How To Qualify For Hell
by Rita Langeland
© 2003 Hidden With Christ Ministries
In the early 1920’s Vice President Calvin Coolidge was presiding over the United States Senate. Observing a heated debate between senators, he heard one Senator angrily tell another to go "straight to hell". The insulted Senator complained to the Vice President as presiding officer, and Coolidge looked up from the book he had been leafing through while listening to the debate. "I've been looking through the rule book," he said, "and you don't have to go."
No one “has to go” to Hell, but sadly many will. Who is it that “qualifies” for an eternity in Hell? The Bible clearly spells out who will find themselves in Hell after they die. Psalm 9:17 reveals two types of people that will end up in Hell:
The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the nations that forget God.
The first type of person mentioned here is the "wicked". The word wicked in that verse means the “ungodly or morally wrong”. Most people would agree that a wicked person deserves to go to Hell. Even people who are not sure if Hell exists or not, would agree that if there was a Hell, the wicked should end up there. But the second group of people mentioned in Psalm 9:17 may not seem so obvious. This second group consists of people and nations that “forget God”. Today we see many people who simply leave God out of their thoughts, their plans, their marriages and families, their careers and their very lives. They might not be actively pursuing wicked activities and may even adhere to and observe some moral code and encourage others to do likewise. Yet in their daily lives they simply “forget God”. The word “forget” in Psalm 9:17 is translated from a Hebrew word that means “oblivious”. Those who “forget God” or live their lives oblivious to God will be turned into Hell at the end of their lives. This is a serious matter because many people in the earth today are relying upon having lived a good, moral life to insure they will not end up in Hell. This is one of Satan’s favorite deceptions because it snares so many people by lulling them into a false sense of security.
Another surprising group of people that end up in Hell and influence others to go in the same direction can be characterized as “religious people”. Jesus spoke to the religious leaders of the day when He walked on the earth. He made it very clear that all their religious activity did not earn them a place in heaven. Yet many people today pursue outwardly religious activities thinking that by doing so they will gain favor with God and a place in heaven. This is another subtle deception used by Satan to snare people into a false security about their final destination. Read the following words of Jesus found in the Gospel of Matthew.
But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive the greater condemnation. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Matthew 23:13-15,27-28 NKJV)
This passage of scripture points out that God does not look at the outward religious actions of a person to determine whether they go to Heaven or Hell. If He did, Jesus would have commended the scribes and Pharisees for all their religious activity. They spent long periods in prayer and they zealously recruited new converts. They paid tithes and they built great monuments to the saints who had gone before them. But Jesus told them they only looked good on the outside, while inside they were full of death. 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us: for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart. There are many religious groups and churches that have led people into a lifestyle of religious works and have caused people to trust in those things for their salvation. This is a great deception because religion does not get a person to heaven. On the contrary, Hell will be filled with many religious people who will be shocked to find themselves there.
Another group of people who may be surprised to find themselves in Hell will be those who have refused to extend forgiveness to those who have sinned against them. When Peter asked Jesus how many times he had to forgive his brother when he sinned against him, Jesus answered with a number that implied infinity, and then proceeded to tell a story that painted a picture of God’s attitude about forgiveness. He offers it freely to the worst of sinners, and requires that we, who have been forgiven, do the same.
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
(Matthew 18:21-35 KJV)
This last verse clearly states God’s requirement upon every person to forgive those who have sinned against him or forfeit God’s forgiveness and mercy. The Apostle James reiterated this principle, when he wrote, “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy.” (James 2:13 NKJV) The parable of the unforgiving servant applies to those who are believers in God. Note that the man in the parable was a servant of the king. Yet his lack of willingness to extend the same forgiveness to his fellow servant which he had so generously received from the king, resulted in his being cast into prison and torment by the king.
There are many servants of the King of Kings today who are in serious danger of Hell because of a refusal to obey God’s Word on forgiveness. No Christian can afford to overlook, reason away or ignore these words of Jesus. The unforgiving will forfeit God’s forgiveness, and without it, they will go into Hell upon their death. Make a decision of your will to forgive every person who has hurt, betrayed, abused, cheated or in any way offended you. Tell the Lord that you choose to release those persons from their sins against you and ask God to forgive you for harboring a spirit of unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment against them in your heart.
Another type of person who will find himself in Hell is the fool. The Bible defines a fool in Psalm 14:1: A fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” The person who does not believe that God exists is called an atheist. However the Bible calls that person “a fool” and fools will find themselves in Hell upon their death.
To inherit Heaven and avoid Hell, you must commit your life to God, accept that you are a sinner who needs a Savior, and believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for your sins and rose again on the third day to set you free from the law of sin and death. Pray this prayer to commit your life to the Lord and you will be born-again:
Dear Lord, I confess that I am a sinner and I ask your forgiveness for all my sins. I believe you died for me to pay the penalty for all my sins. I ask you to come into my heart, and cleanse me. I commit my life to you and ask you to lead me and guide me from this moment forward. Thank you for saving me and bringing me into your family today. Amen.
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