The Lord led me to preach this message in a dream, and I woke up knowing He wanted me to remind people of what He has saved us from. We celebrate what God does in our earthly lives, but we often forget the eternal realities that sit behind that rescue. So today we are talking about the reality of hell and the reality of heaven.
Jesus teaches in Matthew 7:13–14 (NLT),
“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”
Jesus also said it is harder for a rich man to enter heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Historically, camels had to be unloaded to squeeze through a short gate, meaning everything weighing them down had to come off. In the same way, Jesus is telling us that nothing of our old life fits through the narrow gate of salvation.
We come through bare. Disappointments, discouragements, and the things we cling to simply do not fit. Christ asks us to lay everything down so He can make us new.
Some of us struggle to let things go. I personally love to throw things away, sometimes a little too eagerly. Early in our marriage, Beth had a box of wedding cards she had saved, and in my mind we had already read them, so I tossed them in the trash. That did not go well, and I learned a hard lesson that day.
Jesus calls us to lay things down for a reason. Most of what we hold onto is not treasure but just junk keeping us from walking freely with Him.
The narrow road is described as difficult, yet Jesus also says His yoke is easy. The word difficult in the original language means “to press, like grapes.” It describes a compressing pathway that presses out what does not belong. The narrow way removes everything unnecessary so only what is good remains.
Jesus talked about hell far more than many realize, and He did so because we need to understand what He rescued us from. Matthew 8:12 (NLT) says,
“But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Outer darkness means total absence of light or goodness. Weeping in the original language describes passionate, unending grief, and gnashing of teeth describes extreme anguish and despair.
Matthew 13:49–50 (NLT) adds,
“That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous, throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Hell is described as eternal burning. There is no healing, no comfort and no relief.
Luke 13:28–29 (NLT) says people in hell will be able to see into heaven:
“There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out.”
Imagine seeing the beauty of heaven but being unable to enter.
Luke 16:19–31 gives one of the clearest pictures of hell. Jesus says in verses 23–24 (NLT),
“The rich man also died and was buried, and he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames!’”
Abraham explains that a great chasm separates heaven and hell. The rich man then begs Abraham to warn his family, but Abraham responds in verse 31 (NLT),
“If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.”
It is the Word of God, not miracles, that brings salvation.
Second Thessalonians 1:7–9 (NLT) describes the final judgment:
“He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power.”
Eternal destruction means feeling like death forever with no end in sight. Revelation also describes people longing for death but unable to escape the agony. Hell is eternal separation from God, even though those in hell remain aware of heaven.
Heaven is the opposite of hell in every way. Scripture says there is no darkness and not even a shadow. There is no death, pain, sorrow or tears. There are joyful gatherings, feasts and celebrations that will never end.
We will experience perfect peace and perfect rest. We will see Jesus face to face and experience a closeness we have never known on earth. Heaven is filled with beauty, music, worship and awe.
Revelation describes streets of gold, crystal clear water and precious gems everywhere. There is no fear, no anxiety and no exhaustion. Everything is whole.
We will have glorified bodies that never grow tired or sick. Jesus passed through walls in His resurrected body, and Scripture suggests we will be able to move freely between realms. Heaven is filled with purposeful, joyful activity in perfect unity.
It is not an idle eternity. It is an active, fulfilling one. And there is no time limit, no schedule and no running out of days.
Jesus says in Luke 13:5 (NLT),
“I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”
Repentance is the first step. It is a turning away from the old life and a turning toward God. You cannot step into salvation without deciding your old life is not worth keeping.
Repentance requires humility. It sounds like, “I was wrong. God is right.” That moment of humility opens the door to salvation.
John 6:29 (NLT) reveals the next step:
“Jesus told them, ‘This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.’”
Repentance is not a work. It is a choice. Believing is the work of trusting Jesus. Trust takes effort, but it leads to deep rest. Jesus’ blood paid the full price for sin, and salvation is received through wholehearted belief in Him.
Jesus explains in John 15:1–8 (NLT) that salvation is not a one-time event but an ongoing abiding. He says in verse 5,
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”
God prunes us, strengthens us and helps us grow. He patiently teaches us to bear fruit, and He brings people into our lives to help us walk this out.
Fruit is not required to be saved. It is the result of salvation. A fire does not require smoke, but fire always produces smoke. Likewise, genuine belief always produces fruit.
If there is no fruit at all, something is missing. That moment calls for humility, not pride. Salvation is not just a prayer. It is genuine faith that compels us to lay down our lives and follow Jesus.
Repentance, belief and abiding form the simple pattern of salvation. The hardest part is choosing to give Jesus everything. Once you choose, He does the work in you. Philippians teaches that He works in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
The Holy Spirit produces the fruit. Our part is choosing Jesus each day.
Hebrews 6:4–6 (NLT) gives a sobering warning:
“For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened... who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit... and who then turn away from God.”
This is describing someone mature who fully walked in the truth and knowingly rejected it. It is not describing baby Christians who are still learning. If you are in church today and seeking God, this verse is not about you.
Salvation is simple. It is choosing Jesus today. It is remembering what He saved you from and choosing to walk with Him. Share this message with others. You are rescuing people not just from an empty life on earth but from eternal anguish.
God sets before us life and death. Choose life. And remember, the Lord is patient and kind. His voice never condemns. He always leads you higher in love.
