Where Are You Going When You Die?

By Pastor M. S. Shiflett

I have been amazed at how many people when asked this question quickly reply, “Why Heaven of course!”  No doubt, you are wondering why that is supposed to be amazing.  I suppose the reason why that is such a surprising answer is because that is the answer that I have received from drunk men staggering along the road.  I’ve heard that reply from young women standing on the street corner that sold their body for money.  I’ve heard that  answer from convicted criminals in the maximum security prisons.  I’ve heard drug addicts, harlots, thieves, and even child molesters insist that they are going to Heaven when they die.

By now I am sure that you are breathing a sigh of relief and thinking to yourself, “Whew, I’m not even close to being that sinful!  If those people are going to Heaven then I’m sure I have nothing to worry about.”  Well, my friend, there is a few things that you might need to know before you let your mind wander to other “more important” things. 

First of all, the question on the front of this booklet is undoubtedly the most important question that you will ever be asked in your life.  I’m sure you have been asked some very important questions in your life, but this question is one that you need to find the answer to or you could spend the rest of eternity regretting it!

Secondly, no matter what everybody else’s answer to that question is, you still have to answer it for yourself!  Where are you going when you die?  You might think that it is rude of me to ask you that because you feel that it is a private and personal matter.  You are correct.  But let me ask you this.  If you were in your bed sleeping, and in the middle of the night I began to beat on your door and scream for you to wake up and come outside, what would you think of me?  You would think I was the most inconsiderate and unloving person in the world right?  But let’s change the story a little bit.  Let’s suppose that you are sleeping in your bed and in the middle of the night and your house caught on fire.  If I woke you up and got you out of your bed in the middle of the night, would you still think I was inconsiderate and unloving?  Of course not!  You would thank me and tell me how much you appreciated me going to all that trouble to save you and your family from the fire!

I have read the Bible, and it tells me that there is ONLY ONE WAY to get to Heaven!  And I look around, and people everywhere are NOT AWARE of that ONE WAY!  They seem to have all these ideas about how people get to Heaven.  The problem is, these ideas ARE WRONG!!  In other words, YOUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE!!

So What Are You Going To Do About It?

Maybe you are saying, “What makes you think I need someone to help me?”  That is a good question!  I can assure you of one thing.  I am not trying to judge you and neither am I trying to hurt you.  I just want you to know some very important facts and then what you do with it is your choice. 

“And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?  And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.”  Acts 8:30,31  All I want to do is guide you from the Word of God on what He said we needed to know about how to be saved.  These are not my ideas.  These are not my opinions.  This is what the Creator of the universe has said we must do in order to go to Heaven when we die.

The Bible is very clear about some things, and that is what we are going to look at because what I think and what you think really does not matter.  However, if God said it, we had better listen!  The Bible has the answer to every problem and God has provided us with a copy of His Word so that we can find these answers.  The Bible is the final authority for ALL MATTERS OF FAITH AND PRACTICE!  So let’s find out what God says about salvation.

The Judge Has Reached A Decision

John 3:17,18 “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Romans 3:10-13  “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Who is the Judge?  Is it you?  No!  Is it the pastor?  No!  God, the Creator of the universe has declared that we are ALL GUILTY! 

Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

It doesn’t get much plainer than that does it?  So who’s fault is it that we were born sinners?  Who is to blame for the entire human race being plunged into sin and in need of salvation?   Well, we can thank Adam and Eve for that!  In the Garden of Eden, they disobeyed a very simple command of God, and because they wanted to do their own thing, they became sinners.  Therefore, their children were born sinners and here we are today.  Every one of us are sinners! 

“Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”  Rom 5:12

So, as you can see, all our houses are on fire!  The difference is some have escaped the fire, and others are still in danger!  Those that have been saved and accepted God’s plan of salvation are SAFE FROM THE FIRE, but millions of others need to be told of the coming danger!

Jude 1:22,23a says, “And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire;...”

The purpose of this booklet is not to make you mad or to even make you afraid!  The reason we gave you this little booklet is so that you can be made aware of the fact that if you do not accept Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, then you are going to be in serious trouble with God when you die!

The Judge Passed The Death Sentence Upon The Guilty

From the time of the Garden of Eden, God has required death as a penalty for sin. 

Gen. 2:15 “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

John 3:16  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

It is very clear from the Bible that we will die one day.  Every single one of us!  So the question is not IF WE WILL DIE.  The question that we need to answer is WHEN we die, where will we spend eternity?

Is There Really A Hell?

Eternity is a very long time my friend.  As a matter of fact, we can’t imagine how long it is.  It has no beginning and it has no end.  Some churches teach that there is a place called Purgatory.  They say that this is a place where all the dead go, and if they have loved one's on earth that pray for them and give enough money to the church, that they can get out of this place and go to Heaven.  There's only one small problem with this belief.  It is not found in the Bible.  Not anywhere!  There is no mention of a place like that at all!  Purgatory is an invention of religious unbelievers designed to make certain churches very rich!

Then there are churches that teach that when you die, you go to the grave.  They teach that we are like animals;  we die and that is the end.  But is that what the Bible teaches?  Of course not!  Hebrews 9:37 says, "And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."

So that leaves only 2 places.  Heaven or Hell.  Obviously, we all want to go to Heaven.  I've never met anyone that WANTED to go to Hell.  But there's MANY people going there!  The  Bible even tells us that Hell hath enlarged herself to make room for the multitudes that are going there!  Isaiah 5:14  "Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it."  Imagine spending the rest of eternity in a place like Hell!   It is difficult for us to think of it, but that is exactly what will happen to those that do not accept God’s gift of salvation.

“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Rev. 21:11-15 

The following Bible verses are the words of Jesus Christ himself!  You might say, “Oh, I don’t believe in Hell.”  Well, Jesus did!  Here’s what he said about it!

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”  Matt. 10:28

“Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”  Matthew 23:33

“And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”  Luke 12:4,5

So what is Hell like?  I don’t think the human mind can imagine the horrors of Hell.  The Bible is very clear in it’s description of that awful place.  It is so bad that the Bible plainly says that it was not even created for mankind.  It was created for the Satan and the demons of Hell.

Matthew 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

The Bible gives us just a small idea of what one can expect if they go to Hell.  The Scriptures says that it is:

A place of punishment (Matt. 25:46).

A place of banishment (2 Thess. 1:9).

A place of fire (Matt. 13:42,50; Mark 9:44-48; Rev. 20:15; 14:10).

A place of torment (Luke 16:23; Rev. 20:10).

A place of worms (Mark 9:44,46,48; Isa. 66:24).

A place of darkness (2 Pet. 2:17; Jude 13). 

A place of consciousness and feeling (Luke 16:23).

A place of thirst (Luke 16:24).

A place without hope of escape (Luke 16:26).

A place of unfulfilled desires and unanswered prayers (Luke 16:27-31).

A place of wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 25:30; 24:51).

A place of remorse (Luke 16:27-28).

Many have joked about Hell and laughed and said that they would have a huge party with all their friends.  I’m afraid that they are in for a major surprise.  So what will NOT be in Hell? 

The following things will not be there: God, the Bible, Christians, hymns, fellowship with friends and loved ones, light, hope of escape, love and kindness, pleasure, comfort, the preaching of the Gospel, rest, pain killing drugs, books, animals, money, entertainment, freedom, choice, pity, sports, hope, and mercy.  God was very plain in his warnings about Hell.  Here’s a few Scripture references to what God, the One that created Hell says about that awful place.

"hell fire" (Mark 9:47).

"the fire that never shall be quenched" (Mark 9:43,45).

"where the worm dieth not" (Isa. 66:24; Mark 9:44,46,48). 

" tormented in this flame" (Luk. 16:24).

"everlasting destruction" (2 Thess. 1:9).

"flaming fire taking vengeance" (2 Thess. 1:8).

"everlasting punishment" (Matt. 25:46).

"tormented day and night forever and ever" (Rev. 20:10).

"cast into the lake of fire" (Rev. 20:15).

"tormented with fire and brimstone" (Rev. 14:10).

"no rest day nor night forever and ever" (Rev. 14:10).

"wailing and gnashing of teeth" (Matt. 13:42,50).

"cast into a furnace of fire" (Matt. 13:42,50).

"depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire" (Matt. 25:41).

"cast him into outer darkness" (Matt. 22:13).

There Is An Escape

I can assure you of one fact, my friend.  God does not want you to go to this terrible place.  He has done everything possible to keep you from going.  One thing is sure.  If you go to Hell after you die, it will be because you chose to go there.

God sent his only Son to die on the cross so that you would not have to go to Hell.  The Bible says in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Here’s how it works.  Either you can accept Jesus’ payment for your sins, or you can pay for them yourself in the lake of fire and brimstone for the rest of eternity.  The Bible clearly teaches that because of man’s sins, they have to be punished with the penalty of death.  Jesus paid for your sins on the cross.  But if you do not accept HIS PAYMENT, then it will not help you when you stand before the Judge one day. Our payment for our sin is death!  But since Jesus already died for your sins, there’s no need for you to!  He endured all the pain and suffering of the cross so that you would not have to die an eternal death in Hell.  The Bible promises us that if we accept God’s free gift, then we can have eternal life!

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

There may be many things about the Bible that you do not understand, but one thing is simple and plain.  If you do not get saved, you will spend eternity in Hell.  If you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, then you will spend eternity in Heaven with God.  Here are some powerful Scripture verses that tells you exactly what you have to do to be saved.

Admit You Are A Sinner

Until you admit that you NEED a Saviour, then you cannot be saved!  The first step to becoming a child of God is realizing that you are NOT ALREADY a child of God.  Many people believe the false doctrine that we are all God’s children.  My friend, that is a lie of Satan.  We are not all a child of God.  If we are, then what did Jesus mean when he said in John 8:44 “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.”

Those that are not saved; those that have never been born again are a child of the devil.  He controls them, he abuses them, he causes them to sin, he has them in chains and in bondage.  But when you become a child of God, all of that changes.

John 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Admitting that you are a sinner is the most difficult step of salvation for many people.  They have lied to themselves and convinced themselves that they are OK and that when they die, their good works will be weighed against their bad works and whichever way the scales are leaning will determine where they will go.  That is not what God said.  Even good, moral people will be condemned to Hell. 

Romans 3:23  “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

Matt. 7:21-23 “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

The verses above have to be without a doubt the most horrifying words to ever fall on human ears.  Image being a priest, pastor, church worker, even a person that performed miracles and cast out devils, and you were NOT SAVED!!! Think about standing before an Almighty God and hearing Him say, "I NEVER KNEW YOU!"  How tragic!

Just because you are a good person does not mean that you are going to Heaven.  It is a serious mistake to think that!

Believe That Jesus Is The Only Way

If you have other plans or methods of getting to Heaven, you will never get there.  Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.”

The Bible is very clear on the fact that believing that Jesus is the only way is required for salvation.  If you are depending on good works, baptism, confirmation, church membership, giving money to the church or whatever, you are not saved!

God is not interested in your good works.  He is only interested in your TRUST and FAITH in the finished work that Christ did on the cross.  Until you can place all your trust in what Jesus did for you at Calvary, then your good works are worthless.

Look at what the Bible says in Romans 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."  It is very clear on the fact that our salvation comes not through works, but by the mercy and grace of God.

Ephesians 2:8,9 says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.  Not of works lest any man should boast."

Salvation is a gift!  Did you know that it is called a 'gift' dozens of times in the Word of God.  Do you earn a gift?  Do you purchase a gift?  Do you work for a gift?  Of course not!  A gift is given to you by someone who loves you.  If you had to work for it, it would not be a gift.  It would be wages, wouldn't it?  Well, the Bible already told us that the wages that we deserved was death!  So, God has given us what we DO NOT deserve.  That is called GRACE.  The grace of God is God's unearned favors though we do not deserve it.  If you try to get to Heaven any other way than by complete trust in his FREE GIFT of salvation, then you will never make it.

Repent Of Your Sins

Repentance simply means a change of heart, a change of mind, a change of will.  If you are sick and tired of your sinful heart and sinful ways, then God wants to save you today.  Jesus preached "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."  If you love your sin so much that you are not interested in repentance, then you can't get saved!  You have to be willing to leave your sinful life and become a NEW CREATURE in Christ Jesus!  II Corinthians 5:17 says "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."  If you are not willing to repent, God will see that you are not sorry for your sins and will not save you.  Salvation is not based on your works, but God is looking at your heart to see if you are serious about being saved.

I John 1:9 says "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  Being honest about your sin and getting forgiveness for them is very important.  Until you do that, you can't be saved.

It is our prayer that by reading this little booklet, the Holy Spirit of God has convinced you that you are a sinner and in need of salvation.  Christ is the only way.  He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless, perfect life, was crucified for our sins, was buried, and three days later rose from the grave.  He's alive today, sitting at the right hand of God and He wants to give you the gift of everlasting life and He wants to forgive you of ALL your sins and adopt you into His family.  Don't wait.  Don't procrastinate.  Don't doubt Him or His love for you.  Trust and accept Him before it is too late.

You are not promised another day.  There is no guarantee that you'll live to be an old woman or an old man.  You could die today.  Your house is on fire.  Get out and run to Jesus.  He'll save you from that aweful place called Hell and you will never regret it.  The question still remains dear friend: "Where are you going when you die?"

You have just read the most important message ever written.  It is a message of salvation, love and hope.  If you realize that you have never been saved, why don’t you do so now?  Why don’t you get on your knees right now and humbly admit to God that you are a sinner and that you need to be saved.  Ask him to come into your life and make you a child of God.  Let Him know that you are not trusting in your works, but instead you are trusting in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for your salvation.  Repent of your sins and ask him to save you, and He will.  Don’t put it off.  Ask Him today!

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as a result of this article, please let me know!  Email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call me at 864-704-7745 and let me rejoice with you!