Key Takeaway
The gift of eternal life is on the table, offered freely through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Every person will one day face the question: What happens when we die?
It’s not just a theological idea—it’s a reality every human heart wrestles with. Our bodies will fail, our achievements will fade, and everything temporary will pass away. Yet the Bible is clear: death is not the end of the story.
Jesus stands alone in human history as the One who both died and rose again. Because He conquered death, He alone has the authority to speak about eternity. According to Scripture, there are only two eternal outcomes: life with God or separation from Him. And that decision isn’t made after we die; it’s made before in what we believe about Jesus Christ.
John 3 tells us that God didn’t send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it. Hell isn’t a punishment for people God dislikes; it’s the natural consequence of rejecting the only source of life. God’s heart has always been rescue, not rejection. In love, He stepped into the story, sent His Son to bear the penalty of our sin, and made a way for us to live forever with Him.
When we trust in Jesus, everything changes. We move from death to life, from fear to peace, from judgment to grace. Our hope is no longer tied to what we can do but anchored in what Christ has already done. The believer’s confidence is this: the moment we take our last breath on earth, we take our first in His presence.
But take heart today: Death loses its sting because Jesus took it for us. We no longer face eternity uncertain or afraid, rather we can face it assured that the One who died for us now lives to bring us home.
Discussion Questions
What are some theories you have heard about what happens when we die?
What did you grow up believing about heaven and hell?
Pastor Louie says we have to understand “our predicament” before we talk about heaven or hell. What is our “predicament” in your own words?
How does holiness trigger wrath? Try to unpack that theological concept.
What was the illustration of the unconscious person in the line of the subway train about?
What did you grow up thinking heaven would be like? How did this talk inform your prior understanding?
What did you grow up thinking hell would be like? How did this talk inform your prior understanding?
From these passages of Scripture, what can we be confident in about heaven, and what can we be confident in about hell? List some facts together.
What does the glory of the presence of God (or the blessing of being with Him) teach us about the brutality of His absence? What does the brutality of God’s absence teach us about the glory of God’s presence?
Finally, what does it look like to live a life where the reality of heaven and hell are constantly on your mind?
