January 15, 2018 - - Luke 12:5 Is hell real?
/“And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!
Luke 12:4-5 NKJV
Almost every natural man that hears of hell,
flatters himself that he shall escape it.
Jonathan Edwards
In his powerful preaching yesterday, Stephen Richardson reminded us: the uncomfortable teaching of the Bible is that hell is real. God will throw unbelievers into hell. It is a place of agony and torment that will not end. God is infinitely good and infinitely glorious and He deserves our love and obedience. Sin, any and every sin--one lustful look, one instance of coveting, one time of knowing what is right and not doing it--is an infinite violation of the infinite holiness of God and deserves God's infinite wrath.
Why speak of this? For God in His multitudes of mercy has shown us the depths of His great love in Jesus Christ. Only those who believe in Jesus and are obedient to Him are by grace given life everlasting. The Spirit, by the Bible, shows us the glory of God and the joy of those who are lifted from hell. It is not my own merits, it is not a measure of any good I can do--nothing I ever can do will earn my way out of hell. It is only sinners, fully aware of their sin and need for the Saviour who escape hell. In fact, the focus is not on our escape, but on the great glory, kindness and love of God. He could have filled hell with all the people of the earth, all who lived, live and ever would live. But He has shown mercy beyond our deserving, those who look to Jesus and follow Him are saved and rejoice in His love.
If your conscience bothers you, speak with a Bible-believing Christian today. If you have questions about the justice and love of God and struggle to balance this with your understanding of hell, speak to a Christian whose walk with God you admire. Now, today is the day of salvation.
God, You are great and glorious. Blessed is Your Name. Great is the praise and honour that belongs to You alone. This topic of hell is one of the most uncomfortable topics of the Bible, and yet it is urgently important that people hear and understand that however great our sins are, the mercy held out to us in Jesus Christ is greater for those who believe. Spirit of God help us this day, as believers, to be urgent in our witness to the glory of Jesus Christ. Amen.
