The Gate is Narrow

The Church’s teaching on Hell is arguably the most disturbing and frightening of all of her doctrines.  In fact, it is so unthinkable that many heretical groups have virtually done away with it. The Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Unitarian-Universalists, Christadelphians, Seventh-Day Adventists, Christian Scientists, New Agers and others have all watered down the reality of Hell so that it has ceased to be a threatening prospect.  Many other mainstream Evangelical Protestant sects have also taken to this homogenized version of eternal punishment.  They teach that those who do not enter heaven will simply be destroyed and will cease to exist. However, the Bible tells us an entirely different story about Hell. In numerous passages, the reality that Hell is and eternal punishment for the wicked is what we read.

Isaiah 33:11, 14, Matt. 26:24, Matt. 25:31-34, 41, 46, Mark 9:47–48, Luke 3:16-17, 2 Thess. 1:6-9, Rev. 14:11 all speak of the ETERNAL certainty of Hell.  In Mark 9:47–48 Jesus issues this warning: "It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, where the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched."

In Matt. 7:13-14, He also warned that most people will wind up in Hell:  "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few." Several saints who were given prophetic visions of Hell stated that most people wound up there.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us: "Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, ‘eternal fire.’” (CCC 1035).

So many people think that since God knows that they are basically “good people”, they will probably go to heaven. The Bible doesn’t say that.  In fact, it says the exact opposite. Jesus stated that NONE of us are good (Luke 10:18) – and that’s because we haven’t yet been made perfect.  Without obedience to Christ, we cannot hope to enter into Heaven – which leaves only the prospect of Hell.  This is why, in Phi. 2:12, St. Paul warns us to “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”  The fear of an eternity in Hell should snap us out of our worldly complacency every bit as much as the hope of eternity in Heaven.  It should shake us down to our very foundations as Christians.

Going to church on Christmas and Easter is not enough – nor is attending Mass every Sunday.  If we aren’t living our faith (Matt. 25:31-46, James 1:22) and carrying our cross daily (Luke 9:23), we are not followers of Christ.  If we vote for people who proliferate the horror of abortion, euthanasia, homosexual “marriage”, embryonic stem cell research and many other abominations, we cannot claim to be Christian.  We are instead, just like those who have watered down His teachings to resemble OUR will – not HIS.