The Most Unpopular Subject in the World And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15 After a long, fatiguing day on a lecture trip to Pittsburgh, I flicked on the TV as I came into my hotel room. I was looking forward to a few moments of relaxation before turning in. The program happened to be an interview talk show, and as my mind tuned to the discussion, I suddenly realized that over nationwide television the subject of the program was wife and husband swapping. The husband and wife being interviewed were obviously “swingers” and belonged to a group by the same name. After presenting views supporting their immoral lifestyle, the couple invited the audience to question them. For the most part, the questions were pragmatic (wife and husband swapping didn’t seem a practical way to run a marriage), but as each questioner presented an opposing view, the swingers demolished them with, “You’re being too puritanical,” or “That’s mid-Victorian!” And they weren’t fazed by a weak question about how they thought God viewed their lifestyle. Later, as I reflected on the program, it became apparent to me again that humankind will wax worse and worse when God is left out of life. I was also reminded of Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 5:1. What had been publicly aired on national TV was not even spoken of among the Gentiles! I realized afresh that all people need to understand that the Scriptures teach there is a Hell. The Reality of Hell I know many ranters, ravers, and demagogues have made the biblical doctrine of Hell exceedingly distasteful. Some preachers have even spoken with apparent glee about the everlasting damnation of the wicked. I believe this to be truly sad, because whenever we talk about Hell and those who go there, we must understand that they are real people with real flesh and real blood. Therefore, we must talk about Hell with great sobriety and even tears, realizing it is what each of us deserves. Romans 3:10 says, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” Yet most people outside of Christ dismiss the concept of Hell. The thought of endless and infinite misery so paralyzes their minds that they refuse to think about it. Others simply say, “I no longer believe in Hell; it’s too old-fashioned,” which is like someone forming a society where all agree that Australia doesn’t exist. But the reality of Australia will not change no matter how many people say it isn’t there. In the same way, God and His Word are not affected by whether people believe in Him. A majority never rules His Word out of court. The tragedy is there are millions of people in Hell today who, while on earth, closed their minds to its reality. Frequently people will tell me they believe in Heaven but not Hell. When I ask how they know there is a Heaven, most say, “I haven’t given the matter too much thought—I just feel there is.” Feelings, of course, are most unreliable. The only way any of us knows about Heaven is because God in His love tells us about it in His Word. People who confess that they believe in Heaven but not Hell fail to realize that God reveals both in the Bible. The same Scriptures that make known the glories and felicity of Heaven also make known the terrors and awfulness of Hell. There is no logical consistency to accepting Heaven and denying Hell. Let us now, without being overwhelmed by our fears, take a rational and intelligent look at this matter. After repeatedly listening to a man punctuate his phraseology with Hell one day, a friend of mine finally said, “Say, you seem to know a lot about Hell. Is it because you’ve been there, or because you’re going there?” Taken aback, the man said, “Well, I suppose I’m going there.” “You know,” said my friend, “you don’t have to.” That, of course, is what the Bible is saying to us: “You don’t have to, you know!” However, it’s a psychological fact that people suppress the thing they fear most. I am convinced that the person who fears Hell most is the person who most vehemently denies its existence. But my word to you, and the word from Scripture, is that no one need cringe in terror worrying about whether he will go to Hell. The Christian’s View of Hell I once asked three people what they had thought about Hell before they became Christians. Their responses were identical: “I didn’t like to think about it. But when I did, it was a most frightening prospect because I thought I might go there. I didn’t know exactly what I had to do to get there, and I didn’t know exactly what I had to do not to get there. I tried not to think about it.” I then asked what their thoughts and emotions were since their conversion. One said, “I am only afraid of it when I think of others. My fear is for them, not myself.” “Why are you now not afraid?” I asked. “Don’t you believe it exists?” “Yes,” said all three. “We believe Hell exists. But we’re not afraid because we know we’re not going there!” This is an intelligent response to God’s warning from Scripture. After warning us about Hell, God doesn’t leave us there. Rather, He shows us a way of escape. God says that when we by faith enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we are immediately saved from the penalty of Hell (see John 3:18). From that moment on, throughout the rest of our lives and into eternity, we have the assurance from Scripture that we will never see Hell. If we have never entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ (even though we may have been church members for years), then we have reason to fear Hell. Let me repeat! People who refuse to believe in Hell, or who think that denying its existence will make it go away, are deceiving themselves. Jesus Christ Himself, more than any other person in Scripture, talks about the awful reality of Hell. But when Jesus speaks about Hell, He doesn’t speak to frighten. Rather He speaks to warn and offer Himself as the alternative to Hell. How the Bible Describes Hell Sometimes people ask if the Scriptures talk about Hell as an actual place. Indeed the Bible does. Look at some of the descriptive terms used: everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41) Hell fire: where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:47–48) the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone (Revelation 21:8) the bottomless pit (Revelation 9:1–2) outer darkness (Matthew 8:12) [where] there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:42) It’s a place where one cries, “I am tormented in this flame” (Luke 16:24). It’s a place where “the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night” (Revelation 14:11). In each case, all the Greek words used mean “everlasting, unending, eternal.” They are the strongest words found in Greek for “never-ending duration.” The great A. A. Hodge said that all the great Church fathers, Reformers, and biblical scholars, with all of their dictionaries, lexicons (both Hebrew and Greek), commentaries, and systematic theologies, concur that the Scriptures teach an endless punishment of the finally impenitent, and this in spite of a tremendous human desire in the opposite direction. So state all the creeds of the Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists, Congregationalists, Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox, and all the historic churches of Protestantism. Indeed, it is a mock charity that would encourage the impenitent to suppose there is any chance that God does not mean what He says. How Can We Avoid Hell? There are those who try to create a divinity from their own minds and inflate it with their own conjectures. At best, their god becomes a wishy-washy idol without holiness, justice, or righteousness. Those who suppose that God is too loving to ever punish sin do not know the God who has revealed Himself in Scripture. Those who also suppose that man is too good for such a fate do not know the heart of man as it is revealed to us in the Bible. But those who realize that God is holy, and that man is depraved, his heart unclean, realize that their hope lies in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For on a Cross outside the city wall of Jerusalem, the Son of God endured the wrath of His Father for those that would trust in Him. I am convinced that the only way people will appreciate the biblical teachings on Hell is to come to know in their hearts that they will never go there. Our Lord said that there is a broad way that leads to destruction, and a narrow way that leads to life (see Matthew 7:13–14). There is a Book of Life, and those whose names are in it will go into everlasting bliss. Those whose names are not found written in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire (see Revelation 20:15). God has set His seal to it. His Word is true. Is your name in that book? Are you on that narrow way that leads to life? Do you want to know God’s way of escape? Our hope is simply this: Christ died on a Cross and we who trust in Him may by His grace go to Heaven. Have you by faith laid hold of Jesus Christ and invited Him into your heart? Have you repented of your sins? The promise of God is, “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). For those of you who have never accepted Jesus Christ into your life and want to, why don’t you pray these simple words: “Heavenly Father, this day I embrace Your Son, Jesus Christ, as my personal Savior. I take into my own heart the One who came that I might live. I repent of my sins, which are many. Therefore, by faith I claim and believe the promise that he that trusts in You shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life (see John 5:24). I rejoice that by Your grace I shall never see the bottomless pit and outer darkness. I thank You, Father, because now that I have taken Christ as my Savior, I shall, in the moment of death, be transported into paradise to be with You forever and ever.” Amen. Kennedy, D. James: Truths That Transform. Fort Lauderdale, Florida : Coral Ridge Ministries, 1974, 1996, S. 154 Now Truth In Action Ministries
Posted on: Tue, 03 Jun 2014 06:38:40 +0000
Trending Topics
© 2015