Hell

One of our biggest enemies is ignorance of the truth. We can't fight something that we don't believe is real. An awful lot of people don't believe that hell is a real place, but it is. They ask "how can a perfectly loving God create such a place?"

He created it for the unjust. Which is all of us. They ask "how can a perfectly loving God send someone to such a place?" He doesn't. Those who go, go by choice, as strange as that may sound to some.

God, while perfectly loving, is also perfectly just. Sin has to be punished in order for justice to be carried out. However, he loves us so much that the punishment that was reserved for us, was taken out on his own Son, Jesus, therefore fulfilling the need for justice. The thing is, we have to accept his offer of redemption.

If you commit a crime and are arrested, you go before the judge. The judge sentences you to twenty years in prison. Then he does something that takes you by surprise. He offers to pull your twenty years for you. You have a choice. You can accept his offer, or you can reject it and pull your own time. But someone has to be punished.

It's the same way with God. You've already been found guilty, because you're guilty. We all are. But he has also offered to take your punishment for you. It's your choice to accept it or not. Should you choose to "pull your own time", you have chosen to send yourself to God's "prison"...hell. The sentence is much longer, though. The time you choose to pull in God's prison doesn't end in twenty years...or forty...or a hundred or a thousand.

It's for eternity. A billion years times a billion years...plus forever.

Hell is a place of eternal torment... "In hell, where he was in torment..." (Luke 16:23).

It's a place of fire... "...into hell, where the fire never goes out." (Mark 9:43).

It destroys your body and soul...not once, but again and again throughout all eternity. "Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matt. 10:28).

It has it's own prison cells. Only it's not so much a prison as a dungeon. And there's no escape."...but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons..." (2 Pet. 2:4).

"The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Rev. 20:14,15).

"They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." (Rev. 20:10).

"This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers..." (Ps. 49:13).

"... death will feed on them.... their forms will decay in the grave..." (Ps. 49:14).

"...they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit..." (Ez. 32:25).

"... will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night..." (Rev. 14:10,11).

"They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matt. 14:32).

"And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' " (Matt. 25:30).

Let's assume for a moment there is no hell. I will have spent my life here on earth believing in a myth. No harm done to myself or anyone else, other than some people thinking I'm foolish...which some will do anyway.

Now, let's assume for a moment there is a hell. You will have spent your life believing it's a myth but the rest of eternity experiencing the reality of it.

Is it really worth the risk? Only you can decide that, my friend...