The meaning of hell seems to have changed from what it is truly intended to mean. People use words like “hell” anytime they stub their toe. Or when they drop their fork they use words like damn. Some people even use these words when good things occur. It seems that most people I’ve encountered think hell seems to be nothing more than some hot place that bad people go. That is if you think it exists in the first place.
So let me get this right, if I lie, cheat, steal, kill, and do a bunch of bad stuff I go to some hot place where I can do anything I want and no one will care? …Um no. There a bit more to it than that.
(Mark 9:43 NIV 1984) “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.”
(Matthew 13:40-43 NIV 1984) “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”
(Isaiah 66:24 NIV 1984)“And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”
Better to cut off your hand than go to hell? That sends a stronger message about the horror of hell than stubbing your toe does. Now it’s plain to see that fire is a part of hell. And anyone who has ever gotten burned knows that it hurts. But in hell you’re not just burning your finger, you’re burning. The fire never dies, the pain never dies and you never die, because your already dead. Hell is not unlike the worst thing ever. Maybe that’s because it is the worst thing ever. God is the source of all that is good, and God is not in hell, then we must conclude that there is no good in hell. Take out the good and you’re left with anger, hatred, discontentment, painful and relentless suffering, disgrace, dishonor, dissatisfaction, lostness, loneliness, helplessness, weakness and want. But that’s what you said you wanted when you said you didn’t want God. Sin offers nothing but lies. Christ offers nothing but truth. He died so that you wouldn’t have to go to such a horrible place. He is offering you a chance to be forgiven.
“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, along the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:1-2 NIV 1984)
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
We are given a mission to preach the gospel to the lost. Let’s not forget what were fighting for. To let them know the grace of God and keep them from knowing the horror of hell.
~A messenger of Christ.
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