“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.”
—Deuteronomy 30:19 (NIV)
We’ve spent the last few posts in this series talking about the authority God gave us, the impact of our decisions, and the mercy extended to us through Christ. Now, in this final message, The Verdict, we come to the heart of the matter: God does not condemn anyone to hell—we do that ourselves by the choices we make.
From the very beginning, God gave humanity authority and responsibility. In Genesis, Adam and Eve were given free will in the garden. With that gift came the freedom to obey or disobey. Their choice to disobey opened the door for sin and death to enter the world (Genesis 2:16–17; Romans 5:12). Ever since, that same authority—the power to choose—has remained in our hands.
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
—John 3:17 (NIV)
God is not standing in Heaven eager to send anyone to hell. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. He has already made the way of escape through Jesus Christ. Hell was never created for people—it was prepared for “the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). But when people reject Christ, knowingly continuing in sin, they are essentially choosing hell by default.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
—Romans 6:23 (NIV)
We must understand that the verdict isn’t arbitrarily declared by God—it is the consequence of our own decision. We either accept the payment Jesus made for our sin with His blood, or we pay for it ourselves. And Satan, the accuser, demands blood for every sin committed (Hebrews 9:22). Either it is our blood in eternal separation from God, or it is Christ’s blood which justifies us and brings us back into relationship with God.
“Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
—John 3:18 (NIV)
Every single one of us has sinned against God (Romans 3:23). That part is not up for debate. What remains is what you’ll do about it. The Bible warns that no one is promised tomorrow (Proverbs 27:1), and that those who live in willful sin may not live out half of their days (Psalm 55:23). The clock is ticking, and your choice matters more than you think.
To those who are grieving the loss of someone they love, I want to speak to you for a moment. I once lost someone very dear to me—suddenly and tragically. After a rough past, they gave their life to the Lord and lived for Him for a while. But in a devastating season of loss, they made a poor and irreversible decision that ended their life. I wrestled with that grief, wondering what their eternal fate was. But in the midst of my sorrow, God sent two different people to comfort me—both who had received either a vision or a word from the Lord—that this loved one cried out to Him with their final breath. God is so full of mercy. He hears the faintest whisper of repentance, even in the last second. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
Friend, you have a choice to make. Are you with Him, or are you against Him? If you are with Him, then all you need to do is turn to Him, confess your sins, and ask for forgiveness.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
—1 John 1:9 (NKJV)
There are no hoops to jump through, no rituals to perform—just your honest, surrendered heart. God is not looking for perfection; He’s looking for repentance. He’s looking for you.
In summary, God has given us the authority to choose. Hell is not His desire for anyone, but it becomes the destination for those who reject the only way of escape—Jesus Christ. The verdict is determined not by God’s lack of love, but by our refusal to accept that love. Today, you have been given the opportunity to choose life. Choose wisely. Choose Christ.
If this message has spoken to your heart or brought encouragement to your life, consider supporting my work through Buy Me A Coffee. Every tip helps me continue sharing these messages of truth and hope with others who may be searching for answers—just like you once were. Thank you for being here. Thank you for choosing to read. And most of all, thank you for choosing life.
“Choose this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
—Joshua 24:15 (ESV)
And in the meantime, if you still have any questions, I encourage you to do your research. Hell is very real. There are simply too many testimonies out there of people having seen it or experienced it for themselves to deny it.
My husband is one of them, you can check out his testimony in the following links or you can cross examine it along with a series that I did last year on his testimony and the experiences of Dante Alighieri in the book Dante’s Inferno. I believe that you will see for yourself, that what he saw and experienced was precisely according to that book. But know this, it is not for the faint of heart but only for those who are seeking the Truth.
https://wordofprayer.com/2025/06/20/a-vision-of-hell/
https://countrygirlgonecity.com/2024/10/11/a-reflection-on-dantes-inferno-part-1/
https://countrygirlgonecity.com/2024/10/14/reflections-on-dantes-inferno-a-descent-into-darkness/
https://countrygirlgonecity.com/2024/10/21/reflections-on-dantes-inferno-the-violent-suffer/
And if you have found that this message has touched you in some way, please, share it with your friends and family. Their lives may depend upon it!
May God bless you and give you peace on your journey!
Country Girl Gone City 
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