. That action does not prove anything except that you are just like everyone else. But God, the Creator of the Universe and the Savior of mankind calls us to so much more than simply selecting whom we want for friends. Jesus taught that most people will not find the way to heaven because most people prefer an independent life from God's rules. He taught His followers to, "enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 6:13-14, NKJV).
Originally, when the question is asked, "Why do people deserve to go to hell?" it is asked with the perspective that people are innocent and unworthy of such a harsh punishment. However, the Bible helps to shape our perspective of people so that we can see sin as it is: an all-encompassing, self-made prison that we cannot see, but in which we gladly stay so that we can do and say whatever we want in this life apart from accountability to God and the Christian community.
Let me conclude with this challenge: Take a good look at your prison and the person you are. Evaluate your priorities and values and see if what you spend your time thinking about is really that important. Do the words that come out of your mouth throughout the day reflect a good, decent heart or a corrupt heart that needs Jesus every day? What about your thoughts? If a reality TV show could hook you up to a lie detector and asked you specific questions about what you have allowed yourself to think and fantasize about, would you want the Truth about you on public television? God wants our hearts and our loyalty. He wants us to listen to Him and spend time with Him in His word and with His people. Stir up the gift of God, your salvation, that lives inside of you and let God shape you to become the best of yourself, the person He planned for you to be.
For questions, comments, or prayer requests, please send an e-mail to wfbcyouth@gmail.com.
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