What is hell like?

One of the most common questions people ask about the Christian faith has to do with hell. Is it real? What is it? Does it matter today?

Hell is a real place, mentioned 23 times in the New Testament, 15 times by Jesus himself. The Bible calls it a place of "torment" (Luke 16:23), "fire" (v. 24) and "darkness." Worst of all, hell is permanent separation from God (Luke16:26; Matthew 7:23; Luke 16:26; Revelation 20:14).

Dr. Charles Garfield has done extensive research with those who died and were brought back to life medically. His results: "Almost as many of the dying patients interviewed reported negative visions (demons and so forth), as reported blissful experiences." Dr. Maurice Rawlings tells about a patient who died three times. At his first death he saw things so horrible that he experienced a religious conversion. His second death produced a wonderful experience. At his third and final death, he was the one reassuring his doctor.

God doesn't choose hell for us (2 Peter 3:9), but we can choose it for ourselves. Don't make that mistake. For more on hell, I invite you to godissues.com today.