I recently heard a missionary to Kenya make this profound statement:
For the unsaved, this earth is the only heaven they will ever experience; for the saved, this earth is the only hell we will ever experience.
I was blown away by this thought! But it’s so true. Every person on earth, both believer and unbeliever alike, experiences profound beauty and God’s provision. The first light of dawn breaking through the darkness, the refreshing rain that revives the earth, the intricate songs of birds at sunrise, the vast oceans teeming with life, the smell of a pine forest or of wild roses. This earth is a vivid display of God’s splendor, majesty, and tender care, freely given to us all.
I was meditating on Psalms 103 and 104 and was struck by the magnitude of how richly God provides for ALL His creatures:
“Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103:1-5
“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.” Psalm 103:8-13
Our compassionate, forgiving God reveals His glory and blessings throughout creation. God surrounds us with goodness—not for Himself—but for us:
He causes springs to gush forth in the valleys, providing drink for every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst beside them, and birds make their nests among the branches, singing songs of joy. Psalm 104:10-12
He waters the mountains from His upper chambers, causing grass to grow for the cattle and plants for people to cultivate—bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make faces shine, and bread that sustains life. Psalm 104:13-15
The Psalmist nearly was beside himself as he winds down chapter 104 with:
“How MANY are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all…” Psalm 104:24
All of this intricate beauty, provision, and order manifests God’s comfort, love, majesty, and magnificent glory—extended freely to every person on earth, saved or unsaved. God’s Creation preaches a sermon without words: that He is generous beyond measure, creative in infinite detail, and delighting in giving good gifts to all of humanity.
Yet another reality remains sobering.
For those who never receive Jesus as Lord and Savior these earthly wonders represent the height of their joy—the only “heaven” they will taste. They will never know the eternal reality where “the Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.” (Psalm 103:19) The unsaved will miss out on His perfect peace and unending joy. If they die without salvation, their end is the beginning of hell. There will be no perception of the goodness of God’s presence in hell. There will be no sense of His favor, glory, blessing, light, love, joy, and peace. After the Great White Throne Judgment their end is to:
“be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,” 2 Thessalonians 1:9
This verse explicitly portrays hell (or eternal judgment) as a state of eternal destruction characterized by separation “away from the presence of the Lord.” This is not necessarily God’s omnipresence in a spatial sense (since He is everywhere, as stated in Psalm 139:7-8), but rather separation from the life-giving, comforting, glorious presence that is the foundation of all good things we enjoy. It means exclusion from God’s favor and the radiant “glory of his might,” resulting in total deprivation of anything good, because every good gift flows from Him. (James 1:17) Right now, even in this fallen world, unsaved people experience glimpses of “heaven,” that is, God’s common grace and goodness poured out freely on all humanity. These include beauty in creation, times of love, joy, peace, kindness, and relational warmth; acts of compassion, laughter, beauty in nature, food that satisfies, and rest.
The Bible says God “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45) Further, “he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” (Acts 14:17) These are all tastes of God’s presence and the common grace that restrains evil and allows life to have meaning and pleasure. In hell, however, that restraint and grace are fully withdrawn. Hell is total, eternal separation from His presence, which means no light, no love, no joy, no peace—only anguish, regret, torment, and the realization of what has been forever lost. Jesus describes it as “outer darkness” where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:12)
This powerfully underscores the urgency of getting the Gospel message to all!
For those who are saved, our earthly trials are temporary “hell” compared to the full, glorious presence awaiting us in eternity (Revelation 21:3-4, where God dwells with His people, wiping away every tear).
This world—with its sorrows, trials, and brokenness—is the nearest we, as born-again believers, ever come to hell.
Jesus Christ is our bridge. We were rescued. Although we were among the “all who have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory,” deserving the full judgment of hell; by accepting Jesus as our Savior, we are rescued. God, in His great love, “as high as the heavens above the earth,” sent His Son Jesus Christ—God incarnate—to live a sinless life, die on the cross to pay the full penalty for our sins, and rise again, defeating death. When we repent of our sins and place our faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, our transgressions are removed “as far as the east is from the west.” (Psalm 103:12) We are redeemed and granted eternal life with God.
This earth is, indeed, the only taste of hell we will ever experience!
God’s heart for humanity is passionate and abounding in love. We are called to reflect the same goodness fully evident in His creation. We should be merciful, life-giving, and full of the generosity manifested by the fruit of His Spirit—with loved ones, coworkers, strangers, or those who seem far from God. If God pours out such splendor and provision on the whole earth, imagine the greater wonders He has prepared for those who love Him through Jesus!
This life is the only window of opportunity we get to bring others with us into the fullness of God’s presence. If someone we love does not receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in this life, the door to eternal life with Christ closes forever. No hell we experience on this earth should ever thwart us from maintaining an urgent passion to share God’s marvelous gift of salvation with everyone around us!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I bow in wonder before You and thank You for giving us the goodness of Creation. Make Your compassion, forgiveness, and abounding love shine through me so those around me can see You in me. Ignite in me Your own passionate heart—slow to anger, rich in mercy—to reach those who do not yet know You. Help me reflect Your heart so clearly that others see Christ in me and are drawn to You. May I praise and glorify You with all my might, now and forever. In the mighty, saving name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
