New Identity Magazine

God in focus. World in scope.

  • About
  • Grow
    • Spotlight: In Perspective
    • Growth & Maturity
    • Foundation
    • Practical Application
    • Jargon
  • Connect
    • Community
    • Discovering God
    • God Talk
    • Life Together
  • Live
    • Give Back
    • People
    • Culture & Creativity
    • Careers & Callings
  • Back Issues
  • Write
    • Submit an Article
    • Writer’s Guidelines
    • House Style Guide
    • Content Submissions Agreement
    • Jargon Substitutions
  • Shop
  • Donate
  • Contact

HEAVEN AND HELL

By Cristian Vasquez 1 Comment

Original Illustration by Holly Knevelbaard

Original Illustration by Holly Knevelbaard

Heaven and hell. For years, these two concepts have been loosely used by believers and non-believers alike. There is an overall understanding among both groups of what each term represents. Phrases such as, “feels like heaven” reflect peoples’ visualization of a pleasant place they would enjoy being in. “I’m going to beat the hell out of you” is more indicative of the discomfort associated with the term hell and the understanding that nobody wishes to have such an experience.

“Heaven can be thought of as the Garden of Eden which we were evicted from after Adam and Eve desired more than was available to them,” Noraly Hernandez, a believer, says. “On the other hand, hell would be perpetual torture. Based on childhood Bible teachings, heaven and hell are the final destination of the human spiritual journey. Heaven is a place or state of being where we were intended to be.”

“If heaven is our final destination then we should live life a little different here on earth,” Pastor Charles Lee, from New Hope Church, Los Angeles, CA said. “People shouldn’t get caught up with material possessions here on earth because they won’t take it with them.”

Such concepts are more easily accepted by people of faith. For those who don’t associate with any religion, heaven and hell can have little significance.

“I just don’t believe that there is a heaven or a hell,” David Sanchez, a non-believer, says. “I think that once you die, that’s it.”

However, for some believers, the existence of a heaven or hell is not what’s most important; it is the connection and relationship that individuals have with Christ that matters most.

“We carry out our relationship with Christ here and we’ll end in a place where we will continue our relationship with Christ,” says Lee. “If you don’t have that relationship, then that too will carry over.”

Lee adds, “Everybody fears death. There is always a small percentage of doubt in all humans; even in Christianity. For me, believing in heaven is good, but having a relationship with Christ is the ultimate goal. Heaven is just a byproduct of that relationship with Christ. Most people would take heaven without Jesus; I don’t want to be in heaven without Jesus.” —Cristian Vasquez

Anglican/Episcopalian

Heaven: “By heaven, we mean eternal life in our enjoyment of God.” BCP (1979), p. 862.

Hell: “By hell, we mean eternal death in our rejection of God.” BCP (1979), p. 862.

Assembly of God

Heaven: “But human language is inadequate to describe either heaven or hell. The realities of both fall well beyond our most imaginative dreams. It is impossible to describe the glory and splendor of heaven … heaven enjoys the total presence of God.” AG.org

Hell: “But human language is inadequate to describe either heaven or hell. The realities of both fall well beyond our most imaginative dreams. It is impossible to describe … the terror and torment of hell … Hell is a place where one will experience total separation from God …” AG.org

Baptist

Heaven: “The righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.” SBC

Hell: “The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment.” SBC

Lutheran

Heaven: “Eternal, or everlasting, life … is the end of faith, the ultimate object of a Christian’s hope and striving …” LCMS

Hell: “The doctrine of eternal punishment, repugnant to natural man, has been repudiated by errorists … but is clearly revealed in Scripture. To deny this doctrine is to reject the authority of Scripture.” LCMS

Methodist

Heaven: “John Wesley himself believed in an intermediate state between death and the final judgment, where those who rejected Christ would be aware of their coming doom … and believers would share in the “bosom of Abraham” or “paradise,” even continuing to grow in holiness there. This belief, however, is not formally affirmed in Methodist doctrinal standards, which reject the idea of purgatory but beyond that maintain silence on what lies between death and the last judgment.” UMC

Hell: “John Wesley himself believed in an intermediate state between death and the final judgment, where those who rejected Christ would be aware of their coming doom … This belief, however, is not formally affirmed in Methodist doctrinal standards, which reject the idea of purgatory but beyond that maintain silence on what lies between death and the last judgment.” UMC

Presbyterian

Heaven: “If there is a Presbyterian narrative about life after death, this is it: When you die, your soul goes to be with God, where it enjoys God’s glory and waits for the final judgment. At the final judgment bodies are reunited with souls, and eternal rewards and punishments are handed out.” PCUSA

Hell: “The only official Presbyterian statement that includes any comment on hell since the 1930s is a 1974 paper on universalism adopted by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States. It warns of judgment and promises hope, acknowledging that these two ideas seem to be “in tension or even in paradox.” In the end, the statement concedes, how God works redemption and judgment is a mystery.” PCUSA

Roman Catholic

Heaven: “Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness.” Catechism – 1024 “To live in heaven is “to be with Christ.” Catechism – 1025

Hell: “To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self- exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called “hell.” Catechism – 1033

This is just a representative sample of different Christian denominations’ views and is not meant to be extensive. An excellent resource for further discovery is Randy Alcorn’s book Heaven.

Original Illustration by Holly Knevelbaard

Original Illustration by Holly Knevelbaard

Share with friendsShare on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on Reddit
Reddit
Email to someone
email

Filed Under: Grow, Spotlight: In Perspective Tagged With: Issue 2

Related Posts

  • GARDENING WITH GODGARDENING WITH GOD
  • INSIGHTS FROM A CHRISTIAN VEGETARIANINSIGHTS FROM A CHRISTIAN VEGETARIAN
  • WHAT IS THE GAZA STRIP?WHAT IS THE GAZA STRIP?
  • THE LIGHT OF ETHIOPIATHE LIGHT OF ETHIOPIA
  • CONNECTING WITH A CLICKCONNECTING WITH A CLICK
  • POEM: RED ROOTSPOEM: RED ROOTS

Comments

  1. Charles E. Miller, Jr., BA, MAR says

    June 12, 2015 at 12:13 pm

    I must say that I disagree with John Wesley concerning the intermediate state. I am a United Methodist; however, I believe that the spirits of the blessed dead are now in heaven with Jesus. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). I believe that Sheol (Hades) was the grave. That is where the body sleeps until Judgment Day; however, the spirit does not sleep (Ecclesiastes 12:7) .
    The spirits of the unrighteous dead are now in a place of torment until the Second Advent of Christ and the general resurrection (Luke 16:19-31). There is also no purgatory in the Bible. We are saved due to our faith in Christ and by His grace.

    Charles

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Current Issue

Current Issue

Read Now

newidentitymag

New Identity | Exploring Faith
We hope you enjoy the new issue! Check out the lin We hope you enjoy the new issue! Check out the link in our bio! Happy Fall/Winter! 🍁
We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on this topic, please leave us a comment! ✨
We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on this topic, please leave us a comment! ✨
How should we be using our money? - We're looking How should we be using our money? - We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on this topic, please leave us a comment!
We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on this topic, please leave us a comment!
We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on the topic of praying continually and what that can look like in our fast-paced society, please leave us a comment! 😊
We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on this topic, please leave us a comment! ✨
Happy Spring! Enjoy the new issue! #linkinbio Happy Spring! Enjoy the new issue! #linkinbio
Our striving to be like Jesus or do his work on ou Our striving to be like Jesus or do his work on our own is in vain. We can never hope to achieve the same level that Jesus was on while we are still here on Earth. We’re like little kids, struggling just to walk. But that’s why Jesus gave us an example of redeemed followers in the form of the Apostles, who were his close group of students here on Earth. He chose a group of broken, sinful men, and ultimately shaped them into the group responsible for continuing his ministry here on Earth. ⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Tim VanDeWalker in "Running By Example" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's th "Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." –Desmond Tutu
The Bible tells us to live in the world, but not t The Bible tells us to live in the world, but not to become like it. The New Living Translation puts it this way, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Rom. 12:2a). Some have interpreted this as an instruction to reject anything that isn’t explicitly Christian. But I don’t think that’s what this verse is getting at. I think it means much more.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Lindsey Beharry in "Choosing Wisely" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
If you desire to serve, seek to form groups withou If you desire to serve, seek to form groups without age distinction. Maybe you want to form a group in your church. Avoid just inviting members from your age group. Seek out people older and younger than you to invite to meet together. Find that person who sits alone and talk to her or him. Instead of a focus on building groups that have the same characteristics to “relate” with one another, you center your discussion in the work of Christ. He will bring the group together. ⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Russell Almand in "Community and Age Diversity" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"If we put our faith in temporal things, they will "If we put our faith in temporal things, they will inevitably let us down. They were never meant to be enough for us. Not alone. When Barnum finally does hit bottom, he recognizes that his heart has been led astray, fooled into thinking that fame or fortune could satisfy him."⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: @slimkeman in "The Greatest Showman" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"Porn. We are only now beginning to realize the ex "Porn. We are only now beginning to realize the extent of its effects on the brain, relationships, and society at a time when sexually explicit content is just a click away. Christians have recognized pornography’s negative impact for decades, yet it is still often considered a “male” problem within the Church. This can leave women who struggle with porn addiction feeling isolated and alone. The organization SheRecovery (formerly Dirty Girls Ministries) aims to change that and has become a resource for women with porn addiction. You can read more about their ministry at the link in our bio. ⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Lisa Gagnon in "Dirty Girls Ministries" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"The presence of my sin reminds me of my great nee "The presence of my sin reminds me of my great need for grace, and good works are the outpouring of a grateful heart; being a good child is not a means of earning the favor of God."⁠
⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Sally Blotzer in "Forgiving Failure" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"As Christians, we identify ourselves not only by "As Christians, we identify ourselves not only by how we handle our daily lives, much like those around us, but also by an added component: our faith. How we pray and worship and spend time with our fellow followers provides additional meaning to our lives."⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Matthew Hamilton in "Does Your Form Determine Your Function?" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📷: Photo by Lum3n from Pexels⁠
Often I picture Jesus telling us to love others an Often I picture Jesus telling us to love others and not to judge. I forget that when he said, “Come follow me,” he wasn’t just inviting us to a strict set of rules but to a real and exciting life whether you turn out to be a pastor, a doctor, designer or simply “Dad.” Sometimes I forget one of his main messages was that he came to give us a better life than we could ever dream of—life to the fullest. Jesus wasn’t locking us down to a vocation or job title. It’s as if he was saying, “Real, vibrant life is available to you now. Following me, loving me and living like me is your real calling…the rest is just there to aid you in following, loving and living.”⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Wendy Van Eyck in "Living For A Purpose" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
Like Morpheus, I want to “show you how deep the Like Morpheus, I want to “show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.” There is yet another parallel between the Christian story and The Matrix, simultaneously the most foundational and the most captivating. It’s that something which is missing, something which is not quite right with the world. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know that it’s there. At the outset of the first film, Neo is searching for it. Trinity asserts that “it’s the question that drives us.” Morpheus claims that “you can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, when you go to church, when you pay your taxes.” The question is: What if I’ve only ever scratched the surface of all that life has to offer? What if there is a deeper, truer current of reality, ever-present behind all of my life’s experiences, to which I might awaken at any moment?⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: @slimkeman in "Tumbling Down The Rabbit Hole" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"I’ve always been intrigued by Augustine because "I’ve always been intrigued by Augustine because we all struggle with temptations to sin. And we all struggle to live in a way that honors God. Like Augustine we all feel the tug of our past sins that say, 'Don’t you want to enjoy us?' And Augustine’s story relates to Galatians 5:16-26 where Paul tells us about how the Christian life is like a walk. In a way, walking is a metaphor for the Christian life." ⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: @the_christopherscott in "In Step With the Spirit" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"The Holy Spirit empowers us for Christ-like livin "The Holy Spirit empowers us for Christ-like living, and for serving others." Where in your life or in what ways has the Spirit enabled you this week? We'd love to hear, tell us in the comments below!⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: @the_christopherscott  in "In Step With the Spirit" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Subscribe

More Articles

ABIDE

What does it mean to abide? The dictionary defines abiding as staying, living, or dwelling. When the Bible speaks of abiding it usually speaks of abiding in someone … [Read More...]

HOW DID THE BIBLE YOU’RE READING COME TO BE?

I was sitting on a cold, hard, wooden pew of a small brick and mortar baptist church, somewhere in the Midwestern United States, asking myself why the people in the … [Read More...]

ANOINTED

The word anointed sounds super strange. It’s not an ordinary word that we use today. In fact, outside of church, it is hardly ever said. It kind of sounds like … [Read More...]

Copyright © 2022 New Identity Magazine. All Rights Reserved · Log in