Did Jesus ever say anything about hell? I don't believe in hell myself. I believe God is a God of love and wouldn't send anyone to hell. I think preachers who talk about hell all the time are just trying to scare people into believing in their religion. — N.H.K.

Yes, Jesus did talk about the reality of hell -- in fact, He talked about it more than any other person in the Bible. He warned, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28).

Did He say this simply to scare us? The reality of hell should frighten us, because not one word in the Bible about hell would ever make you want to go there -- not if you take it seriously. The Bible speaks of hell as a place of absolute loneliness and despair and hopelessness. It calls it a place of "darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 22:13).

But Jesus didn't talk about hell just to scare us. He talked about it instead because He wanted us to know that God has provided a way of escape! Listen: God doesn't want you to be separated from Him forever. He loves you, and He wants you to spend eternity with Him in heaven. Unlike hell, heaven is a place of joy and peace and freedom from all the fears and pains of this world. Who wouldn't want to go there?

Don't gamble with your soul, and don't turn your back on Jesus. Instead, by faith turn to Christ and commit your life to Him. He alone gives us hope -- hope for today, and hope for eternity.