Hell

We have often heard statements such as “War is hell” or “I went through hell.” These expressions are, of course, not taken literally. Rather, they reflect our tendency to use the word hell as a descriptive term for the most ghastly human experience possible. Yet no human experience in this world is actually comparable to hell. If we try to imagine the worst of all possible suffering in the here and now we have not yet stretched our imaginations to reach the dreadful reality of hell.

Hell is trivialized when it is used as a common curse word. To use the word lightly may be a halfhearted human attempt to take the concept lightly or to treat it in an amusing way. We tend to joke about things most frightening to us in a futile effort to declaw and defang them, reducing their threatening power.

There is no biblical concept more grim or terror-invoking than the idea of hell. It is so unpopular with us that few would give credence to it at all except that it comes to us from the teaching of Christ Himself.

Almost all the biblical teaching about hell comes from the lips of Jesus. It is this doctrine, perhaps more than any other, that strains even the Christian’s loyalty to the teaching of Christ. Modern Christians have pushed the limits of minimizing hell in an effort to sidestep or soften Jesus’ own teaching. The Bible describes hell as a place of outer darkness, a lake of fire, a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, a place of eternal separation from the blessings of God, a prison, a place of torment where the worm doesn’t turn or die. These graphic images of eternal punishment provoke the question, should we take these descriptions literally or are they merely symbols?

I suspect they are symbols, but I find no relief in that. We must not think of them as being merely symbols. It is probable that the sinner in hell would prefer a literal lake of fire as his eternal abode to the reality of hell represented in the lake of fire image. If these images are indeed symbols, then we must conclude that the reality is worse than the symbol suggests. The function of symbols is to point beyond themselves to a higher or more intense state of actuality than the symbol itself can contain. That Jesus used the most awful symbols imaginable to describe hell is no comfort to those who see them simply as symbols.

A breath of relief is usually heard when someone declares, “Hell is a symbol for separation from God.” To be separated from God for eternity is no great threat to the impenitent person. The ungodly want nothing more than to be separated from God. Their problem in hell will not be separation from God, it will be the presence of God that will torment them. In hell, God will be present in the fullness of His divine wrath. He will be there to exercise His just punishment of the damned. They will know Him as an all-consuming fire.

No matter how we analyze the concept of hell it often sounds to us as a place of cruel and unusual punishment. If, however, we can take any comfort in the concept of hell, we can take it in the full assurance that there will be no cruelty there. It is impossible for God to be cruel. Cruelty involves inflicting a punishment that is more severe or harsh than the crime. Cruelty in this sense is unjust. God is incapable of inflicting an unjust punishment. The Judge of all the earth will surely do what is right. No innocent person will ever suffer at His hand.

Perhaps the most frightening aspect of hell is its eternality. People can endure the greatest agony if they know it will ultimately stop. In hell there is no such hope. The Bible clearly teaches that the punishment is eternal. The same word is used for both eternal life and eternal death. Punishment implies pain. Mere annihilation, which some have lobbied for, involves no pain. Jonathan Edwards, in preaching on Revelation 6:15-16 said, “Wicked men will hereafter earnestly wish to be turned to nothing and forever cease to be that they may escape the wrath of God.” (John H. Gerstner, Jonathan Edwards on Heaven and Hell [Orlando: Ligonier Ministries, 1991], 75.)

Hell, then, is an eternity before the righteous, ever-burning wrath of God, a suffering torment from which there is no escape and no relief. Understanding this is crucial to our drive to appreciate the work of Christ and to preach His gospel.

You have the brain that God gave you. Use it.

From the First Council of Nicaea and on, I see and read that the Bible was written by man and is still undergoing subjective interpretation by MAN.

If the Bible is written by a perfect God, why do we have all these editions? It’s a contradiction awaiting for a response from someone like a criminal defense attorney.

Have you ever worked with churches and saw the money involved? I have. It offers a tremendous living and lifestyle. What could be better than living well while people see you as an agent of God?

One of the questions I’ve pondered is why should religion be only the domain of the literate? Since there have been more illiterate humans in history than literate, was God’s message hidden on purpose? It makes NO theological sense.

Before you cite missionary work, it is a fact that the practice cannot get the “message” to all humans. The argument fails.

Evil will try to take us away from God’s world one step at a time. The first step is to make man believe that committing sin is forgiven. And forgiven again. And forgiven again.

Please understand that I don’t believe that the Commandments are “living and breathing.” Is Christianity built upon that premise? Obey the rules that God gave us.

This is always the easiest reply, because it is from actual life experience, not just hearing, reading, studying, etc. No looking up scriptures to respond to some debate. Just witness. It’s long, but that’s the way I need to do this.

For my first 28 yrs I was a Calvinist, but not so different from many other groups that professed a faith that Jesus Christ died for my sins, was buried, and rose again. The big difference was this: The biblical rebirth experience.

While I had done, as a teen, the ‘give my heart to Jesus’, ‘accept him as my personal Savior’, moments, that are so commonly used as conversion ‘proofs’, deep down I just knew there HAD to be more. It was something that would enter my mind during a church service, or funeral, or just when I would dwell on thoughts of spiritual things.

My step-mother, an attractive but very worldly woman, stole my dad from my mother. My dad, while an adulterer, was conservative in every other way. I was 23, and figured I understood women enough by then to make a educated opinion: There’s no way the marriage would last a year. I was wrong.

She visited a church (independent, but like United Pentecostals) simply because it was nearby their new (to them) home. She felt the tug at her heart while there, and refused to go back. But, staying away didn’t fill the hole either. She eventually went back, and had a biblical conversion, following the Acts 2:38 formula. She spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave the utterance. I wasn’t present, but through the days and weeks saw her change dramatically in almost every way. Her joy was constant. I remained skeptical.

In the meantime, I married a very lovely woman. She was always curteous to my dad and step-mother, but was adamant: “I’m not going to their church!” That was no problem, for I was in total agreement.

Then ‘idiot president 1.0’, already letting the economy go out of control, embargoed grain to Russia. Reagan steps in and hits inflation with a sledge hammer. The combined chaos was financial hardship for many, and not just farmers.

It knocked down my trust in the wisdom of men across the board, myself included. Even made me take a hard look at my church’s leadership. As my studying expanded, I thought it strange that the miraculous experiences of rebirth in the book of Acts were not happening in mainline churchs in my area.

Then one of my brothers received the same Acts 2:38 rebirth as my step-mother, ONLY, he lived 900 miles away. That wasn’t all, as a couple of months later it happened to my youngest brother, that lived with my dad. I decided I had to step in and ‘save’ my family.

My wife and I made an exception to our rule, and visited my dad’s church on Father’s day, 1982. We DID have to admit that the people there were genuinely happy, the preacher very neighborly, and not at all pushy. We felt that we were believers, and repentant in our walk with God, so we felt a church change was completely unecessary.

We didn’t go back for a few months, but only then because of our seeing the command of baptism in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins. Our Calvinist church didn’t meet on Sunday nights, so we went to the other church at those times for a few weeks.

My wife and I were baptized, by immersion, in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins. We felt glad, and praised God. We still wanted that biblical Spirit birth, that the Lord promises (Acts 2:38) “to them that obey him” (Acts 5:32). A week later, in prayer, my wife began praising God in a language she had previously never spoken, lasting about a minute or so. It was so smooth, as if she had spoken it all of her life. It happened to me almost five months later, during a revival service.

That was our ‘beginning’, our being born again. It changes your life like nothing else. In my previous years, my reverence for the Word of God kept me from many troubles. The Word is wisdom.

That’s why many ‘preachers’ (I use the term loosely) can ‘write’ books, and make a nice payday doing so. In most cases all they are doing is putting the scriptures in their ‘own’ words. Folks use the excuse: “The Bible is too hard to understand”. Much of the prophecy is hard, but most of the Word is not not. Mostly, people are just lazy.

Did you ever prepare a report for a class in school, and simply just copy from a resource, then change some words with those of similar meaning, make shorter or longer sentences? If so, then you too can write a commentary on the Word, find a publisher, and maybe turn a profit. lol

Seriously, I hope this helps explain my position. If you need more, I’ll try to accomodate.

God bless

**1) Salvation by grace alone, not by works. There is LOTS of scripture to support this, case in point, see the Thief on the cross.**

The Lord COMMANDS rebirth in John 3. He tells us how it is to be accomplished AFTER his departure, in his commissions: Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16; Luke 24:47; and John 20:23. For he said the Spirit (the Comforter) would not come until he is physically gone (John 16:7).

That rules out the thief needing to be born of the Spirit. Jesus Christ was still there. AND...Christ hadn’t died yet. He hadn’t fulfilled the Law that God ordained, until his death. That’s what his words “It is finished”, and then dying, mean.

“For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength AT ALL while the testator LIVETH.” Heb. 9:17

**The point is that counting on good works to give you righteousness and a ticket to heaven is a LOSING proposition.**

There those that do good works to prove, to themselves and others, that they are born again. Instead of following the Lord and his apostles instructions on rebirth, they say, “I believe”, and convince themselves they are saved (that was me up to age 28). There’s a story in the gospels that helps paints this picture:

“And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that Imay have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder,........Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lackest I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.” Matt. 19:16-21

At least this man knew, even after all that he had done, that he was in need of something more, although that man couldn’t completely let go. To some people, great possessions can be things other than money and property. They can be a tradition, a fellowship with a group of people, a teaching (said and believed to be accurate); any of which may have too great of a hold to let go of.

Hearing and obeying the call of being born again is ‘following’ Jesus. His commissions demand it, and his apostles enforced it. How much do you love him? (don’t tell me).

**WHAT are you trusting in to save you?**

That’s a good question. Is it your trusting in teachers that exclude the Lord and his apostles instructions on being born again, and following blind leaders to the epistles for salvation.

Acts 2:38: is it from heaven, or of men?

thanks for your comments.
God bless

That parable is about the kingdom..

Five foolish ‘oil’less virgins are not going to enter the Kingdom.

Who do enter? The five wise virgins with the lamp and the oil who were prepared..

What is the oil? Good question...
What does the oil do? Another good question..

Some translations show proverbs 6:23
To read the commandment is the lamp and the law is light..

And His Holy Spirit should lead us to that Truth of His Word..

And lots of people argue away the commands and law, even in this dark hour...
That are shown to be lamp and light...

I can see principles for my life in His Parables..
I don’t say that doesn’t apply to me because ....

His Kingdom is still a mystery... and this parable tells us in a way that even virgins don’t enter..being just a virgin isn’t enough..

His Word can lead us to what is foolish and what is wise..

This parable may not apply to you.. if you dont think all scripture is profitable..
There are probably some other parts of scripture people like to think don’t apply to them in any form or fashion..

That, to me, would be foolish..

I have never been a woman nor a bride, Nor a slave, nor wheat, nor tare, nor sheep or goat..( I have played a ‘seed’ before)

But through His Parables and the Holy Spirit,
I can see me as each of those. And the goal is His Kingdom.

And He came and preached His Kingdom.. and I am trying to understand as much of His Kingdom I can..
He tells us gets in. And who is left out,,

And with this parable, half of the ‘virgins’ are shut out..
That is rather stark considering these were not harlots shut out. They were virgins.,

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HELL

by R.C. Sproul