A few years ago the then Secretary of State for Education, John Patten, caused a stir by saying that bad behaviour is increasing among the young because they do not know the Christian teaching about hell and eternal damnation. What do you think? 
There are a few important qualifications. 

Just before he said that I was talking to two of my sons. They had just spent Easter Saturday helping in Christian mission work in a young offenders prison. The young offenders were deeply impressed by the friendship and help they received from this 'mission' and all of them listened very attentively to the testimonies they heard from those who spoke to them. 

I am reminded of the friendship and love that our Lord gave to the dishonest Zacchaeus who had become rich by defrauding many people. It was that unconditional love that prompted Zacchaeus to repay fourfold all that he had taken and also give half of his wealth to the poor. Jesus then said "Today salvation has come to this house". 

If our Lord had gone to the young offenders prison would He have begun by telling them they were on the way to hell? I doubt it! So some clergy, such as the Bishop of Birmingham strongly disagreed with Mr. Patten saying that it is the love of God, not the doctrine of 'hell', that should motivate our behaviour. So who was right? 

First we must ask whether Jesus believed in hell, and secondly, if He did, we must consider how He used this teaching.

Did Jesus believe in the existence of hell?
We must be quite clear that the Bible continually warns us of eternal condemnation. The end result of rebellion against our Creator and Redeemer can be nothing other than outer darkness. Where in the Bible do we find this teaching? Mainly in the New Testament and especially in the teaching of Jesus! If we claim that He is our 'Teacher and Lord' then we must take His words seriously. 

Let us imagine, that there is no life after death of any kind. What would that mean for man's search for happiness? (Happiness is fulfilling the purpose of our lives.) If there is no goal beyond this world then happiness becomes what each person defines it as for himself. Without belief in heaven or hell the pursuit of happiness has to be carried out in the few uncertain years before we die. Our lives become an ever more hectic (and even frantic) search for this illusive happiness and lead to greater and greater anxiety and selfishness in society. Crime is bound to increase.

Now let us imagine that there is life after death but that everyone is going to heaven. Do some of the funeral services we have attended give that impression? If everyone is going to heaven forever (and this must include Saddham Hussein as well as the SS guards in Auswitz), then our few years on this earth are totally insignificant. For what is a mere eighty or so years compared with an infinity of time in heaven? If all of us go to heaven then what we do in this world is completely irrelevant and unimportant. Our behaviour here cannot matter because we'll all soon be in heaven for ever.

God knows that we are frail creatures and so easily led away from Him. He knows that we do need to be warned. It is because He is merciful and full of love for us that He most earnestly warns us of the terrible consequences of turning our back on Him. He knows that both carrot and stick are needed to keep us in the right way. He knows that carrot alone is not enough. Because He cares for us and does not want us to perish, He gives us both love and warning. He teaches us both to love and fear Him. 

In our Lord's general teachings (especially in His parables) He did warn everyone that there will be those who are cast into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

To Whom did Jesus target His warnings about hell?
His most direct warnings about hell were not addressed to the 'sinners' of His day (the young criminals of our day)  but to the religious leaders who self-righteously exalted themselves against the ways of God and put barriers between the Kingdom of God and ordinary people. 

When Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount He began by saying 'Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven'. In other words if you humbly acknowledge your spiritual need then you are already on the ladder that leads to heaven. His first warning about hell came when He warned us about despising the humanity of our fellow human beings. (Matt 5.22). At the end of His sermon He singled out, for special warning, those who had made great religious claims for themselves. (Matt 7.22). 

All of us who are Christian leaders must heed our Lord's warning. It was the Apostle Paul who said that he kept himself under discipline lest "after I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway". (1 Cor 9.27).  

It is right that we should both love and fear God. Fearing Him drives me nearer to Him and in coming nearer to Him I find I love Him more. Those who most need to learn to fear hell are the religious, political, and media leaders who have such a great influence over the lives of ordinary young people. The teaching about hell must filter down to everyone but we cannot escape the fact that Jesus's sharpest warnings were to those who claimed to be the righteous ones. 

Perhaps then it is too dangerous to be a preacher and we should avoid such an occupation? We certainly should tremble before our awesome responsibility, but nevertheless it is the greatest privilege in the world to lead men and women, young people, boys and girls to the One who alone freely forgives sins, and saves from hell by the sacrifice He made for us all. Since not one of us is worthy of His kingdom that is our salvation.