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Have you been guilty of telling others to go to Hell?
The very phrase for many Christians sends a bolt of indignation through our gut. We don’t like hearing people tell one another to “Go to Hell”, because it is a defaming and derogatory statement of derision.
Most believers wouldn’t even consider using that phrase. Yet, I fear that we have so focused on the phrase as “bad language’” that we have forgotten that we may be saying the same thing to people with much more serious consequences.
When we treat those outside of a relationship with Christ with ridicule and derision, we in essence are telling them to “go to Hell.” When we fail to demonstrate Christ’s love toward those who are struggling in sin, we are telling them to “go to Hell.” When we fail to exhibit God’s grace to those who are seeking salvation, we repeat the refrain “go to Hell.”
Our actions toward the lost, whether they be family, friend or enemy, have very real consequences. These consequences are much more significant than someone having hurt feelings because someone told them to go to H-E- double hockey sticks. The consequences of rejecting lost people, failing to show grace, and judging rather than showing grace to lost people is a sure way to being accomplices with sending them on their way to Hell. Sometimes in our own spiritual arrogance, we are actually pushing them to Hell because we are pushing them away from Jesus.
This is not to deny that those who are outside of Christ are going to hell. What the problem is is that many Christians, who are called to be God’s ambassadors of grace to a lost and dying world, are perfectly content with lost people being consigned to Hell. While we may not be throwing them in, we may be fanning the flame.
How do you get these lost souls off the highway to Hell? You treat them with the same level of respect that Jesus did. You build friendship with lost people. You pray for their salvation. You engage them in conversations through which you can tell them about Jesus. In short you treat lost people, not as if they deserve Hell, but as people who deserve the grace of Christ, the same grace shown to you.
Let’s not be content letting them go to Hell. Let’s do everything that we can in order to change their condition and destiny.
— Pastor Steve
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