Most of you reading this do not believe you are going to hell. Have you ever been to a funeral where the deceased is spoken of as being in hell? Of course not, the deceased is always spoken of as being in a “better place” and looking down from heaven. Yet, God's Word is very clear that most of you reading this will spend eternity in hell, as stated in Matthew 7:13, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.”
What are some reasons why we don't take hell seriously? We love ourselves and sin too much to think the worst of ourselves. All of us desire to silence our conscience from whatever disturbs us in our daily lives, or are ready to take a drug for our depression to quiet our conscience. We fill our days with temporal duties and a myriad of distractions that cloak the dangers and warnings of hell. We have been told that God loves us and is an all merciful God; therefore, we need not worry ourselves about eternal damnation and punishment. The fake church today presents Christ as “waiting at the door” to solve all your problems and bring you to heaven when you die, if you just make a decision to have a personal relationship with Him. As created beings we will do anything to avoid pain, suffering, or any circumstance that is unpleasant in this life. Yet most everyone ignores the topic of hell which is infinitely more dangerous and harmful than anything we could possibly experience in this life. If hell is not real then we might as well sin with impunity because there is no consequence or future punishment that awaits us. As we see too often in our society and government today, we do what seems right in our own eyes because there is no accountability. Judges 17:6 “...every man did what was right in his own eyes.”
The subject of hell is one of the most neglected doctrines in the church today. No one has ever been to hell and come back to give an account of their experience in hell, but the Bible does speak about hell. Hell is eternal, as stated in Matthew 25:41, “Then He will also say to those on His left, Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.” Hell will be populated with both humans and demonic beings. There will be endless misery; you will not be in the company of your friends and family, but rather the company of the devil and his angels whom you served during your life here on earth. You should know that both your body and soul will be tormented for all of eternity. Both your mental and physical state of being will be in complete despair and hopelessness. God's Word indicates that people will do anything to escape such wrath and judgment as stated in Revelation 6:16, “and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.” In hell you would give anything to kill yourself or be annihilated to escape such mental and physical anguish to no avail. In hell all your senses (taste, sight, smell, hearing, touch) will be designed to experience maximum pain and suffering. While on earth you are hopeful that your mental and physical ailments will be mitigated through time and whatever treatment is prescribed. When you burn your finger you are acutely aware of how much it hurts and hopeful that the pain will subside the next day. But in hell that burning pain will be constant with no hope of relief, and you would give anything to extinguish the pain.
Most of us give careful attention to our standard of living and possessions, but ignore the future punishment of hell that awaits most of humankind. Our lives here on earth are but a vapor of 70 years or so, compared to an eternity in hell. As stated in Mark 8:36-37, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” If you are unable or unwilling to take heed of what is said here, this gives clear evidence you are resisting any truth or light that would set you free. Would you give anything to avoid the punishment of hell, or would you rather bow to the god of your imagination?
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