We seem indifferent to the death of strangers, and to a degree, even to those we may know. It’s one thing if that person is a believer, in which case we should celebrate. I’m more concerned with those who die without Christ. Do you care that every time one of them dies that they will spend eternity in a very real Hell (Revelation 20:15)? Do you feel the weight of this when they die?
If you are like me, it’s easy to become numbed to the deaths of so many. But this should never be the case. Our mission is to go into the harvest and warn as many as we can about the coming judgment and their eternal fate (Matthew 28:19–20; Matthew 9:37-38).
Maybe you don’t believe in Hell. Few churches preach about Hell anymore, so casual followers of Christ will not often receive any instruction about it. Many struggle to believe a loving God could send anyone to a place as awful as Hell. Even a cursory reading of the New Testament will show how misguided and even heretical this thinking is. Make no mistake, there is a real Hell (Matthew 10:28) and it is the unquestionable destination of those who reject Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:5–9). A holy God would not be holy if there was no consequence to assaulting His holiness. A just God would not be just if He did not punish those who break His laws.
Perhaps you believe in Hell but lack a right understanding of that horrific place. The Bible describes Hell as a pit of everlasting darkness (Jude 1:12-13). I remember the first night I ever spent in the country, far away from streetlights or surrounding houses. I got up in the middle of the night, and it was so dark I could not see my hand. That’s not an exaggeration. It was a bizarre and unsettling experience. My guess is that’s a hint of the type of darkness to be found in Hell. Can you imagine spending eternity without light? Eternity is a very long time. It doesn’t end, which means those there will never see light again. Do you care?
At the same time, Hell is described as a place of eternal fire (Mark 9:47–48). Imagine an intense fire that you couldn’t see because of the darkness. We don’t understand how this is possible, but the Bible says this will be the case. If you have ever suffered a burn, you know how excruciating the pain is. Not only will those in Hell never see light again, they will also never be without pain again. Hell is a horrible place to contemplate. It’s why it’s not something anyone likes to talk about. But this is the destination of every person who dies without Jesus. Every death, no matter how wicked the individual, should break our heart. Hell is not a place to wish on your worst enemy.
We are not serious enough about our mission. When was the last time you warned someone about their eternal destiny? I’m not advocating you approach people and tell them they are going to Hell. We’ve got to use a little more tact! But it should always be at the forefront of our minds when we are engaging with people who don’t know Christ. They could die after talking with you, so you may be their last hope. We must warn them. We must go out into the harvest and do everything we can to make the truth known (Romans 10:14). There are over 7 billion people on this planet, and most are going to Hell. Do you care?