A Terrible Place
Not just a swear word
Ungodly people who have no fear of hell often use the word profanely; but, the subject of hell is a very serious matter. Those who do not trust in Jesus Christ for salvation will discover hell to be a reality one second after death. In Psalm 9:17, God says, The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
Tell the truth compassionately
A church was without a pastor, and several candidates had been invited to come and preach. The first candidate used as his text the verse I just quoted from Psalm 9:17, The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. After the pastor returned to his home, the pastoral search committee met. The chairman was strongly against the young man who spoke. Several Sundays later, they had another candidate and, lo and behold, he spoke on the same text. After he returned home, the pastoral search committee met again. This time, the chairman was unusually enthusiastic about the second young man. The board members were surprised. One of them asked, “Why did you like him? He used the same text as the first minister.” “True,” said the chairman, “but when the second man emphasized the fact that the lost will be turned into hell, he said it with tears in his eyes and with concern in his voice. The first preacher almost seemed to gloat over it.”
I think that when our Lord Jesus Christ spoke about hell there were tears in His eyes, for He realized how lost people were. It has never been easy for me to speak on this subject. There are scores of topics that I would prefer. But God has directed us to remind people of this horrible destination. People don’t go to hell because they are bad or because they neglect church. They go there because of their sins that have never been forgiven through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
You can't pick and choose truth
Some people say, “Well, I believe in heaven but I don’t believe in hell.” That’s ridiculous. Both are taught in the Bible. We are told in
2 Timothy 3:16 that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. The Bible is not like a box of candy where you pick out certain pieces you like. The entire Bible is for each one of us and the doctrine of hell is a very important part of it.
The Bible says the fire is real
Hell is a real place, not a figure of speech. I am talking about reality. You may wonder how I know about hell. Have I ever been there? No, and I am not going there.
In the gospel of Luke, 16:23, Jesus told us about a man who was in hell. 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. You may ask if it was real fire. It had all the affects of fire, and the Scripture says it was fire.
You can't get out of hell
Notice the answer: But Abraham said, Son, remember thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted and, you are tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Next, this man in hell begged for missionaries to go to his brothers and testify to them so they wouldn’t come to the same place. This is a story about a poor man and a rich man. The poor man didn’t go to heaven because he was poor, nor did the rich man go to hell because he was rich. The poor man went to heaven because he believed in God and trusted in him. The rich man went to hell because he neglected God. If a person has no time for God, and neglects Him and forgets about Him, the end result will be eternal hell. On the other hand, when a person comes to Christ and repents of his sins and receives Jesus as Savior, immediately he is on his way to heaven.
More than words - deeds!
Is that all a person has to do? No. You have to prove that you are truly born of the Spirit. You have to follow Christ. You get involved in a church. You live for the Lord. You become a testimony for God. It isn’t enough to say, I believe, and let it go at that. There has to be some evidence of it. God expects that. I have heard all kinds of stories. A lady told me of her husband who committed all kinds of evil. He was an alcoholic and a gambler. “But,” she said, “I know he is saved. He went forward in a church service when he was about ten years old.” Don’t you believe he’s saved, dear friends. The Bible makes it clear, If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. He lives for God. He does the will of God. He obeys God. Belief is followed by evidence of conversion.
Hell is not here on earth
During World War II, after a bombing raid on London, an evangelist was passing out Gospel literature when an old skeptic came along and said, “This bombing is hell, isn’t it? Absolute hell.” “No,” said the evangelist, “I’ll give you three reasons why it isn’t hell. First, I’m a Christian and there are no Christians in hell. Second, there is a brothel around the corner and there are no brothels in hell. And third, I am proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus of Christ and there is no Gospel in hell.” According to the article I read four weeks later, the evangelist was preaching in Hyde Park. When he finished, he gave an invitation to anyone in the crowd who would like to receive Christ as Savior and Lord. The old skeptic was the first one to come.
You don't have to go to hell
Though all of us deserve to go to hell, not one of us must go there. God has provided a way to escape hell and go to heaven, and that is through His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins and rose again for our justification, so that we can be made new by the Holy Spirit through the power of God. If you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior at this very moment, and follow Him the rest of your life, your place in heaven is assured and never will you see hell. I urge you to make that decision. If you do, then phone or write and we shall send you some helpful literature that will explain things in greater detail. Ask for the New Christian packet (12 messages to help you learn about your new life in Christ).
J. Allen Blair
God's Gift is for you!
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23).
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