3 Common Misunderstandings About Hell, the Devil, and the Afterlife

If you grew up in the Evangelical church in the '80s and '90s like me, there's a good chance you got your theology of hell from scare films, traveling church dramas, and pop culture. I sure did. Here are 3 ideas I had about hell that I learned were not biblical.

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[Genesis.-]

My 7 year old grandson recently told me that Lucifer wasn't a bad guy and actually helps some people. When I asked him where he got that idea he told me the TV show Lucifer that he watched with his mother. I quickly corrected him and my daughter. This is how an entire generation is being taught to view Satan; an affable guy who likes to have fun but isn't really all that bad. Maranatha!

[germaan]

Thank you God for saving me last year! I was saved at age 28, deserving hell. But God gave me eternal life when I put my faith in the name of Jesus Christ!

[leslieannvanhumbeck]

I was in a progressive church where they didn't believe in hell or the devil. They even denied the atonement. Thanks to you, I left that church. Thank you for the work 🙏 you're doing.

[frame]

Separation from God to me is hell, I can’t imagine eternity without any hope of being with him, ever.

[justinhorn]

Hell is the complete and utter abscense Of GOD.
Gimme Yeshua all day everyday!

[buck_maize]

"A quarantine for evil" that's a good way of putting it!

[tonyasteele]

Thank you Lord Jesus for my salvation! Hallelujah!!

[rachelschnelle]

My daddy, a devout follower of Christ, would always try to lighten the mood by joking, but yet explaining the importance of this matter by saying “I’m going to scare the hell out of you, so you don’t end up there!” 😊

[Alcheer]

My daughter when she was little asked me about hell, my answer, was that it was a place without God.

[toliveischrist]

I trust in God’s righteous and merciful judgment. Only he knows how many chances he gives each soul to call upon the name of Jesus and be saved. It’s more than we know. God doesn’t wish anyone to perish.

[johncline]

Here's the only thing you need to know about hell. You don't want to be there.

[deepz]

I always want to be closer to God I try I fail my sins devour me and the evil ones attack me at night.. please pray for me I want to be good pleasing to God. I want to be blessings to others. Please pray for me

[BrutalCross]

Man I've had a few hell like dreams, in short one was following this grotesque person down these dark tunnels that just kept getting darker and darker, another one was I was trapped in a dark prison cell and had that sense that I was never getting out. When I've woken up the feeling of those dreams are so dreadful, the absolute worst part is the utter hopelessness and despair, every time I think about those dreams those feelings come back.
If your reading this and haven't given your life to Christ I highly encourage you to do it, it's so easy to be saved, NO one has to go there, just by simply believing and accepting Christ in your life as your Lord and savior. It is not by works that we are saved!

[ledymillspaugh]

I LOVE these "common misunderstanding" videos!

[angruoklok]

The concept of hell is a stumbling block for me and whenever someone tries to explain it it's always like a stock answer devoid of any satisfaction. If hell wasn't for ever and just punishment for a certain amount of time I think I'd be ok w it. But I would never do this kind of thing to my kid for ever bc they rejected me. And how much more love does God have than I have. Never makes sense!

[danielandarian]

For a different view on this topic I recommend Edward Fudge’s book “The Fire That Consumes” or find his lecture here on YouTube with the same title. Eternal conscious torment became orthodoxy in the fourth century thanks to Augustine. A careful study of the Greek and Hebrew text along with 1st century Judaism, however, builds a strong case for conditional immortality. Even if you end up siding with the lovely Ms. Childers, it’s important we study all the words translated “hell” in our English Bibles (ie Gehenna, Sheol/Hades, lake of fire, etc) in their 1st century context. Most of us, without realizing, have a view of the end of the story that’s more similar to Augustine’s than Jesus’s.

[jayson]

And in hell you’re alone, although Many are there.

[chloegenet]

You must get this all the time but you have such a beautiful and soothing voice, I could listen to it all day! Love your podcast, discovered it yesterday😊

[itinerantpatriot]

I am Catholic and growing up I was presented with a picture of Hell along the same lines as Alisa's initial images. It wasn't until much later, when I was attending a Protestant Bible study that the Pastor explained it like Alisa's current understanding. The topic came up and he said there isn't a soul in Hell who doesn't choose to be there. This struck me as an odd way of thinking. I had always believed God sent people to Hell but the more I thought on it the more I realized his explanation made more sense. He said even unto death, there are people who reject God's love and would rather stay away from it. As I considered this, it dawned on me that is exactly how people behave in this life. Why would they change after they die? If their hearts are committed to rejecting God, why would death change that? God doesn't want slaves and He doesn't force himself on anyone. As C.S. Lewis said, it truly is locked from the inside.

The Pastor that day also spoke of the nature of Hell in the same way Alisa describes it. He said, imagine a place where everything that is good and decent is taken away. A place where hate, not love, rules the day. Where scorn, not compassion, is how you are treated. In other words, a place where there is a total absence of God and His mercy. This description struck me as similar to the way darkness and cold are thought of in scientific terms. Total darkness is really just an absence of light. Absolute cold is really just an absence of heat. In other words, both are states where there is a total absence of energy. That is Hell, a total absence of God.

And she is also right about who rules what. Satan rules nothing. The Lord told Pilate his power to execute him came from God the Father, not any Earthly power. Any belief to the contrary was an illusion on his part. I think this is what eats at Satan more than anything. Christ rejected him three times in the desert, hammering home the point that he is the master of nothing. We choose to give Satan power over us. He is wicked and cunning but he can be resisted if we place our faith in Christ and God's capacity for total love, total mercy, total forgiveness.

Alisa and I may not be of the same faith, but we are of the same belief where Hell is concerned. This was a great video. Thank you for posting it.

[annemariemyburgh]

BEFORE ANYONE JUST BELIVES EVERYTHING THAT IS SAID IN ANY OF THESE VIDEOS, I SUGEST YOU TAKE YOUR BIBEL, GO TO THE VERSE, AND READ FOR YOUR SELF