HELL: The Truth That Can Save you From Eternal Torment
There is no doctrine our fallen sin nature would more willingly remove from Christianity than Hell. But…
1. Jesus Christ taught a literal eternal Hell, and He is omniscient & it is impossible for Him to lie! He also tells us how to avoid Hell.
2. The Church Has faithfully warned people of the reality of Hell throughout its history. The church also how to be saved from Hell！
3. Science supports the reality of Hell: Near Death Experiences prove there is life after death; that we remain conscious when the body dies.
4. Creation reveals a literal lake of fire in the Earth! This is known as God’s General Revelation through the things He created (Rom. 1:20).
5. God’s Word reveals the reality of Hell: (God’s Special Revelation)Praise God His word also teaches us how to escape eternal damnation in Hell (Prov. 15:24; John 3:16-20)
As an introduction let’s look at how the nature of a worldwide Spiritual Warfare implies the reality of Hell (I John 5:19; Eph. 2:2). There is a lot of satanic propaganda convincing people there is no hell… Or that they themselves need not worry about going there.
A Survey in 2014 found that 72% of Americans believe in Heaven and that you go there if you are good! (But who is good in God’s sight? Check out Ps. 14:3; 53:3; Matt. 19:17; Mk. 10:18; Lk. 18:19; Rom. 3:12). The survey found 58% of Americans believe in Hell & you go if you are bad. (Gen. 6:5). Less than 1% believes they themselves are going to Hell! (Find out why in Prov. 20:6; Lk. 18:10-4).
This is totally opposite to what Jesus revealed: Jesus said: “…wide is the gate, & broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, & many there be which go in there at: (14) strait is the gate, & narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, & few there be that find it” (Matt. 7:13-14).The fact is many very religious people who think they are going to Heaven – aren’t! (read Matt. 7:22-23). Are you one of them？
Illustration: I learned a very sad but important lesson from my Chinese teacher in Taiwan. She & her cousin were in Indonesia at the time Mainland China fell to the communists (1950’s). Communists had a brilliant advertising campaign. Her cousin believed the propaganda about China and went there while my Teacher cautiously went to Taiwan.
The TRUTH of HELL: Will you Believe it before it’s too Late?
Satan has a worldwide propaganda machine, glamorizing the wide road to hell & grossly distorting the narrow road to heaven (Matt. 7:13-14). The Apostle Peter warns us: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour” (I Pet. 5:8). The Bible tells us “the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not…” (2Cor. 4:4).
Illustration: Our neighbor Ulysses in Chino, CA. One day he stopped at our garage sale. The subject of Hell came up & he said he didn’t believe there was a real hell. I Asked him: Do you believe Jesus was a liar? He said “of course not.” I said: “Well, you know Jesus spoke about hell more than anybody else. And Jesus is omniscient! And it is impossible for Him to lie (Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18). A few days later I saw the Ambulance at his house… At the Hospital he told me. “You know I almost died, and I didn’t know where I was going. That was a frightening thing.” I shared the Gospel with him & he got saved!
So let’s look at these 5 truths that should convince us of Divine Judgment so we will accept God’s gift of salvation from Hell.
1. Jesus (The Omniscient incarnate Creator God) graphically described a literal Hell 17 times:
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul & body in hell” (Matt. 10:28; Matt. 13:40-42, 49-50; 25:41, 46; Mk. 9:48). Jesus also gives us an alarmingly serious Warning so we won’t underestimate the Seriousness of Hell! He warned us that:
“If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, & cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, & not that thy whole body should be cast into hell” (Matt. 5:29-30)
Why? Read Mark 9:42-48 and find out.
Illustration: Testimony of Mr. Quijas from Fort Worth, TX
Jesus reveals the Torments of the damned soul in Hell when He referred to Hell as an “everlasting fire” (Matt. 25:41); an “everlasting punishment” (Matt. 25:46); a “furnace of fire where there shall be wailing & gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 13:40-42). His teachings are infallible and his warnings are serious: We must heed them or perish!
2. The Church always taught the reality of eternal torment in Hell
They taught it is the righteous Judgment of God on the wicked, unrighteous, and “ungodly.” Their teaching is documented in “A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs” by David W. Bercot, editor, pages 242-250. All the great preachers who won souls to Christ preached Hell.
3. NDE’s (Near Death Experiences) are indirect evidence of Hell
Though Experiences often frame our beliefs, we must understand them in light of God’s infallible Word. NDE’s definitely reveal the fact that we are still conscious in some way after our physical body dies! This agrees with the Bible’s revelation (Luke 16:19-31; I Samuel 28:6-20).
Most recorded testimonies of an NDE are positive in nature. But many have had “hellish” experiences!
Illustration: Testimony of Doctor Maurice Rawlings in His book “Beyond Death’s Door” (1977); also Jeffrey Long, M.D. gives scientific proof of life after death in his book, “Evidence of the Afterlife; the Science of Near-Death Experiences” (2010)
4. Creation reveals the Reality of Hell. (God’s General Revelation) Volcanoes!! God designed Creation to reveal a literal lake of fire in the earth (Rev. 19:20; 20:10,14,15; 21:8; Matt.5:22; 25:41; Jude 7).
Tertullian (203 AD) wrote of a relationship between Volcanoes & Hell. Almost every major religion teaches some kind of fiery Hell. But only ‘1’ Faith teaches that you can know for sure without a doubt that you will not go to Hell but Heaven (John 20:30-31; IJohn 5:10-13). Hallelujah!
5. The Bible gives us an infallible Revelation of Hell (God’s Special Revelation)
The O.T. specifically mentions “Hell” 32 times. But Only in the King James Version! Every other major translation eliminates “Hell” from the O.T.! (seems like propaganda to me!) (check out Deut. 32:22; 2 Sam. 22:6; Ps. 16:10; 18:5; 86:13; 116:3; Prov. 15:24; Isa. 5:14; 14:9, 15; Ezek. 31:16-17; 32:27; Amos 9:2; Jonah 2:2). Many liberals remove the word “Hell” from the Bible but they can’t remove the reality of Hell!
There are many synonyms for Hell in Scripture:
“Fire” “a furnace of fire” “devouring fire” “everlasting burnings” (Isa. 29:6; 33:14; 66:24) “everlasting fire” (Matt. 18:8; 25:41) (Rev. 21:8)
God’s fiery righteous Judgment revealed in Numbers 16:32-35; 26:10; and Rev. 14:10-11. “everlasting punishment” (Matt 25:46; Mk 3:29); “everlasting contempt” (Dan. 12:2); “everlasting torment” (Rev. 20:10); “Resurrection of damnation” (John 5:29); “bottomless pit” (Rev. 9:1-2, 11; 17:8; 20:1-3) (Ps. 69:15; Num. 16:32-35); “perdition” (Phil. 1:28; I Tim. 6:9; Heb. 10:39; 2 Pet. 3:7; Rev. 17:8,11); “prison” (I Pet. 3:19; 20:7); “the second death” (Rev. 20:6, 14; 21:8; Hos. 13:14); “outer darkness” (Matt. 8:12; 22:13; 25:30; 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 13).
Remember satan’s 1st deception? “Ye shall not surely die” (Gen. 3:4). The devil Distorts, Changes, then Denies the Word of God
Or “blinds you to Truth” (2 Cor. 3:14; 4:4).
The Bible’s infallible revelation of Hell: Old Testament
“Many that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, & some to everlasting contempt (3) “They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; & they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever & ever” (Daniel 12:2-3).
The Bible’s infallible revelation of Hell: New Testament
The hour is coming when all that are in the graves shall hear Jesus Christ’s voice: (29) “And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; & they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:28-29). (Read Revelation 20:11-15)
The N.T. uses the word “Hell” 23 times (KJV) (other versions use the word “Hell” only 11-13 times). With 260 chapters in the N. T., Hell & Judgment are referred to or described some 234 times! How can anyone miss it?
Hell was not made for man & no one has to go to hell.
“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil & his angels” (Matt. 25:41). Hell was made for the devil not man. This truth is also confirmed by the fact that Hell has to be enlarged as more & more people choose to go there! “Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: & their glory, & their multitude, & their pomp, & he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it” (Isaiah 5:14).
So Who will go to Hell? Those who refuse to repent of their sin.
“The Lord… is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9) (read Acts 3:19; 3:26; 5:31; 11:18; 26:20; 2 Cor. 7:10; 2 Tim. 2:25-26; 2 Pet. 2:4-10)
SOME IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT GOD:
If we don’t understand the Majesty of an infinitely holy Sovereign God we won’t take hell seriously. If we don’t understand the Justice that an infinitely righteous God must execute we won’t take hell seriously.
SOME IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT OURSELVES:
If we overestimate our own goodness we will minimize hell.
If we underestimate the seriousness of our sin against an infinitely holy and just God we will minimize hell.
The Cross of Christ is the Greatest Revelation of the Reality of Hell! When we consider what Jesus had to suffer to save us we must realize that what He was saving us from must be inexpressibly horrifying & unimaginably terrifying! No one else ever died for your sins! No one else can save you from Hell (Acts 4:12; Heb. 2:14-16)
WE ARE ALL FACED WITH A CHOICE: Believe or not to Believe
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (18) He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already” (John 3:16-18).
The very possibility that Hell awaits the sinner after death is so terrifying that nothing else can compare with it in importance. We are warned to flee “the wrath to come” (Matt. 3:7; Lk. 3:7; How? See Rom. 5:9; I Thess. 1:9-10). Illustration: Pascal’s wager