Summary
Reality Check: Heaven, Hell, and the Grace That Is Realer Still
Recent surveys show that even among Americans who claim a religious affiliation, only 81% believe heaven is real and just 69% believe in hell. Scripture cuts through that uncertainty: heaven and hell are real places, and the eternal destiny of every person is at stake. Wisdom for facing that reality is given in Proverbs 24:19-20: "Do not fret because of evildoers, and do not envy the wicked, for the evil have no future; the lamp of the wicked will go out."
The first reality check is that the "evildoers" of Proverbs are not simply other people. The works of the flesh listed in Galatians 5:19-21—idolatry, impurity, jealousy, anger, quarrels, envy, and the rest—are not just out there in the culture. They are in us. Born after Adam, every human being bears the image of sin. We make idols of food, family, money, and power. We jump into quarrels online and in person. The words on our lips and in our minds are not always pure. By nature, we cannot help but be wicked, and the consequence of that sin, shared by all creation, is death. There is no such thing as no consequence.
The second surprise of the text is the warning not to envy the wicked. Who would envy the wicked? Honestly—we do. We envy those who chase wealth and pleasure by any means, who speak whatever they want without regard for others, who appear to live free of the responsibility that comes with being a Christian. Carrying that calling can feel exhausting, and the unbeliever's life can look easier. But "the lamp of the wicked will go out." That metaphor describes complete destruction—the real and final judgment of hell.
Here the gospel breaks in with a greater reality. By God's grace, you are not called to remain in your sin. 2 Corinthians 5:21 declares that "for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." On the cross, the Father made the Son to be sin, and in exchange gave us His righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5:17: "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." In the waters of baptism the image of Adam was put to death, and a new creation rose bearing the image of God. You have been purchased by the blood of Jesus, sealed in the Holy Spirit, and indwelt by God's own Spirit—who bears in you love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
This changes how we react when we see the wicked stumble. Proverbs 24:17-18 warns, "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls." 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 tells us why: God has given us the ministry of reconciliation and made us ambassadors for Christ. When the wicked fall, our calling is not to cheer their demise but to bring them the good news of salvation in Christ alone. It is not your job to save a soul or to convince anyone—that is the Spirit's work. Your job is to proclaim what Christ has done for you and for them, so that repentance may take hold and they too may know forgiveness.
Sum it up this way from "Reality Check" 6-8-25: sin is real, hell is real, but God's grace and mercy are realer still—and heaven is the eternal reality of all who belong to Christ.
Video citations
- "Reality Check" 6-8-25 — If you would please open your Bibles to the Book of Proverbs 24th chapter, if you're using a Pew edition of the Bible, this can be found on page 569 in the Old Testament, where in the Book of…