Hell isn't a very fun topic is it? But it isn't one to be ignored either. I want to share some bits from God's word on this but first I thought I would share an excerpt from a book that I have been reading just lately - "And The Angels Were Silent" by Max Lucado......
"We don't like to talk about hell, do we? In intellectual circles the topic of hell is regarded as primitive and foolish. It's not logical. "A loving God wouldn't send people to hell." So we dismiss it.
But to dismiss it is to dismiss a core teaching of Jesus. The doctrine of hell is not one developed by Paul, Peter or John. It is taught be Jesus himself.
And to dismiss it is to dismiss much more. It is to dismiss the presence of a loving God and the privilege of a free choice. Let me explain.
We are free either to love God or not. He invites us to love him. He urges us to love him. He came that we might love him. But, in the end, the choice is yours and mine. To take that choice from each of us, for him to force us to love him, would be less than love.
God explains the benefits, outlines the promises, and articulates very clearly the consequences. And then, in the end, he leaves the choice to us.
Hell was not prepared for people. Hell "was prepared for the devil and his angels." FOr a person to go to hell, then, is far a person to go against God's intended destiny. "God has not destined us to the terrors of judgement, but to the full attainment of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Hell is man's choice, not God's choice."
So let's look at some verses....
Sinners will be punished in hell.
"As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Matthew 3:11 & 12
"... When the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power" 2 Thess. 1:7-9
"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." Matthew 7:19
"So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire, on that palace there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 13:49 & 50
"Then He will also say to those on His left, "Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me. Then they themselves also will answer, "Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of you? Then He will answer them, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me." These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Matthew 25:41-46
What is Hell like?
"Where the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched." Mark 9:48
"And if anyone's name was not found, written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:15
And noticing from the verses above.... It is eternal, it is away from the presence of God, it is full of weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Hell is going to be a terrible place and I don't think any of us desire to go there. So let's seek our dear Lord and Savior who is the only one that can save us from that place. Let us also warn others and encourage them to follow Jesus.
"We don't like to talk about hell, do we? In intellectual circles the topic of hell is regarded as primitive and foolish. It's not logical. "A loving God wouldn't send people to hell." So we dismiss it.
But to dismiss it is to dismiss a core teaching of Jesus. The doctrine of hell is not one developed by Paul, Peter or John. It is taught be Jesus himself.
And to dismiss it is to dismiss much more. It is to dismiss the presence of a loving God and the privilege of a free choice. Let me explain.
We are free either to love God or not. He invites us to love him. He urges us to love him. He came that we might love him. But, in the end, the choice is yours and mine. To take that choice from each of us, for him to force us to love him, would be less than love.
God explains the benefits, outlines the promises, and articulates very clearly the consequences. And then, in the end, he leaves the choice to us.
Hell was not prepared for people. Hell "was prepared for the devil and his angels." FOr a person to go to hell, then, is far a person to go against God's intended destiny. "God has not destined us to the terrors of judgement, but to the full attainment of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Hell is man's choice, not God's choice."
So let's look at some verses....
Sinners will be punished in hell.
"As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Matthew 3:11 & 12
"... When the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power" 2 Thess. 1:7-9
"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." Matthew 7:19
"So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire, on that palace there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 13:49 & 50
"Then He will also say to those on His left, "Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me. Then they themselves also will answer, "Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of you? Then He will answer them, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me." These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Matthew 25:41-46
What is Hell like?
"Where the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched." Mark 9:48
"And if anyone's name was not found, written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:15
And noticing from the verses above.... It is eternal, it is away from the presence of God, it is full of weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Hell is going to be a terrible place and I don't think any of us desire to go there. So let's seek our dear Lord and Savior who is the only one that can save us from that place. Let us also warn others and encourage them to follow Jesus.
2 comments:
Very good post! This is so true. Hell seems like a story to some people and even Christians. Thank you for sharing.
You are welcome! Thanks for sharing your comment as well. I appreciate your encouragement!
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