Osama, Terrorism, Despair, and Hope

By Justin Edwards

The world has been in a whirlwind since the news of the death of Osama bin Laden broke late Sunday evening.  Reactions have varied from celebration to condemnation, with many Christians struggling with how they should respond to the death of the world's most notorious killer of the last 2 decades.  In his article, A Christian Response to the death of Osama bin Laden, Randy White revisits the evil acts of bin Laden in recent years:

Osama bin Laden is a clear enemy.  As the leader of Al Qaeda, he is responsible for the death of over 3,000 men, women, and children on 9/11, as well as those who died on the USS Cole, the deaths of US servicemen shot down in Somalia in Operation Restore Hope, the 301 persons killed and 5,000 injured in bombings of U.S. Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, the bombing of a synagogue in Tunisia, the deaths of 180 people in a nightclub in Bali, and the list goes on.  Clearly, Osama bin Laden has been the deadliest terrorist of this young century (HT: Worldview Weekend).

Osama bin Laden was a cold-blooded murderer who deserved death.  Christians can rejoice that this wicked man has received temporal justice for his crimes against humanity, and we can rejoice that he can no longer take another innocent human life.  Yet, while we can rejoice that bin Laden is history and can harm us no more, the reality is he is in hell and has yet to face God's final justice - in that, we cannot rejoice, but more on that later.

Although bin Laden is dead, the threat of terrorism did not die with him.  In fact, his death will likely be a catalyst for near-future attacks.  Coincidentally, about a week before May 2, I saw that Wikileaks had released information regarding repercussions of a bin Laden capture or assassination.  In this report, Al-Qaeda threatens to unleash a nuclear hellstorm if Osama is caught or assassinated.  The terrorist organization has supposedly hidden a nuclear bomb in Europe, ready for detonation should Osama be incarcerated or killed.  It is not unlikely that such a threat is imposed within the United States, given our security risks on the border among other things.

In my opinion, killing OBL is another win for Islam.  The U.S. was absolutely justified in this assassination, but the consequences will be more attacks and restricted freedoms.  Not only might Al-Qaeda accelerate its efforts to attack the United States, but there may be an increase in lone wolf terrorists or bin Laden sympathizers to unleash their frustrations against perceived tyranny of the United States.  In fact, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula publishes a high quality English-language magazine, Inspire, to recruit and instruct Muslims in the West to carry out terrorist attacks in their home countries. They released their 5th edition in April:

With this is mind, the threat of so-called "soft targets" being attacked has significantly increased since the killing of Osama bin Laden.  Security has been heightened in major cities around the country, and agencies are being encouraged to employ security measures that would invade the privacy of American citizens.  The following CBS report explains that routine patdowns may become the norm for entry into these soft targets:



As the next few weeks unfold, we will likely see an increase of Muslims memorializing bin Laden.  In fact, the location of his killing is already becoming a shrine for his admirers, where one Muslims states:

I've come here today to see a piece of our history...Osama was a good Muslim who fought for Islam. He was a hero to us. I expect in time to see all sorts of tourists here, even Japanese and Americans.

This shrine may serve as a rallying point and pilgrimage for bin Laden's followers to pay their respects.  What we are seeing is faithful Muslims supporting one of their heroes - a martyr in their eyes.

Such is the sentiment that may bring about a new wave of terror in the United States. The world is already in turmoil with a failing economy, natural disasters, and Middle East turmoil, and with the perhaps imminent threat of terrorist attacks in the United States and Europe, we can expect more death and restricted freedoms.

So what does this mean for you?  What kind of emotions do you feel knowing that the world has significantly become more volatile, as if it wasn't volatile enough already?  Are you afraid?  Are you fearful of the unexpected?  If all you have is this life now, then there really is no hope for you.  If this world, which ultimately offers you nothing but temporal happiness, despair and death - an evil place where wickedness reigns and immorality destroys, if this world is the only one you have to cling to - then you are utterly hopeless.  At any moment, your life could be taken from you, and the chances of that happening have now increased by the death of one evil man.  

If death knocked on your door today, would you find yourself in the same place as Osama bin Laden?  The truth is, if you are still living for yourself and for this world, if you have need of nothing and are trying to live in a manner that you believe would make you worthy of heaven, then you are just as guilty as bin Laden and will face the same judgment as he will face. While the wrath of God may come down more severely upon bin Laden, God's wrath is still unfathomable upon those who refuse to obey the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  You may think such a position is incredulous, and I don't blame you, but that doesn't change the reality that you are a law-breaker and deserve the wages of your sin.

To read more about this and how you can avoid facing the same judgment as Osama bin Laden, please see Eternal Life.

Now, for my brothers and sisters in Christ - we have an incredible opportunity to use the killing of Osama bin Laden to proclaim the Gospel.  First of all, as opposed to those without Christ, we have an enduring hope!  As we are secured by grace, it doesn't matter if we should be the victims of a terrorist attack.  We are not to fear the unexpected on this earth, for our hope is in the One who has conquered death and has established a kingdom for us to rule and reign with Christ for eternity!  This is the Hope that is within us, and we must be constantly ready to share this with others.

Secondly, I expect most people are willing to talk about the death of Osama bin Laden.  I can think of no easier way to transition into a spiritual conversation than using this instance to break the ice.  In the days to come, I may put a list of survey questions together to use in witnessing encounters, but for now, consider asking people this simple question: 

Where do you think Osama bin Laden is now?

This will be a springboard for you to eventually ask the person where they will go when they die. 

Most of us have lost people close to us.  The news of Osama bin Laden just might be a catalyst that sparks a new wave of terrorism, which could ultimately play into God's prophetic timetable.  In any case, the hour is now all the more urgent to proclaim the Gospel.  While we really don't know how any of this will play out, God, on the other hand, is in absolute control.  He is sovereign over all nations, people, angels, and devils, and these events are proceeding just as He has ordained them to proceed.  We do not know every detail of the future, but we do know that Christ is returning, and looking at the condition of the world today, I believe He is at the doorstep. 

If you have doubts as to where you will spend eternity, please do visit the Eternal Life page.  If you are unsure of your salvation, please don't hesitate to contact me.  If you know you are saved by the grace of God, what are you going to do with your life from here on out?  We have only one purpose in this life once we are bought by the blood of Christ - to love and obey Him with all of our hearts and to make His name known. 

Let your conduct be worthy of the Gospel of Christ... - Philippians 1:27

See also:

The Great White Throne Judgment

20 Reasons NOT to Hope for Christ's Return in 2011

Are You Ready?

Awake from Your Slumber

Don't Play Games with Your Eternity

Heart Inventory

People Who Will Not Go to Heaven

Preach Hell with Agonizing Vigor

By Justin Edwards

This article was originally posted at The Speak:Truth Project

A man who realizes in any measure the awful force of the words eternal hell won't shut up about it, but will speak with all tenderness. - A.A. Hodge

These last few weeks have generated much buzz about the doctrine of hell since Rob Bell released his promo video of his latest book, Love Wins (reviewed here by Kevin DeYoung), which hit store shelves this week.  In his creative and seductive literary abilities, Bell has roused the defenses of fundamental evangelicals and has unleashed another wave of deception to the masses of the non-discerning visible church of this age. Touting that he has written nothing new as many before him have questioned the idea of an eternal hell for sinners, Bell has firmly established himself as a Christian Universalists, or Universal Reconciliationist. What this means is that Rob Bell believes that while Jesus died for the sins of the world, His sacrifice reconciled all of humanity to God. In the end, all humanity will enter into heaven because God is merciful, and because in the end, “love wins.”

In this one-hour interview with HarperColllins Publishers, Rob Bell closes with:

Millions, and millions, and millions of people – the fundamental way they were taught about Jesus was:  “God loves you, God has a wonderful plan for your life, um, God loves you so much that God sent Jesus because God wants to have a relationship with you. And, all you have to do is accept, trust, and believe. If tonight, you reject what I’m saying to you right now, and you were hit by a car on the way home,” which is always an awkward way to start a conversation, “God would then, have no choice, but to punish you, eternally, with torment and fire and hell.” So God would in that split second would become a totally different being. Um, if there was an earthly father who is like that, this one moment, this the next, we would call the authorities. Correct? And, my experience as a pastor, answering real questions from real people, is that lots of people have really, really, toxic dangerous, psychologically devastating images of God in their head. Images of a God that is not, good. And so my experience has been that lots of people go to church and sing the songs, and tell the story, they hand out pamphlets, they really want, but to be honest, deep down, they have profound ambivalence, about God…but at its core, they have a view of a God, who’s…terrible…and can’t even imagine being loving or wanting anything to do with…

My dear friends, this can be broken down into just a few words such as those spoken by a certain serpent in the Garden of Eden – “Did God really say?”.  Rob Bell has twisted the Scriptures, and as Martin Bashir so accurately pointed out in this MSNBC interview with Bell, has created

a Christian message that’s warm, kind, and popular for contemporary culture… What you’ve done is you’re amending the gospel, the Christian message, so that it’s palatable to contemporary people who find, for example, the idea of hell and heaven very difficult to stomach. So here comes Rob Bell, he’s made a Christian gospel for you, and it’s perfectly palatable, it’s much easier to swallow. That’s what you’ve done, haven’t you?

Do not be deceived, my brethren.  Rob Bell is tickling the ears of those who have raised him up as their teacher. They desired a person to quench their theological palates and are reaping what their sinful hearts desire.  The doctrine of hell is under attack and is being trivialized or redefined as something only a monster god could create to send people to hell for eternal punishment. The reality is, however, that hell does exist, and though it was created for the devil and his angels, it will be the final abode for those who have broken God’s Law and disobeyed the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 25:41, Revelation 14:9-11, Revelation 20:10-15, Revelation 19:14-16, 2 Thessalonians 2:8-10, Matthew 5:29-30, Matthew 10:28, Mark 9:48).

We must, now more than ever, proclaim the reality of hell with agonizing vigor. This is to say, our evangelism must not shy away from the certainty that men and women will perish in hell, being tormented day and night forever, gnashing their teeth, having no drink, where their worm does not die, eternally burning in fire and brimstone, and suffering in the hands of an angry God should they continue in their rebellion and die in their sins.  Can the lost see desperation in our eyes? Can they see our hearts are anguished over the path of destruction they are on? Can they see the pain in our plea to persuade them to the glory of God’s grace?

In response to Rob Bell’s book, Albert Mohler states,

We dare not retreat from all that the Bible says about hell. We must never confuse the Gospel, nor offer suggestions that there may be any way of salvation outside of conscious faith in Jesus Christ. We must never believe that we can do a public relations job on the Gospel or on the character of God. We must never be unclear and subversively suggestive about what the Bible teaches.

We must not retreat! We must emphasize hell and the wrath of God so the lost can understand the wages of their sin.  We must plead with them with compassion and humility, even with tears in our eyes, that hell is no place they want to go. For the darker the hellish reality before them seems, and the darker they see their sins against a holy God, the brighter the light of the Gospel will be and the brighter the offer of grace and mercy to be justified unto life everlasting.

So do not succumb to the ploys of deceptive wolves like Rob Bell. Quite frankly, there is nothing more you need to know about Rob Bell than turning to 2 Peter 2, Galatians 1:9, 2 Timothy 4:4-5, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, Jude 1:5-11, 1 John 2:18-19, and 2 Peter 3:16.  Instead, take this opportunity that Bell has given us to reflect on how you present hell to your hearers.

Be vigilant in how you preach the doctrine of hell.  Use every word your imagination allows you to paint a biblical picture of everlasting punishment, and in doing so, your hearers might understand how desperately they need a Savior to escape its flames and the wrath to come.

My friend, John Samson, posted an excellent article yesterday titled, A Few Hellish Thoughts. I recommend you read it in its entirety, but I want to share his portion from John Piper here. As you read Piper’s words from a message titled, “How Willingly Do People Go to Hell? Does Anyone Standing by the Lake of Fire Jump In?”, really let it sink in that hell is no place the lost want to go if they knew of its reality. As he says, “no one standing on the shore of the lake of fire jumps in.”  How could they? After seeing its horrible torments intended for them?

For an exhaustive list of resources on hell and Universalism, please see Monergism.

John Piper:

C.S. Lewis is one of the top 5 dead people who have shaped the way I see and respond to the world. But he is not a reliable guide on a number of important theological matters. Hell is one of them. His stress is relentlessly that people are not “sent” to hell but become their own hell. His emphasis is that we should think of “a bad man’s perdition not as a sentence imposed on him but as the mere fact of being what he is.” (For all the relevant quotes, see Martindale and Root, The Quotable Lewis, 288-295.)

This inclines him to say, “All that are in hell choose it.” And this leads some who follow Lewis in this emphasis to say things like, “All God does in the end with people is give them what they most want.”

I come from the words of Jesus to this way of talking and find myself in a different world of discourse and sentiment. I think it is misleading to say that hell is giving people what they most want. I’m not saying you can’t find a meaning for that statement that’s true, perhaps in Romans 1:24-28. I’m saying that it’s not a meaning that most people would give to it in light of what hell really is. I’m saying that the way Lewis deals with hell and the way Jesus deals with it are very different. And we would do well to follow Jesus.

The misery of hell will be so great that no one will want to be there. They will be weeping and gnashing their teeth (Matthew 8:12). Between their sobs, they will not speak the words, “I want this.” They will not be able to say amid the flames of the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14), “I want this.” “The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night” (Revelation 14:11). No one wants this.

When there are only two choices, and you choose against one, it does not mean that you want the other, if you are ignorant of the outcome of both. Unbelieving people know neither God nor hell. This ignorance is not innocent. Apart from regenerating grace, all people “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom 1:18).

The person who rejects God does not know the real horrors of hell. This may be because he does not believe hell exists, or it may be because he convinces himself that it would be tolerably preferable to heaven.

But whatever he believes or does not believe, when he chooses against God, he is wrong about God and about hell. He is not, at that point, preferring the real hell over the real God. He is blind to both. He does not perceive the true glories of God, and he does not perceive the true horrors of hell.

So when a person chooses against God and, therefore, de facto chooses hell—or when he jokes about preferring hell with his friends over heaven with boring religious people—he does not know what he is doing. What he rejects is not the real heaven (nobody will be boring in heaven), and what he “wants” is not the real hell, but the tolerable hell of his imagination.

When he dies, he will be shocked beyond words. The miseries are so great he would do anything in his power to escape. That it is not in his power to repent does not mean he wants to be there. Esau wept bitterly that he could not repent (Hebrew 12:17). The hell he was entering into he found to be totally miserable, and he wanted out. The meaning of hell is the scream: “I hate this, and I want out.”

What sinners want is not hell but sin. That hell is the inevitable consequence of unforgiven sin does not make the consequence desirable. It is not what people want—certainly not what they “most want.” Wanting sin is no more equal to wanting hell than wanting chocolate is equal to wanting obesity. Or wanting cigarettes is equal to wanting cancer.

Beneath this misleading emphasis on hell being what people “most want” is the notion that God does not “send” people to hell. But this is simply unbiblical. God certainly does send people to hell. He does pass sentence, and he executes it. Indeed, worse than that. God does not just “send,” he “throws.” “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown (Greek eblethe) into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15; cf. Mark 9:47; Matthew 13:42; 25:30).

The reason the Bible speaks of people being “thrown” into hell is that no one will willingly go there, once they see what it really is. No one standing on the shore of the lake of fire jumps in. They do not choose it, and they will not want it. They have chosen sin. They have wanted sin. They do not want the punishment. When they come to the shore of this fiery lake, they must be thrown in.

When someone says that no one is in hell who doesn’t want to be there, they give the false impression that hell is within the limits of what humans can tolerate. It inevitably gives the impression that hell is less horrible than Jesus says it is.

We should ask: How did Jesus expect his audience to think and feel about the way he spoke of hell? The words he chose were not chosen to soften the horror by being accommodating to cultural sensibilities. He spoke of a “fiery furnace” (Matthew 13:42), and “weeping and gnashing teeth” (Luke 13:28), and “outer darkness” (Matthew 25:30), and “their worm [that] does not die” (Mark 9:48), and “eternal punishment” (Matthew 25:46), and “unquenchable fire” (Mark 9:43), and being “cut in pieces” (Matthew 24:51).

These words are chosen to portray hell as an eternal, conscious experience that no one would or could ever “want” if they knew what they were choosing. Therefore, if someone is going to emphasize that people freely “choose” hell, or that no one is there who doesn’t “want” to be there, surely he should make every effort to clarify that, when they get there, they will not want this.

Surely the pattern of Jesus—who used blazing words to blast the hell-bent blindness out of everyone— should be followed. Surely, we will grope for words that show no one, no one, no one will want to be in hell when they experience what it really is. Surely everyone who desires to save people from hell will not mainly stress that it is “wantable” or “chooseable,” but that it is horrible beyond description—weeping, gnashing teeth, darkness, worm-eaten, fiery, furnace-like, dismembering, eternal, punishment, “an abhorrence to all flesh” (Isaiah 66:24).

I thank God, as a hell-deserving sinner, for Jesus Christ my Savior, who became a curse for me and suffered hellish pain that he might deliver me from the wrath to come. While there is time, he will do that for anyone who turns from sin and treasures him and his work above all.

Trembling before such realities, and trusting Jesus,

Pastor John Piper

An Atheist Responds to Everlasting Hell

By Justin Edwards

PersonalFailure

This morning I discovered through blogger stats that my article from yesterday, Hell Is Real, It's Forever, and It's No Party, was posted by a lady who calls herself PersonalFailure at her Forever in Hell blog. In the article, she took a few quotes from John MacArthur to criticize in wonderment how an "omnibenevolent" (a word beloved by Atheists) God could possibly send someone to hell for eternity, especially with new, resurrected bodies. In fact, this particular Atheist fits well within the second category I listed in yesterday's article,

2) How could a good God send people to hell for eternity?

I took the opportunity to answer some of PersonalFailure's questions in her commenting section, and I wanted to post them here to include some links that might help her learn more about the reality she is facing should she continue raising her fist against the very God who breathed life into her lungs and causes her heart to beat each day. I would ask you to pray for PersonalFailure that God would crush the stoniness of her heart that she might have ears to hear and believe in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And perhaps you could leave a comment here or at her blog showing her grace and the love of Christ within you. She desperately needs Jesus.

You can read the entire article here (which it seems she already deleted at part 2 of 2 comments): You're Enjoying This Way Too Much

Hi PersonalFailure, thanks for linking to my article. I think I can help you with a few of your quandaries.

You said:

You said: "Um . . . oooookaaaay. Why? Why would God, maker of heaven and earth, omnipotent and omniscient, need to give me a new "transcendent" body in order to torment me? It seems a bit, what's the word I'm looking for? Unnecessary? Sadistic? Bizarre?"

The answer to your question can be found in Revelation 20. The beginning of the chapter tells us there are two resurrections: the resurrection unto life and the resurrection unto death. These two resurrections are separated by 1,000 years, but both involve receiving new bodies as your former body will have been turned to dust as it rots in the grave.

When you die, your soul goes to one of two places: heaven or hell. But at these resurrections, our souls will be rejoined with new bodies. I'm sure you've heard it before that the real you is your soul and your body is just the shell of the real you. So it is in the future in that your soul will once again be housed in a physical body, even after it became dirt. That is why you will need a new body because your old body will no longer exist.

You said:

"Seriously, what is going on in the writer's mind that that makes sense and seems worthy of worship?"

This is easy to answer. God is just and He is good. Just like crimes on earth must be punished, crimes against God must be punished. It would be unjust and evil for a judge to let a murderer go free, yes? Why do you think it should be any different that a good and just God should let a murderer go free without justice? In fact, God would be very corrupt if He let people go out of His courtroom without justice being satisfied. And justice in your case will be receiving your new body to be subject to everlasting torment because you disobeyed the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

You said:

"God never meant for hell to be for people? God's omniscient, right? If he is, the above statement makes no ****ing sense at all. Not one bit. If he isn't, well, that kicks the rest of your theology in the teeth. Either way, stoopid."

Perhaps the quote you addressed was poorly worded, however, the truth is, God indeed created hell for the devil and his angels, but it will also be the prison for which the ungodly will be sentenced for eternity.

This is the bottom line: your mockery of God and your continued rebellion against Him will lend to your destruction. Your sin has separated you from the holiness of God, and unless you repent and believe the Gospel, you will perish. We are all sinners because we have all broken God's Law. But in His mercy He has chosen out of the counsel of His own will to save some from His justice. That is love. We all deserve justice, but some of us will be shown mercy. A day is coming when you will no longer have the opportunity to turn to the Lord your God and be healed. That day could come in the next few minutes, tomorrow, or 10 years from now. That's why today is the day of salvation. You have broken God's Law, you have sinned against Him personally, you need a Savior, and He is the Lord Jesus Christ who shed His blood for all who would believe in Him and repent from their sins. If you continue to reject the FREE grace of God, then you can expect the following to happen to you after you receive your new resurrected body:

"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." - Revelation 20:11-15

I'm glad you found my blog. I hope you visit it often and I welcome your comments and dialogue on the various articles and videos. And know this - I am not here for argument for the sake of argument. I'm here because I care for you and I love you, even though I don't know you. I understand the reality of hell and the preciousness of God's grace, and would do anything within my power to help you understand these eternal truths. Take care.

Are You Obedient to the Great Commission?

By Justin Edwards

Having the knowledge of this:

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. - Revelation 20:11-15

Sharing the Gospel in Uptown Charlotte Today

Are you obeying this:

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. - Mark 16:15

Knowing this:

...in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. - 2 Thessalonians 2:8-10

Are you obeying this:

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. - Matthew 28:19-20

And knowing this:

And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night (Revelation 14:11a)...And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10b).

Are you honestly subscribed to this:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. - Romans 1:16

What are some reasons you might not actively share your faith? Care to share these by commenting below? Let's talk about it...

Please also see Evangelism - Equip Youself and Great Commission

Devastating Photos of Christchurch Earthquake

By Justin Edwards

Source: Guardian.co.uk

The aftermath from the earthquake that hit Christchurch, New Zealand on Tuesday is devastating. Please take some time to view these photos and pray for the city of 350,000 and all who lost loved ones in the destruction. This is also a good time to ask yourself an important question:

if an unexpected earthquake hit your town and you did not survive, what would that mean for you?

Please don't think such a tragedy could not happen to you. After all, 10 out of 10 people die, and your time will come whether by natural death or something as devastating as a major earthquake, or a car accident the next time you hit the pavement. Click here to find out where you might spend the rest of eternity. There is nothing more critical than knowing the answer to this question.

(HT: John Samson for posting link to photos)

Sudden Death

By Justin Edwards

Two tragic deaths in town gives us opportunity to think about eternal matters. Should death visit you today, are you sure you will find your expected destination?

Please follow link for story and some important questions to ask oneself: Tragic Death Strikes Charlotte Family

20 Reasons NOT to Hope for Christ's Return in 2011

By Justin Edwards

As a follow-up post to yesterday's 14 Reasons to Hope for Christ's Return in 2011, I have put together 20 reasons why not to hope for Christ's return this year. Those falling into this category include lukewarm professing Christians, nominal or casual professing Christians, procrastinators who know they should submit to the Lord Jesus Christ but have yet to do so, the self-righteous, religious hypocrites, cult members, worshipers of false gods, and blasphemers outright rejecting the Son of God as Lord over all.

1. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. - John 3:18-19

2. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. - 1 John 2:15

3. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. - James 4:4

4. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. - 1 John 2:4

5. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. - Colossians 3:5-6

6. But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. - Romans 2:5

7. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. - Titus 1:16

8. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. - Philippians 3:18-19

9. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. - Ephesians 5:5-6

10. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption... - Galatians 6:7-8

11. If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come! - 1 Corinthians 16:22

12. For if you live according to the flesh you will die... - Romans 8:13

13. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might. - 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9

14. Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. - 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

15. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. - 1 John 3:6

16. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. - Matthew 13:49-50

17. For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels. - Mark 8:38

18. ...that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. - Philippians 2:10-11

19. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. - James 1:22

20. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. - 1 John 1:6

Of course, there are many more Scriptures and reasons not to want Christ to return in 2011, and they all have to do with the lifestyle one might be living and the righteous indignation that is being stored up for them by a holy, angry God. On the day of judgment, there will be no acceptable excuses for rejecting the grace of God, who offers you mercy today. Should you continue to procrastinate or continue in a lifestyle of habitual, willful sin, or continue worshiping false gods or continue in your hatred for God, the day is coming when the full fury of His wrath will come upon your head.

I do not want that for you. Please, by all means, ask me how you can avoid that great and terrible Day and begin following the Lord Jesus Christ in humble submission and intimate love for His grace, mercy, and sacrifice. The days are numbered, and 2011 just might be the year you find yourself rejoicing in glory or wailing in destruction. Either way, God will be glorified!

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. - Revelation 19:11-16

Hell

The word "Hell" is one of the most often used words in our society, yet is one of the most misunderstood words. Many people do not really consider Hell a real place because God is "too loving" to ever have created such an abode. Others would say that Hell exists only "on earth" with reference to some particular place or situation. The question is, "Is there really a place of torment called Hell?"

Hell is clearly taught in the Bible. In fact, it was Jesus who taught more on the subject than anyone else in the entire Scriptures!

Hell was originally created for angels who had sinned. Jesus said in Matthew 25:41, when referring to the judgment of the wicked, ". . .Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire (Hell) prepared for the devil and his angels." In the book of 2nd Peter, Chapter 2, Verse 4 we read that, ". . .God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but sent them to Hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment."

Hell, therefore, was originally created for the first sinners in the universe, Satan and his angels, rather than for man. But since hell was designed as a place for "sinners," man became eligible when he joined the fallen angels in sin. Hell is the place of punishment where sinning men and angels go to pay for their offenses (sins) against the Holy God of the Universe. This procedure is similar to the penalty/payment requirements of our own prison systems. Among men when someone offends the authorities by violating the laws and is found guilty, he is put into prison to pay for his crimes. If the offense is serious then he can receive a "life term," meaning that no amount of time can ever repay the harm to society. In the case of God and man, even the smallest infraction offends our Holy and Pure God, which calls for a life sentence (with no hope of parole).

1) Hell is a place of actual fire and burning.

In the words of Jesus, ". . .if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into the fire of Hell." (Mat 18:9). Notice His reference to the "fire" of Hell here and also in Mark 9:43 where He says, ". . .if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into Hell, where the fire never goes out." Not only is Hell a place of burning fire but it is also an eternal fire. (see also: Mat 5:22,29,30;10:28;Luke 12:5;Jude 1:7).

2) Hell is a place of torment.

Here are the words of a person actually speaking from hell. Jesus quotes the "rich man" who had died and been sent to hell. Listen to the words from hell, "I am in agony in this fire." (Luke 16:24). Isaiah 66:24; Mark 9:44,46,48 all mention one kind of suffering experienced in hell, "their worm will not die [similar to the gnawing of maggots], nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind."

Hell also is a place where the unsaved will receive "blows" [beatings]. Luke 12:48 states that unsaved men who willfully disobey God's commands will receive many blows, but those who in ignorance do not obey, will receive fewer blows. Hell is also a place where both body and soul are destroyed. (Matt 10:28).

3) Hell is a place of darkness.

In the Old Testament we read that, ". . .the wicked will be silenced in darkness." (1Samuel 2:9) Today the wicked are often very loud in their sin and rebellion against God but the day is coming when they will be stilled in darkness. Jesus refers to those excluded from heaven being, "thrown outside into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matt 8:12). In parables about the coming judgments, Jesus often refers to those who reject Him as being, "thrown into the outer darkness." (Matt 8:12; 22:13; 25:30).

4) Hell is a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Many references in the New Testament refer to the "weeping and gnashing" of teeth in hell. (Matt 8:12;13:42,50;22:13;24:51;25:30; Luke 13:28). The word weeping is best translated "shrieking" and the word gnashing as "grinding." In hell man will have a literal body with "teeth" and will scream and grind his teeth in anger and pain.

Hell is a place of burning torment created for the Devil and his angels, but now also serves as a place of punishment for sinful man. Man deserves to go there for his many sins against a Holy and Pure God, yet God's great love and mercy has provided for a "way out" of the fires of hell. Jesus Christ went to the Cross and suffered the punishment of hell for the sins of all men. Therefore, God offers freedom from sin and its judgments to those who will humble themselves before Him and repent of their sins by accepting Jesus as the sovereign authority over them in all matters.

The offer from God is simple; sin must be paid for, either by Jesus on the cross, or by the individual in the eternal fires of hell. The choice is up to us. Do we humble ourselves before Jesus and repent and ask for forgiveness and let Him pay for our sins? Or do we remain proud and stubborn and go into the fires of hell, to spend an eternity trying to pay for our many sins against God?

This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board

The Great White Throne Judgment

By Justin Edwards

‘ Their worm does not die

       And the fire is not quenched.’ - Mark 9:48

We are clearly living in perilous times. With the threat of terrorism and war looming around the globe and economies on the verge of collapse, with the fallen state of the church and the vast push toward global religious unity, and with Israel facing elimination by the impending nuclear build-up of Iran, no doubt the world is on the brink of the end of the age. We are rapidly approaching the end of God's purpose for the human race. So what does that mean for you? Do you think about eternity?

At the 2008 Resolved Conference, Dr. Steven Lawson delivered a terrifying depiction of what Scripture calls the "judgment of great day" (Jude 1:6). This day is just on the horizon and is known as the Great White Throne Judgment (mp3 and video found at the end of this post). Revelation 20:11-15 tells us of that great and terrible day of the Lord: 

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God,  and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

This is the same lake of fire that will be the final abode of Satan and his angels, where 

they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. - Revelation 20:10

All the world will be on trial at this final judgment. The perfect justice of Holy God will be realized for every hardened and impenitent heart who has stored up the wrath of God their whole life (Romans 2:5). Every unrepentant sinner who refused to kneel at the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ will be condemned to an eternal hell because they loved darkness rather than light (John 3:18-19). This is the highest court of the universe and there will be no court of appeals. If you find yourself before this pure and powerful throne of terrifying purpose, you will be faced with no sympathetic judge, you will never see one drop of mercy, there will be no grace, you will have no advocate, there will be no mistrial, no sentence overturned, verdicts are final, there will be no parole, and there will be no escape. You will be facing none other than the Lord Jesus Christ whose eyes of flaming fire will pierce the darkness of your soul. The day you thought would never come will be the realest day you will have ever lived. You will be facing absolute holiness and inflexible justice, and when it is over, you will face absolute judgment.

The very Righteousness you refused to yield to will be the very standard by which you are condemned. You ignored Christ, cursed Christ, blasphemed Christ, put off Christ, or played games with Christ, and you will face not a gentle, lowly, and merciful God who will overlook your sin, but you will find yourself in the hands of an angry God who will unleash the fury of His wrath upon you (Zephaniah 1:15). People from all backgrounds will face this judgment, whether they be Hitler, Stalin, or the most notorious sinners you can imagine, but likewise your regular Joe American - your neighbor, your coworker, whose life amounted to very little in the big scheme of things. Or Joe might be the successful business executive, doctor, or lawyer, or your friendly firemen, policemen, or medic. You might ask what could Joe possibly have in common with Adolf Hitler? Sin. The sin of unbelief. The sin of pride. The sin of rebellion. All of which will keep both Hitler and Joe from the grips of a merciful God.

Dr. Lawson details five groups of people who will stand before the Great White Throne. Are you one of these?

Out and Out Sinner. This person sinned violently against God and all but spat on the face of Christ. He hated God, church, and the Bible. This person hated any form of morality and lived a life of open, shameless sin. We see these types of people in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

Of course, ever born again believer used to be among the unrighteous, but according to verse 11, we have been washed, justified, and sanctified by the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God. Yet, your hatred for God affords you the eternal wrath of God.

Self Righteous. This person believes they are so good and so moral, that the Gospel is only for the thief and the prostitute, but "not me". You are "good enough" in your own morality. You are a Pharisee and you think you are better than others. Luke 18:9-14 might be your life's story. And because of your moralistic self-righteousness, you cannot see that you too fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). You hope your self-righteousness will be good enough to enter heaven, but you will be found wanting as

   There is a way that seems right to a man,
      But its end is the way of death._ Proverbs 14:12

Religious Cult Members.  These are men who followed other men or women such as Mohammed, the Dali Llama, Joseph Smith, Sun Myung Moon, the Virgin Mary, or any other religious leader instead of the Lord Jesus Christ. They failed to recognize and affirm that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no man goes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). There is only one road, one narrow gate, one God and one Mediator. Because you denied the name of Christ (Acts 4:12), you will find yourself as an enemy under His feet for

at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. - Philippians 2:10-11

Procrastinator.  This person acknowledges Jesus as the Son of God and even knows they are living a lifestyle of sin, but they have yet to submit their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. They have merely believed in a list of facts about the Savior, but the pride of life, their love for the world, and delight in the works of the flesh is too much for them to give up (Galatians 5:19-21). They might say, "one day I'll make things right" because they are having too much fun and taking too much pleasure in living a rebellious lifestyle against a holy God (1 John 3:4-9). They are not willing to forsake everything to be the disciple of Christ (Luke 14:33) because that would mean they would have to give up their sin, their money, their material possessions, and their worldly lifestyle (1 John 2:15-17). But they say "one day I'll live for Christ", "one day I'll accept Him as Lord," but sadly, that day never comes.

Do not boast about tomorrow,
      For you do not know what a day may bring forth.- Proverbs 27:1

Do you not know that now is the acceptable time and today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2)? Should you continue to put salvation off, you will find yourself before a God who

is a just judge,
         And God is angry with the wicked every day.
 ¹² If he does not turn back,
         He will sharpen His sword;
         He bends His bow and makes it ready.
 ¹³ He also prepares for Himself instruments of death;
         He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.- Psalm 7:11-12

Lost Church Members. These may be the greatest tragedy of all. These folks are they whose names are in the member roles of the local church, they pay their tithes, and they give to the poor. They never miss a Sunday or the Sunday lunch that follows. They are attached to church but not Christ. They profess to know Him, but they do not possess Him. They have a form of godliness, but deny its power (2 Timothy 3:5). They also

profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.

They will hear on that terrible day, "Depart from Me, I never knew you" (Matthew 7:23). They never took the time to examine themselves to see if their faith was genuine (2 Corinthians 13:5), they are lukewarm and have need of nothing (Revelation 3:17), they have created a god in their own image and are false converts trying to serve two masters (Matthew 6:24), and because they merely went along with the crowd and never experienced a unique and personal relationship with Jesus Christ, they will perish at the wave of His hand.

Might you be in any of these categories? Is there a chance you, as the reader, might see the righteous judgment of God?  Does your lifestyle bear the fruit of faith, or does it bear the fruit of unrighteousness? Rest assured, God has been keeping an accurate and precise record of every action, thought, word, and deed of every unsaved person from the beginning of mankind. Nothing will be hidden on that day, for

      God will bring every work into judgment,
      Including every secret thing,
      Whether good or evil. - Ecclesiastes 12:14

There is no fooling God. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Jesus tells us in Matthew 12:35-37

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

Do you now stand justified, or will you stand condemned? Are you trying to hide from God?

And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. - Hebrews 4:13

You must know that God demands justice for every single sin ever committed by every single person who has walked the earth. God will overlook no sin, and your sin will either be punished and pardoned in Christ or you will be punished for your sin in hell for all the ages to come. Do you not know the reality of your sin? Your sin is killing you now, and it will be the cause of eternal death and separation from the grace and mercy of God forever (Romans 6:23).

If you die unrepentant, there are no second chances and there will be no hope for you. Jesus will tell you,

‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. - Matthew 25:41

If you do not humble yourself before the Lord and recognize and confess your sinful condition before Holy God, if your heart does not grieve of your offenses against God and lead you to repentance, and if you never find yourself thirsting for the righteousness of Jesus Christ, woe unto you for that Great Day will come upon you like a thief in the night ready to devour you by fire (Matthew 5:22). In truth, you should have "a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries" (Hebrews 10:27). You will be separated from the just and be cast into the furnace of fire where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:50). You will suffer the vengeance of eternal fire (Jude 1:7). You will be cast alive into the lake of  fire burning with sulfur and brimstone (Revelation 19:20). You will find yourself in an unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:12), the Lord's vengeance will be upon you for not obeying His Gospel, and you be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).

On that day, every soul who rejected the Lord Jesus Christ and thought hell to be a place for parties and reunions, who thought God would not be there and believed hell to be owned by Satan, will realize Hollywood lied to them. Hell is not hell because God is not there, hell is hell because God is there. Matthew 10:28,

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Dear friend, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God (Hebrews 10:31). While you hope that God will just overlook your sin on that day, the very sin that nailed Jesus to that old rugged cross and the very sin that stirred the cup of wrath God Himself poured out on His own Son (Isaiah 53:4-10), do not be so foolish to believe God will simply dismiss your case. Should you not repent and submit your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, the only thing you should expect is to stand hopelessly naked before the righteous throne of a just Judge. Your sentence of death will never end and you will be the object of God's wrath forever and ever. 

By the grace of God I pray that you are trembling at the holiness of the resurrected Lamb of God who sits at the right hand of His Father in heaven, glorified in majesty waiting to unleash His judgment upon the earth (Revelation 5:1-14). Know that

  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
      And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. - Proverbs 9:10

Should you be asking how might you avoid this great and terrible day in the Court of Divine Justice, Jesus Christ is calling you to walk through the narrow gate that leads to eternal life (Matthew 7:13-14). You must humble yourself before God (James 4:10) and pray for mercy (Luke 18:13). Recognizing your wretched condition, cry out to God to save you from your sin (2 Corinthians 7:10) and to give you a new heart that desires to serve Him (2 Corinthians 5:17). Be willing to forsake everything for the Lord Jesus Christ, even your own life (Luke 14:26), and call upon the name of the Lord and you shall be saved (Romans 10:9-10, 13). Now should you be given new life by faith and repentance, you will find yourself resting in the grace of God for all eternity. You will be a joint heir with Christ, for

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. - Ephesians 1:13-14

But should you delay and fail to go through that narrow gate, your conscious will not fade as you remember every time you refused to repent, including the day you read this letter. Do not delay any longer, lest God be glorified in your destruction.

Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. - Matthew 18:3

Please watch or listen and pass these critical messages to your loved ones:

The Great White Throne Judgment mp3

Set Your Mind On Things Above

By Justin Edwards

On petitioning God to help him heed to the calling of Colossians 3:1-4, which says,

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. ³ For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory,

Jonathan Edwards penned in his Diary:

Lord, grant that from hence I may learn to withdraw thoughts, affections, desires, and expectations entirely from the world, and may fix them upon the heavenly state, where there is fulness of joy; where reigns heavenly, sweet, calm, and delightful love without alloy; where there are continually the dearest expressions of this love; where there is the enjoyment of this love without ever parting; and where those persons, who appear so lovely in this world, will be inexpressibly more lovely, and full of love to us. How sweetly will those, who thus mutually love, join together in singing the praises of God and the Lamb. How full will it fill us with joy, to think that this enjoyment, these sweet exercises, will never cease or come to an end, but will last to all eternity.

 May we all have a similar prayer as we heed to the Holy Spirit in being conformed to the likeness of Christ and no longer being conformed to the world. May we be cognizant of storing our treasures in heaven and not on this earth, knowing this:

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Luke 12:34

Diary entry taken from Dr. Steven Lawson's The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards

The Reality of Hell

By Justin Edwards

Thanks to Mike Anderson over at  Let Us Repent and Believe for posting "Hell" by R.C. Sproul yesterday. I heard this message on the radio a few months ago and never got around to finding the transcript. If we truly understood the realities of hell, we would all the more tell people how to avoid it. Moreover, if we fail to mention the wrath of God and the wages of sin (spiritual death) when we share the Gospel, the message loses its weight for that would not be the complete Gospel. Charles Spurgeon said,

Diminish your idea of the wrath of God and the terrors of hell, and in that proportion you will diminish the results of your work. (Source)

And on the dread of hell, Spurgeon uttered,

Hell is horrible, for we may say of it, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the horrors which God hath prepared for them that hate him. (Source)

May we never diminish our idea of the wrath of God and the torments of hell.

HELL

by R.C. Sproul

We have often heard statements such as “War is hell” or “I went through hell.” These expressions are, of course, not taken literally. Rather, they reflect our tendency to use the word hell as a descriptive term for the most ghastly human experience possible. Yet no human experience in this world is actually comparable to hell. If we try to imagine the worst of all possible suffering in the here and now we have not yet stretched our imaginations to reach the dreadful reality of hell.

Hell is trivialized when it is used as a common curse word. To use the word lightly may be a halfhearted human attempt to take the concept lightly or to treat it in an amusing way. We tend to joke about things most frightening to us in a futile effort to declaw and defang them, reducing their threatening power.

There is no biblical concept more grim or terror-invoking than the idea of hell. It is so unpopular with us that few would give credence to it at all except that it comes to us from the teaching of Christ Himself.

Almost all the biblical teaching about hell comes from the lips of Jesus. It is this doctrine, perhaps more than any other, that strains even the Christian’s loyalty to the teaching of Christ. Modern Christians have pushed the limits of minimizing hell in an effort to sidestep or soften Jesus’ own teaching. The Bible describes hell as a place of outer darkness, a lake of fire, a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, a place of eternal separation from the blessings of God, a prison, a place of torment where the worm doesn’t turn or die. These graphic images of eternal punishment provoke the question, should we take these descriptions literally or are they merely symbols?

I suspect they are symbols, but I find no relief in that. We must not think of them as being merely symbols. It is probable that the sinner in hell would prefer a literal lake of fire as his eternal abode to the reality of hell represented in the lake of fire image. If these images are indeed symbols, then we must conclude that the reality is worse than the symbol suggests. The function of symbols is to point beyond themselves to a higher or more intense state of actuality than the symbol itself can contain.
That Jesus used the most awful symbols imaginable to describe hell is no comfort to those who see them simply as symbols.

A breath of relief is usually heard when someone declares, “Hell is a symbol for separation from God.” To be separated from God for eternity is no great threat to the impenitent person. The ungodly want nothing more than to be separated from God. Their problem in hell will not be separation from God, it will be the presence of God that will torment them. In hell, God will be present in the fullness of His divine wrath. He will be there to exercise His just punishment of the damned. They will know Him as an all-consuming fire.

No matter how we analyze the concept of hell it often sounds to us as a place of cruel and unusual punishment. If, however, we can take any comfort in the concept of hell, we can take it in the full assurance that there will be no cruelty there. It is impossible for God to be cruel. Cruelty involves inflicting a punishment that is more severe or harsh than the crime. Cruelty in this sense is unjust. God is incapable of inflicting an unjust punishment. The Judge of all the earth will surely do what is right. No innocent person will ever suffer at His hand.

Perhaps the most frightening aspect of hell is its eternality. People can endure the greatest agony if they know it will ultimately stop. In hell there is no such hope. The Bible clearly teaches that the punishment is eternal. The same word is used for both eternal life and eternal death. Punishment implies pain. Mere annihilation, which some have lobbied for, involves no pain. Jonathan Edwards, in preaching on Revelation 6:15-16 said, “Wicked men will hereafter earnestly wish to be turned to nothing and forever cease to be that they may escape the wrath of God.” (John H. Gerstner, Jonathan Edwards on Heaven and Hell [Orlando: Ligonier Ministries, 1991], 75.)

Hell, then, is an eternity before the righteous, ever-burning wrath of God, a suffering torment from which there is no escape and no relief. Understanding this is crucial to our drive to appreciate the work of Christ and to preach His gospel.

Summary

1. The suffering of hell is beyond any experience of misery found in this world.
2. Hell is clearly included in the teaching of Jesus.
3. If the biblical descriptions of hell are symbols, then the reality will be worse than the symbols.
4. Hell is the presence of God in His wrath and judgment.
5. There is no cruelty in hell. Hell will be a place of perfect justice.
6. Hell is eternal. There is no escape through either repentance or annihilation.

Biblical passages for reflection: Matthew 8:11-12, Mark 9:42-48, Luke 16:19-31, Jude 1:3-13, Revelation 20:11-15.

Fire! Fire!

By J.C. Ryle

When a house is on fire, what ought to be done first? We ought to give the alarm and wake the inhabitants. This is true love to our neighbor. This is true charity. Reader, I love your soul, and want it to be saved. I am therefore going to tell you something about hell. There is such a place as hell. Let no one deceive you with vain words. What men do not like, they try hard not to believe. When the Lord Jesus Christ comes to judge the world, he will punish all who are not his disciples with a fearful punishment. All who are found impenitent and unbelieving; all who have clung to sin, stuck to the world, and set their affections on things below; all who are without Christ; all such shall come to an awful end. Whosoever is not written in the book of life shall be "cast into the lake of fire." Rev 20:15.

The punishment of hell shall be most severe. There is no pain like that of burning. Put your finger in the candle for a moment if you doubt this, and try. Fire is the most destructive and devouring of all elements. Look into the mouth of a blast furnace, and think what it would be to be there. Fire is of all elements most opposed to life. Creatures can live in air, and earth, and water; but nothing can live in fire. Yet fire is the portion to which the Christless and unbelieving will come. They will be "cast into the lake of fire."

The punishment of hell will be eternal. Millions of ages will pass away, and the fire will never burn low and become dim. The fuel of that fire will never waste away and be consumed. It is "unquenchable fire." O reader, these are the sad and painful things to speak of. I have no-pleasure in dwelling on them. I could rather say with the apostle Paul, "I have great sorrow." But they are things written for our learning, and it is good to consider them. They are part of that Scripture which is all profitable, and they ought to be heard. Painful as the subject of hell is, it is one about which I dare not, cannot, and must not be silent.

Who would desire to speak of hell-fire if God has not spoken of it? When God has spoken of it so plainly, who can safely hold his peace? I dare not shut my eyes to the fact, that a deep rooted infidelity lurks in men's minds on the subject of hell. I see it oozing out in the utter apathy of some: they eat, and drink, and sleep, as if there was no wrath to come. I see it creeping forth in the coldness others about their neighbor's souls: they show little anxiety to awaken the unconverted, and pluck brands from the fire. I desire to denounce such infidelity with all my might. Believing that there are "terrors of the Lord," as well as the "recompense of reward."

I call on all who profess to believe the Bible, to be on their guard. I know that some do not believe there is any hell at all. They think it impossible there can be such a place. They call it inconsistent with the mercy of God. They say it is too awful an idea to be really true. The devil of course, rejoices in the views of such people. They help his kingdom mightily. They are preaching up his old favorite doctrine, "Ye shall not surely die." I know furthermore, that some do not believe that hell is eternal. They tell us it is incredible that a compassionate God will punish men for ever. He will surely open the prison doors at last. This also is a mighty help to the devil's cause. "Take your ease, "he whispers to sinners-" if you do make a mistake, never mind, it is not for ever."

I know also that some believe there is a hell, but never allow that anybody is going there. All people with them are good, as soon as they die, all were sincere, all meant well, and all, they hope, got to heaven. Alas! what a common delusion is this! I can well understand the feeling of the little girl who asked her mother where all the wicked people were buried, for she found no mention on the gravestones of any except of the good.

And I know very well that some believe there is a hell, but never like to hear it spoken of. It is a subject that should always be kept back, in their opinion. They see no profit in bringing it forward, and are rather shocked when it is mentioned. This also is an immense help to the devil. "Hush! hush!" says Satan, "say nothing about hell." The fowler wishes no noise to be made when he has laid his, snares. The wolf would like the shepherd to sleep, while he prowls round the fold. The devil rejoices when Christians are silent about hell.

Reader, all these notions are the opinions of man. What is it to you and me what man thinks of religion? Man will not judge us at the last day. There is but one point to be settled, "what says the word of God?" do you believe the Bible? Then depend upon it, hell is real and true. It is a true as heaven, as true as justification by faith, as true as the fact that Christ died upon the cross. There is not a fact or doctrine which you may not lawfully doubt, if you doubt hell. Disbelieve hell, you unscrew, unsettle, and unpin everything in the Scripture. You may as well throw your Bible aside at once. From "no hell" to "no God" is but a series of steps. Do you believe the Bible? Then depend upon it, hell will have inhabitants.

The wicked shall certainly be turned into hell, and all the people that forget God. The same blessed Saviour who now sits on a throne of grace, will one day sit on a throne of judgement, and men will see there is such a thing as "the wrath of the Lamb." The same, lips which now say, Come, come unto me," will one day say, "Depart, ye cursed" Alas! how awful the thought of being condemned by Christ himself, judge by the Saviour, sentenced to misery by the lamb! Do you believe the Bible? Then depend upon it, hell will be intense and inalterable woe.

It is vain to talk of all the expressions about it being figures of speech, the pit, the prison, the worm, the fire, the thirst, the blackness, the darkness, the weeping, the gnashing of teeth, the second death, all these may be figures of speech if you please. But Bible figures mean something beyond all questions, and here they mean something which man's mind can never fully conceive. O reader, the miseries of mind and conscience are far worse than those of the body. The whole extent of hell, the present suffering, the bitter recollection of the past, the hopeless prospect of the future, will never be thoroughly known except by those who go there.

Do you believe the Bible? Then depend upon it, hell is eternal. It must be eternal, or words have no meaning at all. "For ever and ever," "everlasting," "unquenchable," "never-dying" all these are expressions used about hell, and expressions that cannot be explained away. It must be eternal, or the very foundations of heaven are cast down. If hell has an end, heaven has an end too. They both stand or fall together. It must be eternal, or every doctrine of the gospel is undermined.

If a man may escape hell at length without faith in Christ, or sanctification of the Spirit, sin is no longer an infinite evil, and there was no such great need of Christ's making an atonement. And where is the warrant for saying that hell can ever change a heart, or make it fit for heaven? It must be eternal, or hell would cease to be hell altogether. Give a man hope, and he will bear any thing. Grant a hope of deliverance, however distant, and hell is but a drop of water.

Alas! for that day which will have no tomorrow - that day when men shall seek death and not find it, and shall desire to die but death shall flee from them! Do you believe the Bible? Then depend upon it, hell is a subject that ought not to be kept back. It is striking, to observe that none say so much about it as our Lord Jesus Christ, that gracious and merciful Saviour, and the apostle John, whose heart seems full of love. Truly it may well be doubted whether we ministers speak of it as much as we ought.

I cannot forget the words of a dying hearer of Mr. Newton: "Sir, you often told me of Christ and salvation: why did you not remind me of hell and danger?" Let others hold their peace about hell if they will; I dare not do so. I see it plainly in Scripture, and I must speak of it. I fear that thousands are on the broad, way that leads to it, and I would fain arouse them to a sense of the peril before them.

What would you say of the man who saw his neighbor's house in danger of being burned down, and never raised the cry of "fire?" What ought to be said of us as ministers if we call ourselves watchmen for souls, and yet see fires of hell raging in distance, and never give the alarm?

Call it bad taste, if you like, to speak of hell. Call it charity to make things pleasant, and speak of smoothly, and soothe men with constant lullaby of peace. I have not read my Bible. My notion of charity is to warn men plainly of danger. My notion of taste in the ministerial office, is to declare all the counsel of God.

If I never spoke of hell, I should think I had kept back something that was profitable, and should look on myself as an accomplice of the devil. Reader, I beseech you, in all tender affection, beware of false views of the subject on which I have been dwelling. Beware of new and strange doctrines about hell and the eternity of punishment. Beware of manufacturing a God of your own: a God who is all mercy, but not just; a God who is all love, but not holy; a God who as a heaven for every body, but a hell for none; a God who can allow good and bad to be side by side in time, but will make no distinction between good and broad in eternity. Such a God is an idol of your won, as truly an idol as any snake or crocodile in an Egyptian temple. The hands of your won fancy and sentimentality have made him. He is not the God of the Bible, and beside the God of the Bible there is no God at all.

Your heaven would be no heaven at all. A heaven containing all sorts of characters indiscriminately would be miserable discord indeed. Alas! for the eternity of such a heaven. There would be little difference between it and hell. Ah! reader, there is a hell! There is a fire! Take heed lest you find it out to your cost too late. Beware of being wise above that which is written. Beware of forming fanciful theories of your own, and then trying to make the Bible square with them. Beware of making selections from your Bible to suit your taste. Dare not to say, "I believe this verse, for I like it. I refuse that, for I cannot reconcile it with my views."

Nay! but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? By what right do you talk in this way? Surely it were better to say, over every chapter in the word, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth." Ah! if men would do this, they would never deny the unquenchable fire.