The Greater Truths of Hell

Does it make you appreciate the greater act of grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ when you read of the truths of hell? When you read of the unquenchable fire, the outer darkness and the torment that is carried out for all eternity? (Matthew 8:12) There’s not a flame hot enough that describes the torments of hell that await the unrighteous in our worldly understanding. Not even the sun is hot enough for the full cup of God’s eternal wrath (Revelation 14:9-11). Hell is necessary, it is necessary because God is good. Some of you might be thinking, that’s a contradictory in itself. No my friend, because God is good, He must punish that which is wicked and evil.

As Paul Washer once said “if I love children, I must then hate abortion.” This is true in the same of our Lord Jesus Christ. If we are not clothed in His righteousness then we are deserving of His eternal wrath with a hatred that is good. This truth should keep Christians sober minded and humble, pleading our Lord for greater humility in fact! We should never abandon the truth of hell, but we should have a greater sense of what we’ve been saved from and a greater sense of why we need to preach the gospel more urgently.

The condition of judgment in hell leaves people eternally weeping and gnashing their teeth (Matthew 8:12). These truths are spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, therefore as Christians we have an urgency to listen carefully. Why am I speaking of hell you might be wondering? Because we as Christians need to be daily reminded of this eternal truth, much like the gospel and knowing the extent Christ went to when He died on the cross! We all deserve hell, as we read in Romans 3:10-18, there is no one righteous. Hell should make us uncomfortable, it should remind us of the truth that we need to continue to fight the flesh (Romans 8:13).

Our lives should be centred on Christ knowing the depth Christ went to in order to save us from the wrath of the Father! Do you read of hell in this same light? Do you read the truth of hell knowing your friends and family members walk a wide path to destruction? Do you feel the urgency to share the truth of the gospel despite the affliction or the persecution that a waits? Have you ever seen a worm thrown into a fire? It doesn’t fight the flames at all; instead it curls up and yields to the heat and torment. This is the same of hell; the unrighteous will yield to the flames of hell. But unlike the worm, those in hell will never die. There is not an ounce of relief, for even an ounce of relief would be unjust in accordance with our great Lord.

The unrighteous will beg for a drop of water (Luke 16:24) but it won’t be there for them! And what is more comforting, a drop of water or repentance? I tell you, a drop of water is more comforting than repentance (if repentance were possible). We must preach the uncompromised truth of our Lord knowing the finality that awaits most people! Let us boldly use our gifts and talents for His glory! Let us stand on the frontline of hell itself, pleading with non-believers to be reconciled to God! Tell them the truth, tell them that their actions is like making their bed in hell already. Tell them the truth of Christ, His grace and mercy to save. Beg them to repent!  As Charles. H. Spurgeon once said “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. If they perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for!”