There’s a heat wave hitting a large part of the country right now. Where I live, it’s pretty miserable outside. Temperatures are in the high 90s and low 100s, and the humidity is above 55%. When the afternoon thunderstorms roll in, the humidity rises even higher, and the heat is stifling. Anything I can do to avoid the heat is what I do, and most of the time that involves being in an air-conditioned environment. Can you imagine what it would be like to never have respite from the torture of unbearable heat…ever? I know of a place where that is a reality.
That place is hell. We don’t seem to hear a lot about hell these days. Maybe you’ll hear someone joke about going there with all their friends, or you might hear “hell” used as a word of emphasis or worse. But for the most part, people don’t enjoy talking or hearing about a place of eternal suffering and damnation, and many people don’t believe such a place exists. I suppose it’s easier to deny the existence of hell than face the prospect of possibly going there one day.
The denial of something or someone unpleasant seems to be the cultural norm nowadays. For example, if we tear down monuments or refuse to teach our children about the difficult events in history like the Holocaust or slavery, its easier to pretend they never happened. The reality is that destroying a memorial to Confederate soldiers or removing all references to the Holocaust in school textbooks doesn’t make what happened untrue. It just hides the horror, and no one benefits by past atrocities and mistakes being brushed under the rug, for that, as the old adage states, leads to repetition of heinous behaviors.
Regardless of whether we deny the existence of hell or refuse to preach/teach about it in our churches, hell still exists. The Bible has over 150 verses that reference hell in the New Testament alone. Here is just a small sample of what the Scriptures say about hell.
1) Hell is a place of torment.
*Luke 16:23-24 states, “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”
2) Hell is a place of unquenchable fire.
*Mark 9:45 records, “And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:”
3) Hell is reserved for unbelieving sinners.
*Revelation 21:8 says, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
4) Hell is a place of eternal punishment.
*Matthew 25:46 records Jesus as saying, “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”
5) Hell is a place of unmeasurable suffering.
*Matthew 13:42 states, “And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
There are many other verses in the Bible, Old and New Testaments, that reference hell. None of them sound fun and exciting, and none would make someone want to go there. Originally, hell was prepared by God for Satan and the angels that sinned. “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;” (2 Peter 2:4). Later, when mankind sinned, hell became the place of eternal punishment for them as well. “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15).
Hell is a place forever without God. While we cannot fully comprehend what that will be like in this life, we will all know one day, without a doubt, that God exists and what He said in His Word is absolutely true. For those found guilty of their sins, there will be no second chance to beg for God’s forgiveness. God’s judgment at that time will be final. “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). While that sounds harsh, God is merciful and not willing that any should die in their sins and go to hell. 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” He is waiting to give the world time to come to Christ for salvation, but according to the Bible, that time of waiting will soon end.
Ever wonder why some Christians work so hard at sharing the gospel? It’s because we know what the future holds for believers and non-believers. We know that without the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord of your life, your sins will not be forgiven by God, and that denial will condemn non-believers to a Christ-less eternity in hell.
I am so grateful that I belong to a church whose leaders do not shy away from preaching and teaching all aspects of the Bible, even the parts that are difficult to hear. A person must know what they are being saved FROM in order to seek God’s salvation. If not, they will never see a need to come to Christ, confess their sins, and accept His forgiveness.
The Bible says in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Eternal damnation is found in the pits of hell with no access to our Heavenly Father, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, or the sweet Holy Spirit of God. But when a person truly repents of their sins, believes on Jesus, and seeks His forgiveness, everlasting life is the outcome! A glorious everlasting life in heaven with God forever!
One day, the invitation that Christ extends to “Come unto Me” (John 6:37) will end. No one knows when, but it will happen, and from the signs listed in the Bible, that time may be much sooner than many want to believe. According to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” The day is soon approaching when God will send His Son back to earth to gather all those who have accepted His free gift of salvation and take us back to heaven forever.
The Savior is waiting to enter your heart
Why don’t you let Him come in
There’s nothing in this world to keep you apart
What is your answer to Him?
Time after time He has waited before
And now He is waiting again
To see if you’re willing to open the door
Oh how He wants to come in.
(from “The Savior is Waiting” by Ralph Carmichael)
“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”- 1 Corinthians 15:52
**********
Will you be going with us? If you are not sure, I would love to share with you how you can know for sure you are going to heaven. Just reach out!