Is there a hell?How would you answer that question?If you’re an agnostic you might say, “Nobody can know if there is or isn’t.” If you’re an atheist you might say, “There is no God; there is no hell!” A person can be quite faithful in religious ritual observances and yet be an unbeliever. For example, a man who had spoken of his recent Easter service attendance, when asked if there was a hell, replied, “You are buried in the ground six feet under and that’s it!” Dear, soul, sin is serious, death is formidable, hell is fearsome, and the Lake of Fire is forever. It is way past time to get serious about the question, “Is there a hell?”You may have heard zealous hell-fire preachers who used “going to hell” as a means of fear to make people “do good.” But you can’t perform good works to get to heaven:“Not of works, lest any man should boast” – Ephesians 2:9. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” – Titus 3:5. You must be redeemed/born again. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” – 1 Peter 1:18,19.“Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” – John 3:7. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” – 2 Corinthians 5:17.Furthermore, those who are resurrected to stand before the Great White Throne die the SECOND DEATH (Revelation 20:11-15). The answer to the question, “Is there a hell?”, is a resounding, loud & emphatic, “YES!”How can we be sure?The Holy Bible is the revelation from the eternal God who created all the physical universe. The critic, the rebel, the lovers of the pleasures of sin have attacked this holy volume from the first book to the complete Bible, to our time. Even so, the Holy Scriptures have stood the test of time, and is an anvil that has worn out all the ruined hammers of cynics who vainly pounded on its impervious surface. The Bible beats with a never-ending life. Its power to change lives has been fully demonstrated. It has been verified by a multitude of miracles that a multitude of witnesses have confirmed, sometimes at the very risk of their lives. The archaeologist’s spade and the writings of history have confirmed its validity. The power of those simple words, “Let there be light and there was light” (Genesis 1:3), reverberate with living life within its pages!The question should be, “Is the Holy Bible just the imaginings of man?” or “Is it in fact the Word of God?” The question could also be, “Was the good, the loving, the miracle-working Jesus, the Son of God?” or “Was He a deceiver, liar and blasphemer?” Both the written word and the Incarnate Word (Jesus), testified emphatically to the reality of hell!Jesus’ words on the subject of the final condition of damnation are the following: The “undying worm” three times in Mark 9:44-48; the “unquenchable fire” in Matthew 3:12, Luke 3:17; the “gnashing of teeth” in Matthew 8:12, 13:42 &50, 22:13, 24:51, 25:30, Luke 13:28; “this place of torment” in Luke 16:28; the “everlasting fire” in Matthew 25:41 & 46; the “outer darkness” in Matthew 8:12, 22:13, 25:30; and the “thirst” in Luke 16:24.Jesus suffered on the cross: the “Fire” – Lamentations 1:13; the “darkness” – Luke 23:44; the “tears” – Psalm 42:3; the “grief” – Isaiah 53:3, 10; the “thirst” - John 19:28, Psalm 42:2.“WHY” Jesus diedThere is a little poem that goes like this, “The worst of all diseases is light compared with sin, for on every part it seizes but, mostly wars within.” When sin entered the world through Adam it would leave its stain on all the children of Adam—thus, all of mankind. Maybe this was where the common saying, “Like father, like son” was born. We sin because we are sinners. Jesus came to deal with sin both root and branch, and this He did by suffering for sin on our behalf on the cross of Calvary.1 John 3:5 says, “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.” Blessed be God for not only does He deal with sins (the deeds and imaginings of the sinful nature), He also judges and condemns the sinful nature on the cross. This allows God to justly perfect the saints (every believer) in GLORY so they never sin again. The saved, on earth, still have to deal with the old nature which is contrary to the new nature they received when they were born again. But, as the believers journey to their heavenly home, God gives abundant strengthening grace for the road, day by day.That cross, that wondrous cross—not only does the stream of redemption flow out to change repentant sinners, it flows out to heaven and earth wherever the taint of sin has come and brings forth a New Heaven and New Earth, cleansing creation.Dear one,You need to be born again and receive a new nature to enjoy glory, blessing and beauty of the new things to come. New is new in every way. It’s ever-fresh, ever-wonderful, where complacency and boredom never come!In 1 John 3:8 we are told, “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” (“committeth sin” has the sense of practicing sin as a lifestyle)Are you willing to risk your eternal soul to stubbornly hold onto the belief that there is no hell, and that the Holy Bible and Holy Son of God are wrong? Or do you think you should repent while mercy’s door is still open? Please dear one, choose the Lord Jesus Christ, the only Savior of sinners. -MDH
