The cartoons are wrong, and Hollywood is terribly mistaken when they present hell as a hot place where people play poker and talk to each other amidst flickering flames and an occasional jab by Satan’s pitchfork. You see, in addition to being called a lake of fire, hell is called a place of outer darkness (Matthew 8:12). Consequently, the torment in a place so dark even the flames of the lake of fire don’t shed any light is exceeded only by the inner torment people feel throughout eternity as they recall the sermons they heard, and the invitations to salvation they ignored.

Jesus said specifically that hell was not created for people but for the devil and demons (Matthew 25:41). Peter said God is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9) — but —

God, being Light, if man says, 'I don’t want God,' he will be consigned to darkness;

God, being health, if man says, 'I don’t want God,' he will be relinquished to a place of pain;

God, being a Father, if man says, 'I don’t want God,' he will spend eternity in isolation.

God, on the other hand, says, ‘I would rather die than live without you.’ And He did just that when He died on the Cross in order that, forgiven of our sins, we might live with Him forever.