“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” – Luke 19:10
sI don’t know anyone who wants to go to hell. Occasionally, someone make joke about it, but in reality, there isn’t anyone that I know of who truly desires to spend eternity there. It is a place of eternal torment and complete separation from God forever.
The Bible describes hell as follows:
- “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.” -Revelation 21:8
- “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;” – 2 Thessalonians 1:9
- “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:” – Mark 9:43
- “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” – Daniel 12:2
- “The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” – Matthew 13:41-42
There are many other verses in the Bible that reference hell, and none of them are pleasant by any stretch of the imagination. Initially, hell was a place prepared for the devil and his angelic followers. “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” (Matthew 25:41) It is also a place where those who reject God’s Son will spend eternity.
If a person truly understood the gravity of what it meant to be sent to hell by God, there would be no jokes about going there to “be with my friends.” Unfortunately, everyone is destined to go there. Why? Because we are all sinners in the eyes of God. According to Romans 3:10, “…There is none righteous, no, not one:”
But there is good news! The Bible tells us in Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” This means that God loved us so much, He sent His only Son, Jesus, to become our Saviour! While it is clear that the punishment for our sins is eternal damnation, Jesus chose to take upon Himself the punishment meant for us. When He shed His precious blood and died on the cross of Calvary, He became the gift of God in Romans 6:23. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The reason that Jesus came to earth was to provide a way for us to escape the punishment of hell through the forgiveness of our sins. His death and resurrection prove He is exactly who He said He was, and that He alone has the power to forgive the iniquities of all mankind.
The Bible says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13) Simply put, if you want to avoid the punishment for your sins, eternity in hell, all that you need to do is ask Jesus to forgive you! When you put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, He forgives your sins and promises you everlasting life with Him in heaven! John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Not only does salvation in Christ promise you an eternal future in heaven, but you will also become empowered by His Holy Spirit to live for Him today! A life for Christ is filled with promise and hope! If you’ve never asked Jesus to forgive your sins and become your Saviour, you can do that today! There is no sin too big for Him to forgive. No shame too heavy for Him to relieve. Go to Him just as you are. He will not reject you. He is waiting for you with open arms, ready to forgive, ready to heal, ready to love.
Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
(from “Just As I Am” by Charlotte Elliott)
“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” – John 3:17
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If you have any questions about salvation, please let me know. I’d love to share with you from the Word of God how you can be saved today!