Missionaries, Don’t Overlook the Urgency of Damnation

Editors’ note: “Difficult but Beautiful Doctrines” is a long – form series that highlights the glory and necessity of theological truths that people in the post – Christian West often struggle to accept.

“Thirty – one seconds before death.” This is how author Brandon Sanderson ominously foreshadows the inevitable, offering a peek into his characters’ thoughts and feelings before they die. You might think this is too morbid for readers of a fantasy novel seeking immortality and escapism. However, millions of fans of Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive series would disagree. Keeping the end in sight deeply resonates with their human nature.

I imagine similar pre – death statements could be made about any of us. Picture this: every time you meet someone new, a cold – voiced narrator whispers how much time they have left to live. It would be a strange and unsettling piece of knowledge. Yet, it would surely change how you interact with that person. The sobering reality would create a sense of deep urgency. You’d realize that time is short and every moment matters.

But this isn’t just a fantasy concept. We all know that death is inevitable. For those who hold to the traditional Christian faith, we understand that without God’s salvation through Jesus Christ, hell – a real place of eternal conscious torment for the wicked – awaits immediately after death. Time isn’t just short; it’s incredibly precious. What a weighty truth to carry.

The Missionary’s Burden

Perhaps no one feels this weight more keenly than missionaries. These men and women go out “for the sake of the name” (3 John 1:7), the one name “under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Their goal is to “save others by snatching them out of the fire” (Jude 23). Many missionaries would readily admit that a primary motivation behind their calling is to make sure that lost people have a chance to hear the gospel before they potentially go to hell. A missionary’s life, profession, and burden revolve around keeping the reality of hell in mind, constantly hearing that metaphorical cold narrator’s voice.

I know this firsthand because I’ve been a missionary. When my colleagues and I were in East Africa, we’d often drive long distances, praying for the towns and villages we passed. No matter how many places we visited or how many people came to believe in Christ, there were always countless other places and people we didn’t reach. I’d be overjoyed at the new believers, but I could never shake the nagging awareness of those we left behind.

In the evenings, when I was back at my home resting from the day’s work, I’d often hear wailing in the neighborhood, signaling that someone had died. I’d wonder: Was it someone who had never heard of Christ? Had I talked to them recently at the market? Did I take the opportunity to share the gospel with them? These self – reproaching questions haunted me as I listened to the screams. But they also represented a vigilant awareness that eternity was just on the other side of the veil.

The Missionary’s Temptation

With this heavy burden comes a temptation: why not set aside the doctrine of hell? There are several ways to do this.
Some might embrace universalism, believing that God’s salvation will ultimately reach everyone. In this view, eternal damnation is unnecessary and is merely a metaphor in the Bible. Others might prefer annihilationism, the belief that whether through death or temporary punishment in the afterlife, God will ultimately destroy the unsaved. Since unbelievers cease to exist in this perspective, hell as a place of eternal judgment also ceases to be.
However, perhaps the easiest way to ignore hell is to simply not think about it. The belief may still be there, but the burden fades away. The urgency to save souls lessens. Jesus’s words about hell, which once inspired the missionary, now evoke indifference. Whether it’s due to compassion fatigue from witnessing so much suffering, or a kind of culture shock from too many late – night wails, funerals, and the constant reminder that people are on the brink of death, over time, hell becomes less of a concern.
This kind of surrender is what some call “love wins.” As Millard Erickson notes, “The doctrine of everlasting punishment appears to some to be outmoded or sub – Christian [and] is often one of the first topics of Christian belief to be demythologized.” But why should missionaries hold onto this doctrine and its accompanying distress? Because, as Erickson continues, “However we regard the doctrine… it is clearly taught in Scripture.”
A missionary who abandons the doctrine of hell, either intellectually or emotionally, doesn’t become freer or more virtuous. Instead, their doctrinal loss has the opposite effect, confining their faith and narrowing their ministry.

The Missionary’s Certainty

The clearest teachings about hell in the Bible come directly from Jesus. In Matthew 25, Jesus is in the middle of a long discourse about the end of the age. Much of his teaching alludes to the salvation of the righteous and the condemnation of the wicked. But in this chapter, he gets specific.
After repeating the phrase “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (24:51; 25:30), he describes the final judgment where such torment occurs. The righteous “sheep” will be welcomed into the kingdom God prepared for them, while the cursed “goats” will be sent “into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (25:33, 41). Emphasizing the scope of this judgment, Jesus concludes, “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (v. 46).
The evidence for hell in Matthew 25 is clear, but a reliable doctrine isn’t based on just one chapter of the Bible. In Mark’s Gospel, we see hell described as “the unquenchable fire” (9:43) and as a place “where their worm does not die” (v. 48). Luke presents Jesus’s parable of the rich man and Lazarus, where the rich man, upon his death, is “in torment” and cries out, “I am in anguish in this flame” (16:23–24). Revelation also repeatedly mentions a smoking, sulfurous, bottomless pit of endless torment (9:1–2, 11; 14:9–11; 19:3; 21:8).
We can be certain of this: when it comes to the topic of hell, the Bible doesn’t hold back.

Comfort in the Face of the Countdown

Since the Scriptures are so clear, missionaries can be certain not only of the truth of this doctrine but also of its goodness. But what could be good about the doctrine of eternal conscious torment? Does it edify the soul? What benefits does it bring to the ministry?
The next time you hear those late – night wails or that metaphorical whispering narrator, remember these wonderful aspects of this doctrine.

30 seconds… Hell Proves God’s Word is Trustworthy

Paul likely had hell in mind when he wrote about his lost fellow Jews, “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart” (Rom. 9:2). If hell is real and God’s Word is trustworthy when it speaks of eternal judgment, then it’s also trustworthy when it tells us about his compassion.
For a missionary, what could be more valuable than being certain of the Bible’s trustworthiness? “What we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord” (2 Cor. 4:5)—through the written Word, we proclaim the living Word. When the burden of hell weighs heavily, the missionary can find solace in God’s Word, knowing both that hell is real and that God “is not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).

25 seconds… Hell Declares God’s Glory

One of the main objections to the doctrine of hell is that it seems to undermine God’s love. How could a loving God impose eternal judgment for what is, after all, temporal evil?
Missionaries must remember, as Wayne Grudem writes, “Evil that remains unpunished [detracts] from God’s glory.” In other words, “When God punishes evil and triumphs over it, the glory of his justice, righteousness, and power to overcome all opposition will be revealed.”
When a missionary shares the gospel and includes humble warnings about hell, they are declaring that God is gloriously just and all – powerful. Failing to show God’s supreme glory doesn’t help the lost person hear the truth. It shows no compassion for those in danger of hellfire.

20 seconds… Hell Cultivates Trust in God’s Sovereignty

My belief in the Reformed view of God’s sovereignty was born on the mission field. One day, my team leader took me to a mountaintop with a panoramic view. I saw thousands of tin roofs in villages that seemed miles away and hard to reach. That night, I almost bought a plane ticket to go home. If reaching those remote people depended solely on me, I would have given up in despair.
Thankfully, I was reading the book of Romans at the time, and I came across Paul’s statement that God “has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills” (9:18). God’s sovereign choice of souls comforted me and gave me the strength to stay. I realized I was part of his work, not the other way around. This understanding still gives me peace today.

15 seconds… Hell Motivates Evangelism

When I talk about peace, I mean peace for my soul, not a break from evangelistic work. The peace that God’s sovereignty brings actually makes us work harder (Heb. 4:11). This might be the most obvious benefit of the doctrine of hell. If hell is real, and every person you meet is only seconds away from death, then missionaries must go out and share the gospel. Listen to Paul’s sense of urgency:
“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” (Rom. 10:14–15)
What a powerful motivation!

10 seconds… Hell Helps Us Acknowledge God’s Holiness

As a pastor, I’ve never encouraged anyone to dwell on the doctrine of hell. But I have urged people to reflect on the doctrine of God’s holiness, which is closely related to the importance of hell. When both the Old and New Testaments give us a glimpse of heaven, we see creatures crying out, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD” (Isa. 6:3 ; Rev. 4:8). This shows that God is completely separate from all evil. He is right to seek his own honor and oppose anything that dishonors him.
When a missionary thinks about hell as a place of eternal conscious torment, it’s a terrifying thought. Is it really necessary for a soul to eternally grieve the absence of God’s grace (2 Thess. 1:9) and the presence of his wrath (Rev. 14:10)? In the face of God’s holiness, the answer is yes. Hell may be the most effective way for us to understand the heights of God’s holiness. Like the psalmist, the missionary may exclaim, “Our God is holy!” (Ps. 99:9).

5 seconds… Hell is a Tribute to God’s Grace

Being a missionary can be an arduous calling. Living as one of the few Christians among millions of non – believers is a privilege, but it also means being in the middle of spiritual battles. What missionaries need most to persevere is to be surrounded by God’s grace. If hell reveals the heights of God’s holiness, it also serves as a monument to the depths of his mercy.
Gratitude is a source of comfort in difficult times. And Jesus wants us to have complete joy (John 15:11). When we remember that we’ve been lovingly chosen to escape hell (mercy) and inherit eternal life (grace), we feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and joy.
After all, the missionary themselves are only a few seconds away from death. Let that cold narrator have his say. But by God’s grace, hell isn’t the missionary’s future. Only heaven, and then a new creation await. This is the way of the King. Thanks be to God.