Roughly 60 per cent of Americans believe that there is a hell, that is a place of eternal punishment to which those who are not saved will be sent after this life.  Unfortunately there is a growing contingent that says that hell is more of a state of mind than anything, or to quote a minister of the United Church of Canada, "It's a feeling of nothingness, an eclipse of consciousness."  Let us state first that not only is hell real, but further it awaits any who are unprepared for the judgment as accounted in Matthew 25:31-46.  The Bible teaches that hell is a physical reality as in Matthew 10:28, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
    Let me add that the existence of hell is not something that is up for debate.  We cannot simply hope that there will be no eternal punishment and as a result have there be no eternal punishment.  All of the men in this world could say alike that there is no hell but it would be to no effect because God has said that there is.  The responsibility of men therefore is not to try to qualify hell but rather to avoid it.  That is your responsibility as well.  Next week we will address the question "Will the majority of people be saved?"