Saturday, August 28, 2010

Hell

I know, I still haven't finished my last series. I will get back to it. Bear with me, please.
The heart of Hebrews 9:27 reads: "it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgement."
The Bible proclaims that bodily death is not the end, but that a judgement will take place. Those who have placed their trust in God will be separated from those who never made the leap of faith. "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
God plainly teaches that Heaven and Hell exist and that there is no second chance after death. The tree lies as it falls, so to speak. Still, there are some who do not accept the gospel because they do not know what Hell really is. Let us examine some common beliefs.
Objection: "I don't want to go to heaven! All my friends will be in hell - that is gonna be one big party!"
Answer: In Hell you are completely alone. The Devil and his demons will not be partying either, they are as much prisoner as you (Matthew 25:41). There will be nothing except isolation from God and everyone else. It was you who rejected Jesus - your heart alone. It was you who sinned - your heart alone. For that you must pay alone. Forever. (I am in the process of finding more support for this in the Bible)
Objection: "I won't go to hell, I'm a good person. It isn't like I killed anyone."
Answer: One sin and you are too polluted for Heaven (Romans 3:23). Think of it this way: if God let you into Heaven and your only sin was lying, would it still be Heaven with lies in it? People would have to wonder what was true, they could not be secure, they could not have peace. Even a seemingly small sin makes you unworthy. Everyone needs Jesus (John 14:6).
Objection: "Hell isn't really forever. I will stop existing eventually or be allowed into heaven."
Answer: God Himself had to die to buy your way into Heaven (Romans 5:6). You will never earn it yourself (Isaiah 64:4-9). So you will not be allowed into Heaven. What about just ceasing to exist? Hell is forever (Matthew 25:41). The Bible says the fire of Hell is unquenchable (Revelation 19:20). There are no time outs, no breaks, no drinks of water (Luke 16:19-31). You will not get used to the pain. You will be in total agony forever and ever, remembering how you could have accepted God and knowing you denied Him.
Objection: "A loving God wouldn't really create a place like that!"
Answer: God is not just perfectly loving. He is perfectly holy (Isaiah 6:3). Sins must be punished, because they violate His holy nature (Psalm 51:4). Hell must exist for God to be holy and just. It has to exist for Him to be who He is: Perfect.
But that isn't the end of the story. Because God loves you, He made a way out. Please read this article to learn about how Christianity is unique and what you must do to be saved. If you haven't fallen into Jesus as your savior, placing your trust in Him, you are Hell-bound right now. All you have to do is believe He died for you, know you have sinned and need His forgiveness and ask Him to make you into a new creature. It only takes a minute and eternity is at stake. If after reading this article and the other you still have questions, why not call a Christian you know or a local pastor to walk you through the process? Any true Christian would drop anything to help. Whatever they were doing is nothing compared to your soul.

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