Do You
Believe In Hell?
by: Ivie Powell
Do you believe there is a place of eternal torment; a place the Bible calls hell? When is the last time you heard a sermon about hell? In many modern churches, the subject of hell has been completely removed from the classrooms and pulpit. They had much rather hear lessons about the blessings of the abundant life and of Heaven. The Unitarians believe that everyone will be saved. They deny the reality of hell stating that God is too loving to send anyone to suffer forever. The Jehovah Witnesses believe that the wicked go out of existence. Others redefine everlasting to mean temporary punishment to end in annihilation. Two members of the church, Edward Fudge and F. LeGard Smith, believe that the final state of the wicked will be total, everlasting extinction. According to the Scriptures, the far majority are rapidly headed toward hell whether they want to hear lessons on the subject or not, and whether they believe in hell or not! Listen the words of our Savior, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13-14). Since God cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18), I know there is a place of eternal damnation! Jesus spoke of being "cast into hell fire" in Mark 9:47. Paul informs us, "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God , and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power" (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). Yes, hell is real and God in His great love, mercy and grace warns all accountable people of what awaits those who "...know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Christ!" Heaven's description of the final abode of eternal damnation is further evidence of God's great love for man! No one will be able to point an accusing finger at God and say, "You did not warn us!" Read and heed what the inspired word of God reveals about hell.
Hell is where the devil and his angels will be. "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Mathew 25:41).
Hell is spoken of as a lake of fire. "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever...And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:10, 14, 15).
Hell is referred to as a baptism of fire. "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3:11-12).
Hell is described as a "furnace of fire." "And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 13:42).
The fires of hell never end. "And if thy hand offend thee, cut if off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:43-44).
Hell is a place of "outer darkness." "And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 25:30).
Hell is where one will be completely and eternally separated from God. "And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence" (Luke 16:26).
As to who will be in hell, Paul states, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor coveteous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Again he warns, "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkeness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:19-21). Observe, my friends, that no babies will be in hell since they are not sinners (Ezekiel 18:20; 28:15; Matthew 18:3; 19:14)!
Jesus used a word in Matthew 5:29-30 that vividly painted in the minds of his audience how horrible eternal damnation is, and that word is GEHENNA which when translated into English is HELL. Brother Wayne Jackson, in an excellent article entitled, "The Punishment of Hell," quotes J. W. McGarvey's summary of the history of the word Gehenna.
Near Jerusalem there was a deep narrow gorge in the mountains, called Gehenna, or the Valley of Hinnom. In the times of Jewish idolatry this valley was stained with blood from their innocent children, which were' burned with fire for burnt offerings to Baal.' (Jeremiah 19:1-6). The deepest depths of human guilt and misery were here combined; the guilt of men who compelled the sacrifice, and the misery of the children who were burned, and of the mothers from whose breasts they were torn to be cast into the fiery furnace. When the abominations were suppressed, the most horrible associations were connected with that place. To the superstitious Jew it was a resort of ghosts and hobgoblins, and to the pious it was a place of unspeakable horror. There was not other word in Jewish speech so full of this meaning, that this word Jesus seized upon the name of that final state where the wicked are enveloped in fire and darkness and continual weeping. He called it GEHENNA, and this is, when translated into English HELL. (Christian Courier, Vol. X, No. 8, December '74).
It is because of the great love, mercy, and grace of God that He sent forth Christ to die for our sins that He might redeem us. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him" (Romans 5:8-9). God does not want anyone to be lost in hell. "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Warning after warning is given as in the judgment parables in Matthew 5. The Hebrew writer warns, "For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God...For our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 10:30-31; 12:29). While God is a God of great love, mercy, and grace, let us never forget the wrath of God! "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18). to the Colossians Paul warns, "For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience" (Colossians 3:6), and John speaks of "...the fierceness of his wrath" (Revelation 16:19).
Everywhere you turn warnings are given. Warnings about high cholesterol, high blood pressure, over weight, fatty foods. Warnings about drug interaction, speeding, scan artists, toasters that may possibly ignite, automobiles that may overturn, tires that may blow out. Warnings about bad investments, cigarettes, the ozone, clothing getting caught in escalators, toys that may harm children, terrorists, anthrax, smallpox, etc. Yet have you noticed seldom do we hear anyone warning about hell?!!
Beloved, the goodness and severity of God calls for us to obey the gospel (Romans 2:4), and to live the Christ like life (Colossians 3:1-2) so that we might inherit that eternal home with God, Christ, the Holy Spirit and the saved of all ages. Remember, if you die outside of Christ you will spend an eternity in damnation! "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men..." (2 Corinthians 5:11)!