I Believe - My Faith (Day 4)

4.  I believe in a literal Hell and a literal Heaven.

God has very clearly set this truth out in His word. When Moses was called to the top of Mount Sinai by God, the Lord told Moses, "Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven." (Exodus 20:22)  This heaven is set apart from Earth, as the two are spoken of as separate places in numerous verses, such as Matthew 24:35.  (Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass.)  Likewise, Jesus warned, "But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear:  Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell..." (Luke 12:5)

At the appointed time, we will all face judgment.  For those who chose to accept God's gift of salvation, we will be taken to Heaven to glorify God for eternity.  For those who chose to deny God's sovereignty and their need of His redemption, a very different end awaits.  I believe that these souls will spend an eternity suffering in anguish, pain, and torment, as it is prophesied in The Revelation that "...whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:15)  Conversely, I believe that those of us who have accepted God's grace and justification will be taken to that "new Jerusalem" to dwell with God forever.