Have you ever said, “I will never do that,” and then you end up doing it after all? Perhaps as a child you said, “When I am a parent, I will never do that” or “never say that,” and then when you became a parent you ended up doing it or saying it after all? Some might do it with a career or job — “I would never do that kind of work” and then end up doing it. Some might do it with marriage — “I would never marry someone like that” and then end up doing it. Some might do it with some sinful behavior — “I will never drink/gamble/cheat on my spouse/leave the Lord,” and then end up doing it.
Wouldn’t it be nice to say, “I will never go to hell,” and end up really not going? Wouldn’t it be nice to have the assurance right now that you will never, never, never, never go to hell? Did you know that God uses the word “never” in Scripture to guarantee your eternal deliverance from that eternal fire?
Before raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus said, “Whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:26). While all men will die physically (Heb. 11:27), Jesus promised that those who believe in Him (present tense, emphasizing continuous activity) would forever avoid the second death and never go to hell.
Jesus identifies His sheep in John 10 as those who “hear My voice…and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish” (John 10:27-28). Jesus promised that those who follow Him (present tense, emphasizing continuous activity) would go to heaven and never go to hell.
In a conversation with the antagonistic Jews in John 8, Jesus declared, “If anyone keeps My word he shall never see death” (John 8:51). Jesus promised that those who keep the word of the Lord would never experience spiritual death or separation from Him.
Summarize these passages. For one to be able to state with confidence, “I will never go to hell,” he must continually believe in Jesus, continually follow Jesus and resolve to keep His word! Someone might say in pride, “I will never go to hell,” but end up going because they fail in these areas.
As the New Testament was winding to a close, the apostle Peter urged Christians to give “all diligence” to grow as a Christian and “be even more diligent to make your call and election sure.” What benefit would follow? “For if you do these things you will never stumble,” but rather “an entrance…abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord” (2 Pet. 1:5-11). Can you say today, “I will never, never, never, never go to hell”? If not, the Lord told you how to fix it!