There really is a Hell, and God really will send people there!
In today’s world, the idea of Hell, a place where God’s creation is sent to eternal torment simply because they believed differently than him, is REPULSIVE to many. The world will not embrace this belief. And in increasing numbers, even the church itself is rejecting the Biblical notion of Hell. In a study from the 1980’s 50% of all U.S. Seminary students believed it was “poor taste” for Christians to talk about hell to non-believers. And 60% of Americans believed in some sort of Hell, but only 4% of those people felt they would go there. Jonathan Edwards would scarcely recognize the hell of today’s church. When was the least time you talked about hell with someone? When did you last discuss it with someone at church? So before we go any further, let us take a look at what WE think about Hell.
What do think of Hell? What is it? Who gets it? When? Why? Is it a place or a state of mind?
Why do you think we are so scared of hell? Why do we avoid it?
I can read books, quotes, web-sites etc., that all argue about Hell. But is there any one person who is truly qualified to truly talk to us about hell and what happens to people when they reject the Gospel? Yes there is…… Jesus Christ.
What did Jesus say about hell?
13% of ALL verses in the NT that record the words of Jesus deal with the subject of eternal judgment and hell! THIRTEEN PERCENT!!!! That is like you talking about Hell in 1 of every 10 sentences that came out of your mouth! Apparently, Jesus believed in Hell and found it quite important to talk about it! In fact on could almost argue that Jesus had more to say about Hell than he did Heaven! Now if you profess a belief in Jesus as the Son of God and believe all he says and does is truth, than you cannot reject the notion of a real and eternal Hell!
So what DID he say about Hell? Let’s read one of his more vivid descriptions. READ LUKE 16:19-26 What kind of images does this story paint in your minds about Hell?
There are 3 things about Hell that Jesus taught and I wish to address?
1- Hell is a REAL place! It is not just a “state of mind”. He believed this. We all know he believed Heaven to be real (read John14:2)…..Heaven is not a state of mind either………They are both real places!
2- Hell is a place of horrendous suffering. In the passage we read from Luke he talks of “agony of flame”. Read also Mark 9:48-Matt 22:13. So…..are we to believe hell is really a literal furnace that burns forever the flesh of unbelievers? Who really knows? Many argue this cannot be true because of what is said in Matt 22:13. But God continually describes it as fire! Here is the LOGIC of it all…..whether it is literal or figurative, one thing remains true through it all: THE PAIN OF HELL IS TERRIBLY HORRENDOUS AND DEFIES ALL DESCRIPTION!!!!
3- Hell is a place of ETERNAL suffering- There are a growing number of Christians embracing a concept known as “annihilationism” which basically says that unbelievers will not live forever in Hell, as believers will in Heaven. Instead, they will be cast into the fire and be eventually destroyed! What is the flaw in that? What is the benefit in believing in such a theory? It takes the sting out of hell huh? I am sorry, but the Bible tells me that Hell is forever! Read Rev. 19:20….it says the beast and false prophet are thrown into the fire….. Then 1000 years later John sees Satan thrown into the same fire, “where the prophet and beast are also” (Rev 20:10)!!!! 1000 years later they are still in Hell and in torment! And in Rev. 22 it describes the eternality of hell as FOREVER!
What are the biggest objections to Hell? In spite of all the words of Jesus about the reality and severity of Hell, many still condemn the idea of Hell and eternal punishment based on some of the following popular objections:
1- GOD IS TOO LOVING TO SEND PEOPLE TO HELL
2- HELL IS TOO SEVERE A PUNISHMENT FOR WRONG BELIEFS
3- HE CAN'T CONDEMN THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER HEARD THE WORD
4- HOW WILL ANYONE ENJOY HEAVEN IF OTHERS ARE BURNING IN HELL?
SO…….??????
What do you think about Hell?
Are we embarrasses of Hell? Are we scared of it? Is warning people that they are in danger of eternal torment such a bad thing? What do you think is the biggest “wrong” in NOT telling folks about hell? By omitting Hell, are we perhaps unconsciously elevating ourselves above Christ? Because he talked about it all the time, do we assume we are more educated or compassionate than he is?
What was Jesus motivation in telling about Hell? It was NOT to condemn people, but to save them!!!!! READ John 3:17-18. We were all under a death sentence before he showed up…..his purpose was to offer us all a way out! If we are to be like Christ, then we are to tell people about Hell!
Hell is real, and people WE KNOW will go there…….will you tell them before it is too late?