Can an Actionless Faith Save You? There are some people who try to earn their way into heaven. They do good and obey God’s commands—at least most of them anyway. They work hard their entire life to get God’s attention. Surely when their time comes, God will throw open the doors to heaven. With a […]
Tag: hell
What is the Second Death?
The curious phrase the “second death” only occurs in John’s prophetic vision as recorded in the book of Revelation, with just four verses that mention it. But what is the second death? None of these, however, explains what the second death is. What we can learn is that it’s something that can occur after physical […]
Reviewed by Peter DeHaan Escape from Hell is an evangelistic drama in which a skeptical doctor is determined to disprove the existence of the afterlife. Driven to desperation through a series of events, the intellectual healer plans to conduct a test: self-inducing a near-death experience, complete with a plan that trusted colleagues will arrive in […]
Many years ago I read C. S. Lewis’s book The Great Divorce. It’s an allegory about heaven and hell, the connection between the two, and the perspective of their residents. The imagery intrigued me, providing much to contemplate, yet I was mostly confused. Yesterday, I attended a theatrical production of The Great Divorce. Being able […]
What is Eternal Death?
Since eternal life is the result of following Jesus, what’s the alternative? Might “eternal death” be the opposite? If eternal life starts immediately when we begin our journey with Jesus, does eternal death start as soon as someone rejects him? If eternal life results in heaven, don’t eternal death result in hell? Some opine that […]
Life’s Not Fair
What Are You Going to do About It? How often have you heard someone exclaim, “It’s not fair!”? This lament seems especially prevalent among children and teens. When this complaint is voiced to their parents, the typical response—be it sage or sadistic—is “Life’s not fair.” It’s true; life’s not fair—and I, for one, am glad. […]