I Don’t Gently Love People to Hell

As I write this, I’m sitting in the church my friend Adam pastors.

The Neighborhood Church of Garland, the congregation he has shepherded for ten years, meets on Saturday evenings. Tonight, they’re celebrating the baptism of a young lady who loves the Lord. It’s encouraging to see young people choose to follow Jesus.

Last week, I had the privilege of talking with several people and hearing how God has been at work in their lives. One of the unexpected blessings of my recruiting gig with Samaritan’s Purse is getting to hear people’s stories,their testimonies, their beliefs, their struggles, and their experiences with God.

A couple of conversations with young men wrestling with their faith have stuck with me. They seemed to be deconstructing what they once believed. Perhaps someone, or something, has been dismantling it for them.

I don’t know all the details of their stories. I do know that conversations like these remind me how much our faith matters and how important it is to know what we believe and why we believe it. There is a real need for us to come alongside young people, particularly young men, and help them contend for their faith. The spiritual battle they are fighting is very real.

Here’s the thing: I’m a people person. I enjoy talking with people, hearing their stories, and discovering what makes them tick. I want people to feel seen, heard, and valued. But loving people doesn’t mean telling them whatever makes them feel good. Sometimes, genuine love means having the courage to share an uncomfortable truth. It means being bold for the Gospel.

I don’t gently love people to hell.

That might sound harsh. Stick with me.

Love Tells the Truth

We live in a world where truth is often treated as a matter of personal preference. You choose what’s true. Believe whatever works for you. Follow your own path. Be a good person. Surely, in the end, everything will work out. It’s a comforting thought. But it’s not the Truth.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/59/1pe.5.8.ESV

The Bible tells us that the enemy prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Spiritual confusion isn’t new. Neither is the temptation to believe what we want to believe rather than what God has revealed.

And let’s be honest: Christians aren’t immune to confusion, either. That’s why we need to stay rooted in God’s Word, remain attentive to the Holy Spirit, and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.

The stakes are eternal. Forever. Permanent.

The Bible tells us we can know where we stand with God.

And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Acts‬ ‭16‬:‭26‬, ‭31‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/59/act.16.26.ESV

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…”

John‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.1.12.ESV

And here’s the beautiful part: eternal life is a gift.

We don’t earn our way into heaven by being good enough, attending church often enough, or accumulating enough good deeds to outweigh our bad ones. We are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus died for our sins. He was buried. He rose again.

That’s the Gospel. That’s our hope.

You Can’t Have the Crown Without the Cross

It’s increasingly popular to hear that everyone is going to heaven or that all spiritual paths ultimately lead to the same destination.

Many people want to believe in heaven without having to reckon with Jesus. They want the promise of eternal life without the surrender of following the One who gives it. Thats not the way it works. Jesus didn’t present Himself as one option among many.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John‬ ‭14‬:‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.14.6.ESV

Those are Jesus’ words, not mine.

Some people will say that a God who provides only one way to heaven is narrow-minded. But consider this: if sin separates us from a holy God, and we cannot save ourselves, isn’t it an extraordinary expression of grace that God provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him at all?

God didn’t leave us to figure it out on our own. He sent His Son.

Jesus took the cross. He bore our sin. He died and rose again so that we could be forgiven and reconciled to God.

We don’t have to pretend sin doesn’t matter to celebrate God’s love. In fact, the cross shows us just how seriously God takes sin and just how far His love went to rescue us.

Grace is not God shrugging His shoulders at sin. Grace is God making a way for sinners to be forgiven.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…

Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭23‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.3.23.ESV

A Loving God Doesn’t Mean an Indifferent God

There’s a version of Christianity that wants a loving God without judgment, forgiveness without repentance, and salvation without surrender.

You’ll hear things like, “My God would never send anyone to hell.”

I understand the sentiment. None of us should delight in the thought of anyone being separated from God for eternity.

But we don’t get to remake God in our own image, even when our version seems kinder or more comfortable.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭23‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.6.23.ESV

Jesus spoke seriously about judgment. He also extended extraordinary mercy to sinners. He welcomed the broken, forgave the repentant, confronted hypocrisy, and called people to follow Him.

His love was never indifferent to the condition of a person’s soul.

Repentance isn’t about cleaning ourselves up so God will finally love us. It’s turning from sin and turning toward God because His grace has opened the way. We come to Jesus as we are, but He doesn’t leave us as we are.

And no, following Jesus doesn’t mean we’ll suddenly have everything figured out. I’m still a work in progress. Some days, that progress feels painfully slow!

But the invitation remains: Come to Jesus. Trust Him. Receive His grace. Follow Him.

Jesus came so that we might have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). He promised His followers that He was preparing a place for them and would come again to take them to be with Him (John 14:1–3).

That’s a hope worth sharing.

Love People Enough to Tell Them About Jesus

Here’s where I land.

I don’t believe we’re called to win arguments at the expense of relationships. We don’t need to be obnoxious, combative, or self-righteous to stand firm in our faith. Being loud isn’t the same as being faithful, and being harsh isn’t proof of being biblical.

We can listen without compromising. We can ask questions without abandoning our convictions. We can treat people with dignity while being honest about what Scripture teaches.

And we can trust God to work in hearts in ways we cannot.

I can’t make being liked the highest priority in my life. If avoiding an uncomfortable conversation means withholding the most important truth I know, then my desire to be agreeable has gotten in the way of my love.

I don’t want to bully anyone into believing. I can’t change a heart, save a soul, or manufacture faith. That’s God’s job.

But I can point people to Jesus.

I can share the hope of the Gospel.

I can speak the truth in love, even when the truth isn’t popular.

And I can pray that the people God brings across my path will come to know the One who loves them more than I ever could.

I don’t gently love people to hell. I want them to know Jesus, receive His grace, and experience the eternal life He offers.

That’s not hate disguised as love. It’s love that takes eternity seriously.

So, fellow Christians, let’s be people of conviction and compassion. Let’s listen well, love generously, and speak truthfully. Let’s resist the temptation to water down the Gospel to make it more palatable.

And let’s remember that the same grace we want others to receive is the grace we desperately need ourselves.

After all, we’re not the Savior.

Jesus is.

And He’s the One we need to keep pointing people toward.